Ordinary Kids. Extraordinary Adventures. Laughs for the Whole Family. 'Action-packed, hilarious and EPIC!' Annabel Steadman, author of SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF An epic superhero adventure with a twist from Radio 1 broadcasters and bestselling authors of KID NORMAL and THE GREAT DREAM ROBBERY. Do you like superheroes? Do you like pandas? Do you like really brilliant adventures? Then this is the book for you! When world famous superhero Dr Extraordinary gets blown up inside a giant robot, twelve-year-old Sonny Nelson is devastated. A world without heroes is totally rubbish! But things take an even more extraordinary turn when Dr Ex returns and is invisible to everyone except Sonny! Readers LOVE The Great Dream Robbery: 'I wanna be a member of the Dream Bandits!' 'Escapist and daft and just a whole lot of fun' 'Thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to crazy end' 'This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith - part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun'

From the incredible imagination of bestselling author Chris Smith comes a hilarious fantasy adventure for 8-12 readers. Cressida Cowell meets Robin Stevens with a dash of Pixar gold. 'Never, ever eliminate the impossible.' Clarity Jones When Mutt gets a job as an apprentice at the leading detective agency in the realm of Rillia, he's not expecting to work with ex-princesses, snow gnoblins and the most notorious assassin of the White Hand Clan. And he's definitely not expecting to be thrown in the deep end on the agency's toughest and most dangerous job yet - the mysterious case of the vanishing jester . . . From the incredible imagination of Chris Smith - bestselling author and now a major new solo talent - comes a hilarious adventure for fans of Cressida Cowell, Robin Stevens and Disney Pixar. 'A laugh-out-loud funny and exciting adventure!' Cressida Cowell on Frankie Best Hates Quests.

That's Mathematics is a maths book like no other. It's a vibrant, colourful book for young children showing them that maths is useful, interesting, fun and EVERYWHERE! They use it every day when they count, share, play, do sport, make cakes or move to music. Aimed at children from 5 to 8 years, the youngest can enjoy it as a picture book, reading Lehrer's rhyming song lyrics and looking at Elina Braslina's joyful illustrations. They will pick up a basic understanding of real-world maths and learn some core maths language along the way. Older children are challenged to 'Try This' and 'Explore This' by author Chris Smith, who is a maths teacher, musician and all-round maths enthusiast. The activities are designed to deepen their curiosity and knowledge. There are supporting online activities to continue the fun, plus notes for parents to encourage you to get involved and help you discuss topics covered and keep the learning going after the book is closed.

Unlike most 12 year-olds, Maya Clayton is desperate to go to bed early. Falling asleep is the only chance she has to save her dad - the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter. The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late! Maya will face a dangerous journey and some difficult choices. But sometimes all you need is a dream . . . and a bit of courage. Featuring a hospital heist, some banana-loving llamas and a talking cat called Bin Bag, this is one mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from.

The epic conclusion to the awesome, award-winning, bestselling, super-charged KID NORMAL series by Greg James and Chris Smith.

Praise for Kid Normal:

'So funny, it's almost criminal' INDEPENDENT
'Outrageous capers' GUARDIAN

Murph Cooper is famous… and he's not happy about it.

Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes used to save the day in secret. But suddenly everyone knows who they are.

Oily villain Nicholas Knox has told the public that superheroes are dangerous. He wants to lock them all up and take over the world! *Cue evil cackling*

Murph must expose Knox's evil plan, or the world of heroes is doomed forever!

Labour in Transition (1992) examines the massive transformations undertaken by state socialist regimes at the end of the 1980s. It traces developments in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China, in particular the impact of changes in the labour process and broader political economy. Detailed empirical analysis of reform processes is effectively combined with a broader comparative examination of capitalism, socialism and the process of transition to new social formations.

_______________ The first book in a laugh-out-loud funny adventure series for readers aged 8+, from radio stars Greg James and Chris Smith _______________ 'So funny, it's almost criminal' - Independent 'Outrageous capers' - Guardian SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE A TOM FLETCHER BOOK CLUB PICK _______________ Murph Cooper has a problem. His new school is top secret, and super weird. His classmates can all fly or control the weather or conjure tiny horses from thin air. And what's Murph's extraordinary skill? Um, oh yeah - he hasn't got one. Just as well there are no revolting supervillains lurking nearby, their minds abuzz with evil plans. There are!? Right. Ok, then... It's time for Kid Normal to become a hero!

We all have to work to pay the bills – but what influence do we really have over our pay and working conditions? The emergence of the global economy, digital technologies, mass migration, gig work and zero hours contracts have thrust this question to the forefront of HRM. So how can we keep the ‘human’ in human resource management faced by these pressures? This book adopts a critical approach to today’s major workplace challenges. It turns traditional HRM on its head by placing workers’ perspectives towards the workplace alongside those of managers to create an HRM textbook for the 21st century. Written by two experienced and research-active authors, the book: • locates control of labour costs and productivity at the heart of HRM policy and practice; • covers key issues that are overlooked in many textbooks, including conflict and resistance, the ‘new’ unitarism, migration and the challenges of Artificial Intelligence; • adopts a critical approach that will appeal more to students who don’t wish to become traditional managers; • includes current examples and case studies from the international world of work and business that will bring the subject to life. This is a comprehensive one-stop resource for students and lecturers alike.

Originally published in 1986, the 1970s and 80s saw the emergence of the 'the new working class' or 'new middle class'. This book is an authoritative study of the 'white collar workers' relationship with their unions and analysis of their newly designated class. The authors drew extensively on original fieldwork and verbatim accounts from technical workers and foremen in industry. White Collar Workers examines the particular circumstances of different groups of workers and their functions in relation to capital and labour. It analyses changes in the composition of union membership and the effect of these changes on the structure and policy of unions.

We all have to work to pay the bills - but what influence do we really have over our pay and working conditions? The emergence of the global economy, digital technologies, mass migration, gig work and zero hours contracts have thrust this question to the forefront of HRM. So how can we keep the 'human' in human resource management faced by these pressures? This book adopts a critical approach to today's major workplace challenges. It turns traditional HRM on its head by placing workers' perspectives towards the workplace alongside those of managers to create an HRM textbook for the 21st century. Written by two experienced and research-active authors, the book: * locates control of labour costs and productivity at the heart of HRM policy and practice; * covers key issues that are overlooked in many textbooks, including conflict and resistance, the 'new' unitarism, migration and the challenges of Artificial Intelligence; * adopts a critical approach that will appeal more to students who don't wish to become traditional managers; * includes current examples and case studies from the international world of work and business that will bring the subject to life. This is a comprehensive one-stop resource for students and lecturers alike.

The third book in the bestselling, award-winning, laugh-out-loud funny KID NORMAL series by Greg James and Chris Smith

Praise for KID NORMAL:

'So funny, it's almost criminal' INDEPENDENT

'Outrageous capers' GUARDIAN

YOU DON'T NEED SUPERPOWERS TO BE A HERO ... Or do you?

Despite having no powers, Murph Cooper is part of the best team in the Heroes' Alliance. So when supervillain Magpie declares all-out war, Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes lead the charge.

But Magpie believes that a powerless hero is no hero at all. And he's building a dastardly device to prove it.

When Kid Normal enters the Shadow Machine, THE WORLD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME ...

The second epically funny adventure starring Murph Cooper and the Super Zeroes from Greg James and Chris Smith.

Running a team of crime-fighting superheroes is a complicated business - especially when your mum's not allowed to know that you're doing it. But Murph Cooper is making it work: he's a schoolkid by day and a member of the top-secret Heroes' Alliance by night.

Not that anyone at The School seems to care. Most of Murph's teachers and classmates still believe that unless you have a proper superpower you can't be a real hero.

But his achievements have caught the attention of at least one person .

Far away in a maximum security prison, the world's most notorious supervillain, Magpie, has just broken a 30-year silence.

Magpie's special power? Draining heroes of their Capabilities and taking them for his own. And his first words? 'Bring Kid Normal to me .'

Being a detective can be a tricky business when you're a giraffe... Using the world's largest known database of writing for and by children, our experts have defined 300 ambitious words to help children succeed at school. We've combined these with finelly levelled books that help you develop support comprehension and fluency, while inspiring and engaging your young readers.

When it comes to personal finance, the rules may have changed, but the time-tested principles of sound personal financial management haven't. Those starting out on their paths to financial security just need to learn them better and apply them earlier than ever before - ideally, right from the start. Previous generations have had some help in achieving financial security that young people can't count on today: generous employer pensions, steady housing price increases, and a well-funded Social Security program, to name a few. In short, the old "muddle through" approach won't cut it anymore - not even close. A steady income is still a must, but parlaying this into long-term financial security is now an entirely different proposition than ever before. The institutions of the past can no longer be relied upon to handle the process; each person now needs to manage the long-term financial planning and decision making on their own. Fortunately, though, anyone just starting out can still achieve a very strong financial future from almost any income level - but only by doing the right things to make it happen. Those things aren't particularly hard to understand or to do, but it is important to do them right, to do them consistently, and to do them in the right order. Most importantly, if you get an early start, the risks are minimal and the payoff is substantial. But each year that passes, the risks go up and the payoff goes down. If you have just started out in your financial life, or if you are just about to, and you want a complete and practical education in the fundamentals of personal finance for a secure future, then this book is for you. Chris Smith guides readers through the basics of saving, investing, and financial planning in language that is clear, accessible, and lively, making difficult concepts understandable to the novice, and enjoyable to those who already have some understanding. He shows readers how to apply this knowledge, and to avoid the most common pitfalls, to insure the best possible outcome for long-term financial security.

Debates about the consequences for work practices posed by the rapidly growing transnationalisation of business have become increasingly central to management studies, sociology, political science, geography and other disciplines. Remaking Management brings together a range of international contributors from different sub-disciplines in management to examine current theories of change or continuity of work practices in the context of fashionable claims about unstoppable globalisation or unmoveable national business systems. It provides theoretical and empirical challenges to both of these explanations. Rejecting an overemphasis on inevitable convergence or enduring divergence, the book reveals a mix of international, national and organisational-level influences on workplace practice. This is a rich and wide-ranging resource for graduate students and academics concerned with how organisations are responding to an increasingly complex commercial environment.

Global Japaniziation? Brings together research from North America, Japan, Europe and Latin America to analyse the influence of Japanese manufacturing investment and Japanese working practices across the global economy. The editors present original case studies of work reorganization and workers' experiences within both Japanese companies and those of their competitors in diverse sectors and national settings. These studies provide a wide-ranging critique of conventional accounts of Japanese models of management and production, and their implications for employees. They offer new evidence and fresh perspectives on the role of "transplants" in disseminating manufacturing innovations, and on the responses of non-Japanese firm in reorganizing production operations and industrial relations.

Gifted education is a highly topical but controversial subject. Unlike most books on the subject of inclusion for gifted learners, this single volume presents the opposing views of first-class experts from the field to challenge the assumption that educational inclusion relates only to those pupils with learning difficulties. In this book, the authors examine the extent to which a truly inclusive context can provide a challenging environment for gifted and talented pupils.
Key issues explored include:
* the social and emotional aspects of being a gifted and talented pupil
* the pros and cons of being labelled gifted and talented in very young children
* why 'regular' classrooms are the best place to educate gifted and talented pupils
* modifying the basic school curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils
* what is submerged talent and how can it be found?
By engaging in discussions about the nature of inclusion and how varying perspectives can lead to very different practices being implemented, the effectiveness of educating the most able pupils is examined.
As the Government has recently initiated the Excellence in Cities scheme, this thought-provoking volume will be an invaluable read to student teachers, practitioners, academics and researchers who wish to further their study in this hot topic.

Gifted education is a highly topical but controversial subject. Unlike most books on the subject of inclusion for gifted learners, this single volume presents the opposing views of first-class experts from the field to challenge the assumption that educational inclusion relates only to those pupils with learning difficulties. In this book, the authors examine the extent to which a truly inclusive context can provide a challenging environment for gifted and talented pupils.
Key issues explored include:
* the social and emotional aspects of being a gifted and talented pupil
* the pros and cons of being labelled gifted and talented in very young children
* why 'regular' classrooms are the best place to educate gifted and talented pupils
* modifying the basic school curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils
* what is submerged talent and how can it be found?
By engaging in discussions about the nature of inclusion and how varying perspectives can lead to very different practices being implemented, the effectiveness of educating the most able pupils is examined.
As the Government has recently initiated the Excellence in Cities scheme, this thought-provoking volume will be an invaluable read to student teachers, practitioners, academics and researchers who wish to further their study in this hot topic.

Whether on vinyl or in digital form, the album has become an integral part of our cultural history. 100 Albums That Changed Popular Music: A Reference Guide tells the stories behind the most groundbreaking, influential, and often controversial albums ever recorded. Narrative chapters in this chronologically organized volume describe how the albums reflected the political, social, and economic culture of the era. Individual entries discuss these albums histories, the inspiration behind their creation, and why they continue to stand the test of time. Selected on the basis of their popular appeal, historical significance, and influence on later genres, the albums included represent a wide variety of genres, such as blues, jazz, rock, reggae, rockabilly, folk, soul, hip-hop, and country. Among the featured are releases from the hard-blues explosion of the '60s, including Robert Johnson's King of the Delta Blues Singers, a landmark album whose songs were later covered by the likes of Cream, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. Punk made its mark in the '70s with such albums as Patti Smith's Horses and the Clash's London Calling. In the '80s Michael Jackson's blockbuster LP, Thriller, not only topped the charts, it become the best-selling record of all time. Diversity defined the '90s, with the most influential albums ranging from Garth Brooks' No Fences, which made country one of the hottest musical genres of the decade, to Dr. Dre's debut, The Chronic, a multi-platinum smash hit that brought West Coast hip hop into the mainstream. Each album entry in this book lists the publication information, including release date, label, and producer. A timeline of important events, a selectedbibliography for further reading, and an appendix of albums that almost made the cut round out this volume, making it an ideal resource for students, music fans, and general readers alike.

Global Japaniziation? Brings together research from North America, Japan, Europe and Latin America to analyse the influence of Japanese manufacturing investment and Japanese working practices across the global economy. The editors present original case studies of work reorganization and workers' experiences within both Japanese companies and those of their competitors in diverse sectors and national settings. These studies provide a wide-ranging critique of conventional accounts of Japanese models of management and production, and their implications for employees. They offer new evidence and fresh perspectives on the role of "transplants" in disseminating manufacturing innovations, and on the responses of non-Japanese firm in reorganizing production operations and industrial relations.

Western civilization has thrived more than any other civilization in the past or present - it has been much more successful in economic, military and political terms, in science and technology, in the arts, and in enhancing its citizens' health, wealth, longevity and even, probably, their happiness. A large degree of success can be traced to six principal ideas - Christianity, optimism, science, economic growth, liberalism and individualism. In 1900, most Westerners felt tremendous pride and confidence in their civilization. They knew what it stood for, and they believed in it. Today that sense has gone. And that is largely because the six ideas which underpinned Western confidence have suffered a century of sustained attack. The ideas no longer inspire or unite the West, nor do they give individuals the confidence essential for unconscious coordinated action. A drift towards collective suicide is evident; it is deeply impregnated in our history since 1914. It can be traced to the declining confidence in each of the attributes that used to inspire the West and the world. However, a careful examination of the six factors shows that they have great resilience. Much of today's hostility to the ideas is based on fashionable but flaky concepts, such as Freud's view of human nature, which scientific evidence rebuts. In theory, a more sophisticated synthesis of the six ideas could provide a way for the West to recover its nerve and integrity. But in practice? This fascinating book seeks to find the answer.

Taking an integrated approach, this core text illustrates the underlying scientific disciplines of the Biomedical Sciences. First and second year biomedical science degree students will develop an understanding of the specific medical aspects of diseases. Written specifically for the Biomedical Sciences, the text is linked to information available on the internet.? There are many diagrams and case studies to support the content. ? Objectives at the beginning and summary and references at the end of each chapter help students achieve their learning goals.? Various questions types at the end of chapters enable students to monitor their progress.