Why Play Works

The hilarious second novel, and Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller, from author of the smash hit Why Mummy Drinks.Monday, 25 July The first day of the holidays. I suppose it could’ve been worse. I brightly announced that perhaps it might be a lovely idea to go to a stately home and learn about some history. As soon as we got there I remembered why I don’t use the flipping National Trust membership – because National Trust properties are full of very precious and breakable items, and very precious and breakable items don’t really mix with children, especially not small boys. Where I had envisaged childish faces glowing with wonder as they took in the treasures of our nation’s illustrious past, we instead had me shouting ‘Don’t touch, DON’T TOUCH, FFS DON’T TOUCH!” while stoutly shod pensioners tutted disapprovingly and drafted angry letters to the Daily Mail in their heads. How many more days of the holiday are there?Welcome to Mummy’s world… The Boy Child Peter is connected to his iPad by an umbilical cord, The Girl Child Jane is desperate to make her fortune as an Instagram lifestyle influencer, while Daddy is constantly off on exotic business trips… Mummy’s marriage is feeling the strain, her kids are running wild and the house is steadily developing a forest of mould. Only Judgy, the Proud and Noble Terrier, remains loyal as always. Mummy has also found herself a new challenge, working for a hot new tech start-up. But not only is she worrying if, at forty-two, she could actually get up off a bean bag with dignity, she’s also somehow (accidentally) rebranded herself as a single party girl who works hard, plays hard and doesn’t have to run out when the nanny calls in sick. Can Mummy keep up the facade while keeping her family afloat? Can she really get away with wearing ‘comfy trousers’ to work? And, more importantly, can she find the time to pour herself a large G+T? Probably effing not.

Explore an insightful and original discussion of the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire In Why Rome Fell: Decline and Fall, or Drift and Change? , celebrated scholar of Roman history Dr. Michael Arnheim delivers a fascinating and robust exploration of the causes of and reasons for Rome’s fall in the West. Steeped in applications of elite theory to the later Roman Empire, the author discusses several interconnected issues that influenced the decline of Rome, including monarchy, power structure, social mobility, religion, and the aristocratic ethos. Incisive comparisons of the situation in Rome to those in the Principate and the Byzantine Empire shed light on the relative lack of “indissoluble union and easy obedience” (in Gibbon’s phrase) in the later Roman Empire. Instead, the book reveals the divided loyalties of a fractured society that characterized Rome in its later years. Why Rome Fell also includes: A thorough introduction to the transition from the ancient to the medieval world, including discussions of monarchy, Diocletian and his relationship to the aristocracy, and Constantine’s reforms Comprehensive explorations of the rise of the Roman Christian empire and Constantine’s role Practical discussions of conflicting theories of what caused the fall of the Roman empire, including the Pirenne thesis, the malaria hypothesis, Gibbon’s ‘decline and fall’ theory, and the role played by religion An indispensable resource for students, scholars and the general reader with an inquiring mind about history, Why Rome Fell deserves a place on the bookshelves of anyone with an interest in a sophisticated and original take on historical continuity and change.

A unique, moving and dazzlingly researched exploration of the places, people, musicians, writers and filmmakers that inspired David Jones to become David Bowie, what we can learn from his life’s work and journey, and why he will always matter. When David Bowie died on 10th January 2016, it seemed the whole world was united in mourning. His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why? In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. A Bowie obsessive since childhood, he hit the headlines over the course of a year-long immersive research project that took him from London to Berlin and New York, following in Bowie’s footsteps, only listening to music and reading books he loved, and even at times adopting his fashion. In this original and illuminating book, Professor Brooker approaches Bowie from various angles, re-tracing his childhood on the streets of Bromley, taking us through his record collection and bookshelves, and deciphering the symbols and codes of his final work, Blackstar to piece together how an ordinary suburban teenager turned himself into a legend, and how perhaps we too could be a little more Bowie. He shows us that while David Robert Jones died on that terrible day in January, David Bowie will live on forever.

A unique, moving and dazzlingly researched exploration of the places, people, musicians, writers and filmmakers that inspired David Jones to become David Bowie, what we can learn from his life’s work and journey, and why he will always matter.When David Bowie died on 10th January 2016, it seemed the whole world was united in mourning. His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why?In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. A Bowie obsessive since childhood, he hit the headlines over the course of a year-long immersive research project that took him from London to Berlin and New York, following in Bowie’s footsteps, only listening to music and reading books he loved, and even at times adopting his fashion.In this original and illuminating book, Professor Brooker approaches Bowie from various angles, re-tracing his childhood on the streets of Bromley, taking us through his record collection and bookshelves, and deciphering the symbols and codes of his final work, Blackstar to piece together how an ordinary suburban teenager turned himself into a legend, and how perhaps we too could be a little more Bowie.He shows us that while David Robert Jones died on that terrible day in January, David Bowie will live on forever.

What makes online learning engaging to students? Engagement depends upon designing learning that is active and collaborative, authentic and experiential, constructive and transformative. While students and instructors can inadvertently act in several ways to decrease student engagement in online coursework, research indicates a range of options that have been proven to engage students in their online courses. This report explores the learning theories, pedagogies, and active learning options that encourage student engagement, push them to think more deeply, and teach them how to learn. It guides instructors on how to evaluate the effectiveness of technological and software tools, and to evaluate and assess the activities, learning, and retention occurring in their online classes. Finally, it will help instructors find inspiration for engagement from the face-to-face settings that can be translated into the online environment. This is the 6th issue of the 40th volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

A GUARDIAN AND INDEPENDENT BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2017.‘At last an expert classicist gets to grips with Bob Dylan’ Mary Beard‘Thomas’s elegant, charming book offers something for everyone – not just the super-fans’ IndependentWhen the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan, the literary world was up in arms. How could the world’s most prestigious book prize be awarded to a famously cantankerous singer-songwriter in his Seventies, who wouldn’t even deign to make an acceptance speech?In Why Dylan Matters, Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas answers that question with magisterial erudition. A world expert on Classical poetry, Thomas was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a course on Bob Dylan alongside his traditional seminars on Homer, Virgil and Ovid. Dylan’s Nobel prize win brought him vindication. This witty, personal volume is a distillation of Thomas’s famous course, and makes a compelling case for moving Dylan out of the rock n’ roll Hall of Fame and into the pantheon of Classical poets. You’ll never think about Bob Dylan in the same way again.

'Why are you making this about race?' This question is repeated daily in public and in the media. Calling someone racist in these times of mounting white supremacy seems to be a worse insult than racism itself. In our supposedly post-racial society, surely it’s time to stop talking about race?
 
This powerful refutation is a call to notice not just when and how race still matters but when, how and why it is said not to matter. Race critical scholar Alana Lentin argues that society is in urgent need of developing the skills of racial literacy, by jettisoning the idea that race is something and unveiling what race does as a key technology of modern rule, hidden in plain sight. Weaving together international examples, she eviscerates misconceptions such as reverse racism and the newfound acceptability of 'race realism', bursts the 'I’m not racist, but' justification, complicates the common criticisms of identity politics and warns against using concerns about antisemitism as a proxy for antiracism. 
 
Dominant voices in society suggest we are talking too much about race. Lentin shows why we actually need to talk about it more and how in doing so we can act to make it matter less.

Praise for What Works «What Works is essential reading for any businesspeople who want to improve their organizations and their own abilities. This is not a tome of pie-in-the-sky, fluffy how-to advice but is an easy read, crammed with great advice—from improving sales ability to learning how to manage people. Not to be missed.» —SHAUN REIN, founder of China Market Research Group and author of The End of Cheap China «Focus, focus, and more focus. That is the incredible theme here of What Works. Robert Cornish and Wil Seabrook hit a true homerun in their message: knowing what you are and what you are not, knowing what works and what doesn't, and knowing when to walk away and when to stay, but hold firm—are the keys to success in business and in life. What Works is more than a sales book. It's as much about the internal sale to your employees and colleagues, as it is to the customer and the prospect. If you want to improve not just your sales, but your business, What Works is a must-read.» —TODD NATENBERG, author of «I just got a job in sales! Now what?» A Playbook for Skyrocketing Your Commissions «Robert Cornish has gone beyond the usual fluff and trendy ideas and concepts and taken what actually works in the world, which is what's most important after all. The book is easy to understand with lots of real life examples, and the ideas are very practical and useable. If you want what you are doing to 'work' or to turn your ideas into effective action: read this book.» —Robert J. Kriegel, PhD, New York Times and BusinessWeek bestselling author; Commentator, NPR's Marketplace; pioneer in sports psychology, Olympic and professional athlete coach «Robert and Wil have written a wonderful no-nonsense playbook for today's CEO. There's no theory here, but rather a collection of bite-sized, pragmatic ways of thinking and doing that you can put into action right away and see immediate results in your business. This is a great one to keep close to your desk to reference often!» —David Hassell, CEO of 15Five «While many business books and theories comb through what it takes to succeed, What Works has taken hard-won knowledge from the trenches—knowledge that has been tested and applied—resulting in practical information that can be used now. Being a successful entrepreneur myself, I know what it takes to succeed, and this book dives into what works in the real world.» —Jon Ferrara, CEO of Nimble.com and founder of GoldMine

Unternehmen, die sich heute gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (CSR) auf die Fahnen schreiben, haben folgendes Problem: Entweder man wirft ihnen vor, CSR opportunistisch als Marketinginstrument zu missbrauchen, oder sie gelten als sozialromantische ?bergangsph?nomene ohne ernsthafte wirtschaftliche Ambition. Good Works! wendet sich an Unternehmenslenker, die aus tiefer ?berzeugung beides wollen: Gewinne erzielen und Gutes tun. Das Buch enth?lt zahlreiche praktische Impulse, wie gesellschaftliche und wirtschaftliche Ziele ausbalanciert werden k?nnen. CSR ist l?ngst kein Nice-to-have mehr. Es ist ein Must-do f?r alle Wirtschaftsvertreter, die auch in Zukunft ernst genommen werden, und geh?rt zum Spannendsten, was die Unternehmenswelt uns heute zu bieten hat. Immer mehr Unternehmen beweisen tagt?glich, dass es m?glich ist, gleichzeitig etwas f?r eine bessere Welt und f?r die eigenen Bilanzen zu tun. Good Works! zeigt anhand aktueller Beispiele aus ?ber 50 gro?er und mittelst?ndischer Unternehmen weltweit – darunter Coca Cola, Nike, Patagonia, IBM, Genreral Electric u.a. – wie Unternehmen das Wohl der Allgemeinheit in ihr Marketing integrieren und Zynikern den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen k?nnen.