In A Short Life of Marie Antoinette historian John Abbott takes the reader from Antoinette's marriage in mere girlhood to the royal stage and her ultimate role as a central figure in European history.

While the rate of urbanisation in the developing world has increased dramatically over the past 20 years, governments' capacity to support urban growth has, in many cases, failed to keep up with this trend. Non-governmental organisations working in the field have long advocated community management of the urban environment as the best solution to this problem, and there is now a growing consensus that the answer does, indeed, lie with local communities. Yet there is still little understanding of what constitutes meaningful and effective community participation, or how it may be achieved in such a complex operating environment. Sharing the City gives a comprehensive account of urban community participation, both in theory and practice. It first presents a wide-ranging analysis of the issues, and develops a participatory framework for urban management. Using case studies and existing examples from around the world, and drawing on lessons learned from previous experience, it then develops the theory into a practical working model. Effective participatory urban management calls for a fundamental rethink on the part of all the actors involved - from local authorities and development agencies, through local and international NGOs, to the community-based organisations and the communities themselves. In redefining their roles and relationships, Sharing the City presents a new and radically different, yet viable and effective, approach to the concept of urban management.

Originally published in 1992. At its foundation FAO was conceived as an organization that would bring together health and agriculture. It would manage the world's food output to greater advantage and improve the well-being of its people. Almost a half-century on, FAO faced mounting criticism from its major funding nations, professionals within the field, and developing countries. The efficacy of its constitution, bureaucracy and aid, and even its fidelity to original ideals are questioned. This book presents an informed, if irreverent, insider's view. The first part of the book sets out the structure and activities of FAO. It gives a human dimension, describing the personalities that have influenced decisions and performance, the motivations of its staff, its location in Rome. The second part appraises FAO'S success in achieving its ultimate objective the alleviation of poverty. Throughout, the concern is both for a more visionary organization to help develop a sustainable income base for the rural poor in the developing world.

Originally published in 1992. At its foundation FAO was conceived as an organization that would bring together health and agriculture. It would manage the world's food output to greater advantage and improve the well-being of its people. Almost a half-century on, FAO faced mounting criticism from its major funding nations, professionals within the field, and developing countries. The efficacy of its constitution, bureaucracy and aid, and even its fidelity to original ideals are questioned. This book presents an informed, if irreverent, insider's view. The first part of the book sets out the structure and activities of FAO. It gives a human dimension, describing the personalities that have influenced decisions and performance, the motivations of its staff, its location in Rome. The second part appraises FAO'S success in achieving its ultimate objective the alleviation of poverty. Throughout, the concern is both for a more visionary organization to help develop a sustainable income base for the rural poor in the developing world.

This book shows for the first time how green infrastructure can work in an African urban context. On one level it provides a major rethinking of the role of infrastructure in urban society since the creation of networked infrastructure in the early twentieth century. On another, it explores the changing paradigms of urban development through the fundamental question of how decisions are made. With a focus on Africa's fast-growing secondary towns, where 70 per cent of the urban population live, the book explains how urban infrastructure provides the key to the relationship between economic development and social equity, through the mediation of natural resources. Adopting this view enables investment to be channelled more effectively to provide the engine for economic growth, while providing equitable services for all residents. At the same time, the mediation of resource flows integrates the metabolism of the city into the wider ecosystem. This vision leads to a new way of thinking about infrastructure, giving clear definition to the concept of green infrastructure. On the basis of research gathered throughout an extensive career, John Abbott draws in particular from his experience in Ethiopia to demonstrate the ways in which infrastructure needs to respond to the economies, societies and natural environments of twenty-first century urban Africa.

A 'fast-forward' acting course covering all the essential techniques an actor needs to know and use - with a suite of exercises to put each technique into practice. John Abbott's The Acting Book offers various ways to analyse a text and to create character, using not only the established processes of Stanislavsky and Meisner, but also new ones developed by the author over many years of teaching drama students. It also sets out a wide range of rehearsal techniques and improvisations, and it brims over with inventive practical exercises designed to stimulate the actor's imagination and build confidence. The book will be invaluable to student actors as an accompaniment to their training, to established actors who wish to refresh their technique, and to drama teachers at every level. 'Abbott knows what he's talking about and has a gift for expressing himself in straightforward, clutter-free language' The Stage on Improvisation in Rehearsal

This book shows for the first time how green infrastructure can work in an African urban context. On one level it provides a major rethinking of the role of infrastructure in urban society since the creation of networked infrastructure in the early twentieth century. On another, it explores the changing paradigms of urban development through the fundamental question of how decisions are made. With a focus on Africa's fast-growing secondary towns, where 70 per cent of the urban population live, the book explains how urban infrastructure provides the key to the relationship between economic development and social equity, through the mediation of natural resources. Adopting this view enables investment to be channelled more effectively to provide the engine for economic growth, while providing equitable services for all residents. At the same time, the mediation of resource flows integrates the metabolism of the city into the wider ecosystem. This vision leads to a new way of thinking about infrastructure, giving clear definition to the concept of green infrastructure. On the basis of research gathered throughout an extensive career, John Abbott draws in particular from his experience in Ethiopia to demonstrate the ways in which infrastructure needs to respond to the economies, societies and natural environments of twenty-first century urban Africa.

Approximate Commutative Algebra is an emerging field of research which endeavours to bridge the gap between traditional exact Computational Commutative Algebra and approximate numerical computation. The last 50 years have seen enormous progress in the realm of exact Computational Commutative Algebra, and given the importance of polynomials in scientific modelling, it is very natural to want to extend these ideas to handle approximate, empirical data deriving from physical measurements of phenomena in the real world. In this volume nine contributions from established researchers describe various approaches to tackling a variety of problems arising in Approximate Commutative Algebra.

This book synthesizes an array of research and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence. By mis-understanding teenagers' instinctive need to do things for themselves, society is in danger of creating a system of schooling that so goes against the natural grain of the adolescent brain that formal education ends up unintentionally trivialising the very young people it claims to be supporting. By failing to keep up with appropriate research in the biological and social sciences, current educational systems continue to treat adolescence as a problem rather than an opportunity. This book is about the need for transformational change in education. It synthesizes an array of research from both the physical and social sciences and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence. The book was conceived through a series of international conferences, and considers the education systems in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Its intention is to shake education out of its two-century's-old inertia. In the saga of the ages, if a generation fails, the fault lies squarely with the previous generation for not equipping them well enough for the changes ahead. The most immoral thing a person can ever say is: 'This will last out my time'.