Presents, at a level suitable for undergraduates and technical college students, the basic physical theory of mechanics and the molecular structure of matter. The material contained in the work should correspond quite closely to courses of lectures given to undergraduate students of physics in Britain and America.

Does life have meaning? Is it possible for life to be meaningful when the world is filled with suffering and when so much depends merely upon chance? Even if there is meaning, is there enough to justify living? These questions are difficult to resolve. There are times in which we face the mundane, the illogically cruel, and the tragic, which leave us to question the value of our lives. However, Iddo Landau argues, our lives often are, or could be made, meaningful—we've just been setting the bar too high for evaluating what meaning there is. When it comes to meaning in life, Landau explains, we have let perfect become the enemy of the good. We have failed to find life perfectly meaningful, and therefore have failed to see any meaning in our lives. We must attune ourselves to enhancing and appreciating the meaning in our lives, and Landau shows us how to do that. In this warmly written book, rich with examples from the author's life, film, literature, and history, Landau offers new theories and practical advice that awaken us to the meaning already present in our lives and demonstrates how we can enhance it. He confronts prevailing nihilist ideas that undermine our existence, and the questions that dog us no matter what we believe. While exposing the weaknesses of ideas that lead many to despair, he builds a strong case for maintaining more hope. Along the way, he faces provocative questions: Would we choose to live forever if we could? Does death render life meaningless? If we examine it in the context of the immensity of the whole universe, can we consider life meaningful? If we feel empty once we achieve our goals, and the pursuit of these goals is what gives us a sense of meaning, then what can we do? Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World is likely to alter the way you understand your life.

The hilarious and razor-sharp story of how one girl went from geek to patriarchy-smashing criminal mastermind in two short years, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud. * National Book Award finalist * * Printz Honor * Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.

Every morning James Christie puts on a blue rugby shirt and jeans. His wardrobe is full of identical outfits. Every day he eats the same meal and drinks from the same mug. These are not ingrained habits, but survival strategies. For James, coping with new experiences feels like smashing his head through a plate glass window. The only relief comes from belting the heavy bag at the boxing club or watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He's an autistic man lost in a neuro-typical world. Differently wired. Alien. Despite a high IQ, it seems he'll spend the next 20 years cleaning toilets. But then his life takes an amazing turn - from a Glasgow tenement to a rendezvous with a Hollywood star on Sunset Boulevard. On that road trip across America, the man who feels he lacks a soul will find it. Eight time zones and 5,000 miles away, he has a date with the actress who played Drusilla, the kooky vampire who changed his life when he saw her in a Buffy episode. Drusilla has no soul either. And maybe that's the attraction. But Drusilla is fictional. The lady he'll see on Sunset is Juliet Landau. She's real, and that's a very different proposition...

A sweeping, powerful story about a mother's love for her child that will take you through a world war and across a continent... **** On the cusp of World War II, a young mother is faced with an impossible choice. Vera is a Russian Jewish émigré to France, newly wed - but her marriage cannot protect her or her four-year-old-daughter, Lucie, once the Nazis occupy the country. After receiving notice that all foreigners must report to an internment camp, Vera must decide: does she subject Lucie to the horrid conditions of the camp, or put Lucie into hiding with her beloved and trusted governess, safe until Vera can retrieve her? Surely the war will end soon... And so begins a heartbreaking journey and separation . . . and an unpredictable fate for a mother and her daughter. **** Praise for Those Who Are Saved: 'A profound and engaging story... I loved it' Paulette Jiles, author of National Book Award finalist News of the World 'With poetic, mesmerizing prose, Alexis Landau creates a heartrending story of the unbreakable bond of maternal love...This gripping and compassionate novel continues to haunt me' Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, recipient of the National Jewish Book Award 'Those Who Are Saved is an achingly beautiful epic about love's endurance... Alexis Landau is an amazing storyteller and her novel will whisper to you long after you finish' Devin Murphy, author of The Boat Runner 'Those Who Are Saved is a gorgeously written, emotional novel about the unshakable bonds of mothers and daughters, even in the darkest times... An unforgettable story of heartbreak, but ultimately of hope, resilience, and love - I could not put this book down!' Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of In Another Time and Half Life 'A stunning tale of indestructible love, of sacrifice and faith, and of one woman's fierce determination... this gem of a novel has everything that I love in historical fiction, and it is one of the best I've read this year.' Roxanne Veletzos, bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind **** Praise for Alexis Landau's first novel, Empire of the Senses: 'A fresh and moving perspective on a piece of history we thought we already knew.' Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train 'Stunning... Elegantly crafted and psychologically astute.' San Francisco Chronicle 'A sweeping family epic. . . Internal dramas mirror the turbulent cultural landscape of 1920s Germany.' Los Angeles Magazine

A biography of Lev Landau, one of the greatest Soviet theoretical physicists, whose career was cut short by a catastrophic car accident in 1962 and who was still only sixty when he died six years later. He won the Nobel Prize 'for pioneering work on the theory of the condensed state of matter, particularly liquid helium'. But the book shows that Landau's characterisation of himself as 'one of the last of the universal men of theoretical physics' was fully justified. Clearly and concisely it describes his achievements in all areas of theoretical physics from hydrodynamics to the quantum theory of fields. Attention is also paid to his genius as a teacher and mentor of young scientists, and throughout the book the true humanity of the man is evident

With the consolidation of the European Union and the opening of the Channel Tunnel, how can Britain develop a central place in Europe and ensure its future prosperity? Britain on the Edge of Europedescribes Britain's post-war involvement with the continent amd assesses the country's chances of enjoying the benefits of the projected European boom. Analysing the economic and political effects of Britain's edge-location, the author challenges orthodox notions of distance, cost and competitiveness and assumptions about the likely regional impact on Britain. At a time when British expectations of Europe are very much in the balance, Britain on the Edge of Europeputs the country's trade position into perspective.