This title offers a critical introduction to the contemporary American novel focusing on contexts, key texts, and criticism. Adventurous, engaging and politically urgent, contemporary American novels have come to enjoy a particular prestige and, through university courses, film adaptations and cultural controversies, a global circulation. This book provides a critical introduction to novels produced in the United States between 1980 and the present. Compact yet wide-ranging, and written in vivid, accessible prose, it registers the diversity of contemporary American writing and carefully situates this work in historical contexts that include Reaganomics, the Clinton years and the post-9/11 'War on Terror'. Detailed attention is given throughout to how America's current novelists have responded to shifting gender politics, changes in the nation's racial configuration, the increasing dominance of a commodity culture and to adjustments in the United States' place in the world following the end of the Cold War and the increased pace of globalisation. Complete with timelines of historical and literary events, detailed lists of secondary sources both in print and on the web, and suggestions for students' own research projects, this is the ideal resource for anyone beginning study of this vibrant literature. "Texts and Contexts" is a series of clear, concise and accessible introductions to key literary fields and concepts. The series provides the literary, critical, historical context for texts and authors in a specific literary area in a way that introduces a range of work in the field and enables further independent study and reading.

The go-to Pyrenees travel guide travel guide for discovering the best walks and car tours. Strap on your boots and discover Pyrenees on foot with the Sunflower Pyrenees travel guide. And on the days when your feet may have had enough, enjoy some spectacular scenery on one of our legendary car tours. The Sunflower Pyrenees guide is indispensable for hiking in Pyrenees or seeing Pyrenees by car. You don't have to be an expert to enjoy trekking in the Pyrenees with this guide book. None of the hikes requires special skills (under summer conditions) and, if you are not very fit, simply turn back when you feel like it or choose one of our specific short walk suggestions with most of the itineraries. The authors, who have lived in the Pyrenees for 30 years, believe that 'experienced and fit walkers will find much to enjoy, for we have included some of the wildest scenery in the Pyrenees, walked pilgrim routes and World War 2 escape routes, climbed to summits, enjoyed the habitat of marmots, vultures and lizards (the Pyrenean chamois), and not neglected the great and the famous. Whatever your age or ability we've got some glorious walks and car tours to ensure you have a memorable holiday in Pyrenees. Inside the Sunflower Pyrenees guide book you'll find: 65 long and short walks for all ages and abilities - each walk is graded so you can easily match your ability to the level of walk; Topographical walking maps - give you a clear sense of the surrounding terrain; Free downloadable gps tracks - for the techies; Satnav guidance to walk starts for motorists ; 12 car tours and fold-out touring map - for easy reference on your tour ; Strolls to idyllic picnic spots - enjoy our recommendations for where to picnic along the way; Timetables for public transport - ideal if you want to link two walks or avoid hiring a car on your holiday; Online update service for the latest information; Whether you tour the Pyrenees by car or explore on foot, we look forward to showing you around.

* a flexible guide that will add ten happy and healthy years to your life * designed for readers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities - you make the changes you want to make, and you can make them now * all the advice is based on scientific and medical research with plenty of wisdom and commonsense * not just about your health and fitness, this book also covers relationships, love and spirituality * lots of interactive exercises and sample tips This book is designed as a ten-step guide that will add ten (healthy, happy) years to your life. It offers sound advice on health and fitness issues, and will cover diet, and relaxation, in addition to such emotional issues as happiness, love and spirituality. It is all based, not on guru driven theories of bizarre diets or exercise routine, but on common sense and positive thinking, twinned with information that is both practical, and supported widely by the scientific and medical communities. The tone is positive and encouraging throughout; there are also plenty of opportunities for you to interact with the book through features such as quizzes, self-test boxes and exercises.

Unlock your personality to discover your hidden strengths and reach your true potential, with this new guide to being extraordinary. Through some simple quizzes you can find out what really makes you tick, before learning how to tap into your strengths, and make the most of your natural gifts. With the author's guidance, you will use tests and exercises to unlock parts of your psyche you didn't know you had, helping you to understand what makes you truly special, to change the parts of you you don't like, and to strengthen those that you do. Whether you want to be more creative, more confident or more dynamic, you will find the ability to achieve anything or everything in this revelatory new book.

We're always being told to travel 'responsibly', but how exactly do you do that? OK we all know you shouldn't slog it up the motorway in a gas-guzzler, but is it better to cross the Channel by train or by ferry? Is it better to take a low-consumption car with four people in it, or to catch the train? When it comes to holidays, is it better to holiday somewhere well visited? The Green Travel Guide answers your questions whether you're travelling in the UK or beyond, for work or on holiday. It's full of practical help and suggestions and covers: Greener ways of getting around day-to-day; How to save on business travel; Eco-friendly ways to travel abroad; Carbon offsetting schemes; Great destinations for guilt-free green holidays. You'll even find a 'green travel calculator' to see how eco-friendly your holiday really is. Paul Jenner and Christine Smith are professional travel journalists and writers. They have written two books on the environment, The Environmental Business Handbook and The World Environmental Business Handbook (both published by Euromonitor) as well as a special report for the Economist Intelligence Unit The Tourism Industry And The Environment. Paul Jenner was a contributor to Vole, the seminal environmental magazine of the 70s, and has written for many outdoor magazines including TGO (The Great Outdoors).

"It's an easy read and will help you find the silver lining behind every cloud." - Prima **** NEW EDITION FULLY UPDATED THROUGHOUT WITH FUN FACTS, POSITIVE MESSAGES AND NEW RESEARCH **** Everyone wants to be happy. But it's a lot easier said than done. Most books on happiness are fixated on particular routes to happiness, such as wealth, NLP, positive thinking, or mindfulness. This book takes a more joined-up approach, using each of these techniques, but also including the latest scientific research on what really makes us happy (clue: it's not the things you think).

Self-confidence is a crucial ingredient in your personal skill-set; whether you need to demonstrate your aptitude at work or feel calmer and less anxious in social situations, being able to express yourself with confidence and appear at ease is well within your reach. Be More Confident brings the social networking strategies of the business and professional world to your personal life, helping you to overcome shyness, win friends and make an impact in every social situation. It uses proven techniques, interactive tools, case studies and motivational advice to help you communicate better, and relate to others in a natural way. If you've always been a little shy, it will give you practical help on everything from body language to great conversation openers. Covering work, home, relationships, social media and every other area of your daily routine, this practical, outcome-focused book will help you you feel better not only about yourself, but about the way in which you talk to people, make friends, and make an impression. ABOUT THE SERIES People have been learning with Teach Yourself since 1938. With a vast range of practical, how-to guides covering language learning, lifestyle, hobbies, business, psychology and self-help, there's a Teach Yourself book for whatever you want to do. Join more than 60 million people who have reached their goals with Teach Yourself, and never stop learning.

This is a critical introduction to the contemporary American novel focusing on contexts, key texts and criticism. Adventurous, engaging and politically urgent, contemporary American novels have come to enjoy a particular prestige and, through university courses, film adaptations and cultural controversies, a global circulation. This book provides a critical introduction to novels produced in the United States between 1980 and the present. Compact yet wide-ranging, and written in vivid, accessible prose, it registers the diversity of contemporary American writing and carefully situates this work in historical contexts that include Reaganomics, the Clinton years and the post-9/11 'War on Terror'. Detailed attention is given throughout to how America's current novelists have responded to shifting gender politics, changes in the nation's racial configuration, the increasing dominance of a commodity culture and to adjustments in the United States's place in the world following the end of the Cold War and the increased pace of globalisation. Complete with timelines of historical and literary events, detailed lists of secondary sources both in print and on the web, and suggestions for students' own research projects, this is the ideal resource for anyone beginning study of this vibrant literature. "Texts and Contexts" is a series of clear, concise and accessible introductions to key literary fields and concepts. The series provides the literary, critical, historical context for texts and authors in a specific literary area in a way that introduces a range of work in the field and enables further independent study and reading.

Is this the right book for me? A flexible guide that will add ten happy and healthy years to your life This book is designed as a ten-step guide that will add ten (healthy, happy) years to your life. It offers sound advice on health and fitness issues, and will cover diet and relaxation, in addition to such emotional issues as happiness, love and spirituality. It is all based, not on guru driven theories of bizarre diets or exercise routines, but on common sense and positive thinking, twinned with information that is both practical and supported widely by the scientific and medical communities. The tone is positive and encouraging throughout; there are also plenty of opportunities for you to interact with the book through features such as quizzes, self-test boxes and exercises. Help Yourself to Live Longer includes: Chapter 1: Why we age The gene theory of ageing The free radical theory of ageing Making the most of this book Chapter 2: Food How some foods fight ageing An a-z of longevity wonderfoods Crash diets Restrict calories, live longer The live-longer meal planner Chapter 3: Supplements The great supplement debate Combining vitamin and mineral supplements Chapter 4: Exercise Up to ten more years How exercise makes you feel more happier How fit are you? Exercising for fitness Do what you enjoy Exercising for strength Exercising for flexibility Devising a weekly program for fitness, strength and flexibility Chapter 5: Your brain How your brain works Dementia Physical activity Avoiding stress Avoiding neurotoxicants Avoiding head injury Mental activity Increasing your brain power Chapter 6: Relaxation The slow movement Good and bad stress Downsizing Relaxation techniques Meditation Give yourself some cognitive self-therapy Sleep Muscular relaxation Laughter - the stress breaker Chapter 7: Happiness Be grateful Getting rid of negative thoughts How negative emotions can poison you Applying the lessons to your past Enough money for a happy future? Chapter 8: Prudence Avoiding cancer Smoking - please stop Viruses Alcohol Drugs Sunshine Driving Avoid head injury Sex Is it worth having medical check-ups Body scans Chapter 9: Love That special someone Love is the food of health More love, less stress Psychoneurosexuality Oxytocin Improving your relationship If your partner has died Relatives and friends Pets How well connected are you? Chapter 10: Sex The normal developments of ageing Managing the effects of ageing Men's problems Women's problems A lifetime of sex with the same partner Chapter 11: Spirituality Gratitude and acceptance Optimism Coping skills Giving life a point Choosing what to believe Prayer How to be more spiritual if you don't believe in God Developing spirituality Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and added features: - Personal insights, tips, and summaries throughout the book - Extension articles online - 1, 5 and 10-minute bites of learning to get you started - Designed for readers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities - Lots of interactive exercises and sample tips

Have you ever wanted to enhance the spiritual aspect to your sex life? Would you like to learn a new dimension to love making? Discover how tantric sex can teach you to be a better lover as well as changing the focus of your sex life with Get Intimate with Tantric Sex. This book covers all the latest background on male and female pleasure. Explore the history and traditional texts of tantric sex and follow a series of practical exercises and techniques. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of the ancient practice of tantric sex. THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

Have Great Sex is a straightforward and non-sensational introduction to improving both the physical and spiritual dimensions of your relationship at all levels. Ideal for those seeking a mature and grown-up approach to this topic, it draws on the latest psychological techniques and research to help couples overcome the many inhibitions which might prevent them from enjoying a greater physical and emotional intimacy. It introduces and explains the role of the mind in arousal and enjoyment in addition to outlining the latest physical techniques, features unique coverage of sex at fifty and beyond, and offers plenty of further resources to readers. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of intimacy. THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

Transform Your Life with NLP gives you the motivation and the tools you need to change any, or every, aspect of your life. Use the NLP mindset to program your subconscious, and you will be able to improve anything from sporting success to work performance. You can also use NLP to boost your self-esteem and to find resilience at times of stress or pressure. You don't need to be an expert or even to have any experience of NLP, and a tailored two-week program at the end of the book will ensure you reach all your goals and help you to set new ones. Featuring self-assessment exercises, write-in review areas and other learning materials that really work, this book has the power to change your life.

This reassuring, practical and transformative guide is essential reading If you suffer from, or think you might be suffering from, IBS, an uncomfortable condition which can feel like it's running your life. This book will help you regain control. Beat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome explains all the worthwhile therapies, helps you identify which one to try, and shows how to work with your doctor on defeating this distressing condition. It works through all the areas of your lifestyle which might be contributing, including diet and stress management, as well as making sure you have the right clinical support. It will give you strategies for immediate relief, along with showing how the latest research findings can offer long-term solutions, and explains the benefits of both well-known and less well-known therapies, including: - Exercise - Relaxation and hypnotherapy - Understanding the importance of balance in the gut. Change your life by picking up this book and making a plan to beat IBS.