Balance on Nature's Commons

Balance on Nature’s Commons is a ‘must read’ for anyone aspiring to be an environmental activist, anyone concerned about anthropogenic altercation of environmental balance, and anyone involved in decision-making relevant to those issues.

The narrative is written in an easy-to-follow non-academic style that calls the cards as the author sees them. It is intended to be thought-provoking and is well studded with ‘curved balls’.

The author clearly explains the concept of ‘Natural Commons’ and their importance for maintaining the integrity of the ‘Web of Life’, which coincidently includes humanity.

Unlike much that is written about environmental priorities, the text also includes a substantive section suggesting how the priorities might be addressed. Have we the will?

The multi-disciplinary approach may bemuse the specialist, but it provides material that everyone can empathise with.

Art - The Path To Knowledge

A university must produce and organize knowledge. Indeed, this fact does not seem to suffer disputes. However, what is the knowledge that a university produces and disseminates?In this short essay, which serves as a conceptual basis for a wide-ranging epistemological discussion, the authors propose questions about knowledge, whose answers have been sought by the contemporary academy. However, the research is more focused on questions than on answers. The important thing is to ask the right questions.We invite the members of the academic community to participate in this theoretical reflection on knowledge, in order to support our research activities, extension, teaching and graduate studies.The growing and unstable transformations the world has been going through are reflected directly in production, recording and distribution of knowledge, not to mention the value changes that the traditional knowledge has suffered, as it is hastily abandoned by unfounded news. Revisiting the concepts that form the bases of our science serves to verify their validity, effectiveness and socioeconomic, political and cultural importance.Courage to re-examine openly the beliefs that we embrace in the practice of our sciences is the virtue that defines, par excellence, the academic researcher.“If Biology can save the humans and the Earth, the arts can save the soul…” (Luiz Fernando Pereira)“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”A. Einstein.

Armenians of Iraq

Armenians are one of the ethnic components of the Iraqi social spectrum. Nothing was known about Armenians of Iraq except as Christians or as migrants from Armenia originally. It is well known that the Armenians of Iraq are generally keen to preserve their Armenian ethnic and cultural entity and are usually peaceful and far from being involved in political conflicts and polarization. However, some people might imagine them living in the shadows or margins of Iraqi life, especially since there is a near-total absence of studies on Iraqi Armenians in the different fields of humanities and social sciences.

This gives us an impression of their conservatism and closeness, but this dissipates as soon as the researcher goes to investigate them.

This leaves us with a number of questions about the existence of Armenian people in Iraq. What is their relationship with the mother country, Armenia? What are the demographic characteristics of their population in Arabic countries? What are the social and cultural characteristics of their lifestyle in Iraq, including marriage customs? What were their roles in the development of Iraqi public life if they existed in Iraq? Do they have a conflict of social identity? All these queries are our current research concerns through which to introduce Iraqi Armenians to the reader and interested parties.                                    

Apprentips

Looking for a book that goes beyond the basics of apprenticeships? Look no further than Apprentips. Drawing on my personal experiences of completing two very different apprenticeships, I’ve compiled 20 honest and insightful tips to help you navigate the challenges and maximize the benefits of this unique learning experience.From life at the bottom to finding your own way of working, Apprentips offers advice on topics that aren’t always discussed in relation to apprenticeships. I’ve avoided generic guidance and focused on sharing the things I wish I’d known before starting my own apprenticeships, including the importance of perseverance and the dangers of being too easily offended.This isn’t a huge book, but that’s intentional. I wanted to create something you can read from cover to cover in a day or two, packed with as much valuable information as possible. And even if you’re not planning on becoming an apprentice, the lessons in Apprentips are applicable to anyone starting out in their career.Bonus Tip: Writing a book is hard work, but I’m proud of what I’ve created with Apprentips. So whether you’re considering an apprenticeship or simply looking for some guidance as you embark on your career journey, I hope you’ll find this book to be a valuable resource.

Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development

Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development is focused on economics applied to public financial management and development. It charts over 50 years of the author’s practical experience of economics and public policy in 60 countries on five continents, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The book’s main focal point is on central and local government budgeting, tracing the progress of revenue aspects and expenditure allocation over time from inputs alone to matching these inputs to achieving and measuring service delivery in programmes. It also presents the assessment instruments that measure public financial management strength and weakness, with real-life illustrations of their application.
All of these instruments use examples from the countries that the author has worked in, demonstrating the conditions faced – mostly stable economic environments, but at times during periods of conflict and insecurity, as well as neighbouring geopolitical tension.These experiences have been gained from the author’s resident assignments and short-term visits (mainly multiple over many years) as a consultant for the IMF, World Bank, and bilateral development programmes as well as academic research.

An Idiot's Love of Idioms

Ever wondered where the sayings we commonly use originate from?

Sometimes the things we say, if we really think about it, make absolutely no logical sense.

Why on earth has a cat got my tongue? Why does a wall have ears? And why the heck are my ears burning? Why would I possibly want to break a leg?

If you think you know the answers, you might be close but have no cigar and if you don’t want to wake up on the wrong side of the bed or even worse, wait until you kick the bucket then you may want to step up to the plate and read on.

Now I certainly don’t want to read the Riot Act on you and I think by hook or by crook if you read this book you’ll be happy as Larry and as pleased as Punch.

I don’t want to be a clever clogs but by and large I think you’ll have a field day with what you’ll discover, if you catch my drift?

All You Need to Know Before Commencing Higher Education

How do we ensure that people undertake higher education (HE) only when they have adequate information? Why are there higher numbers of people enrolling into HE studies than ever before? Why are there so many students dropping out of so many institutions? How do we balance learning in HE with our private life? What skills are acquired in HE? What are the challenges associated with learning in HE? These are among the questions the book will attempt to respond to.Indeed, several people begin HE with little or no information about the structure, changes, and practices in HE. Some are not even aware of the skills they desire to acquire and that will be required of them in the job market. People commence HE blindly, partly due to external pressure and partly due to the availability of financial support through scholarships, among other things. This unawareness of what it takes to be a student and the current complexity of HE learning environment have become a stumbling block for many students.This book is designed to provide HE stakeholders (parents, students, institutions, supervisors, teachers, governments, and donor agencies) with information on HE that is otherwise missing. It will help people to make better decisions on whether they need a degree in the first place, and if they do, what kind of skills they will require. The book consists of information that no institution, counsellor, academic supervisor, or scholarly literature will provide to you. (This is the main reason which motivated the author to write this book.)The author has collected useful data from diverse sources and from people who are responsible for implementing the required practices in HE. Moreover, she was able to capture testimony from students who dropped out of higher education. Their experiences will educate and inform readers about situations that may lead to failure or success in higher education learning.It is important to have the right information at the right time and from a reliable source such as this book, and the information in this book will surely benefit the readers to make better decisions before engaging in high-demand HE business, as well as supporting those who decide to join HE to be more conscious about what they need and what is expected of them. Similarly, by reading this book, some may find that they probably do not need the degree they are about to embark on. Information is power!

Aha! A User’s Guide to Creativity

For songwriter Paul McCartney it happened in his sleep. For author J.K. Rowling, it was on a delayed train. For playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda it was on a Mexican beach, and for Greek philosopher Archimedes it was in his bath.Each had their ‘aha’ moment, their stroke of insight that led to a masterpiece of creative work and changed the world: the Beatles song Yesterday, the Harry Potter series of books, the musical Hamilton. As for Archimedes, his insight into hydraulics changed the nature of engineering and had an enduring impact on civilisation. It was such a monumental moment for the philosopher that he jumped out of the bath and dashed down the street stark naked, loudly proclaiming his discovery and totally oblivious to his lack of clothes.But how did they come to experience this flash of insight? And how did they turn it into a creative masterpiece that was to be so successful?This book explores all aspects of the creative process—from idea to innovation, from moon-shot to mass market—and demystifies the steps to ‘being more creative’. Packed with research and references to the leading thinkers in the field, as well as tools and techniques for enhancing creativity in a practical way, it is a book for every individual and organisation who wants a different future.The authors believe that the capacity for creativity is a universal human attribute and is undermined by a misunderstanding of the creative process and the factors that encourage or inhibit it. This book shows how to overcome these hurdles so that creativity can flourish.

African Development Perspectives: A Holistic Reflection

Africa remains a continent that is yet to achieve its full potentials, despite an abundance of resources and a rich cultural pedigree. There have been various attempts to dissect the impediments to the continent’s progress in its march towards development and true independence. Consequently, this book moves away from mere identification of challenges to proffering solutions. The ideas put forward about African development in this book draw from a multiplicity of backgrounds. They are also offered through the prism of the lived experiences of contributors who are keen on engendering an African solution that weaves global dynamics into Africa’s cultural context and did not shy away from identifying themselves as global citizens from Africa. The compelling read is a critical appraisal of germane issues in Africa’s quest for development which speaks truth to both the powerful and the powerless within and beyond Africa on why prioritising Africa’s development is as pressing as the Global climate catastrophe.

Aesthetic Complications and Other Interesting Cases

Within the past twenty years, facial soft-tissue augmentation with dermal filler products have become extremely popular. These products are usually considered safe, having mostly mild and transient adverse effects. However, serious complications related to injection injuries to relevant anatomic structures, such as nerves and vessels, can occur even in the hands of experienced injectors.The author was one of the first doctors in the world to reverse these changes by establishing a hyaluronidase protocol in 2005. Since then, he has developed both the award-winning HELPIR and PLUS procedures to heal this damaged tissue. Complications associated with injections arise in most cases from injector inexperience or the use of unapproved products. In this book, the author reviews almost a hundred interesting aesthetic cases that have been referred to him from all over the world and he gives his methods of dealing with these complications. It also includes his methods of using botulinum toxin to treat blepharospasm, trigeminal neuralgia, migraine, and blushing. This text provides an invaluable source of information for any medical personnel looking for a career in aesthetic medicine.

A Tale of Thirty Three Trees

A Tale of Thirty Three TreesIf you go down to the woods todayYou’re sure of a big surpriseIf you go down to the woods todayYou’d better go in disguiseFor every tree that ever you knewWill be gathered there for certainBecause today’s the day all these treesWill tell their tales so SylvanTales of good and bad timesPrompted by sunny and shivery timesTales of flood and droughtFrom which trees can hardly clear outTales of viruses, bacteria and mistletoeThat so often act as friend or foeTales of darkest dangers and sad timesTales of brightest joy and happy timesIf you go into this book todayYou’re sure of a big surpriseIf you read through its leaves todayYou’ll be sure to become so wise

A Journey into Sales

-Know and believe in what you are doing or selling.

-You serve the needs of others.

-Sales is serving the unserved.

-Sales is selling whatever is lacking.

-In selling, different is good.

-It requires a lot of faith, self-confidence, willingness and preparation in accordance with the competitive products you are about to present.

-See things objectively.

-Be open-minded and always have the facts.

-Your products or services should make a difference over the competitor’s.

-Be disciplined and detailed, put the customer first, meet the customer on their turf.

-Be inspiring and exceptional in your product knowledge.

-Travel as necessary to perform the sales target.

-Sales is truly a matter of numbers.