The English languages

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Mike Hayhoe and Stephen Parker

This wide-ranging collection brings together views about the nature of 'English' and its users at an unusual time. Within the United Kingdom - and in some other countries - there is a feeling of unease that language and literacy are in decline and that their central role in developing a sense of national unity and heritage is weakening. Governmental response to this perception is to move towards centralized, state-imposed curricula and assessment, seeking to guarantee standards through legislation. At the same time that the original source of English feels insecure, other countries and cultures become increasingly confident about taking over its use and ownership on their own terms and within their own cultures. Several of the authors here celebrate the diverse ways in which people across the world are developing their own distinctive varieties of English. In exploring these contradictory, defensive and optimistic attitudes towards the inevitability of linguistic and cultural change, the volume's contributors demonstrate the current liveliness and intensity of discussion about this perennial and increasingly debated topic.

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Timothy Zahn

"For Dr. Adrian Sommers, a split second of driving while distracted leads to tragedy--and obsession. His family destroyed, he devotes his entire being to developing Soulminder, a technology that might have saved his son as he wavered on the edge of death. Sommers's vision is to capture a dying person's life essence and hold it safely in stasis while physicians heal the body from injury or disease. Years of experimentation finally end in success--but those who recognize Soulminder's possibilities almost immediately corrupt its original concept to pursue dangerous new frontiers: body-swapping, obstruction of justice, extortion, and perhaps even immortality"--Publisher's description.

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Neil Morris

Looks at the geography and people that characterize the continents of the Earth, focusing on the changing characteristics of each. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

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Paolo Carloni and Frank Alber

Computational methods are transforming the work of chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories. Increasingly faster and more exact simulation algorithms have made quantum chemistry a valuable tool in the search for active substances. Written by a team of leading international quantum chemists, this book is aimed at both beginners as well as experienced users of quantum chemical methods. All commonly used quantum chemical methods are treated here, including Density Functional Theory, quantum and molecular mechanical approaches. Numerous examples illustrate the use of these methods for dealing with.