Oxford University Press

From the mathematics of mazes, to cones with a twist, and the amazing sphericon — and how to make one — Ian Stewart is back with more mathematical stories and puzzles that are as quirky as they are fascinating, and each from the cutting edge of the world of mathematics. We find out about the mathematics of time travel, explore the shape of teardrops (which are not tear-drop shaped, but something much, much more strange!), dance with dodecahedra, and play the game of Hex, amongst many more strange and delightful mathematical diversions.

Antimatter explores a strange mirror world, where particles have identical yet opposite properties to those that make up the familiar matter we encounter everyday; where left becomes right, positive becomes negative; and where, should matter and antimatter meet, the two annihilate in a blinding flash of energy that makes even thermonuclear explosions look feeble by comparison. It is an idea long beloved of science-fiction stories — but here, renowned science writer Frank Close shows that the reality of antimatter is even more fascinating than the fiction itself. We know that once, antimatter and matter existed in perfect counterbalance, and that antimatter then perpetrated a vanishing act on a cosmic scale that remains one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Today, antimatter does not exist normally, at least on Earth, but we know that it is real for scientists are now able to make small pieces of it in particle accelerators, such as that at CERN in Geneva. Looking at the remarkable prediction of antimatter and how it grew from the meeting point of relativity and quantum theory in the early 20th century, at the discovery of the first antiparticles, at cosmic rays, annihilation, antimatter bombs, and antiworlds, Close separates the facts from the fiction about antimatter, and explains how its existence can give us profound clues about the origins and structure of the universe.

A new, easy-to-use illustrated children's thesaurus with thousands of entries, synonyms, clear age-appropriate example sentences and over a thousand colour illustrations. The clear design and colourful word webs with hundreds of topic words make homework and writing easy and fun.

A new, easy-to-use, comprehensive dictionary with over a thousand colour illustrations, clear definitions, no confusing abbreviations, topic words and useful example sentences to show words in context. Includes panels on word origins and words in the same family, and pronunciations for difficult words in a family-friendly format.

A fun first alphabetic picture dictionary to introduce children aged 4 upwards to reading and writing and looking up words. It has over 500 words listed in alphabetical order, each with an illustration and a useful phrase. The alphabet down the side of each page, with the appropriate letter highlighted, teaches first navigation skills. Additional thematic sections at the back focus on themes — including words from the calendar, outer space, fairy tales, plus the everyday world of the classroom and the playground. Val Biro's delightful animals and other characters make this the most attractive introduction to first dictionary skills.

It is Pocket's first Christmas. When he goes out into the snow to play with his brothers and sisters, he discovers a sparkling snow angel. It has been left by some children and their footprints wind away from the snow angel's skirt. Pocket asks the snow angel if she knows the meaning of Christmas but, of course, she does not answer. So Pocket decides that if he follows the footprints, they will surely lead him to discover the meaning of Christmas and he hops off. As Pocket follows the footprints his senses are filled with cheer-seeing his happy brothers and sisters playing on the frozen pond, hearing a little bird's joyful song, smelling the fresh wintry scent in the air, tasting the cold snowflakes on his tongue, feeling soft pine needles under his paws-but it is only when he reaches the children's cottage, and a carrot is placed on the doorstep for him, that he comes to an understanding of the meaning of Christmas. For, in sharing the carrot with a hungry wood mouse, Pocket knows the gift of giving. This is a gentle story that captures the real spirit of Christmas and celebrates those sentiments cherished by readers of all ages, particularly during the festive season.

The extremely popular IB Diploma Course Companion for Chemistry has been thoroughly revised and updated. Still uniquely developed with the IB for the latest (2007) syllabus, all of the features from the first edition have been retained — including the wider aims of the IB through connections to TOK, international-mindedness and the IB learner profile. With material integrated to include international and historical perspectives, students will be encouraged to think critically and make connections to other subjects and to world issues. Data-based question and ideas for practical experiments reinforce learning. Now in colour, more diagrams and photographs have been included to illustrate the concepts discussed and to place the subject in context. The CD material has been designed to enhance the book content. There are interactive multiple choice quizzes for each chapter to allow students to check their comprehension. Full answers to questions in the book are included. Complete details of practicals on core topics which students can perform in a laboratory to extend and consolidate their knowledge of topics.

These exciting new TreeTops Myths and Legends are guaranteed to appeal to all your junior readers — whatever their cultural background, gender or enthusiasms. These are the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of the action, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever. The strand is comprised of 24 books, telling a total of around 65 traditional stories from around the world. All of the stories are fully illustrated with stunning, vibrant images. The stories are carefully levelled, making them accessible to the average 7-11 year old reader. A thought-provoking letter from the author explains something about the background of the stories and the process of writing or retelling them. The letter also encourages the reader to make links between stories in a collection — prompting a fascinating investigation of the similarities and differences between stories that have evolved from different cultures around the world. Free teaching notes with each pack offer suggestions on how to develop higher order comprehension and writing skills. They also provide short introductions to many of the stories and discussion points to promote meaningful speaking and listening, and reflective reading. The stories are ideal for making strong links to other areas of curriculum.

Who were the Druids? What do we know about them? Do they still exist today? The Druids first came into focus in Western Europe — Gaul, Britain, and Ireland — in the second century BC. They are a popular subject; they have been known and discussed for over 2,000 years and few figures flit so elusively through history. They are enigmatic and puzzling, partly because of the lack of knowledge about them has resulted in a wide spectrum of interpretations. Barry Cunliffe takes the reader through the evidence relating to the Druids, trying to decide what can be said and what can't be said about them. He examines why the nature of the druid caste changed quite dramatically over time, and how successive generations have interpreted the phenomenon in very different ways.

A brand new level which turns New English File into a complete six-level series.

A brand new level which turns New English File into a complete six-level series.

The story opens with a familiar Biblical image-of Mary being visited by the angel Gabriel. In Brian Wildsmith's imagining of this scene, Mary is shown with her cherished cat and dog. When Mary and Joseph set out for Bethlehem, her pets are left behind. But the cat and dog miss their mistress and decide to make the journey to find her. Along the way, they stop to help various other animals who join them on the road to Bethlehem. Arriving at the stable, the animals share in the joy of the birth of Jesus. Mary is delighted to be reunited with her pets and be able to present her new baby to them. This appealing story from one of our most internationally acclaimed picture-book writers and artists has deservedly become an enduring favourite with children at Christmas time.

Oxford First French Flashcards are an ideal tool to give young children a head start in learning French in an engaging and interactive way. 50 double-sided cards show an illustration, French word, and English translation. Words include key everyday nouns as well as opposites, numbers and shapes, and transport. Ideal for using across the creative curriculum in school. Instructions for games and activities help reinforce learning in an engaging way. Ideal to use in MFL teaching in the classroom, afterschool clubs, and at home for an early introduction to French, or preparing for a holiday abroad.

'Thus, gentle Reader, I have given thee a faithful History of my Travels for Sixteen Years, and above Seven Months; wherein I have not been so studious of Ornament as of Truth.' In these words Gulliver represents himself as a reliable reporter of the fantastic adventures he has just set down; but how far can we rely on a narrator whose identity is elusive and whoses inventiveness is self-evident? Gulliver's Travels purports to be a travel book, and describes Gulliver's encounters with the inhabitants of four extraordinary places: Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the country of the Houyhnhnms. A consummately skilful blend of fantasy and realism makes Gulliver's Travels by turns hilarious, frightening, and profound. Swift plays tricks on us, and delivers one of the world's most disturbing satires of the human condition. This new edition includes the changing frontispiece portraits of Gulliver that appeared in successive early editions.

Wobble Bear has just learnt to walk on his wibbly, wobbly toes. His crawling days are over and he walks and walks and walks all through the day. Even when he goes to the park, Wobble walks on the see-saw and walks down the slide — it's exhausting just watching him! So it's really no surprise that when bedtime comes Wobble Bear has finally run out of energy and he whispers to Mummy, 'Can't walk, too tired, carry me up to bed.' A very loveable little bear is ready to entertain in this fun-filled rhyming story — perfect for toddlers who have just mastered the art of being mobile and in this board-book format, it's perfect for little hands, too.

This is the reissued Oxford Colour Italian Dictionary. This dictionary is an effective and practical reference tool for students, adult learners, or travellers. It is especially user-friendly, with a clear colour design that makes it easy to find the word you are looking for quickly. It also has usage notes, giving you help with tricky and frequently occurring words, verb lists and grammar notes. The up-to-date centre section helps you build your vocabulary. We have identified the Italian words you most need to know, and they are laid out clearly for you here; these are marked with a handy key symbol in the A-Z text of the dictionary. Also included are word games so that you can practise your dictionary skills and learn vocabulary while having fun. The centre section also contains a calendar of holidays and festivals and an A-Z guide to Italian life and culture — ideal for the traveller and those learning about life in Italy.

This market-leading illustrated dictionary contains 12,500 authoritative entries on all aspects of medical science. Written by a team of medical experts, all entries have been revised and updated for this new edition to reflect the very latest in medical knowledge and practice. Entries are accessible and jargon-free and are complemented by over 140 illustrations and diagrams. This brand new edition includes over 500 new entries and features increased coverage of pharmacology, obstetrics/gynaecology, paediatrics, ethics, nephrology, and psychiatry. Recommended web links are now provided for many entries, which are accessed and kept up to date via the Medical Dictionary companion website, and appendices have been expanded to include tables of paediatric reference ranges, milk formulas, and additional abbrevations for blood tests Selling almost 700,000 copies in previous editions, this is an essential A-Z for students and those working in the medical and allied professions. It is also an invaluable home reference guide for the general reader.

'I made him know his Name should be Friday, which was the Day I saved his Life... I likewise taught him to say Master'. Robinson Crusoe's seafaring adventures are abruptly ended when he is shipwrecked, the solitary survivor on a deserted island. He gradually creates a life for himself, building a house, cultivating the land, and making a companion from the native whose life he saves. Daniel Defoe's enthralling story-telling and imaginatively detailed descriptions have ensured that his fiction masquerading as fact remains one of the most famous stories in English literature. On one level a simple adventure story, the novel also raises profound questions about moral and spiritual values, society, and man's abiding acquisitiveness. This new edition includes a scintillating Introduction and notes that illuminate the historical context.

As a journalist, historian, and novelist born into a family that included two past Presidents, Henry Adams was forever focused on the experiences and expectations unique to America. A prompt bestseller and Pulitzer Prize-winner, The Education of Henry Adams (1918) recounts his own and his country's development from 1838--the year Adams was born--up to 1905, thus incorporating the Civil War, unprecedented capitalist expansion, and the growth of the United States as a world power. Adams considered the nation both a success and a failure, and this paradox was the very impetus that compelled him to set down his Education--in the pages of which he also voiced a deep skepticism about mankind's ability to control the direction of history. Written with immense wit and irony, reassembling the past while glimpsing at the future, this book wholly expresses what Henry James declared the «complex fate» of being an American. Adams's thoroughly documented vision remains one of the most absorbing American autobiographies ever written.

La Reine Margot (1845) is a novel of suspense and drama which recreates the violent world of intrigue, murder and duplicity of the French Renaissance. Dumas fills his canvas with a gallery of unforgettable characters, unremitting action and the engaging generosity of spirit which has made him one of the world's greatest and best-loved story-tellers. This revised edition of the classic translation of 1846 is richly annotated. An introduction sets Dumas and his work in their literary, historical and cultural context.

On the Genealogy of Morals (1887) is a book about interpretation and the history of ethics which raises profoundly disquieting issues about the violence of both. This is the most sustained of Nietzsche's later works and offers one of the fullest expressions of his characteristic concerns. The introduction places his ideas within the cultural context of his own time and stresses the relevance of his work for a contemporary audience.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) has long been one of the best-known and best-loved English poets. The Lyrical Ballads, written with Coleridge, is a landmark in the history of English romantic poetry. His celebration of nature and of the beauty and poetry in the commonplace embody a unified and coherent vision that was profoundly innovative. This volume presents the poems in their order of composition and in their earliest completed state, enabling the reader to trace Wordsworth's poetic development and to share the experience of his contemporaries. It includes a large sample of the finest lyrics, and also longer narratives such as The Ruined Cottage, Home at Grasmere, Peter Bell, and the autobiographical masterpiece, The Prelude (1805). All the major examples of Wordsworth's prose on the subject of poetry are also included.

Sparkling with the witty dialogue between Beatrice and Benedicts, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's most enjoyable and theatrically successful comedies. This edition offers a newly edited text and an exceptionally helpful and critically aware introduction. Paying particular attention to analysis of the play's minor characters, Sheldon P Zitner discusses Shakespeare's transformation of his source material. He rethinks the attitudes to gender relations that underlie the comedy and determine its view of marriage.

This is an entirely new selection of Keats's finest poetry containing all his best known work as well as a sample of less familiar pieces. Keats published three volumes of poetry before his death at age twenty-five of tuberculosis and, while many of his contemporaries were prompt to recognize his greatness, snobbery and political hostility led the Tory press to vilify and patronize him as a «Cockney poet.» Financial anxieties and the loss of those he loved most had tried him persistently, yet he dismissed the concept of life as a vale of tears and substituted the concept of a «vale of Soul-making.» His poetry and his remarkable letters reveal a spirit of questing vitality and profound understanding and his final volume, which contains the great odes and the unfinished Hyperion, attests to an astonishing maturity of power.