Other books that might interest you

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  Garden Wildlife - Revealing Your...

  Gerard E. Cheshire

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  Garden Wildlife is a book that looks at the habitats in our gardens from the point of view of wild animal and plants.If we understand our gardens in this way, then we can appreciate that different parts of our gardens essentially mimic wild habitats in microcosm. This means that we can provide places for wild animals and plants to flourish in our gardens, whether they happen to be in rural, suburban or urban settings.Above all, we need to get away from the current obsession with tidiness and sterility in our gardens, and allow odd corners to go wild, so that our native species can live alongside us in the modern world.Without wildlife to discover and observe in our gardens, our lives are impoverished, so we have a duty to ourselves and our children to invite nature back into our outside spaces.

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  11 Quick & Easy Quilting Patterns

  Various Contributors

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  Dip your toe—and hands—into projects that showcase your newfound quilting prowess, from totes and table mats to coasters and cushions.   A collection of quick and easy quilting projects including designs by quilters such as Linda Clements (The Quilter’s Bible), Marion Elliot, and Tacha Bruecher of Fat Quarterly. The projects include home decorations, such as hanging hearts, quilted oven gloves, table mats, and cushions. Every project is quick and easy to do, even if you’ve never quilted before. Choose from hand- or machine-quilted projects, and make fabulous gifts for friends and family.

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  A Year Amongst the Persians

  Edward Granville Browne

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  Edward Granville Browne, born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, England, was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value, mainly in the areas of history and literature. His works are respected for their scholarship, uniqueness, and style. He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light. In A Year Amongst the Persians (1893) he wrote a sympathetic portrayal of a Persian society which few Westerners had ever seen, including a frank account of the effects of opium. It did not attract the attention it deserved at the time of its initial publication, but after his death in 1926 it was reprinted and became a classic in English travel literature. A Year Amongst the Persians includes moving accounts of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Concerning his meetings with the Bahá’ís of Iran, Browne writes: “The memory of those assemblies can never fade from my mind; the recollection of those faces and those tones no time can efface. I have gazed with awe on the workings of a mighty Spirit, and I marvel whereunto it tends”.Edward G. Browne referred to Bahá’ís as Bábís, but this was a mistake on his part. Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad-i-Shírází (1819-1850), known as the “Báb”, which is Arabic for “Gate”, proclaimed that He was the Promised One of Islám. He declared His mission in 1844 and was executed by the Persian government in 1850. His followers were known as Bábís. The Báb also proclaimed that He was the Gate, Herald and Forerunner of an even greater Manifestation of God who would come after Him, the Promised One of all religions and Return of Christ in the Glory of the Father. In 1863, Mírzá Husyan-‘Alí-yi-Núrí (1817-1892), known as Bahá’u’lláh (Arabic for “The Glory of God”), proclaimed that He was the Promised One foretold by the Báb. By the time Browne arrived in Iran, most Bábís had already accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the Promised One and were now known as Bahá’ís. A small group of Bábís, led by Mírzá Yahyá Núrí, known as Azal, who was Bahá’u’lláh’s younger half-brother, rejected these claims. Azal is notorious for poisoning his own Brother (i.e. Bahá’u’lláh) as well as trying to assassinate other enemies on numerous occasions. While the Báb had made Azal His nominal successor, this was only until the Promised One were to appear, upon which time Azal’s authority was supposed to cease. Most Bábís realised Azal’s depravity and turned to Bahá’u’lláh, whose character and spirituality were unsurpassed. Browne was sympathetic to Azal’s claims but was also impressed by the spirituality of the Bahá’í community. The followers of Azal (sometimes spelled Ezel) were known as Azalís.While Browne’s sympathetic views on Azal were misguided, he made a great contribution to Bahá’í studies through his translations of historical works and his accounts of the Bahá’í community. Amongst Persians, at a time when nearly the whole nation was highly suspicious of foreigners, and in particular of any British or Russian person due to the political dynamics of that time, Edward Browne was well accepted by the people who knew him and his works. He is well remembered today, and a street named after him in Tehran, as well as his statue, remained even after the Iranian revolution in 1979.(Summary by Nicholas James Bridgewater)

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  Himalaya - Exploring the Roof of...

  John Keay

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  Himalaya is one of the world's most extraordinary geophysical, historical, environmental and social regions. Historian John Keay introduces us to the myriad mysteries of this vast, confounding and utterly fascinating corner of the planet, and makes the case that it is one of our most essential – and endangered – wonders.More rugged and elevated than any other zone on earth, it embraces all of Tibet, six of the world's eight major mountain ranges and nearly all its highest peaks. It contains around 50,000 glaciers and the most extensive permafrost outside the polar regions. Over an area nearly as big as Europe, the population is scattered, often nomadic and always sparse. Many languages are spoken, some are written and few are related.Religious and political affiliations are equally diverse. Borders are disputed, while jealous neighbours shy away from a common strategy for protecting an environment in which desert meets rainforest and temperatures can fluctuate between 30 and -30°C in the course of a single day.For centuries, Himalaya has captivated an illustrious succession of admirers, from explorers, surveyors and sportsmen, to botanists and zoologists, ethnologists and geologists, missionaries and mountaineers.

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  Dogs Unleashed

  Tamsin Pickeral

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  A comprehensive compendium of canine varieties—from purebreds to designer doodles—from the acclaimed author of The Spirit of the Dog.   One glance around the local park will confirm that man’s best friend comes in many varieties. As the first animal domesticated by humans, dogs have been selectively bred for tens of thousands of years to be herders, hunters, guard dogs, and friends. The result is a plethora of breeds that are as different as the pint-sized chihuahua and the massive St. Bernard.   Now there is a guide to each of them. Dogs Unleashed contains all the information required to differentiate breeds of canine. From the standard poodle to the Finnish spitz, readers will become experts of identification. Alongside beautiful photography, discover information on conformation, history, temperament, health risks, and more. This book even contains a section on today’s designer breeds like the labradoodle, the puggle, and the cockapoo. Ideal for researching a new family pet, or for general knowledge, this book reveals which dogs are the most expensive to keep, which are the best swimmers, and which breed has the longest life expectancy.

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  Bonsai - The Complete and...

  Kaito Tanaka

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  If you would like to discover the therapeutic pleasure of growing beautiful, robust and healthy bonsai trees, then this guide is for you 
  Have you ever come across a beautifully maintained bonsai tree and wondered if you could do that? Do you want to learn a wholesome hobby to help you remain grounded and get rid of unnecessary stress and anxiety? 
  If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then keep reading... 
  In this guide, Kaito Tanaka condenses his extensive experience growing bonsai and hands you the complete blueprint to designing, growing and maintaining an attractive bonsai that will surely pique the curiosity of friends and family alike. 
  Here's what you're going to learn in this insightful guide to growing bonsai:8 interesting facts about bonsai plants that will blow you away15 styles of bonsai plants and picking the one that's most suitable for youThe 4 things to consider when choosing a bonsai plant to growWant to grow your bonsai from scratch? This guide will show you how to raise a healthy bonsai tree from their seedsDon't want to bother with seeds? You're going to learn how to select a healthy starter bonsai right away!How to choose the perfect pot for your bonsaiThe complete toolbox list for growing a healthy bonsai plant...and tons more! 
  Whether you're completely new to the world of bonsai, who've fallen in love with these special trees and want to find out how to raise one, or you're a pro looking to expand your repertoire and skillset, this guide will show you everything you need to know about bonsai.

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