Most Popular Books by Ian Roberts

This closely woven Chinese, Irish and Australian story begins in Canton during the Opium Wars and expands in the Australian Gold Rush of the 19th century. The Chinese miners are entwined in adversity with the rural Irish poor and notorious Kelly Gang.

"To those engaged in making art, an authentic voice is the most crucial yet most difficult ability to come by. Why does so much conspire to hide what is ultimately the closest, simplest thing of all? Creative Authenticity outlines 16 principles that will help you peel back the fears, misconceptions, "shoulds" and confusion around courageous creative expression. You''ll discover: you are more than creative enough; talent has little to do with your success; the van Gogh syndrome is one of the most destructive myths of what it takes to creative; the dance of avoidance upon arriving in the studio is inevitable- learn to see through it and begin; the necessity of finding a truthful relationship with your work so it feeds you, not torments you."--Publisher description.

A logical and clear exposition of hierarchy and locality by a leading figure in the field, Continuing Syntax takes students from an introductory level of syntactic theory to an understanding of cutting-edge research in the field. A comprehensive range of topics is covered, including configurationality, head-movement, clause structure, nominal structure, subjacency, barriers and phases, ensuring that students have a thorough understanding of all the main components of contemporary theory. The many example sentences, extensive glossary, end-of-chapter exercises and annotated further reading lists allow readers to embed and extend their knowledge as they progress through the book. A self-contained work ideal for intermediate-level students, this volume also builds on the author''s Beginning Syntax, and lays the foundation for a third volume, Comparing Syntax, which introduces formal syntactic typology.

Master the verbs of a new language without intimidating textbooks or confusing charts Essential German Verbs helps you improve your command of German by focusing on one aspect of language learning that invariably causes difficulties: verbs and the way they behave. Whether you''re a beginner or relatively advanced learner, you can consult the book whenever you need to know the form of a verb quickly.

Pursued through the African bush by the murderers of his parents, young Jan Willem Prinsloo is rescued by British cavalry led by Major George Stanley. Jan Willem accompanies the cavalry to Ladysmith, where he saves the Major''s life when a Boer army besieges the occupants. After travelling to England, Jan Willem is victimised at boarding school until he strikes a schoolmaster and is expelled. Hated by the Major''s wife and adopted sons, Jan Willem finds sanctuary in the forest on the Major''s estate. Taken under the wing of De Costa, the enigmatic poacher and priest, Jan Willem learns the secrets of the woodland. He also learns secrets of the Major''s past, which will lead to kidnap, murder and revenge.

How much beer does the average German drink? What is the speed limit on the autobahn? Who were the original Vandals? This book aims to answer these questions, and many more, in a concise and lively overview of Germany: the country, its languages, its people, their way of life and culture and what makes them tick. background of Germany and its civilization, or if you are learning the language, in, for example, an evening class and want to know more about the country and how it works, this is the book for you. If your job involves travel and business relations, it aims to provide useful and practical information about the ways and customs of the people you are working with. Or if you simply have an interest in Germany for whatever reason, it should broaden your knowledge about the country and its inhabitants. forces - historical, geographical, geological, demographical and linguistic - that have brought about the formation of the country we know as Germany and the language we know as German. Chapters three to seven deal with the wealth of creative aspects of German culture from the beginnings to modern day. These chapters take a look at the main areas or works of literature, art and architecture, music, traditions and festivals, science and technology, fashion, and food and drink, together with the people who have created and are still creating them. The reamaining chapters deal with aspects of contemporary German society and the practicalitites of living in modern-day Germany - the way the political structure of the country is organized, education, the environment, the workplace and how people spend thier leisure time. The final chapter looks at the country''s relations with the wider world, and takes a glance at the future. should find useful addresses, websites and things to see and do. Each chapter also contains a list of useful words and phrases which should help you to talk or write about the subject in question.

"''Legends?'' Her heart missed a beat, the lights completely forgotten. A dark shape was moving with surprising swiftness across the black surface of the loch, its V-like wake clearly visible in the gloom."The Loch Ness Monster - timeless legend, enduring hoax, or troubling chronological anomaly?Drawn back to the 1930''s by enigmatic time-traveller Ravenna Friere, palaeontologist Eve Wells and curator Polly Nightingale find themselves on the trail of one of Britain''s most enduring legends. But as they risk discovery diving into the murky depths of Loch Ness, only time will tell if they can ensure the monster becomes nothing but a myth for all time.A thrilling welcome to the eclectic time travelling world of Ian Roberts. #TheWardrobeDoor

With the end of America''s wars in the Middle East, charismatic expat James Reso returns home to a deeply polarized country. Detesting President Dennis Ward''s cynical authoritarianism, James and his friends create the political party Nos Populus: "We The People." Using mass protests and audacious theatrics, Nos Populus becomes the de facto opposition to the Wardists, while James rockets to celebrity. But when a protest ends horrifically, a depressed and frustrated James becomes easy prey for his own party''s most extreme elements. And after unleashing his seething obsessions about Ward, it may become a matter of ''when,'' rather than ''if,'' James'' long threadbare sanity finally surrenders.NOS POPULUS is a unique blend of political satire and psychological thriller about good intentions gone very awry.

Jack Welch was named "Manager of the Century" by Fortune magazine partly because under his leadership, GE stock went up 4,000 percent. Welch, a ruthless believer in productivity, subscribed to the idea of "hiring the best and firing the rest." Welch was undeniably successful, so arguing with his approach requires a clear paradigm shift, and that''s exactly what this book is about - an approach diametrically opposed to the idea of "firing the rest." Our first argument against "firing the rest" is philosophical and, perhaps, idealistic. A relentless and unforgiving focus on productivity promotes a culture of fear - an environment in which employees are more likely to compete against each other than collaborate. We believe this kind of environment is not the most conducive to growth and development, and we also know most people simply don''t enjoy working under such conditions. And our second argument is plain and practical. Most organizations just cannot afford to "hire the best and fire the rest."Employers of choice may fire the bottom 10 percent of their managers every year, just like GE did under Welch. And they may also hire among the top 10 percent of each graduating class as they replenish their management pool. But unless you''re an employer of choice, your hiring and firing options are likely much more limited. Often you must choose among candidates with varying levels of skill, talent, or passion; only rarely do you find a strong balance of all three attributes. And when it comes to firing, most companies would do well to reserve that most extreme of measures for the most extreme of circumstances. Luckily, most do.So, how an educator with a record of success in public school turnarounds and a chemical engineer with years of management and consulting experience suddenly find themselves advocating for a new approach to leadership. One of us started out as an "at-risk youth," one of those kids who was always in trouble, and he ended up competing in the Olympic games -thanks to a principal who was willing to give him a second chance. And one of us, with nothing but tough leadership as examples, spent years as a hard-nosed manager leading the way she''d always been led, until graduate work in adult learning taught her that people need more than force, facts, or fear to change their behavior - they need relationship and multiple opportunities to get it right.We have come together to collaborate on this project because our very different experiences have led us to a common belief. Our professional paths have converged at the realization that most managers, like most educators, must build success with what they have. And in order to build success with what they have, they must take the time to understand, nurture, and develop talent. While precise evaluation and decisive action may be the tools of an effective manager under the Welch model - a manager who may "fire the rest" - empathy and compassion are the quintessential tools of managers and educators. Working, like we do, in urban education or community health, empathy and compassion are simply a must. Not only does work in these fields require a high degree of emotional intelligence, but also these sectors in general draw from a talent pool in which passion is much more abundant than training. This kind of work attracts workers inspired by the mission and the vision of their organizations, workers who are typically highly empathetic themselves, and workers who are neither motivated nor helped by unyielding standards. Leading these kinds of organizations requires an empathetic approach - an approach that both recognizes employees as resources worth developing and empowers them to treat and lead others empathetically as well.This book is for those leaders who need to make the most of the people they have by using evaluation as an information-gathering mechanism to guide growth and development.

"She stared open mouthed. ''You don''t seriously think ..!'' She felt her skin begin to crawl: exposed to the virus - her hands were beginning to tremble, but she ignored the sensation. ''At first it will seem like you have a cold - a fever ...'' she hardly seemed to hear." Three friends, an inexplicable death at a teaching hospital and a deadly virus absent from Britain for twenty years.With the mysterious death of a junior lab technician in the late 1990''s, Dr Eve Wells and curator Polly Nightingale are drawn to post-cold war Britain, where only their intervention - and the guidance of time traveller Ravenna Friere - can halt a life threatening disease with the potential to decimate the present.Another thrilling journey into the time travelling world of Ian Roberts #TheWardrobeDoor #DeeperRealms

A smoke alarm give-away program, as administered in the trial, is unlikely to represent a cost-effective use of resources.

"Eve let out a slow breath, trying not to dwell on the horrible conclusion her mind kept leaping to: whatever had made the prints was massive - far bigger than any living feline."Phantom big cats: a moorland tale, urban legend or evidence of something darker?Palaeontologist Eve Wells is less than impressed to find her weekend plans interrupted by enigmatic time traveller Ravenna Friere, but with a young zoologist missing on the Cornish Moors, the palaeo-artist quickly finds she has walked into something far more dangerous than an unsolved hoax."Ian is terrific at writing pure terror!" Penelope WallaceAnother thrilling tale from Ian Roberts'' eclectic time travelling world. #TheWardrobeDoor #DeeperRealms