David Hancock

Fiona Chandler

John Woodcock

Presents information about the different parts and functions of the human body, with Internet links for further information.

With Internet Links

Little Encyclopedia of the Human Body

Thomas Johnson

Sally Williamson

Michael J. Courts 

Thomas Costa

Miriam Carroll Fenton

Esther Toledo

Mason Calhoun

Owen Starlin

Joshua Akery

J.P. Avila-Tournut

Jeffrey Baldwin-Bott

Amanda Bartine

John Bauckman

Aniruddha Dasgupta

In response to increasing threats to U.S. personnel and facilities at overseas diplomatic posts since 1998, the Department of State (State) has taken a number of steps to enhance its risk management and security efforts. State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security (Diplomatic Security) leads many of these efforts with assistance from other bureaus and U.S. government agencies. Given the ongoing threats and the amount of resources needed to counter them, GAO has identified 11 key issues regarding Diplomatic Security that warrant significant Congressional oversight to monitor the cost, progress, and impact: Diplomatic Security Funding: Diplomatic Security funding has increased considerably in reaction to a number of security incidents overseas and domestically. In fiscal year 2016, total funding for Diplomatic Security operations--which includes its bureau managed funds as well as other funding such as personnel salaries--was almost $4.8 billion. Diplomatic Security Staffing Challenges: Diplomatic Security's workforce--including 3,488 direct-hire, 1,989 other U.S. government, and 45,870 contract personnel--continues to grow. However, potential challenges exist regarding the distribution of domestic and overseas positions, posting fully qualified individuals in the assignments with the greatest needs, and ongoing efforts to fill language-designated positions. Physical Security of U.S. Diplomatic Facilities: Diplomatic Security and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations collaborate to meet safety standards when constructing new embassies and mitigating risks at existing facilities. However, GAO made recommendations to address gaps in State's security related activities and processes. Physical Security of Diplomatic Residences and Other Soft Targets: State has taken steps to address residential security vulnerabilities and manage risks at schools and other soft targets overseas. However, GAO recommended actions to address weaknesses in State's efforts. Security Training Compliance: While State has robust security training requirements, it lacks consistent monitoring and enforcement processes, particularly for its Foreign Affairs Counter Threat training and for security refresher briefings at posts. Embassy Crisis and Evacuation Preparedness: Gaps in State's implementation and monitoring of crisis and evacuation preparedness could endanger staff assigned to overseas posts and the family members accompanying them. GAO has recommended actions to address these issues. Department of Defense (DOD) Support to U.S. Diplomatic Missions: Following the Benghazi attacks, DOD increased its support to U.S. diplomatic missions by creating dedicated military forces to respond to crises and expanding the Marine Security Guard program at overseas missions. However, State and DOD reported that they have experienced some logistical and other challenges. Dissemination of Threat Information: State has processes for communicating threat information to post personnel and U.S. citizens in-country. However, post personnel--including locally employed staff--have not always received important information in a timely manner. GAO has recommended steps State needs to take to address this concern. Countering Human Intelligence Threats: Foreign intelligence entities from host nations and third parties are motivated to collect information on U.S. operations and intentions. State has established measures to counter the human intelligence threat and works with other U.S. government agencies to identify and assess this threat. Ensuring Information Security: GAO has designated federal information security as a government-wide high-risk area and made recommendations to address these issues. State faces evolving threats and challenges to maintaining obsolete technology, defining clear roles and responsibilities for information security, and overseeing technology contractors. Status of Recommendations Made in Reports following the Benghazi Attack: In response to the Benghazi attack, State formed interagency teams to evaluate the security at 19 dangerous posts, convened an Accountability Review Board (ARB) to investigate the attack, and established panels to conduct further assessments. As of June 2017, State reported having addressed recommendations as follows: 268 of 287 made by the interagency teams, 26 of 29 by the ARB, and 64 of 75 by the panels. Terrorist attacks against U.S. diplomats and personnel overseas have led to increased attention of State's diplomatic security efforts. In this special publication, GAO identifies key issues affecting Diplomatic Security for Congressional oversight. These issues were identified from a body of related GAO work and State and other reports. GAO also interviewed U.S. officials from State and other agencies to obtain their views on key issues, obtain updated information and data, and follow up on actions they have taken on past GAO and other oversight report recommendations. What GAO Recommends: While State has taken steps to close recommendations made in past GAO reports, GAO identified 27 open recommendations from these reports (as of August 2017) that it believes should be given high priority for implementation. Of the 27 priority recommendations, 24 were related to diplomatic security.

Diplomatic Security: Key Oversight Issues

This book is about gundogs, those ever-willing companions of both sportsmen and discerning dog owners. Gundogs is not a manual covering training, grooming, nutrition and dog care; it is very much a celebration of the gundog's contribution to the sporting and companion dog scene, an examination of their past, their performance and their prospects in an increasingly urban society. Painstakingly researched, it covers the well-known recognized breeds and the more obscure ones from overseas, some quite unknown to the British public.David Hancock's earlier books have been highly praised, as have his many articles in sporting magazine in the last thirty years. When reviewing one of his previous books, the revered writer on sporting dogs, the late Brian Plummer, described it as a 'masterpiece'. Reviewing his Sporting Terriers, Dogs in Canada magazine stated that it 'has the quality of a classic'. A reviewer of his last book, Sighthounds, stated that 'Hancock's work provokes thinking in the reader the way a good discussion stimulates and refreshes our minds.' A Canadian reviewer of another of his books gave the view that David Hancock is 'perhaps the most important living writer about dogs.' A comprehensive survey of the gundog's origins, its role and its future, Gundogs is essential reading for all those with an interest in these loyal dogs, especially gundog and country sport enthusiasts. Meticiously researched and packed with information it covers the well-known recognized breeds as well as more obscure ones. Superbly illustrated with 360 colour and black & white photographs. David Hancock has studied dogs for over half a century and is a past winner of the Dog Writers Association of America.

Their Past, Their Performance and Their Prospects

Gundogs

This guide contains 28 circular walks across East Sussex, much of which lies inside the new South Downs National Park. Each walk in is accompanied by clear, large-scale Ordnance Survey route maps and GPS waypoints to help you navigate your hike with ease.

New Walks in the South Downs National Park

East Sussex and the South Downs Walks

Hounds is a book for all those who admire the most endearing of sporting dogs, the scenthounds, the enthusiastic canine companions of the sportsmen who are thrilled by seeing a pack of hounds in full cry - watching these exceptional canine athletes exercising their delight in pursuing scent, whether real or artificial. Painstakingly researched and packed with information, this book covers both the well-known recognized breeds and the more obscure ones from overseas, some quite unknown to the British public. This book is not a manual covering training, grooming, nutrition and dog care; it is very much a celebration of the hound's contribution to the sporting and companion dog scene, and an examination of their past, their peformance and their prospects in an increasingly urban society.This is the fourth and final volume of David's quartet on sporting dogs following: Sporting Terriers (2011), Sighthounds (2012) and Gundogs (2013), all published by Crowood.

Hunting by Scent

Hounds

Jean Côté

Adam Leigh Kelly

Jennifer Turnnidge

Birth Advantages and Relative Age Effects: Exploring Organisational Structures in Youth Sport

Rosie Heywood

Packed with fascinating facts and up to 100 things to spot on every spread, helps children to develop reading, counting and identification skills. Ages 4+.

The Great City Search

Examines how the Portuguese Madeira wine trade helped shape transcontinental trade in colonial America, and subsequently changed economic and social structures in American society.

Madeira and the Emergence of American Trade and Taste

Oceans of Wine

This is the fourth and final volume of David's quartet on sporting dogs, following: Sporting Terriers (2011), Sighthounds (2012) and Gundogs (2013), all published by Crowood.

Katie Daynes

Describes different types of castles and what life was like in them, in a book with information hidden beneath the flaps. On board pages.

See Inside Castles

Garry Crawford

This book is an introduction to cosplay as a subculture and community, built around playful spaces and the everyday practices of crafting costumes, identities, and performances. Drawing on new and original ethnographic data, as well as the innovative use of arts-led research, this book adds to our understanding of a popular, global cultural practice. In turn, this pushes forward our understanding of play, fan practices, subcultures, practice-led research, and uses of urban spaces. Cosplay and the Art of Play offers a significant addition to key contemporary debates on the meaning and uses of popular culture in the 21st century, and will be of importance to students and scholars interested in communities, fandom, identity, leisure, participatory cultures, performance, and play.

Exploring Sub-Culture Through Art

Cosplay and the Art of Play

Kent

Stellakis Stylianou

When Stilks was a kid growing up in London, he was so poor that he had to go out hunting pigeons for his family's supper. Now he has risen to become one of the most famous club doorman. This autobiography includes anecdotesnbsp;such as the night he saved Sid Vicious from murder, and how he has been shot with both guns and crossbows. Even Lenny "The Guv'nor" McLean once said that Stilks was always the best man to have behind you in a ruck.

The True Story of the Hardest Bouncer in Britain

Stilks

Tame, Messy and Wicked Risk Leadership introduces the concepts of societal benefit and behavioural risk, and illustrates why project risk has followed a particular path, developing from the basis of engineering, science and mathematics. David Hancock argues for, and offers, complimentary models from the worlds of sociology, philosophy and politics to be added to the risk toolbox, and provides a framework to understand which particular type of problem (tame, messy, wicked and wicked) may confront you and which tools will provide the greatest potential for successful outcomes. Finally he introduces the concept of 'risk leadership' to aid professional in delivering projects in a world of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Tame, Messy and Wicked Risk Leadership

Examines the business and social strategies of the men who developed the British empire in the eighteenth century.

London Merchants and the Integration of the British Atlantic Community, 1735-1785

Citizens of the World

The general perception amongst most project and risk managers that we can somehow control the future is, says David Hancock, one of the most ill-conceived in risk management. The biggest problem is how to measure risks in terms of their potential likelihood, their possible consequences, their correlation and the public's perception of them. The situation is further complicated by identifying different categories of problem types; Tame problems (straight-forward simple linear causal relationships and can be solved by analytical methods), and 'messes' which have high levels of system complexity and have interrelated or interdependent problems needing to be considered holistically. However, when an overriding social theory or social ethic is not shared the project or risk manager also faces 'wickedness'. Wicked problems are characterised by high levels of behavioural complexity, but what confuses real decision-making is that behavioural and dynamic complexities co-exist and interact in what is known as wicked messes. Tame, Messy and Wicked Risk Leadership will help professionals understand the limitations of the present project and risk management techniques. It introduces the concepts of societal benefit and behavioural risk, and illustrates why project risk has followed a particular path, developing from the basis of engineering, science and mathematics. David Hancock argues for, and offers, complimentary models from the worlds of sociology, philosophy and politics to be added to the risk toolbox, and provides a framework to understand which particular type of problem (tame, messy, wicked or messy and wicked) may confront you and which tools will provide the greatest potential for successful outcomes. Finally he introduces the concept of 'risk leadership' to aid the professional in delivering projects in a world of uncertainty and ambiguity. Anyone who has experienced the pain and blame of projects faced with overruns of time or money, dissatisfied stakeholders or basic failure, will welcome this imaginative reframing of some aspects of risk management. This is a book that has implications for the risk management processes, culture, and outcomes, of large and complex projects of all kinds.

David Hancock

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