Other books that might interest you

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  Gender Rebels

  Anneka Harry

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  Includes audio exclusive bonus material: Suranne Jones, Maya Jama, Gemma Cairney and Anneka Harry discuss their favourite Gender Rebels, feminism, their female role models and how women are missing (or misrepresented) in the history books. 
   
  Meet the unsung sheroes of history: the diverse, defiant and daring (wo)men who changed the rules, and their identities, to get sh*t done. 
   
  You’ll encounter Kit Cavanagh, the swaggering Irish dragoon who was the first woman to be buried in London with full military honours; marauding eighteenth-century pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, who collided on the high seas after swapping their petticoats for pantaloons; Ellen Craft, an escaped slave who masqueraded as a white master to spirit her husband-to-be to freedom; and Billy Tipton, the swinging jazz musician, who led a double life as an adult, taking five wives along the way. Then there are the women who still have to dress like men to live their best lives, like the inspirational football-lovers in Iran, who risk everything to take their place in the stands. 
   
  A call to action for the modern world, this book celebrates the #GenderRebels who paved the way for women everywhere to be soldiers and spies; kings and queens; firefighters, doctors, pilots; and a Swiss Army knife’s-worth more. These superbly spirited (wo)men all had one thing in common: they defied the rules to progress in a man’s world.

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  The Boy Scouts in the Great War

  Craig Armstrong

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  The Boy Scouts Association was just seven years old when war broke out in 1914. With its members brought up with a strong ethos of duty and loyalty, it was no surprise that many wanted to play the best role possible in the nation’s war effort.  Many members were amongst those who rallied to the colors and enlisted in the heady days of the first weeks and months of the war. Some already belonged to either the Reserves or the Territorials and so found themselves immediately thrust into the front lines and casualty rates were high. Several of those who fought were decorated for their service, with a number even wining the Victoria Cross.  On the Home Front, Boy Scouts served as messengers, printers, dispatch riders etc. in the War Office and other government offices, both locally and nationally. Scouts helped gather in the harvest, hunted for spies, aided the civil and military authorities, maintained watch during air raids, helped various wartime charities and sold old bottles to raise funds for recreational huts and ambulances for the front. Others found themselves mounting guard on the coasts and on vulnerable points such as the railway network, or aiding recruitment efforts across the country. The Boy Scout became a trusted and common sight on the streets of the country and the contribution they made was great indeed.

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  Animal Minds - Beyond Cognition...

  Donald R. Griffin

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  In Animal Minds, Donald R. Griffin takes us on a guided tour of the recent explosion of scientific research on animal mentality. Are animals consciously aware of anything, or are they merely living machines, incapable of conscious thoughts or emotional feelings? How can we tell? Such questions have long fascinated Griffin, who has been a pioneer at the forefront of research in animal cognition for decades, and is recognized as one of the leading behavioral ecologists of the twentieth century. With this new edition of his classic book, which he has completely revised and updated, Griffin moves beyond considerations of animal cognition to argue that scientists can and should investigate questions of animal consciousness. Using examples from studies of species ranging from chimpanzees and dolphins to birds and honeybees, he demonstrates how communication among animals can serve as a "window" into what animals think and feel, just as human speech and nonverbal communication tell us most of what we know about the thoughts and feelings of other people. Even when they don't communicate about it, animals respond with sometimes surprising versatility to new situations for which neither their genes nor their previous experiences have prepared them, and Griffin discusses what these behaviors can tell us about animal minds. He also reviews the latest research in cognitive neuroscience, which has revealed startling similarities in the neural mechanisms underlying brain functioning in both humans and other animals. Finally, in four chapters greatly expanded for this edition, Griffin considers the latest scientific research on animal consciousness, pro and con, and explores its profound philosophical and ethical implications.

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  Voices of the Gothic Sub-Culture

  Sorrel Smith, Justin "Sully"...

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  The "fin-de-siecle" phenomenon that arises at the end of each century is expressing itself in the "Gothic" sub-culture. Teenagers dress in black or in torn lace, wearing ghoulish make-up or face paint, as reminders of death and decline. Rather than making them morbid or depressed, however, they say this helps them live more joyfully and creatively.

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  Diogenes - The Cynic Who Lived...

  Hector Davidson

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  Diogenes of Sinope, one of the most famous figures in ancient philosophy, is a man whose life and ideas have left an indelible mark on the world. Known for his eccentric behavior and unwavering commitment to a life of simplicity, Diogenes was one of the founders of the philosophical school of Cynicism. His life was a statement, rejecting the norms and conventions of society in pursuit of a personal freedom that few could fully understand, much less emulate. To this day, his legacy remains a profound reminder of the power of nonconformity and the pursuit of virtue above material wealth. 
  Born in Sinope (modern-day Sinop, Turkey), Diogenes was a figure who viewed the world with a unique lens. He rejected the luxuries and complexities of Athenian society, seeking instead a life of self-sufficiency, minimalism, and authenticity. His choice to live in a barrel, or more accurately, a large ceramic jar, in Athens became a symbol of his commitment to simplicity and his disdain for materialism. Diogenes wasn’t just a philosopher; he was a living critique of the social structures around him. His constant questioning of authority, wealth, and societal expectations created a lasting legacy that went beyond words and doctrines. 
  The Cynic philosophy that Diogenes embodied was radical for its time. It was a philosophy that urged individuals to cast off the superficial trappings of society—wealth, fame, and social standing—and instead focus on living virtuously and naturally. Diogenes practiced what he preached, often engaging in acts that were both shocking and humorous, yet deeply philosophical. His public antics, such as walking around Athens in broad daylight with a lantern claiming to be "looking for an honest man," were not mere provocations but expressions of a profound philosophical stance against the moral decay he saw in society.

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  Hudson River Steamboat...

  J. Thomas Allison

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  Beginning in the mid-1800s, steamboats carried people between New York City and the Albany area on the Hudson River. Romantic images lull us into believing it was a quiet means of travel, but a crowded river, faulty equipment and the bravado of the captains resulted in at least one major catastrophe every year. Night boats collided and sank, carelessness caused boiler explosions, races put passengers at risk and fires would quickly swallow the wooden vessels. The grand "Empire of Troy "suffered many collisions. The "Swallow" broke in two on a rock, "Reindeer"'s explosion took forty lives at once and the "Oregon" and "C. Vanderbilt" entered into an epic and dangerous race. Collected from eyewitness accounts, these are some of the most exciting and frightening stories of peril aboard steamboats on the Hudson River.

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