Independence to Freedom

This is a story of migration from rural Gujarat to Nairobi, Kenya and the impact of the struggles for independence from British rule on a traditional Hindu Gujarati family, and finally to London in 1949.

Here, the family navigated a life in between two cultures maintaining and imbibing the best of both. Hemkunver lived a life of bhakti – devotion. Manilal, her husband, followed a life of engaging with the world but spiritually grounded in his love for Indian classical music and philosophy. These characteristics were passed on to the main protagonist Viram, who from a very early age fell in love with Indian classical music. His abilities and interests were varied though – so he did not mind playing his sitar with jazz, or playing with Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin or composing for films, TV and radio, whilst also developing a successful career in business. His desire to create awareness for one of the most sophisticated music systems of the world, led him to become an authority as a performer, advocate and producer of Indian music throughout the UK and Europe, creating around one hundred iconic events per year. He overcame the prejudice he faced from the British arts elite and jealous Indians by embarking on a journey into Vedantic philosophy to find his freedom.

Indigenous Knowledge on Traditional Upland Rice Farming in Sierra Leone

“Learning can be acquired by reading books, but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading men, and studying all the various facets of them.” (Phillip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield).

Indigenous Knowledge in Traditional Upland Rice Farming is a result of living and studying the rice farmers in the southern region of Sierra Leone, West Africa, over years of extension and rural development work. It is a result of years of effort trying to unearth how farmers generate and share information from their knowledge which remained unknown to professionals who attempt intervention projects aimed at addressing the constraints the farmers faced.

These ventures often fail to get the desired results with a waste of time and resources due to the lack of knowledge and understanding on the underpinning knowledge in a system they want to correct. It gives an insight into this farming system in a way that can be applicable to other farming systems in the country and elsewhere around the world. Fortunately, the information collected into this book was done before the rebel war in Sierra Leone, which claimed the lives of the majority of the seasoned and knowledgeable farmers. There is currently a drive by the government of Sierra Leone to encourage entrepreneurship in agribusiness around the country to improve agriculture and food production, in order to alleviate the problem of food shortages in the country.

This book offers an opportunity for those with the capital to grasp the fundamental principles underlying the practices in the farming system, the major source of food production in the country, as an insurance for their capital investments. This book can be translated into the local languages for the adult education of young farmers in the country who have not had the opportunity to have learned from their parents and older farmers through the method of oral traditional learning, as a result of the decade of rebel war which may have claimed their lives.

Insurrection

‘Damn bad place Sheffield,’ said King George Ill, reflecting on the town’s reputation as a hotbed of radicalism with revolutionary tendencies, a reputation it maintained for much of the 19th century, augmented by the numerous times that the Riot Act was read to the Sheffield mob. Yet few Sheffield riots were in the name of revolution. They were more to do with social inequalities, injustice and deprivation, only the Chartists’ rising and connections with the Pentrich rising came close to revolution. The price of provisions, the lack of democracy, oppression and perceived assaults on social norms by new religious movements were the dominant causal factors of social disorder in the Sheffield of the 18th and 19th centuries, the protagonists being coal owners, market traders, magistrates, politicians, the police, the militia, resurrectionists, Wesleyans, Mormons and Salvationists. A personal dispute and an attempted robbery also brought out sections of the Sheffield townsfolk in protest and riot. Some of the events in this book will be familiar to the student of Sheffield’s history; some of the events will amaze them; all of the events detailed in Insurrection will fascinate the general reader.

Into the labyrinth: in search of Daidalos

Daidalos was a polymath who foreshadowed Leonardo da Vinci by 3,000 years and was famed as an artist, inventor, scientist and engineer. Despite his many talents and his contributions to the advancement of humanity, his interactions with those he knew resulted in mayhem, and this is what makes his life so fascinating. First of all, he was responsible for the death of three close relatives – his son, his sister and his nephew. Secondly, his actions resulted in the death of King Minos who was a son of Zeus. Thirdly, he was involved in both the creation and destruction of the monstrous bull-human hybrid known as the minotaur. Finally, the lives of two of the most important women of Crete, Queen Pasiphae (the daughter of the sun god, Helios) and her daughter, Ariadne, were devastated by his interventions.  It could be argued that his actions contributed to the downfall of the Minoan civilization and its subjugation by the Mycenaeans. This book is the story of his fascinating life, the times in which he lived and the legacy he has left us.

Intrepid Souls

Intrepid Souls is the story of millions of minorities who live in India, struggle for equal rights, humane treatment, and survival. The hatred projected by the Hindu majority, especially towards Muslims, is immense, uncontrolled, and often supported by those in charge of maintaining law and order. This book provides an understanding of the inglorious and dangerous idealism of the Hindu nationalism which will eventually lead to instability and insecurity in the nation. A nation must support its minorities and in turn, the minorities must support the nation for its survival.

This is not the India where Farrukh Jamal grew up; nor where her ancestors lived. They loved this land and worked hard to make it a wonderful place as the Muslim minority of today is doing. However, the sense of belonging inherited by them via their ancestors is now being obliterated through violence and coercive efforts of the majority to remove Muslims from the fabric of Indian society.

She grew up not just facing discrimination but also fearful of unprovoked occurrences of riot and violence. Intermittent wars with Pakistan also jeopardized the lives of the Muslims in India because they were perceived as enemies. What protected her was the profound love of her parents, their emphasis on education, the kind and impartial treatment of the nuns in her English Catholic school and the support of friends regardless of religion.

Is Climate Change Man-Made?

Here is scientific and historical evidence that shows that carbon dioxide is not the villain in climate change. The science is simple but thorough and easy to read and easy to understand in this short monograph. It makes a fascinating read even for the less scientifically experienced reader and should supply anyone with plenty of subject matter for any debate on this controversial topic. Do you feel guilty about your carbon footprint? Well, you don’t need to. This book will alleviate that guilty feeling and perhaps allow you to feel happy about the carbon dioxide you breathe out. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but is a necessary resource for life on the earth.

Isabel Cowe: Shore Gull and Suffragist

Isabel Cowe was the owner of The St Abb’s Haven boarding house from 1914 to 1931. A native of St Abb’s and of fishing folk, she was a popular figure in the village. Throughout her life, Miss Cowe fought against the injustice of the Parish Council on a number of issues which she believed were detrimental to the community, earning herself the title ‘The Provost of St Abb’s’ from those who came to know her and respect her.

Isabel Cowe was no ordinary woman, devoting her life to serving others through charitable work for organisations such as the RNLI and the Children’s League of Pity. It was through her tireless devotion to the RNLI and the St Abb’s lifeboat crew that she earned one of her greatest accolades when awarded with the RNLI’s Golden Brooch.

As an influential female business owner, in a time before women were granted the vote, Miss Cowe gravitated towards the Suffrage Movement, becoming a member of the Women’s Freedom League.

In October 1912, she was to help organise and participate in the gruelling 400-mile Scottish Suffrage March from Edinburgh to London, which was a precursor for the Great Pilgrimage of 1913.

On her death a sundial was erected in her memory in the grounds of The Haven. The sundial, which still stands to this day, was funded by over 200 subscriptions from the length and breadth of the country by the many people who had come to know and respect this great woman and pioneer.

Islay and Its Whiskies

For whisky fans and their travelling buddies.

This insightful and well-researched pocket guidebook is all you need to enhance your Islay visit. It is the ideal companion for the Scotch whisky dreamers and those who share a passion for Scotland’s islands.

Pop it in your back pocket and set off. Information at a glance with no need to plan or study beforehand.  

There are 10 world-famous Scotch whisky distilleries to discover, all with useful insider tips clearly listed. Islay’s other treasures are not forgotten either: ancient history, archaeology and Islay’s amazing bird life also feature.

There are suggested daily tour routes around Islay highlighting what to look out for. There are also details of day tours to the nearby Islands of Jura and Colonsay.

The author has been guiding groups from all over the world for almost 20 years and is very much aware of what visitors actually want. This guidebook has it all!

It Is My Garden! So, I shall Tend to It Myself

Have you ever wondered who you are? 

Or, if you could be exactly who you want to be?

All too often people present to the world, a representation of themselves which has been constructed from others‘ agendas!

How would it feel to go on a journey of self-discovery, and connect with your authentic self? And so become the person you were meant to be. 

You are entitled to prioritise your own wants and needs!

This book will encourage you to discover and connect with all elements of your being, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, enabling you to reach enlightenment of self.

It Must Be True... I Made It up Myself...!

Do you feel that life is propelling you along like a twig in a strong river current? Or that it is taking you far too close to dangerous hazards, risking your very existence and causing you immense anxiety?

That river current lives within you; it’s your ego, and it is not wise, kind or benevolent. Left to its own devices it’s a tyrant, and it will always be the same.

It’s invariably your ego that creates and maintains the threats to your happiness, your peace, and your very survival; and it’s an ever-present powerful threat.

In this book, Kevin Staffa identifies and examines three key manifestations of your ego: your “Proto” ego (that is, your source or ancestral ego), that’s not only paranoid about survival but can be the greatest threat to your survival; your intellectual ego and your spiritual ego. They’re unmasked and revealed for what they are: untruthful, devious and out of control. In this exposé, the author closely examines David Hawkins’ map of consciousness and reveals its dangerous flaws.

If you want to take back your life, this book is for you. It decodes and dismantles your ego; and shows you how to transform this inner despot into a calm and useful ally.

It Will Happen

How many times have you heard the words, “It will happen?”

For Laura and her husband, Scoop, the phrase that once brought comfort, hope and reassurance began to lose all positive meaning.

When they first started trying for a baby, they had no idea what they would be in for. After the heartbreak of each loss, when the world around her frustratingly seemed to carry on like normal, Laura struggled to cope with her inability to do something others seemed to find so easy. In this candid memoir, she shares her isolating experiences and talks openly and honestly about how she and her husband navigated the harsh realities of their rollercoaster journey to parenthood.

It Will Happen covers:

- trying to conceive and the strain on relationships

- miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancies

- jealousy and resentment

- treatments and testing

- the anxiety of pregnancy and motherhood after loss

- communicating with people in these situations

Written from the heart of someone with first-hand experiences, It Will Happen gives you tools and information to feel empowered and supported through the difficult times when trying to conceive. Who ever really knows what WILL happen? What’s important is that it CAN happen.

It's All An Act

From trainee teachers to veteran, battle-hardened staff, the recurring nightmare is of a class of teenagers who simply will not do as they are told. The stomach-clenching, hand-trembling, knee-jittering question we ask ourselves at the start of each new year is, ‘What if the pupils walk all over me?’ No matter how confident we are in our own abilities, regardless of our position in the school, irrespective of the reputation we have built for ourselves, if we do not ask ourselves that question, then sooner or later we are in for a nasty shock. When it comes to classroom management, we are all in the same boat. We all experience classroom management challenges.

It’s All An Act offers a range of practical, no-nonsense, pragmatic strategies and techniques to try out, practise, adapt or abandon. It works on the premise that, to a great extent, classroom management is something we can do with pupils rather than to them. In response to the cry of, ‘What’s the point? That would never work!’ the reply is, ‘Give it a go. What have you got to lose?’ For colleagues under the cosh of lesson preparation, marking, administration, meetings and deadlines, it’s an easy read. What have you got to lose?