It's time for a new approach to how to be happy!As a jazz musician, author, and recently retired professor of music, Dr. John Webb affirms that to be good at anything requires regular practice, so why not practice the principles of happiness? With a humorous approach to the question of how to be happy and issues that can threaten your well-being, along with entertaining cartoons by Sarah Bausinger, Dr. Webb offers forty-three "Happiness Steps" to help you cope with today's challeng...

This book applies the conceptual framework of Douglass C. North, John Joseph Wallis and Barry R. Weingast's Violence and Social Orders (Cambridge University Press, 2009) to nine developing countries. The cases show how political control of economic privileges is used to limit violence and coordinate coalitions of powerful organizations. Rather than castigating politicians and elites as simply corrupt, the case studies illustrate why development is so difficult to achieve in societies where...

Cornwall is quintessentially a maritime region. Almost an island, nowhere in it is further than 25 miles from the sea. Cornwall’s often distinctive history has been moulded by this omnipresent maritime environment, while its strategic position at the western approaches—jutting out into the Atlantic—has given this history a global impact.It is perhaps surprising then, that, despite the central place of the sea in Cornwall’s history, there has not yet been a full maritime history of ...

If money is the root of all evil, why can’t we live without it?Money might have corroded social constructs, corrupted institutions and commercialized human relationships, but still, we go along with it just in case there’s chance – even a small one – that we might be able to get our hands on some of it.Beryl Manier, a wife and mother of two daughters, wins the biggest Lotto pay-out in history. Compelled into a giddying spending spree, Beryl is soon the subj...

Julian Lockhardt, the bombastic, heavy-drinking expat manager of the Samarang Hotel – the most prestigious hotel in Vientiane, Laos, and a gathering place for diplomats and spies – is short on self-awareness, long on self-pity. Society, so he believes, has failed him. He is easily seduced by Asia's many charms, deeply resistant to any broader understanding of its underlying values and confident – smugly so – of the supremacy of Western ‘enlightenment' thinking.Julian's least favour...

"The Girls of Chequertrees" by using Marion St John Webb is a lovely story set in the suitable English nation-state. The plot revolves round a group of adolescent girls living within the picturesque village of Chequertrees. Led by the active Joan, the girls create an unbreakable courting as they negotiate the joys and tribulations of puberty. In this picturesque placing, the ladies pass on a ramification of adventures, such as exploring the neighboring forests and producing theatrical perf...

The story revolves around a magical journey taken by the protagonist, Betty, and her younger brother, Bobby.The Key to the Adventure: The adventure begins when Betty and Bobby discover an enchanted key that grants them access to a magical world. The key's special power is activated when they knock three times on the door of their home, which transports them to the land of the Fairy Folk.The Magical World: In this enchanted realm, the siblings encounter various magical creatures and charact...

When her parents go to India for two years, 9 year old Jenny is cared for by her aunts. Aunt Abby is caretaker in a large many-roomed house, where Jenny meets and hears the stories of many interesting occupants. The owner of the house is remote in both location and character. She visits only occasionally, but what was her story, and how will she react to Jenny's presence?

An English writer of novels and poetry for children.Molly is desperately disappointed when, instead of the longed-for silver bangle, her Aunt Phoebe sends her a small, grey, pumpkin-shaped pincushion for her birthday. But at night, when the full moon shines, the pumpkin turns out to be a magical one. It leads Molly and her twin brother Jack into a strange land and an extraordinary quest which is by turns thrilling, chilling and hair-raising. This eerie tale of high adventure has an...

On a cold, damp January evening a woman sat in the dusk of a fire-lit room gazing through the window. For half an hour she had been sitting there fidgeting impatiently with her hands and feet every few minutes, but never moving from the position she had taken up by the window. Her expectant gaze was centred on the outline of a house that stood on the opposite side of the village green at Barrowfield.

Molly Gresham: The central character, Molly is a spirited and enthusiastic girl who is eager to embrace all aspects of school life.Janet Graham: Molly’s close friend, known for her practicality and leadership qualities. Janet often finds herself in positions of responsibility and is a supportive presence in her friends' lives.Patricia (Pat) Langley: A key character who is known for her intelligence and independence. Pat’s actions and decisions play a significant role in the story’s develop...