The Palm Islands are transforming the coast off Dubai. Two of the three islands are being developed to look like palm trees when viewed from the air. Find out more in Palm Islands, a title in the Structural Wonders of the World series.

In November 2004, Mulrunji Doomadgee's tragic death triggered civil unrest within the Indigenous community of Palm Island. This led to the first prosecution of a Queensland police officer in relation to a death in custody. In Palm Island, Joanne Watson gives the first substantial history of the island from pre-contact to the present.

Describes the formation, characteristics, and properties of different islands from around the world.

"I hear a noise," declared Dot, holding her Alice-doll more firmly and staring all about into the aisles of the chestnut grove. "What kind of noise?" asked Tess, mildly curious. "Where does the sound come from?" demanded Agnes in her abrupt way, but very carefully picking brown chestnuts out of a prickly burr-and with gloves on one may be sure. Catch Agnes Kenway, the "beauty sister," ever doing anything to spoil her hands! "Say! Is this a game? Like 'cum-je-cum'?" grumbled Sammy Pinkney, who did not wear gloves and therefore had already got plenty of "prickers" in his stubbed fingers, although the nutting party had not been in the grove half an hour. "I'll bite. How big is the noise?" "Well," said Dot seriously, and answering Sammy's query first, "it is not a big noise at all. I just manage to hear it. And it's gone now."

The extraordinary palm: diverse and prolific, symbolic and often sacred, essential and exotic (and at times erotic), exploited and controversial. The signature greenery of the tropics and subtropics, these record-breaking plants produce the world’s biggest and heaviest seed, the longest leaf, and the longest stem. In the superbly illustrated, similarly extraordinary Palm, Fred Gray portrays the immense cultural and historical significance of these iconic and controversial plants, unfurling a tale as long and beguiling as their bladed fronds. As Gray shows, palms sustained rainforest communities for thousands of years, contributing to the development of ancient civilizations across the globe. But as palms gained mystical and religious significance, they also became a plant of abstractions and fantasies, a contradictory symbol of leisure and luxury, of escaping civilization and getting closer to nature—and at times to danger and devastation. In the era of industry and empire, the palm and its myriad meanings were exported to far colder climes. Palms were shown off as exceptional performers in iconic greenhouses and used to clothe, romanticize, and glamorize an astonishing diversity of new places far from their natural homelands. And today, as millions of people worldwide consume palm oil daily, the plant remains embedded in consumer society—and mired in environmental controversy.

When Lost’s Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashed, the survivors found themselves on a seemingly deserted island. In Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe spends twenty-eight years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, while in the movie Castaway Tom Hanks survives over four years on a South Pacific island. And Jurassic Park kept its dinosaur population confined to an island off the coast of Central America. Islands often find themselves at the center of imagined worlds, secluded and sometimes mystical locales filled with strange creatures and savage populations. The cannibals, raptors, and smoke monsters that exist on the islands of popular culture aside, the more than one million islands and islets on the planet are indeed small , geological, biological, and cultural laboratories. From Britain to Japan, from the Galapagos to Manhattan, this book roams the planet to provide the first global introduction to these waterlocked landforms. Longtime island dweller Steven Roger Fischer shows that, since time began, islands have been one of the primary birthplaces for plants, animals, and proto-humans. These eyots of stone and sand—whether in ocean, lake, or river—fostered the human race, and Fischer recounts how humanity then exploited these remarkable habitats as stepping stones to global dominion. He explores island economics, warfare, and politics, and he examines the role they have played in literature, art and psychology. At the same time, he sparks our imagination with visions of islands—from Atlantis to Tahiti, Treasure Island to Hawaii. Ultimately, he reveals, these isolated mini-worlds are a measure of humankind itself. An engaging account of the islets that have enriched, lured, terrified, and inspired us, Islands shines new light on these cradles of earth—and human—history.

Iconic Designs is a beautifully designed and illustrated guide to fifty classic 'things' – designs that we find in the city, in our homes and offices, on page and screen, and in our everyday lives. In her introduction, Grace Lees-Maffei explores the idea of iconicity and what makes a design 'iconic', and fifty essays by leading design and cultural critics address the development of each iconic 'thing', its innovative and unique qualities, and its journey to classic status. Subjects range from the late 19th century to the present day, and include the Sydney Opera House, the Post-It Note, Coco Chanel's classic suit, the Sony WalkmanTM, Hello KittyTM, Helvetica, the Ford Model T, Harry Beck's diagrammatic map of the London Underground and the Apple iMac G3. This handsome volume provides a treasure trove of 'stories' that will shed new light on the iconic designs that we use without thinking, aspire to possess, love or hate (or love to hate) and which form part of the fabric of our everyday lives.

From its stark deserts to the glittering city of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (sometimes known simply as UAE) is shown to readers in fascinating detail through this engaging and informative guide. Chapters focused on this small Arabian nation’s history, economy, and environment supplement curriculum concepts, and others present the country’s arts, festivals, and foods—with simple and delicious recipes to enhance the reading experience. The comprehensive main text is paired with sidebars that highlight important people, places, and events in the history of this country. In addition, stunning photographs capture the beauty of this popular international tourist destination.