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Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us About Sex, Diet, And How We Live
by Marlene Zuk“With…evidence from recent genetic and anthropological research, [Zuk] offers a dose of paleoreality.” —Erin Wayman, Science News We evolved to eat berries rather than bagels, to live in mud huts rather than condos, to sprint barefoot rather than play football—or did we? Are our bodies and brains truly at odds with modern life? Although it may seem as though we have barely had time to shed our hunter-gatherer legacy, biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that the story is not so simple. Popular theories about how our ancestors lived—and why we should emulate them—are often based on speculation, not scientific evidence. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and brilliant, eye-opening research, Zuk takes us to the cutting edge of biology to show that evolution can work much faster than was previously realized, meaning that we are not biologically the same as our caveman ancestors. Contrary to what the glossy magazines would have us believe, we do not enjoy potato chips because they crunch just like the insects our forebears snacked on. And women don’t go into shoe-shopping frenzies because their prehistoric foremothers gathered resources for their clans. As Zuk compellingly argues, such beliefs incorrectly assume that we’re stuck—finished evolving—and have been for tens of thousands of years. She draws on fascinating evidence that examines everything from adults’ ability to drink milk to the texture of our ear wax to show that we’ve actually never stopped evolving. Our nostalgic visions of an ideal evolutionary past in which we ate, lived, and reproduced as we were “meant to” fail to recognize that we were never perfectly suited to our environment. Evolution is about change, and every organism is full of trade-offs. From debunking the caveman diet to unraveling gender stereotypes, Zuk delivers an engrossing analysis of widespread paleofantasies and the scientific evidence that undermines them, all the while broadening our understanding of our origins and what they can really tell us about our present and our future.
The Planter of Modern Life: Louis Bromfield And The Seeds Of A Food Revolution
by Stephen HeymanWinner of the 2021 IACP Award for Literary or Historical Food Writing Longlisted for the 2021 Plutarch Award How a leading writer of the Lost Generation became America’s most famous farmer and inspired the organic food movement. Louis Bromfield was a World War I ambulance driver, a Paris expat, and a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist as famous in the 1920s as Hemingway or Fitzgerald. But he cashed in his literary success to finance a wild agrarian dream in his native Ohio. The ideas he planted at his utopian experimental farm, Malabar, would inspire America’s first generation of organic farmers and popularize the tenets of environmentalism years before Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. A lanky Midwestern farm boy dressed up like a Left Bank bohemian, Bromfield stood out in literary Paris for his lavish hospitality and his green thumb. He built a magnificent garden outside the city where he entertained aristocrats, movie stars, flower breeders, and writers of all stripes. Gertrude Stein enjoyed his food, Edith Wharton admired his roses, Ernest Hemingway boiled with jealousy over his critical acclaim. Millions savored his novels, which were turned into Broadway plays and Hollywood blockbusters, yet Bromfield’s greatest passion was the soil. In 1938, Bromfield returned to Ohio to transform 600 badly eroded acres into a thriving cooperative farm, which became a mecca for agricultural pioneers and a country retreat for celebrities like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (who were married there in 1945). This sweeping biography unearths a lost icon of American culture, a fascinating, hilarious and unclassifiable character who—between writing and plowing—also dabbled in global politics and high society. Through it all, he fought for an agriculture that would enrich the soil and protect the planet. While Bromfield’s name has faded into obscurity, his mission seems more critical today than ever before.
Buzzed: The Straight Facts About The Most Used And Abused Drugs From Alcohol To Ecstasy, Fifth Edition
by Cynthia Kuhn Scott Swartzwelder Wilkie WilsonThe essential source for understanding how drugs affect the body and behavior. Fully updated, this matter-of-fact handbook includes the most recent discoveries about drug use, including new information on electronic smoking devices, abuse of prescription stimulants, and the opioid crisis. “Lively, highly informative, unbiased, [and] thorough” (Addiction Research & Theory), Buzzed surveys drugs from caffeine to heroin to reveal how these drugs affect the body, the different “highs” they produce, and the circumstances in which they can be deadly. Neither a “Just Say No” treatise nor a “How to” manual, Buzzed is based on the conviction that people make better decisions with accurate information at hand.
The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
by Natalie Wexler Judith C. HochmanLead a writing revolution in your classroom with the proven Hochman Method Building on the success of the original best-seller, this new edition of The Writing Revolution adds valuable guidance for teachers seeking a way to bring their students' writing ability up to rigorous state standards. As thousands of educators have already discovered, The Writing Revolution provides the road map they need, clearly explaining how to incorporate the Hochman Method into their instruction, no matter what subject or grade they're teaching and regardless of the ability level of their students. The new edition provides a reorganized sequence of activities and even more student-facing examples, making it easier than ever to bring the method to your classroom. The Writing Revolution isn't a separate curriculum or program teachers need to juggle. Rather, it is a method providing strategies and activities that teachers can adapt to their preexisting curriculum and weave into their content instruction. By focusing on specific techniques that match their students' needs and providing them with targeted feedback, The Writing Revolution can turn weak writers into strong and confident communicators. In addition, the method can: Identify misconceptions and gaps in knowledge Boost reading comprehension and learning Improve organizational skills Enrich oral language Develop analytical abilities The Writing Revolution takes the mystery out of teaching students to write well.
All the News That’s Fit to Click: How Metrics Are Transforming the Work of Journalists
by Caitlin PetreFrom the New York Times to Gawker, a behind-the-scenes look at how performance analytics are transforming journalism today—and how they might remake other professions tomorrowJournalists today are inundated with data about which stories attract the most clicks, likes, comments, and shares. These metrics influence what stories are written, how news is promoted, and even which journalists get hired and fired. Do metrics make journalists more accountable to the public? Or are these data tools the contemporary equivalent of a stopwatch wielded by a factory boss, worsening newsroom working conditions and journalism quality? In All the News That's Fit to Click, Caitlin Petre takes readers behind the scenes at the New York Times, Gawker, and the prominent news analytics company Chartbeat to explore how performance metrics are transforming the work of journalism.Petre describes how digital metrics are a powerful but insidious new form of managerial surveillance and discipline. Real-time analytics tools are designed to win the trust and loyalty of wary journalists by mimicking key features of addictive games, including immersive displays, instant feedback, and constantly updated “scores” and rankings. Many journalists get hooked on metrics—and pressure themselves to work ever harder to boost their numbers.Yet this is not a simple story of managerial domination. Contrary to the typical perception of metrics as inevitably disempowering, Petre shows how some journalists leverage metrics to their advantage, using them to advocate for their professional worth and autonomy.An eye-opening account of data-driven journalism, All the News That's Fit to Click is also an important preview of how the metrics revolution may transform other professions.
Dystopien in Serie
by Marcus Stiglegger Christian Hißnauer Thomas Klein Lioba SchlösserSerielle Dystopien sind omnipräsent; sei es in der Literatur, im Spielfilm, der Fernseh- bzw. Streamingserie oder auch im Videogame. Das Buch verbindet ein wesentliches Erzählverfahren (die Serie) mit gerade kontrovers diskutierten Themen (u.a. Diversity, Covid 19) und dem Genre ihrer medialen Verhandlung. Die Serialität dystopischer Erzählungen ist ein transmediales Phänomen. Der Band geht der Frage nach, wie sich negative Zukunftsvorstellungen, aber auch kontrafaktische Vergangenheitsentwürfe medienspezifisch darstellen, wie sie darüber hinaus im Zuge der Medienkonvergenz größere Erzähluniversen herausbilden. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei vor allem Überlegungen, ob sich die serielle Form in besonderer Weise dafür eignet, von dystopischen Gesellschaftsvisionen zu erzählen.
Ubiquitous Networking: 9th International Symposium, UNet 2023, Clermont-Ferrand, France, November 1–3, 2023, Revised Selected Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14757)
by Essaid Sabir Oussama Habachi Halima Elbiaze Gerard ChalhoubThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Ubiquitous Networking, UNet 2023, held in Clermont-Ferrand, France, during November 01–03, 2023. The 14 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 28 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: artificial intelligence-driven communications; data engineering, cyber security and pervasive services; tactile internet and internet of things; ubiquitous communication technologies and networking.
Building Your Academic Research Digital Identity: A Step-Wise Guide to Cultivating Your Academic Research Career Online
by Margaret Rush Dreker Kyle James DowneyThe purpose of this timely and stimulating book is to thoroughly prepare students, early researchers, and career scholars in establishing their digital identity online. Broadly defined, digital identity is one’s online history – that is, it is any trail a person has left in his or her life that is now online. In academics, the issue is of digital presence is of utmost importance, as a digital identity frames one’s professional reputation, doing so by promoting and defining a person’s knowledge and research in their respective field. Written by an accomplished interdisciplinary team of scholars in library science and related fields, this unique guide addresses the development of professional identity as a continuous, dynamic process that is constantly evolving, generally starting from university study and moving through one’s professional work life. It goes without saying that building your digital identity as a researcher can be an effective way to publicize your work among your peers, but, the authors emphasize, this activity must be done carefully and skillfully. Indeed, developing these skills can forge a path to professional advancement in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Moreover, a well-designed digital presence can help build networks which can lead to collaborations, increased research, and grants. In addition, having a well-managed digital identity helps an academic engage with the public by strategically disseminating one’s knowledge to students, public, and the media. Importantly, it can also help prevent misinformation. Whether readers are new in the field of research and publishing, or have a well-established portfolio of written literature, this handy title will provide vital guidance in establishing a digital presence, covering a wide range of issues. Key topics discussed, for example, include academic digital platforms and tools to consider when using them, working with academic librarians, social media platforms, choosing digital identity management tools like Open Researcher and Contributor ID or ORCID, the importance of author metrics and the h-index, and maintaining and curating a professional website, to name just several areas discussed. An invaluable contribution to the career literature, Building Your Academic Research Digital Identity will enable readers to strategically understand all the tools, platforms, and metrics needed to establish and cultivate one’s crucially important digital profile.
A Natural History of the Emirates
by John A. BurtFor many people, thoughts of the United Arab Emirates conjure images of ultramodern skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes. However, the Emirates are a rich mosaic of ecosystems and habitats that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms, and there is growing awareness of the importance of these previously underappreciated natural assets. A Natural History of the Emirates provides a comprehensive overview of the unusual environmental setting of this young nation, and surveys the major ecosystems and the marine and terrestrial organisms occurring across the nation. From freshwater streams in the hyperarid Hajar Mountains to the world’s most temperature-tolerant coral reefs, the UAE is home to an astounding variety of uniquely adapted organisms that are providing insights into climate change and how organisms cope with and respond to extreme environmental conditions. The book closes with a section on human interactions with this unique environment, and proposes initiatives to ensure the protection of these unique natural assets into the future. This is an open access book.
Academic Research in Business and the Social Sciences: A Guidebook for Early Career Researchers
by George P. MoschisThis book provides doctoral students, junior faculty and early-career researchers with guidelines, resources and strategies for performing and publishing academic research successfully. It helps increase the productivity of researchers by showing efficient and effective ways to increase research output and publication probability, ranging from manuscript preparation and positioning to working with co-authors and journal reviewers. The author uses research findings, anecdotal evidence and illustrations from his academic career to support his views on strategies and tactics that are required of scholars in order to succeed.
Innovation and Technologies for the Digital Transformation of Education: European and Latin American Perspectives (Lecture Notes in Educational Technology)
by Francisco José García-Peñalvo María Luisa Sein-Echaluce Ángel Fidalgo-BlancoThis book provides a critical overview of the current use of learning technologies for educational innovation and examines global trends in educational innovation. It also shares experiences in educational innovation with learning technologies in Europe and Latin America. Despite increasing concerns about the use of technology in education, this book discusses how these can be addressed by focusing on fundamental principles such as personalization, collaboration, engagement, accessibility, and professional development.
3 Degrees More: The Impending Hot Season and How Nature Can Help Us Prevent It
by Klaus WiegandtThis open access book describes in detail what life on this planet would be like if its average surface temperature were to rise 3 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial level. On this basis, the book argues that it is imperative to keep this temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. It then lays out a detailed plan of what politically feasible, cost-effective measures should now be taken to achieve this goal. In this context, the book provides detailed discussions of climate finance, climate education and nature-based solutions. The book has been translated into English from the original German version published in 2022, and contains an original foreword and preface.
Analyse der 7. MaRisk-Novelle zum Umgang mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken: Schlussfolgerungen für mittelständische Banken im Licht der EZB-Anforderungen zur vollständigen E(SG)-Umsetzung (Business, Economics, and Law)
by Thomas BöhmDie Europäische Zentralbank stellte in ihrer Mitteilung vom 02. November 2022 klar, dass alle Banken die regulatorischen Anforderungen zum Umgang mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken bis spätestens Ende 2024 vollständig erfüllen müssen. Mit der 7. Novelle hat die Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) ESG-Risiken in ihre Mindestanforderungen an das Risikomanagement (MaRisk) der Banken übernommen. In diesem Werk werden die aufsichtlichen ESG-Erwartungshaltungen von EZB, EBA und BaFin dargelegt und miteinander verglichen. Die Arbeit zeigt Ansätze auf, wie mittelständische Institute angemessen mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken in der Banksteuerung umgehen können. Dabei wird deutlich, dass in einer konsequenten institutsspezifischen Umsetzung, neben der Reduzierung möglicher Risiken, auch viele Chancen in Form neuer Geschäftsfelder, gesteigerter Ertragschancen und Imagegewinn liegen.
Dynamical Behaviors of Fractional-Order Complex Dynamical Networks
by Jin-Liang WangThis book benefits researchers, engineers, and graduate students in the field of fractional-order complex dynamical networks. Recently, the dynamical behaviors (e.g., passivity, finite-time passivity, synchronization, and finite-time synchronization, etc.) for fractional-order complex networks (FOCNs) have attracted considerable research attention in a wide range of fields, and a variety of valuable results have been reported. In particular, passivity has been extensively used to address the synchronization of FOCNs.
Global Majority Leadership: The Experience and Practice
by Lace M. JacksonThis book explores the challenges that individuals of African, Caribbean, Asian and South-East Asian descent (Global Majority leaders) living in the UK may face in attaining, practising, and experiencing leadership within organisations. By drawing firstly on critical race theory, the author shines a light on the underlying contextual and power structures of societies like the UK, in which these individuals' leadership and identity construction is shaped, experienced, and practised. Secondly, the author uses a qualitative research strategy to uncover the dominant genres and occluded themes hidden within the narratives of Global Majority leaders as they illuminate the fine-grained detail of their lived experience with and in leadership. With these two lenses, the book allows us to understand and theorise how, through the shaping and influencing of meaning, Global Majority leaders continue to develop and practice leadership, which has implications for theory, policy and practice. Contributing to critical leadership and organisational studies, as well as the UN Sustainable Goals that relate to reducing inequality, decent work and economic growth, and promoting inclusive and accountable institutions, this book is a valuable resource that can influence leadership practice, diversity, equality and inclusion strategies within contested spaces.
Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: A life course approach
by Eric A.P. Steegers Carina G.J.M. Hilders Vincent W.V. Jaddoe Sam Schoenmakers Christianne J.M. de Groot Annemieke Hoek Ronald P. ZweemerIn this textbook the life course approach to women's health is applied to the clinical practice of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Life is considered a continuum ‘from the cradle to the grave’, where each life stage affects the individual's health and wellbeing and that of future generations. This approach in obstetric and gynaecological patient care provides a path towards healthy ageing, with specific attention for lifestyle, prevention and social context. By managing not only disease, but also the health of the population, women's healthcare providers will deliver future care in a much more multidisciplinary fashion. In this second edition of Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: A life course approach all texts have been updated and new chapters have been added on transgender care, multiple pregnancy, clinical placenta disorders, endometriosis and obstetric emergencies by an outstanding team of authors. The illustrative material has also been expanded including new introductory infographics to each life stage part of the book and new 3D video animations in the e-book version. The textbook should serve as a reference not only for medical and midwifery students but also for gynaecologists in training and other clinicians who have the privilege of caring for women and their families, from the earliest moments in life onwards.
Risk-Based Project Decisions in Situations of High Complexity and Deep Uncertainty
by Yuri G. RayduginThis book integrates for readers three areas of knowledge, pertaining to risk-based project decision making: project risk management (PRM), complexity theory, and decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU). Readers will appreciate that in practice, too often relevant complexity and uncertainty factors are either ignored or overlooked resulting in epic project failures. The author discusses a variety of methodologies and a decision-tree-type framework to determine why, when and how particular methodologies should be applied to ensure project success. These include nonlinear Monte Carlo techniques, a dynamic adaptive methodology to adapt to external environment changes, game theory for devising robust decision-making criteria, systems dynamics and cost escalation modelling, as well as risk-based & economic-based alternatives selection methodologies. This book will be an eye-opener for many PRM practitioners, helping to increase their chances of project success by properly handling inescapable project-complexity and deep-uncertainty implications in specific contexts.
Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf: A Global Review
by Amanda M. Evans Joseph C. Flatman Nicholas C. FlemmingThe chapters in this edited volume present multi-disciplinary case studies of prehistoric archaeological sites located on now-submerged portions of the continental shelf. Each chapter represents an extension of the known prehistoric record beyond the modern shoreline. Case studies represent central themes of landscape change, climate change and societal development, using new technologies for mapping, monitoring and managing these sites.
Biochemie und Molekularbiologie: Eine Einführung in 40 Lerneinheiten
by Philipp Christen Rolf Jaussi Roger BenoitDiese Einführung in die Biochemie und Molekularbiologie ist für alle geschrieben, die sich für die molekularen Aspekte der Lebensvorgänge interessieren, insbesondere für Studierende der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften, denen die Biochemie als Grundlagenwissenschaft dient. Die 40 kurzen Kapitel können weitgehend unabhängig voneinander benutzt werden. Mit seinem hohen Bildanteil setzt das Buch auf visuelles Lernen. Über eine das Buch ergänzende Website erhalten Sie Zugang zur ausführlichen, kommentierten Linksammlung, die u.a. Bildmaterial, Animationen, Datenbanken sowie Merksätze und Kontrollfragen für jedes einzelne Kapitel enthält. Für die Neuauflage haben die Autoren den Text überarbeitet und aktualisiert; im Methodenteil ist die Beschreibung der bildgebenden Verfahren ausgebaut worden.
Sustainability Stories: The Power of Narratives to Understand Global Challenges
by Brigitte Bernard-Rau"Sustainability Stories" is an impactful book that offers a global perspective on the grand theme of sustainability. Through the lens of practitioners deeply committed to this cause, the book amplifies sometimes unheard voices, inspiring readers from diverse backgrounds to embrace environmental, social, and financial responsibilities. Each contributor, whether an entrepreneur, professor, lawyer, artist, or sustainability expert, acts as a visionary communicator, forging connections and leading by example. Featuring over 30 narratives from countries such as France, Germany, India, Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, "Sustainability Stories" is sure to engage an international audience. Through its pages, this book spreads optimism, determination, and a desire for positive societal change. It empowers readers of all ages and educational backgrounds to join the movement toward a sustainable future. By sharing unique insights and experiences, "Sustainability Stories" serves as a catalyst, inspiring individuals to take action and make a difference in their professional practices, communities and lives.
Write Every Day Speculative Fiction Edition: A Year Of Daily Writing Prompts
by J. M. SnyderThe next installment of J.M. Snyder's popular Write Every Day series focuses on speculative fiction. There are many subgenres -- paranormal, dystopian, space opera, splatterpunk, alternate history, magic realism, high fantasy ... the list goes on. Anything fantastical or futuristic qualifies as spec fic, too. Whether you’re already writing speculative stories or you’re looking to get into them, this is the book for you!This collection of 366 writing prompts can be used daily throughout the year (leap years, too!) as a starting point to get you writing ... and keep you writing. Each day of the year has its own, unique prompt. Set a timer for fifteen or twenty minutes, and write wherever the prompt takes you. Or, if you’re between stories and looking for something different to work on, flip to the prompt for today (or any random page) and start fresh.This book will kick-start your writing or take you in exciting new directions every day of the year!
Adaptive On- and Off-Earth Environments (Springer Series in Adaptive Environments)
by Henriette Bier Angelo Cervone Advenit MakayaThis volume investigates the challenges and opportunities for designing, manufacturing and operating off-Earth infrastructures in order to establish adaptive human habitats. The adaptive aspects are considered with respect to the development of adequate infrastructures designed to support human activities. Given the limitations in bringing materials from Earth, utilisation of in-situ resources is crucial for establishing and maintaining these infrastructures.Adaptive on-and off-Earth Environments focuses, among other aspects, on the design, production, and operation processes required to build and maintain such off-Earth infrastructures, while heavily relying on In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU). Such design, production, and operation processes integrate cyber-physical approaches developed and tested on Earth. The challenge is to adapt on-Earth approaches to off-Earth applications aiming at technology advancement and ultimately transfer from on- to off-Earth research. Thischallenge is addressed with contributions from various disciplines ranging from power generation to architecture, construction, and materials engineering involving ISRU for manufacturing processes. All chapters, related to these disciplines, are structured with an emphasis on computing and adaptivity of on-Earth technology to off-Earth applications and vice versa to serve society at large.
Wandering Stars: A novel
by Tommy OrangeNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR FOR 2024 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • The Pulitzer Prize-finalist and author of the breakout bestseller There There ("Pure soaring beauty."The New York Times Book Review) delivers a masterful follow-up to his already classic first novel. Extending his constellation of narratives into the past and future, Tommy Orange traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through three generations of a family in a story that is by turns shattering and wondrous."For the sake of knowing, of understanding, Wandering Stars blew my heart into a thousand pieces and put it all back together again. This is a masterwork that will not be forgotten, a masterwork that will forever be part of you.&” —Morgan Talty, bestselling author of Night of the Living RezColorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion prison castle,where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture, and identity. A generation later, Star&’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father&’s jailer. Under Pratt&’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines.In a novel that is by turns shattering and wondrous, Tommy Orange has conjured the ancestors of the family readers first fell in love with in There There—warriors, drunks, outlaws, addicts—asking what it means to bethe children and grandchildren of massacre. Wandering Stars is a novel about epigenetic and generational trauma that has the force and vision of a modern epic, an exceptionally powerful new book from one of the most exciting writers at work today and soaring confirmation of Tommy Orange&’s monumental gifts.
A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel (Vintage International)
by Haruki MurakamiA New York Times bestselling author—and &“a mythmaker for the millennium, a wiseacre wiseman&” (New York Times Book Review)—delivers a surreal and elaborate quest that takes readers from Tokyo to the remote mountains of northern Japan, where the unnamed protagonist has a surprising confrontation with his demons. An advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend and casually appropriates the image for an advertisement. What he doesn&’t realize is that included in the scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences.
The Sweet Remnants of Summer: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (14) (Isabel Dalhousie Series #14)
by Alexander McCall SmithThe latest Isabel Dalhousie novel finds our favorite moral philosopher is caught up in a delicate dispute between members of a prominent family as her husband, Jamie, is dragged into his own internecine rivalry.When Isabel is invited to serve on the advisory committee of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, her husband, Jamie, expresses concern about the demands on her time. Never one to duck an obligation, however, Isabel says she&’d be happy to join. There she meets a woman named Laura, whose husband—a prominent wine merchant from an illustrious family—and son are at odds. Laura asks whether Isabel might arbitrate between them. Isabel is reluctant to intervene in a familial drama but, always one for practical and courteous solutions to theoretical problems, she feels obligated to help. Will the demands on her moral attention never cease? Meanwhile, having criticized Isabel for getting involved in the affairs of others, Jamie does precisely that himself. He&’s helping to select a new cellist for his ensemble but suspects that the conductor&’s attention may be focused on something other than his favored candidate&’s cello skills. Jamie feels it&’s important that the most qualified applicant gets the job—but how to determine whether the conductor has the right qualifications in mind? With so many complicated and fraught issues demanding their attention, Isabel and Jamie will have to tap deep into their reserves of tact and goodwill as they navigate the tricky and turbulent waters of these emotional matters.