A collection of diary entries from the dean of the fictional St. Andrew's College, Edinburgh. Longsuffering and cantankerous, he documents the comings and goings of eccentric professors, academic triumphs and failures and the disastrous outcome of a physics department’s experiment resulting in the magnetisation of the number 42 bus.

The central thesis of Feelbad Britain is that after the decades of neoliberalism the institutions and social relations on which solidarity, trust and citizenship depend have been undermined. This has left contemporary British society in a troubled and dysfunctional state, without the cohesion or confidence needed if we are to escape from recession, combat climate change and restore faith in government. The authors put forward a theoretical framework for understanding contemporary politics; and they consider what is to be done to revitalise the British left, challenge neoliberal hegemony, and develop a political project aimed at creating a greener, fairer, happier, more democratic and less divided Britain.

A central problem for the non-specialist reader over the works of Hume today is that his ellifluous 18th century prose appears strange to our eyes and ears... What follows, therefore, is what the present editors did about it. The central purpose is to open to Hume's original target audience his writings on religious affairs; a subject which was of central importance to him - and which remains of perennial interest to humankind. David Hume's writings on history, politics and philosophy have shaped thought to this day. His bold scepticism ranged from common notions of the 'self' to criticism of standard theistic proofs. He insisted on grounding understandings of popular religious beliefs in human psychology rather than divine revelation, and he aimed to disentangle philosophy from religion in order to allow the former to pursue its own ends. In this book, Professors David W Purdie and Peter S Fosl decipher some of Hume's most challenging texts for the modern reader, while preserving the sharp intellect and undaunted nerve for which Hume is famous. Hume's spirit is brought alive for contemporary times and his writing is made accessible for its intended audience: the general public.

In this text, the author deals with the power relationships between employers, workers and their organizations in capitalist societies. Starting from a critique of both the neo-classical and the classical/Marxist traditions of political economy, a three dimensional analysis of social power is developed which stresses the processes of cultural formation. This framework is used to investigate the patterns of dominance and subordination determined by the capitalist structure, gender division and occupational hierarchy. The egalitarian strategy is outlined for transforming the distribution of work, roles and resources by guaranteeing to every individual an unconditional basic income. The book should be of interest to students and teachers of all social science disciplines.

A special hardback edition of David Purdie's controversial adaptation of Scott's classic historical novel. Ivanhoe follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe, part of one of the few Saxon families at a time when English nobility was dominated by the Normans, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart. The gripping storyline beautifully captures the 12th century tensions between Saxons and Normans, Nobility and Commonality and Jews and Gentiles, with a whole host of well-known characters from Robin Hood to Friar Tuck.

How do you go about drafting an Act of Parliament? In this classic text, Lord Thing, the great Victorian Parliamentary Counsel, sets out the basic rules of the art and craft of creating legislation. Operating in a field where there are no concrete rules, Thring saw the need to formulate general rules of guidance for those inexperienced in the art of legislative drafting and published his work following his appointment as First Parliamentary Counsel. Much of what he says remains relevant now and so, this new edition presents it to a modern readership.

Edinburgh, 1736: an indignant crowd has gathered in the Grassmarket to watch the execution of a smuggler. Opening with the start of the Porteous Riots, The Heart of Midlothian is one of Walter Scott’s most famous historical novels, featuring murder, madness and seduction. Following his brutal suppression of the spectators, John Porteous, Captain of the Guard, is charged with murder and locked up in Edinburgh’s Tolbooth prison, also known as the Heart of Midlothian. When news comes that he has been pardoned, an angry mob breaks into the jail, liberating its inmates and bringing Porteous to its own form of justice. But one prisoner who fails to take this opportunity to flee is Effie Deans, who, wrongly convicted of infanticide, has been sentenced to death. Jeanie, her older sister, sets off to London on foot to beg for her pardon from the queen. A tale of religious piety, filial devotion and legal loopholes, this edition of The Heart of Midlothian has been expertly reworked for modern audiences by David Purdie.

Robert Burns (1759-96) remains Scotland's greatest poet, songwriter and song-collector. Regarded by Keats and Wordsworth as a morning star of the Romantic Movement in verse, he was also admired by Beethoven and Haydn who set accompaniments for many of his songs. A farmer turned excise officer, he attracted censure for his outspoken advocacy of electoral and parliamentary reform, yet he died a serving soldier in a Volunteer Regiment during the wars with post-revolutionary France. The Burns Encyclopaedia was first published in 1959 by Maurice Lindsay and this is the fourth edition - the first since 1980. All aspects of the poet's biography and literary output are covered, as are his correspondents and contemporaries, many of the latter set against the backdrop of Enlightenment Edinburgh. The present edition has been thoroughly revised and updated in the light of contemporary scholarship. It will be an essential vade mecum for all who are interested in Robert Burns - and in the literary, social and political ambience not just of Scotland but of the UK in the latter decades of the eighteenth century.