This is the first book to investigate the social, political, cultural, artistic and economic forces which created conditions for the rise, success and decline of mime and physical theatre in the United Kingdom, from the 1970s to 2000.Unpicking the various routes through which mime and physical theatre emerged into wider prominence, this book outlines key thematic strands within this history of practice. The book blends historical description and refl ective analysis. It aims to jux...

We've all heard some version of the line: "I enjoy classical music but don't know anything about it." Why but? Why and when did listeners begin to accept the idea that knowledge was needed to enjoy this particular repertory? Music's Fourth Wall and the Rise of Reflective Listening traces fundamental changes in the way listeners perceived instrumental music in European concert halls over the course of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Like the theater, th...

Sixty years ago, the purpose of introducing electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (EFM) was to reduce the incidence of intrapartum stillbirth. However, by the early 1980s, with falling stillbirth rates, fetal blood sampling had been widely abandoned, as many considered that EFM was sufficient on its own. Unfortunately, while the sensitivity of EFM for the detection of potential fetal compromise is high, specificity is low, and there is a high false positive rate which has been associated ...

What is music, and why does it move us? From Pythagoras to the present, writers have struggled to isolate the essence of "pure" or "absolute" music in ways that also account for its profound effect. In Absolute Music: The History of an Idea, Mark Evan Bonds traces the history of these efforts across more than two millennia, paying special attention to the relationship between music's essence and its qualities of form, expression, beauty, autonomy, as well as its perceived capacity to discl...

Many engineering companies around the world are currently undergoing a quality control and improvement revolution that originally started in Japan many decades ago and this book provides a brief overview of this revolution. Robust design is a central component of the modern approach to quality improvement and is a phrase used to describe any engineering activity whose objective is to develop high quality products (and processes) at low cost. A key characteristic of robust design is the use...

Olthorp, a steel town in Lancashire, celebrates VE day. The end of war and a time for celebration. But for a group of young friends it’s not that simple – the rest of their lives is only just beginning.For Connie, the end of an unexpected pregnancy and her husband, a returning POW, present her with an impossible choice of deception or shame; and for Martha, a friendship that is asking too much, a husband that needs too little from her and a brother whose past is coming back to haun...

'A fast-paced, thrilling account of British heroism, brave men surrounded and fighting against overwhelming odds. This is the real, sometimes shocking, and deeply personal story of modern warfare and PTSD.' Andy McNab'This hugely timely book reveals in gripping detail the personal stories of its hidden victims - lest we forget.' Damien LewisTrapped in an isolated outpost on the edge of the Helmand desert, a small force of British and Afghan...

She is the first creation: immortal … irreverent. She spends aeons in the Void with Him. Then He creates light and life. She loses Him to the universe. She spends her endless days spinning between the nothingness of the Void and the joys of Heaven. But after the rise of Man and the fall of angels, there are dark clouds in Heaven. She feels Paradise is lost.Banished by the archangels as a traitor, she seeks vengeance on mankind, to destroy the beings that have caused her fall. Howeve...

She's the last omega dragon shifter. If her designation ever awakens.For centuries, Randi has waited for all her mates to arrive and awaken her omega designation. She spends her days in lonely flight and her nights managing her rut bar, Frenzy.Now, the wolf shifters are on the verge of extinction. The mate runes have vanished, and alphas are turning feral. With Frenzy's services in high demand, the Wolf King sets his sights on the dragon, wanting her magic ...

The story Charles Dickens might have written after drinking too much gin…Follow half-orphan Pip's extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn! Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?Mark Evans' stage play Bleak Expectations is a hilarious, ...

The old way of selling is dead. Long gone are the days of manipulation and corny techniques instead of actually delivering value. Salespeople and leaders who understand this change is happening will be rewarded, while those who don't will fall by the wayside. The sales revolution is happening, and it's happening quicker than anyone realized. The industry needs an approachable and authentic system that blends tactics AND personal development. Raise Your Standards is the definitive guide to ...

Would you risk everything to save your world?Alyssa cannot see: She is forced to reveal herself and her unique ability to the world, not knowing that an army marches towards Lunden to destroy her.Eva cannot speak: She hunts evil in Manhattan, to find answers about her past. When horror roams the empty streets, she realises she has become the prey.Verona cannot walk: She is part of a mission, mankind's best hope of survival. But 20,000 kilometres above the planet, sh...