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CCEA AS-level History Student Guide: Russia (1914-1941)
by Fin LappinBuild, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 CCEA specification and brought to you by the leading History publisher, this study and revision guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.- Ensure understanding of the period with concise coverage of all Unit content, broken down into manageable chunks- Develop the analytical and evaluative skills that students need to succeed in A-level History- Consolidate understanding with exam tips and knowledge-check questions- Practise exam-style questions matched to the CCEA assessment requirements for every question type- Improve students' exam technique and show them how to reach the next grade with sample student answers and commentary for each exam-style question- Use flexibly in class or at home, for knowledge acquisition during the course or focused revision and exam preparation
CCEA A2-level History Student Guide: Partition of Ireland (1900-25)
by Henry JefferiesBuild, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 CCEA specification and brought to you by the leading History publisher, this study and revision guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.- Ensure understanding of the period with concise coverage of all Unit content, broken down into manageable chunks- Develop the analytical and evaluative skills that students need to succeed in A-level History- Consolidate understanding with exam tips and knowledge-check questions- Practise exam-style questions matched to the CCEA assessment requirements for every question type, including source-based examples- Improve students' exam technique and show them how to reach the next grade with sample student answers and commentary for each exam-style question- Use flexibly in class or at home, for knowledge acquisition during the course or focused revision and exam preparation
CCEA A2-level History Student Guide: Clash of Ideologies in Europe (1900-2000)
by Henry JefferiesBuild, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 CCEA specification and brought to you by the leading History publisher, this study and revision guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.- Ensure understanding of the period with concise coverage of all Unit content, broken down into manageable chunks- Develop the analytical and evaluative skills that students need to succeed in A-level History- Consolidate understanding with exam tips and knowledge-check questions- Practise exam-style questions matched to the CCEA assessment requirements for every question type- Improve students' exam technique and show them how to reach the next grade with sample student answers and commentary for each exam-style question- Use flexibly in class or at home, for knowledge acquisition during the course or focused revision and exam preparation
CCEA AS Unit 1 Business Studies Student Guide 1: Introduction to Business
by John McLaughlin David McAreeReinforce your understanding of CCEA AS Unit 1: Introduction to Business and improve your exam technique for the CCEA Business AS Unit 1 assessment.Packed full of clear topic summaries, knowledge check questions and sample exam-style questions and answers with commentaries, this guide will help you aim for and achieve the highest grades. This Student Guide will help you to:- Identify key content for the exams with our concise coverage of topics- Avoid common pitfalls with clear definitions and exam tips throughout- Reinforce your learning with bullet-list summaries at the end of each section- Test your knowledge with rapid-fire knowledge check questions and answers- Find out what examiners are looking for with our Questions & Answers section
Cómo funciona una empresa: Guía gráfica para el éxito empresarial (DK How Stuff Works)
by Alexandra BlackUn máster empresarial en una práctica guía ilustrada¿Por qué el flujo de efectivo es tan importante? ¿En qué consiste la producción ágil? ¿Cómo funciona el marketing digital? ¿Quién forma parte del consejo ejecutivo?Cómo funciona una empresa explica los conceptos clave de la empresa mediante atractivos gráficos y un lenguaje sencillo y alejado de tecnicismos. Constituye una excelente introducción para estudiantes de estudios empresariales, personas que desee conocer las bases de los negocios sin hacer un MBA y empresarios que deseen tener éxito en el mercado global del siglo XXI.SOBRE LOS AUTORESEl Dr. Julian Sims se incorporó al mundo académico tras una exitosa carrera empresarial en Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido. Es profesor de Dirección de Empresas en Birkbeck, Universidad de Londres, censor jurado de cuentas y profesional colegiado de tecnologías de la información. Ha publicado un gran número de artículos en revistas académicas.Philippa Anderson es escritora de temas empresariales y consultora de comunicación, y ha trabajado como asesora de distintas multinacionales, entre las que están 3M, Anglo American y Coca-Cola.Alexandra Black estudió comunicación empresarial y ha sido periodista del diario financiero del grupo Nikkei Inc. en Japón. En su etapa en Tokio fue editora de la división de análisis de riesgos del banco de inversión JP Morgan.Joe Stanley-Smith es periodista de la International Tax Review en Londres, donde está especializado en impuestos indirectos y litigios fiscales. Se graduó en periodismo, en la especialidad de información empresarial, por la Universidad de Kingston, Reino Unido.
Cómo estamos acabando con el planeta (How We're F***ing Up Our Planet): Guía gráfica del cambio climático
by Tony JuniperDiez millones de personas cada año se ven afectadas por inundaciones costeras y la contaminación por plásticos es una amenaza constante para la vida marina. La pandemia, el cambio climático, la superpoblación, el consumismo, la polución...¿tienen solución? Cómo estamos acabando con el planeta resuelve todas tus dudas sobre los retos y dificultades a los que se enfrenta el mundo en el que vivimos. - Imágenes, gráficos y datos claros para una mejor comprensión de aspectos como la polución, el calentamiento global, la deforestación o los patrones climáticos - Mensajes positivos e ideas para hacer de nuestro planeta un lugar mejor donde vivir - Cifras y comparativas por años de la población, del aumento de las energías renovables, de personas desplazadas... - Basado en las últimas investigaciones científicasEsta guía explicativa te invita a aprenderlo todo sobre los temas ambientales más actuales y a reflexionar cómo los problemas mundiales impactan nuestras vidas.
El gran libro de la costura (The Sewing Book New Edition): Más de 300 técnicas paso a paso
by Alison SmithEl único libro que necesitarás para aprender y dominar todas las técnicas para coser a mano y a máquina.El gran libro de la costura expone paso a paso y con gran riqueza de detalles y fotografías todas las técnicas: pinzas, lorzas, pliegues, dobladillos, bolsillos, ojales, cremalleras y muchas más.Las fotografías de las herramientas muestran el mejor equipo para cada labor y garantizan que sabrás exactamente cómo usarlas.25 proyectos acompañados de patrones te permitirán aplicar tus conocimientos de costura para elaborar prendas de vestir y ropa para el hogar.Un libro de referencia ideal para personas que desean comenzar, personas que desean expandir su repertorio de técnicas y profesores.
MRI of Short and Ultrashort-T_2 Tissues: Making the Invisible Visible
by Jiang Du Graeme M. BydderThis book comprehensively covers ultrashort echo time (UTE), zero echo time (ZTE), and other magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition techniques for imaging of short and ultrashort-T2 tissues. MRI uses a large magnet and radio waves to generate images of tissues in the body. The MRI signal is characterized by two time constants, spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) which describes how fast the longitudinal magnetization recovers to its initial value after tipping to the transverse plane, and spin-spin relaxation time (T2) which describes how fast the transverse magnetization decays. Conventional MRI techniques have been developed to image and quantify tissues with relatively long T2s. However, the body also contains many tissues and tissue components such as cortical bone, menisci, ligaments, tendons, the osteochondral junction, calcified tissues, lung parenchyma, iron containing tissues, and myelin, which have short or ultrashort-T2s. These tissues are “invisible” with conventional MRI, and their MR and tissue properties are not measurable. UTE and ZTE type sequences resolve these challenges and make these tissues visible and quantifiable.This book first introduces the basic physics of conventional MRI as well as UTE and ZTE type MRI, including radiofrequency excitation, data acquisition, and image reconstruction. A series of contrast mechanisms are then introduced and these provide high resolution, high contrast imaging of short and ultrashort-T2 tissues. A series of quantitative UTE imaging techniques are described for measurement of MR tissue properties (proton density, T1, T2, T2*, T1p,magnetization transfer, susceptibility, perfusion and diffusion). Finally, clinical applications in the musculoskeletal, neurological, pulmonary and cardiovascular systems are described.This is an ideal guide for physicists and radiologists interested in learning more about the use of UTE and ZTE type techniques for MRI of short and ultrashort-T2 tissues.
Coding Examples from Simple to Complex: Applications in MATLAB® (Synthesis Lectures on Computer Science)
by Paul A. GagniucThis book provides a comprehensive guide to Matlab, which stands as the cornerstone of modern education and is the main computer language driving development in science and engineering. The author introduces readers to the rich world of Matlab, taking them on a journey from the fundamentals to advanced topics, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to become a proficient Matlab developer or scientist. The book provides a treasure trove of practical examples, meticulously crafted to deepen the reader understanding of Matlab. This comprehensive exploration is designed to cater to novice learners as well as mature developers and scientists, equipping them with the requisite knowledge and competencies to harness the Matlab full potential in their respective projects. From the basics of variable naming and program structure to complex matrix operations, recursion, and object-oriented programming, this book covers it all. This book is part of a series of worksdesigned to present both the examples and their explanations in various computer languages, as close to a mirror version as possible.
A Late Divorce: A Novel
by A. B. YehoshuaA novel of a Jewish family coming together, and coming apart, by an award-winning &“master storyteller&” (The Wall Street Journal). &“Anyone who has had experience of the sad and subtle ways in which human beings torment one another under license of family ties will appreciate the merits of A.B. Yehoshua&’s A Late Divorce.&” —London Review of Books A powerful story about a family—and a country —in crisis. The father of three grown children comes back to Israel to get a divorce from his wife of many years; another woman, newly pregnant, awaits him in America. Narrated in turn by each family member—husband and wife, sons and daughter, young grandson—the drama builds to a crescendo at the traditional family gathering on Passover eve. &“Each character here is brilliantly realized. . . . Thank goodness for a novel that is ambitious and humane and that is about things that really matter&” —New Statesman &“A master storyteller whose tales reveal the inner life of a vital, conflicted nation.&” —The Wall Street Journal
American Romantic: A Novel
by Ward JustA young diplomat is torn between two women during the earliest days of the Vietnam War in this &“wide-ranging and well-written&” novel (The Christian Science Monitor). Harry Sanders is a young Foreign Service officer in 1960s Indochina when the course of his life is suddenly altered by a dangerous and clandestine meeting with insurgents that ends in quiet disaster—and a brief but passionate encounter with Sieglinde, a young German woman. Absorbing the impact of his misstep, Harry returns briefly to Washington before traveling to Africa, Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean on assignments. He marries the captivating May, who is fleeing her own family disappointments in New England and looking for an escape into Harry&’s diplomatic life. On the surface, they are a handsome, successful couple—but the memory of Sieglinde persists in Harry&’s thoughts, and May has her own secrets too. As Harry navigates the increasingly treacherous waters of diplomacy in an age of interminable conflict, he also tries to narrow the distance between himself and the two alluring women who have chosen to love him, in a novel from a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist that &“considers the toll that a life lived upon the great stage of international politics can take on a man of substance&” (Kirkus Reviews).
The Impact of a Regional Business School on its Communities: A Holistic Perspective (Humanism in Business Series)
by Bob MacKenzie Rob WarwickThe place and impact of large, elite business schools is hotly debated. Compared to such establishments, little has been written about smaller, regional, community-oriented business schools that serve and interact with their various communities at home or abroad.Focusing on one of the smaller regional business schools in the UK, and incorporating perspectives from further afield, this book seeks to redress that balance. This local focus enables a more holistic understanding of what really goes on in terms of the complex relationships, practices, challenges and contexts at play in such an arena. The book, conceived throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, reverberates with a multiplicity of voices, perspectives and narratives, and reflects a process of collaborative autoethnography and critical friendship. It will be of great value to academics, students and others who are interested in optimising the benefits of regional business schools around the world.
Transferinnovationen und Innovationstransfer zwischen Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft: Grundlagen, Erkenntnisse und Praxisbeispiele
by Mario A. Pfannstiel Alma DautovicDieses Buch befasst sich mit Transferinnovationen und zeigt verschiedene Möglichkeiten für den Innovationstransfer zwischen Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft auf. Im Markt, der aus unterschiedlichen Branchen, Einrichtungen, Unternehmen und Gesellschaften besteht, werden Innovationen erzeugt, die wiederum Wachstum, Beschäftigung, Stabilität und Fortschritt ermöglichen. Mit innovativen Ideen, Vorgehensweisen und Methoden verändert sich das Wissen im Bereich Forschung und Entwicklung, wodurch es auf ein neues Niveau steigt. Hochschulen sind neben Unternehmen Ausgangspunkte für Innovationen, die durch neue Lösungsansätze entstehen. Durch Unternehmen, die mit Partnern und Netzwerken kollaborieren, breiten sich Innovationen im Markt und in allen gesellschaftlichen Bereichen aus. Unternehmen profitieren von Innovationen durch den Verkauf und die Befriedigung der Kundenbedürfnisse. Der Staat setzt die Rahmenbedingen für Innovationen und den Einsatz von neuen Technologien. Erst der Austausch „Transfer“ zwischen den einzelnen Akteuren ermöglicht die Entstehung marktfähiger Innovationen, die durch einen hohen Kundennutzen gekennzeichnet sind.Neben theoretischen Grundlagen und wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen zum Transferverständnis vermittelt das Herausgeberwerk praktisches Handlungswissen, ausgewählte Praxisbeispiele und innovative Lösungsansätze.Das Buch richtet sich einerseits an Dienstleistende, die sich mit Transferinnovationen und dem Innovationstransfer beschäftigen, Transferbeauftragte, Projektmanager und andere Personen mit Entscheidungsbefugnis. Andererseits adressiert es WissenschaftlerInnen und Dozierende mit den Schwerpunktfächern Wissens- und Technologietransfer, Innovations- und Transfermanagement, Business Management und Entrepreneurship. Zu den weiteren Zielgruppen zählen Innovation Hubs und Labs, Transferstellen, -netzwerke und -agenturen, Beratungsunternehmen und Institutionen für Forschung und Entwicklung.
Biomaterial-based Hydrogels: Therapeutics Carrier and Tissue Regeneration
by Sougata JanaThis book highlights recent advances in natural and synthetic biomaterials-based hydrogel for drug delivery carriers and tissue engineering. It covers key topics such as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, cyclodextrin, cellulose, starch, hyaluronic acid, dextran, collagen hydrogel, Injectable hydrogel magnetic hydrogel, DNA-based hydrogels, 3D printing of hydrogels, hydrogel for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, etc. Each chapter develops a particular aspect of recent advances in biomaterial-based Hydrogels delivery systems to cover the importance, fabrication technology, characterization, evaluation, delivery of therapeutic and biomedical applications, and future perspectives. Written by a group of renowned scientists, chemists, biologists, and engineers from around the world, the book is designed as an important reference resource for scientists and researchers working on advanced biomaterials in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biomedical science, biomedical engineering,nanotechnology, and material science for most updated findings and future research trends.
Ecology of Wildlife Diseases in the Neotropics
by Gerardo Acosta-Jamett Andrea ChavesThis contributed volume focuses on the Neotropical region, and explores the environmental, ecological and socio-economic components that facilitate the emergence of zoonotic diseases. This book highlights the primary ecological, environmental, social, and economic variables associated with the risk of maintenance, transmission, and dissemination of emerging, re-emerging, and neglected infectious diseases, in which Neotropical vertebrates are involved. It compiles up-to-date knowledge and research for the neotropical region, as well as discusses the current needs of knowledge improvement. The chapters include various examples of the cycles of infectious diseases, all with world-wide relevance where neotropical wild vertebrates are affected or involved.
Strategic Blueprint for Enterprise Analytics: Integrating Advanced Analytics into Data-Driven Business (Studies in Big Data #150)
by Liang Wang Jianxin ZhaoThis book is a comprehensive guide for professionals, leaders, and academics seeking to unlock the power of data and analytics in the modern business landscape. It delves deeply into the strategic, architectural, and managerial aspects of implementing enterprise analytics (EA) systems in large enterprises. The book is meticulously structured into three parts. Part 1 lays the foundation for adaptable architecture in EA. Part 2 explores technical considerations: data, cloud platforms, and AI solutions. The final part focuses on strategy execution, investment, and risk management. Acting as a comprehensive guide, the book enables the creation of robust EA capabilities that foster growth, optimize operations, and keep pace with EA's dynamic world. Whether readers are leaders harnessing data's potential, practitioners navigating analytics, or academics exploring this evolving domain, this book provides insights and knowledge to guide readers toward a thriving, data-driven future.
Fossil Fuels in the European Union: Geopolitical Change, Climate Policy and Financing Conditions (Lecture Notes in Energy #99)
by Zbigniew Korzeb Paweł Niedziółka Kari Liuhto Agnieszka Bryc Dorota Niedziółka Maciej MrózThis book identifies scenarios for changes in transmission infrastructure, contracting, consumption patterns and fossil fuel financing policies, considering climate goals and the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has fundamentally changed the geopolitical situation, approaches to energy security issues, the EU’s energy (in)dependence and the implementation of previously outlined climate policies, including the planned gradual withdrawal from fossil fuels.This book presents the geopolitical architecture, energy mix, energy fuel supply structure, long-term energy policy and financing conditions of the oil and gas and sectors in the EU in the period preceding and following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The authors consider the date of Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a symbolic caesura marking the beginning of the process of creating a new energy order in the EU. A novel part of the book is the attention it pays to the role of the credit and investment policy of the EU banking sector in relation to carbon-intensive sectors and to the significance of the financial system from the point of view of the effectiveness of international sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation, including, above all, sanctions related to the fossil fuel sector. The book is of interest to researchers and all those interested in learning about these subjects.
Religion, Mysticism, and Transcultural Entanglements in Modern South Asia: Towards a Global Religious History
by Soumen MukherjeeThis book explores the location of spirituality and mysticism in modern Indian religious and intellectual life. It examines select personalities and their ideas since the early twentieth century, their role in the interwoven spheres of socio-religious and political thought, and in burgeoning spiritual imaginaries, often at the intersection of academic and public discourse. As part of a global ecumene connected by affective bonds, these spiritual cosmopolitans often defied binary frameworks (East/ West; imperial core/ periphery; colonizer/ colonized), and in the upshot reappraised and recast the very concept of religion in response to overarching ‘this-worldly’ exigencies.
The Eastern Shore: A Novel
by Ward JustA novel about journalism and one man&’s moral choices, &“evoking the rhythms of Ernest Hemingway&’s early fiction . . . A quietly affecting, mournful achievement&” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Ned Ayres has never wanted anything but a newspaper career. His defining moment comes early, when Ned is city editor of his hometown paper. One of his beat reporters fields a tip: William Grant, the town haberdasher, married to the bank president&’s daughter and the father of two children, once served six years in Joliet. The story runs—Ned offers no resistance to his publisher&’s argument that the public has a right to know. The consequences, swift and shocking, haunt him throughout a long career—until eventually, as the editor of a major newspaper in post-Kennedy Washington, DC, Ned has reason to return to the question of privacy and its many violations.
The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf
by William C. DavisAn &“engrossing and exciting&” account of legendary New Orleans privateers Pierre and Jean Laffite and their adventures along the Gulf Coast (Booklist, starred review). At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans&’ history, from just after the Louisiana Purchase through the War of 1812, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Pirates to the US Navy officers who chased them, heroes to the private citizens who shopped for contraband at their well-publicized auctions, the brothers became important members of a filibustering syndicate that included lawyers, bankers, merchants, and corrupt US officials. But this allegiance didn&’t stop the Laffites from becoming paid Spanish spies, disappearing into the fog of history after selling out their own associates. William C. Davis uncovers the truth about two men who made their names synonymous with piracy and intrigue on the Gulf.
Prince of Peace
by James CarrollNew York Times Bestseller: A priest struggles against the Vietnam War—and his own passions—in &“a classic page-turner&” (Chicago Tribune). Vietnam was bitterly contested not only on the battlefields of Southeast Asia but on the American home front. This novel filled with &“probing psychological detail&” follows Michael Maguire—a Catholic priest, Korean War hero, and former POW—who risks everything as he fights to be true to his heart and his conscience during the tumult of the era (The Washington Post). From the author of The Cloister, Prince of Peace is a thrilling saga of faith, truth, and honor, &“so rich and vital it leaves you breathless&” (Chicago Tribune).
Drowning in Gruel: Stories
by George SingletonTake a darkly hilarious trip through a South Carolina town with the &“unchallenged king of the comic Southern short story&” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). &“Usually stories about small, quirky, southern towns are full of adorable, quirky characters that share their unusual philosophies with us and teach us how to enjoy life (think Forrest Gump or even Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). Gruel may be small, southern, and quirky, but it is also as miserable as its name sounds. The inhabitants are miserable. Even people from as far away as New York who happen to stop by Gruel are miserable . . . Fortunately, the writing is good enough that the misery becomes somehow enjoyable.&” —Booklist &“George Singleton is a madman. He&’s also one of the most talented American writers the South has turned out in decades.&” —The Post and Courier
Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder
by Kenn KaufmanAn ornithologist&’s account of his youthful, year-long, cross-country birdwatching adventure: &“A fascinating memoir of an obsession.&” —Booklist At sixteen, Kenn Kaufman dropped out of the high school where he was student council president and hit the road, hitching back and forth across America, from Alaska to Florida, Maine to Mexico. Maybe not all that unusual a thing to do in the seventies, but what Kenn was searching for was a little different: not sex, drugs, God, or even self, but birds. A report of a rare bird would send him hitching nonstop from Pacific to Atlantic and back again. When he was broke he would pick fruit or do odd jobs to earn the fifty dollars or so that would last him for weeks. His goal was to set a record—most North American species seen in a year—but along the way he began to realize that at this breakneck pace he was only looking, not seeing. What had been a game became a quest for a deeper understanding of the natural world. Kingbird Highway is a unique coming-of-age story, combining a lyrical celebration of nature with wild, and sometimes dangerous, adventures, starring a colorful cast of characters.
The Sonic Boom: How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy
by Joel Beckerman Tyler GrayA fascinating study on the influence of sound—and how companies wrangle its power to affect our moods, our shopping habits, and our lives. From movie scores and national anthems to cell-phone dings and squeaky shoes, sound and music impact how we perceive the stories, situations, and products we encounter every day. In The Sonic Boom, composer and strategic sound expert Joel Beckerman reveals sound&’s surprising power to influence our decisions, opinions, and actions in ways we might not even notice: discordant ambient noise can induce anxiety; ice cream truck jingles can bring you back to your childhood. You don&’t need to be a musician or a composer to harness the power of sound. Companies, brands, and individuals can strategically use sound to get to the core of their mission, influence how they&’re perceived by their audiences, and gain a competitive edge. Whether you&’re a corporate giant connecting with millions of customers or a teacher connecting with one classroom of students, the key to an effective sonic strategy is the creation of &“boom moments&”—transcendent instants when sound connects with a listener&’s emotional core. &“Equal parts sociological study and business advice, using unique everyday examples—for instance, how the fate of the Chili&’s fajita empire rested on the sound of the sizzling platter, and how Disneyland approaches soundscapes for a fully immersive experience—to explain how sound effects our mood and shopping habits.&” —Entertainment Weekly &“Music defines us. Joel Beckerman knows. Let him tell you all about it.&” —Anthony Bourdain &“The Sonic Boom reveals the music and structured cacophony of everyday life.&” —Moby
Friendship: An Expose
by Joseph EpsteinThe amusing and erudite anatomy of modern friendship, from the New York Times–bestselling author of Snobbery. Is it possible to have too many friends? Is your spouse supposed to be your best friend? How far should you go to help a friend in need? And how do you end a friendship that has run its course? In a &“smart, delightfully literate, and sophisticated&” anatomy of friendship in all its contemporary guises, Joseph Epstein uncovers the rich and surprising truths about our favored companions (Los Angeles Times). Friendship illuminates those complex, wonderful relationships without which we&’d all be lost. &“Reading [Epstein] is like spending an evening being flatteringly entertained by the most interesting guy at the party.&” —The Seattle Times &“A brilliant and outspoken commentator . . . Epstein&’s graceful style and irrepressible wit provide unalloyed pleasure.&” —Chicago Tribune &“Brisk and delightful.&” —The Wall Street Journal