The European Union (EU) stands out as a fascinatingly unique political organisation. On the one hand, it has shown the potential for developing deep and wide-ranging cooperation between member states, going far beyond that found anywhere else in the world. On the other, it is currently in the throes of a phase of profound uncertainty about its viability and future.

Showing how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present day, this Very Short Introduction covers a range of topics, inc...

How do plants, animals, and humans manage to survive and adapt to the urban environment? This book provides a comprehensive coverage of biological matters related to urban environments presenting both the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings, and practical examples required to understand and address the challenges presented by this novel environment. The Biology of Urban Environments focusses on urban denizens: species (both domesticated and non-domesticated) that live for all or part of ...

To the Western imagination, Tibet evokes exoticism, mysticism, and wonder: a fabled land removed from the grinding onslaught of modernity, spiritually endowed with all that the West has lost. Originally published in 1998, Prisoners of Shangri-La provided the first cultural history of the strange encounter between Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Donald Lopez reveals here fanciful misconceptions of Tibetan life and religion.

He examines, among much else, the politics of the term "Lamaism," a pej...

The Science and Practice of Manual Therapy, previously entitled The Fundamentals of Manual Therapy, is an extensive examination of how manual therapy (MT) techniques work, and how to match the most suitable techniques to different conditions. Drawing on evidence-based research, it explores the physiological, neurological and psychophysiological responses of the human body to MT techniques. A highly practical book, which provides useful clinical strategies for the treatment of common condition...

For one-semeseter sophomore- or junior-level courses in Differential Equations. Fundamentals of Differential Equations presents the basic theory of differential equations and offers a variety of modern applications in science and engineering. Also available in the version Fundamentals of Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, these flexible texts offer the instructor many choices in syllabus design, course emphasis (theory, methodology, applications, and numerical methods), and ...

Comprehensive and clinically relevant, the 3rd Edition of Critical Care Nephrology provides authoritative coverage of the latest advances in critical care procedures for patients with renal diseases or disorders. Using common guidelines and standardized approaches to critically ill patients, this multidisciplinary reference facilitates better communication among all physicians who care for critically ill patients suffering from kidney disease, electrolyte and metabolic imbalances, poisoning, ...

The linguistic study of Japanese, with its rich syntactic and phonological structure, complex writing system, and diverse sociohistorical context, is a rapidly growing research area. This book, designed to serve as a concise reference for researchers interested in the Japanese language and in typological studies of language in general, explores diverse characteristics of Japanese that are particularly intriguing when compared with English and other European languages. It pays equal attention ...

Now in its third edition, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language provides the most comprehensive coverage of the history, structure and worldwide use of English. Fully updated and expanded, with a fresh redesigned layout, and over sixty audio resources to bring language extracts to life, it covers all aspects of the English language including the history of English, with new pages on Shakespeare's vocabulary and pronunciation, updated statistics on global English use that now cove...

An understanding of the scientific principles underpinning the learning and execution of fundamental and skilled movements is of central importance in disciplines across the sport and exercise sciences. The second edition of Motor Control, Learning and Development: Instant Notes offers students an accessible, clear and concise introduction to the core concepts of motor behavior, from learning through to developing expertise. Including two brand new chapters on implicit versus explicit learnin...

We are all looking to flourish, to experience joy, feel engaged with the world, and experience meaningful lives. But the stresses and strains of our daily lives makes this a challenge. Using Positive Psychology Every Day: Learning How to Flourish is about (re)finding the art of living, enabling you to flourish.

Bringing together the best of positive psychology, this book introduces eight evidence-based resources of well-being and flourishing: positive emotions, the discovering and use of stre...