Other Non Fiction

A former aircraft engineer exposes the dangerous breakdown in airline safety due to lapses in maintenance and quality control. This (read more)

A former aircraft engineer exposes the dangerous breakdown in airline safety due to lapses in maintenance and quality control. This book chronicles maintenance-related accidents caused by individual, corporate, or governmental negligence and brings the industry's current state of affairs into sharp focus. The author, a former aviation engineer, examines how failures of the smallest of parts have brought down airliners, explaining sometimes esoteric mechanical issues for readers with no technical background.

Vividly describing the terror of accidents and close calls, the author then follows the painstaking investigations to determine causes. He focuses on maintenance errors, which rank as one of the top three causes of airline accidents, and points to the factors that have led to an alarming situation-- continued reduction of licensed mechanics, the shutting down of maintenance bases in the United States, and the outsourcing of maintenance to lowballing contractors. Outsourcing has forced thousands of licensed mechanics into retirement or different careers.

Published:19 Jun 2020 (hide)

Discover the extraordinary diversity of the plant world - and how plants work - with this photographic celebration of the trees, (read more)

Discover the extraordinary diversity of the plant world - and how plants work - with this photographic celebration of the trees, flowers, and foliage plants that share our planet. From tiny mosses and delicate ferns to vibrant blooms and stately palms, Flora invites you to explore the plant kingdom from the ground up, and from root to leaf tip. DK's elegant introduction to botany is packed with sumptuous photos and crystal-clear artworks that explain the mechanics of photosynthesis, why leaves change colour, how cacti store water, and how seeds know when to grow.
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The whole world has gone colouring crazy. Once considered the favourite pastime of children, the colouring craze has now extended (read more)

The whole world has gone colouring crazy. Once considered the favourite pastime of children, the colouring craze has now extended to include 'kids of all ages', thanks to its well-known therapeutic properties. This fresh and exciting series of titles, designed especially for grown-ups, is the perfect way to relax after a hard day at work and a creative antidote to staring too long at a computer screen.

Covering a range of distinct and fascinating subject areas these stylish activity books are a brilliant way to bring some creativity and colour into your life...as well as improve your rusty art skills. With more than 125 classic and contemporary designs to put your own unique spin on, this adult activity book is a unique source of flowers and nature themed artwork and the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys getting creative in the great outdoors. (hide)

Brian Mountford has chosen thirty five poems which explore the human experience of suffering and redemption, accompanied by his own (read more)

Brian Mountford has chosen thirty five poems which explore the human experience of suffering and redemption, accompanied by his own thoughtful and witty commentary. The collection contains secular and sacred pieces in equal measure and came into being as part of a programme to bring a sense of seriousness, in a non prescriptive, open-ended way to the Easter holiday crowds in the University Church, Oxford, where the poems were read on Good Friday with dignity and panache by senior school children. (hide)

This book presents professional techniques to bring your furniture back to life. How to dismantle, reassemble, repair, restore, upholster, (read more)

This book presents professional techniques to bring your furniture back to life. How to dismantle, reassemble, repair, restore, upholster, polish, wax and stain antique chairs at home. It includes clear step-by-step instructions for everyday restoration tasks, including upholstering a stuff-over seat, repairing feet and legs, and mending a broken back.

It features a fascinating history, including how chairs from different periods are made, and how to take them apart and put them back together. It includes expert advice on buying, using and caring for tools, equipment and materials. It offers projects that include restoring an 18th-century carved chair, replacing a dog-chewed arm, repairing a top rail, cutting in a tenon joint, and reeding a turned chair leg. (hide)

There was a time when garden designer Cleve West questioned the importance of his role as a garden designer. Two things changed his (read more)

There was a time when garden designer Cleve West questioned the importance of his role as a garden designer. Two things changed his mind: designing a garden for a hospital and adopting a vegan lifestyle. Cleve's transition to veganism was a profound and varied learning experience.

He learned more about nutrition than when he studied it as part of a sports science degree. He learned a great deal about propaganda in the food industry and how, contrary to what he'd been led to believe, the cows and chickens in the dairy industry are far from 'happy'. He learned that animal agriculture is a leading cause of climate change and a whole range of environmental catastrophes. (hide)

Garden Wildlife provides all the essential information you need to identify the wildlife found in your garden, as well as advising (read more)

Garden Wildlife provides all the essential information you need to identify the wildlife found in your garden, as well as advising you on how to make your garden a haven for wildlife and attract an abundance of different insects, birds mammals and more. The book will appeal to the expert and amateur alike. Offering a wealth of information on identifying nearly 400 of the most commonly encountered garden wildlife in Britain and Northern Europe, each species is clearly described with informed and concise text and an easy-to-follow layout for quick identification.

Detailed colour artworks accompany the accessible and engaging text. (hide)

This charming and indispensable reference guide contains specific month-by-month `to do' lists for ornamental gardens, edible crops (read more)

This charming and indispensable reference guide contains specific month-by-month `to do' lists for ornamental gardens, edible crops and general maintenance, as well as tips on everything green-fingered, from protecting your plants from frost, pests and disease to making sure you get a bumper harvest to enjoy year-round. With diary pages for making your own notes each month, this pocket-sized yearbook is a must-have for every season. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this book will become an old and trusted friend. (hide)

Revamp, recycle and rejuvenate your old containers into some stunning feature pieces for your garden. Learn how to become more eco-friendly (read more)

Revamp, recycle and rejuvenate your old containers into some stunning feature pieces for your garden. Learn how to become more eco-friendly and make the most of old mugs, oil cans, plastic bottles and so much more with Gardening with Junk. Delve into gardening with the first section, Getting Started, which is devoted to teaching you the basics and explaining how to choose the right container and the right plant for your space.

It's easy to get carried away by your own enthusiasm but Getting Started will show you how to condense your creative thoughts into gorgeous and cohesive projects. The second section, Planted Junk, will demonstrate how to utilise all sorts of great materials, from ceramics, stone and glass, to wood, wicker, metal and plastic. Learn how to make the most of any container, whether they are beer cans, wicker baskets, quirky ceramics and so much more! The final section, Plant Directory, provides a comprehensive list of flowers and plants so that you can find what best suits you and your newly converted pots! This section also provides useful addresses that will help you on your way to a fabulously upcycled garden.

Published:8 May 2018 (hide)

The GCHQ team's long-awaited second puzzle book - full of both harder and easier brain teasers - is the PERFECT GIFT for anyone who (read more)

The GCHQ team's long-awaited second puzzle book - full of both harder and easier brain teasers - is the PERFECT GIFT for anyone who loves a challenge. 'Fiendishly tricky' Daily Mail With their first bestselling book, The GCHQ Puzzle Book, the UK's intelligence and security experts tested us with puzzles, codes and real-life entrance tests from their archives. Now, they are back with a NEW collection of head-scratching, mind-boggling and brain-bending puzzles that will leave you pondering for hours.
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