A composer’s tour of a mysterious chain of islands reveals startling truths in this “brilliant, meditative fantasy” by the multiple award-winning author of The Prestige (Barnes & Noble) Alesandro Sussken is a composer living in Glaund, a fascist state constantly at war with another equally faceless opponent. His brother is sent off to fight; his family is destroyed by grief. Occasionally Alesandro catches glimpses of islands in the far distance from the shore, and they feed into the music he composes. But all knowledge of the other islands is forbidden by the military junta, until he is unexpectedly sent on a cultural tour. And what he discovers on his journey will change his perceptions of his home, his music, and the ways of the islands themselves. Bringing him answers where he could not have foreseen them. A rich and involving tale playing with the lot of the creative mind, the rigors of living under war and the nature of time itself, this is multi award-winning, master storyteller Christopher Priest at his absolute best.

The Uprising at Tiananmen Square may have been crushed politically, but it has had extraordinary consequences in opening up China to new varieties of economic experimentation. Nowhere has this fusion of political repression and economic opportunity been better captured than in Hui Wang's masterful study. And given the world wide and historic importance of China, this volume deserves most careful consideration. Given his unique background as a former assistant director of the China National Economic Reform Institute (CNERI) hi Beijing, and before that, a board member of "The Economic Daily "in the capital city of China, he is able to provide the sort of first hand account that deeply enriches this fundamental treatise on the transformation of the Chinese economy from a centrally planned to a market system. This book should prove to be especially timely as American investors and businessmen are pouring into China for new commercial ventures; while scholars are likewise coming to China in order to obtain information and experience to benefit other struggling formerly socialist economies. Wang makes no claim that present-day China is necessarily a model for the rest of Asia or Eastern Europe, but he does make plain that variations on the theme of a free market and a controlled polity are as much part of "Leftist" as well as "Rightist" regimes. As a result, this book should have appeal quite beyond undergraduate and graduate courses in modern China, and should extend to those political scientists and sociologists who take seriously fundamental themes of development.

School improvement in recent years has largely focused on rapid improvement and quick fixes. Yet, genuine and sustainable school improvement is complex, gradual and incremental. It requires developing a culture and focusing relentlessly on teaching and learning. The Gradual Art of School Improvement is a comprehensive practical guide to school improvement, covering aspects such as improvement planning, staff development, the learning environment, dealing with outside pressures including inspection, curriculum design and the role of leaders at all levels. It includes: Detailed accounts of the steps that can be taken to create a positive learning culture over time Case studies and worked examples, concentrating on the practical aspects of school improvement from the perspective of an experienced and successful head teacher Ready-to-use practitioner resources that readers can adapt and use in their own settings Accessibly written and entertaining, this book is an invaluable resource for leaders at all levels and stages of their career.

This edited volume discusses how the Gradual Release of Responsibility model evolved and has been applied, how it benefits learners and teachers, and how it can be utilised for years to come.

In the light of widespread incomplete understanding and appreciation of the powerful and successful system of Capitalism, Dr. Wood has undertaken the project of clarification of the true concepts of the system that took this United States from its small, impoverished state to become the most powerful nation among the countries of the world. By stark contrast, the failure of Socialism, the competing system of societal thought and organization, nonetheless, still enjoys a large, but unwarranted, support due to extensive educational one-sided indoctrination. It is surprising that so much of the program of the socialist agenda by gradual infiltration has become a part of today's political discourse and law.