Bücher von John Harris

An Anglican clergyman and fellow of the Royal Society, John Harris (c.1666-1719) was an important promulgator of Newtonian science, through private teaching, public lectures and published writing. His Lexicon Technicum (1704) may be considered the first encyclopaedia in English. In the present work, published in 1719, Harris presents for his well-to-do readership a series of didactic conservations between a gentleman of science and an aristocratic lady. He aims to induce 'persons of birth and fortune' to dedicate some of their 'happy leisure ... to the improvement of their minds', and uses quotes from poets such as Samuel Butler and John Dryden to help elucidate scientific concepts. In particular, Harris explains the use of contemporary scientific apparatus (and expensive status symbols) such as terrestrial and celestial globes. The book ends with a description of the ultimate contemporary symbol of scientific refinement: the orrery, a working model of the solar system.

Stirringly told from the view of everyday soldiers, Covenant with Death is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about war ever written. With a new foreword by Louis de Berni res, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.They joined for their country. They fought for each other.When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his Sheffield friends immediately flock to Kitchener's call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men - Fen, his best friend Locky and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves - enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory.Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by on-going friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front.Then, on one summer's day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life.'Laden with knowledge yet sparely written, Covenant with Death is the work of an author immersed in the lives of those who fought'The Times'The last line ought to be carved in stone somewhere . . . Find it. Read it. You'll be a better person for having done so'Peter Hitchens, Daily MailAn anti-war book right up there with Remarque's All Quiet on the Western FrontShortlist (The Greatest War Novels of all Time)'Covenant With Death . . . showed with unbearable actuality what happened to a newly formed Sheffield regiment on the first day of the battle of the Somme'Christopher Hitchens, Guardian'The blood and guts, the nightmare stink of cordite . . . appalling realism'The Times'Only one novel about the war since 1945 has the power and feeling of veracity to compare with the works of the 1920s and 30s . . . Covenant with Death by John Harris'The Western Front Organisation'A superb novel'Daily Mirror'John Harris's neglected masterpiece of a novel, Covenant With Death, is the success that it is because it follows a group of Sheffield workers from their flag-waving sign-up to the hecatomb on the Somme'The Atlantic'True and terrible'Observer'An outstanding achievement'Sunday Express

Decisive biotechnological interventions in the lottery of human life--to enhance our bodies and brains and perhaps irreversibly change our genetic makeup--have been widely rejected as unethical and undesirable, and have often met with extreme hostility. But in Enhancing Evolution, leading bioethicist John Harris dismantles objections to genetic engineering, stem-cell research, designer babies, and cloning to make a forthright, sweeping, and rigorous ethical case for using biotechnology to improve human life. Human enhancement, Harris argues, is a good thing--good morally, good for individuals, good as social policy, and good for a genetic heritage that needs serious improvement. Enhancing Evolution defends biotechnological interventions that could allow us to live longer, healthier, and even happier lives by, for example, providing us with immunity from cancer and HIV/AIDS. But the book advocates far more than therapies designed to free us from sickness and disability. Harris champions the possibility of influencing the very course of evolution to give us increased mental and physical powers--from reasoning, concentration, and memory to strength, stamina, and reaction speed. Indeed, he supports enhancing ourselves in almost any way we desire. And it's not only morally defensible to enhance ourselves, Harris says. In some cases, it's morally obligatory. Whether one looks upon biotechnology with hope, fear, or a little of both, Enhancing Evolution makes a case for it that no one can ignore.

This book presents an investigation of a number of areas of interest in the study of language change, dealing in particular with questions of how patterns of pronunciation vary across both time and space. It will thus be of interest to English language specialists as well as to historical linguists, sociolinguists and phonologists.

This relates the development of medieval drama - both Christian and pagan - to the contemporary society and the Christian Church. It provides an overview of the opinions of modern scholars regarding the content, structure and staging of medieval plays, locating the drama within its social context.

A critical survey of the issues in a controversial field, "The Value of Life" explores the dilemmas in current medical practice and research. Harris argues for a radical reappraisal of our ways of thinking about medical ethics.

This book gives a comprehensive picture of social work in its new guise as a quasi-public enterprise, and is an invaluable resource for social work and social policy students, practice teachers, trainers and managers.