This is the story of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Simon Baker charts the rise and fall of the world's first superpower, focusing on six momentous turning points that shaped Roman history. Welcome to Rome as you've never seen it before - awesome and splendid, gritty and squalid.From the conquest of the Mediterranean beginning in the third century BC to the destruction of the Roman Empire at the hands of barbarian invaders some seven centuries later, we discover the ...

This is the story of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Simon Baker charts the rise and fall of the world's first superpower, focusing on six momentous turning points that shaped Roman history. Welcome to Rome as you've never seen it before—awesome and splendid, gritty and squalid.From the conquest of the Mediterranean beginning in the third century BC to the destruction of the Roman Empire at the hands of barbarian invaders some seven centuries later, we discover the mo...

The Creative AI Handbook is a practical, accessible guide to the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered creativity. With nothing more than a few words and the click of a button, today's tools can generate striking images, complete songs, and polished writing—but knowing how to use them makes all the difference.This book bridges the gap between raw technological capability and real creative results. It explains not just what today's leading AI platforms can d...

In the realm of quirky behaviors, few things can spark a chuckle quite like the discreet pick. While the act of picking one's nose is often regarded as a taboo, it presents an interesting case study in the intersection of humor and social etiquee. The truth is, many of us have fallen victim to the itch that simply cannot wait until we znd a restroom. Yet, it's how we navigate these moments that can either lead to embarrassment or a good laugh, depending on our approach and the context ...

You do not need a title, money, influence, or extraordinary talent to offer kindness. You need only willingness, willingness to care, to notice, to pause, to see humanity in places the world overlooks.Kindness as a Way of Life is an invitation to live this way, not perfectly, not saintly, but intentionally. To make kindness not an afterthought but a foundation. To let it shape the way we lead, the way we learn, the way we love, and the way we move through an often-overwhel...

Does the ethical heart of the world's great traditions lead to a common human wisdom?In a world increasingly divided along religious and cultural lines, Michael Simon Baker poses a provocative question: What if the world's great wisdom traditions—despite their theological differences—share a core set of ethical teachings that transcend boundaries of time, culture, and belief?Drawing on decades of study and personal experience living at the intersection of multiple faith com...

Divorced Dads can be Mum and Dad if they have to. And even if they don't want to go that far, many of them want to be the best Dads, despite being separated from their kids. The difficulty for Dads is that there's little understanding of fatherhood until after it happens. To men, it seems that women are pre-programmed to deal with children. Then when they are separated from a child after divorce, the trauma can be beyond expression and Dads need the serious assistance to help them conquer the...

This book centralizes powerful leisure stories that may otherwise be understood as myths—sometimes recognized, often less so—that circulate in the field of leisure studies and beyond. In everyday use, a myth perpetuates a popularly held belief that is false or untrue. However, in social and cultural theories, myths are more complex as partial truths that privilege particular versions of a shared social reality. We see myth as having an “absent presence” in leisure studies, and want to know...

This key text acts as a guidebook for those seeking to develop their role as teachers in contemporary universities. Offering a timely and original perspective on teaching, it invites readers to rethink their role and embrace the transformative potential of education.Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience and informed by higher education research, the book reimagines meaningful teaching through three transformative perspectives. Firstly, it challenges the traditional view of t...

This book examines the importance of exploring the varied and diverse perspectives of student experiences. In both academic institutions and everyday discourse, the notion of the ‘student voice’ is an ever-present reminder of the importance placed upon the student experience in Higher Education: particularly in a context where the financial burden of undertaking a university education continues to grow. The editors and contributors explore how notions of the ‘student voice’ as a single, mo...

In the late 1990s, John Baker was known as a purveyor of quality rare and old wines. Always entrepreneurial and up for adventure, he was the perfect person for an occasional business partner to approach with a mysterious wine list that was foreign to anything John, or his second-in-command, Kevin Hopko, had ever come across.The list was discovered to be a comprehensive catalogue of the wine collection of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The wine had become the property of the ...

Examines how evidence-based medicine can be applied in general practice, and how its benefits can be realized in the form of effective treatments. It argues for rational rationing, using clinical effectiveness to exclude ineffective measures.