Ian Robertson

Originally published in 1981 and revised in 1983, Controlled Drinking was the first scholarly review of the literature on a controversial but increasingly practiced approach to the treatment of alcoholism. Nick Heather and Ian Robertson analyse all the pertinent questions that controlled drinking raises, starting with the need to examine the ‘disease conception’ of alcoholism and ‘total abstinence’ treatment. They look at the evidence indicating that some people, previously diagnosed as alcoholics, are able to return to normal, controlled patterns of drinking, and discuss therapies where controlled drinking is the treatment goal, fully reviewing the evidence for their success and failure. Concluding with a discussion of the theoretical and policy implications of controlled drinking, the authors recommend that the disease view of alcoholism be finally abandoned. For the revised paperback edition, as well as correcting and updating the text and references, the authors included an important postscript on the charges of falsification of evidence and their subsequent refutation which made up the Sobell affair. The wealth of other material presented in Controlled Drinking supports the authors’ conclusions even if the Sobells’ work were ignored. However, this revised edition was made more useful for student and professional readers by the postscript’s discussion of the controversy surrounding the most widely known and quoted controlled drinking trial at the time.

It is the late 18th Century. John Machele is twenty years old and has never known who his parents are. Brought up by a succession of carers, he was moved on after certain “incidents”. There is an unidentified “personage” who takes an interest in him. Physically John bears a resemblance to members of the ruling House of Hanover. He doesn't always think or behave like other people. He has no understanding why their reactions to him are so often not what he expects. Things rarely end well for John and this is a pattern which follows him as he grows older. He has been dismissed from a Naval Academy, been “retired” from the Royal Scots Greys and now finds himself a Midshipman in King George’s navy. Attempts are made to convince him that he has a say in what happens to him next but the reality is that the decisions have already been made without his knowledge. Having engineered his own Court Martial he believes he has set in motion events which will leave him in total control of his life for the first time.

"This book explores the influence and contributions, on and off the airwaves, of a number of high-profile, distinctive and sometimes highly controversial personalities from John Reith to Jerry Falwell, to the shaping of religious broadcasting in the USA and the UK until the mid-1990s. Robertson's study, interweaving the personal with the institutional, enriches our understanding of how and why religious broadcasting took such very different paths in the two countries." DR. JIM MCDONNELL, Head of Catholic Communications Centre 1990-2002." Religious broadcasting has received less attention than it deserves in published media history. Ian Robertson's thoroughly researched book examines its social, economic and religious contexts in Britain and America and highlights the role of the pioneers who made it such a significant part of broadcast output. Essential reading for anyone interested in therelationship between Christianity and the media." HUGH CHIGNELL, Emeritus Professor of Media History, Bournemouth University. "In this impressively comprehensive survey of religious broadcasting, from radio to television, Ian Robertson maps out the contrasts between the UK and US. Charismatic appeal played an important role in each context, but the personalities were different. Robertson's balanced approach highlights the ways in which religious broadcasting fits the cultural expectations of both settings and the unexpected ways that religious innovators adapted their message to new technologies." JOHN WIGGER, Professor of Social & Cultural History, University of Missouri and author of PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Evangelical Empire. "Over thirty years of presenting SONGS OF PRAISE has made the value of religious broadcasting on radio and television abundantly clear to me. It brings connection, comfort, inspiration, empathy and intimacy - like a trusted friend that speaks to each of us in our own surroundings. I believe, for all the inspiration and fellowship Christian broadcasting has brought us in the past, its power and significance as reflected in this book is only just being recognised. The best is yet to come " PAM RHODES, Author, Broadcaster & Songs of Praise Presenter 1987 to Present Day.

Originally published in 1981 and revised in 1983, Controlled Drinking was the first scholarly review of the literature on a controversial but increasingly practiced approach to the treatment of alcoholism. Nick Heather and Ian Robertson analyse all the pertinent questions that controlled drinking raises, starting with the need to examine the ‘disease conception’ of alcoholism and ‘total abstinence’ treatment. They look at the evidence indicating that some people, previously diagnosed as alcoholics, are able to return to normal, controlled patterns of drinking, and discuss therapies where controlled drinking is the treatment goal, fully reviewing the evidence for their success and failure. Concluding with a discussion of the theoretical and policy implications of controlled drinking, the authors recommend that the disease view of alcoholism be finally abandoned. For the revised paperback edition, as well as correcting and updating the text and references, the authors included an important postscript on the charges of falsification of evidence and their subsequent refutation which made up the Sobell affair. The wealth of other material presented in Controlled Drinking supports the authors’ conclusions even if the Sobells’ work were ignored. However, this revised edition was made more useful for student and professional readers by the postscript’s discussion of the controversy surrounding the most widely known and quoted controlled drinking trial at the time.

Inspired by true events and beautifully stunning locations, ‘Equinox on Arran’ is a remarkable, highly original and captivating crime story with a bizarre chain of dangerous circumstances in an unforgettable setting. Logan is haunted by his troubled past. He finds peace in the beautiful wilderness on Scotland’s Island of Arran, photographing wildlife. During one of his walks in a remote glen, he finds a three-year-old child, alone, close by a parachute. This mystery deepens as it leads him to further events. The autumn equinox is four days away. He must solve the mystery before then. If he fails, many people will die, and life on the island will be devastated.

* Confidence makes your brain work better and boosts your performance * Confidence acts like a mini-antidepressant, lifting your mood * Confidence is contagious * Confidence is anxiety's greatest antidote * Confidence is a set of habits that feel fake at first but become real with practice * Confidence makes boys bullsh*t more than girls * Overconfidence can have disastrous consequences _________'Brilliant ... it will change how you think about confidence.' Johann Hari'Important for everyone but crucial for women.' Mary Robinson'Interesting and important.' Steven Pinker__________Imagine we could discover something that could make us richer, healthier, longer-living, smarter, kinder, happier, more motivated and more innovative. Ridiculous, you might say... What is this elixir? Confidence. If you have it, it can empower you to reach heights you never thought possible. But if you don't, it can have a devastating effect on your future. Confidence lies at the core of what makes things happen. Exploring the science and neuroscience behind confidence that has emerged over the last decade, clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Professor Ian Robertson tells us how confidence plays out in our minds, our brains and indeed our bodies. He explains where it comes from and how it spreads - with extraordinary economic and political consequences. And why it's not necessarily something you are born with, but something that can be learned.__________'Rich stories and change-inspiring examples for every kind of performer.' Pippa Grange'Appealing... ranges from neuroscience to politics.' Nature

* Confidence makes your brain work better and boosts your performance* Confidence acts like a mini-antidepressant, lifting your mood* Confidence is contagious* Confidence is anxiety's greatest antidote* Confidence is a set of habits that feel fake at first but become real with practice* Confidence makes boys bullsh*t more than girls* Overconfidence can have disastrous consequences_________'Brilliant ... it will change how you think about confidence.' Johann Hari'Important for everyone but crucial for women.' Mary Robinson'Interesting and important.' Steven Pinker__________Imagine we could discover something that could make us richer, healthier, longer-living, smarter, kinder, happier, more motivated and more innovative. Ridiculous, you might say... What is this elixir? Confidence. If you have it, it can empower you to reach heights you never thought possible. But if you don't, it can have a devastating effect on your future. Confidence lies at the core of what makes things happen. Exploring the science and neuroscience behind confidence that has emerged over the last decade, clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Professor Ian Robertson tells us how confidence plays out in our minds, our brains and indeed our bodies. He explains where it comes from and how it spreads - with extraordinary economic and political consequences. And why it's not necessarily something you are born with, but something that can be learned.__________'Rich stories and change-inspiring examples for every kind of performer.' Pippa Grange'Appealing... ranges from neuroscience to politics.' Nature

Ian Robertson joined the BBC during the golden age of radio broadcasting and was given a crash course in the art of sports commentary from some of the greatest names ever to sit behind a microphone: Cliff Morgan and Peter Bromley, Bryon Butler and John Arlott. Almost half a century after being introduced to the rugby airwaves by his inspiring mentor Bill McLaren, the former Scotland fly-half looks back on the most eventful of careers, during which he covered nine British and Irish Lions tours and eight World Cups, including the 2003 tournament that saw England life the Webb Ellis Trophy and "Robbo" pick up awards for his spine-tingling description of Jonny Wilkinson's decisive drop goal. He reflects on his playing days, his role in guiding Cambridge University to a long spell of Varsity Match supremacy and his relationships with some of the union code's most celebrated figures, including Sir Clive Woodward and Jonah Lomu. He also writes vividly and hilariously of his experiences as a horse racing enthusiast, his meetings with some of the world's legendary golfers and his dealings with a stellar cast of sporting outsiders, from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to Nelson Mandela. It is a hugely entertaining story that begins in a bygone rugby age, yet has much to say about the game in the here and now.

Larger than Life is aimed at anyone interested in obesity and its treatment. It follows a dramatherapy group attended by six women, all struggling with their weight, using vignettes, transcriptions of the sessions attended, and commentary on the progress made by the participants. A final interview concludes each of the women's therapy, where they talk about their experiences within the group, followed by the therapist's summation of their treatment. The book concludes with brief telephone conversations with all six women three years after their treatment ended, giving a clear picture of the value of dramatherapy to the individual. As well as looking at these specific case studies, the authors also discuss the causes and effects of obesity, the dramatherapy group process, and why dramatherapy is an effective means of treating eating disorders. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the subject of obesity or dramatherapy.

Therapeutic case histories covering themes ranging from obesity to depression This book consists of ten case histories that cover a wide range of themes from obesity to depression. One woman is trying to come to grips with past memories, another cannot escape from a passionate love with no future, an adolescent immigrant is trying to overcome a persistent stammer, a fifty-year-old man decides to separate from the love of his life rather than compromise with his principles. Writing in the first person, the dramatherapist describes her reactions to and interaction with the client as well as some of the techniques used in the therapeutic process. The stories are based on real cases, but in order to conform to the story-telling genre they contain a beginning, middle and end, which is not always the case in real life.

Why is it that some people react to seemingly trivial emotional upset – like failing an unimportant exam – with distress, while others power through life-changing tragedies showing barely any emotional upset whatsoever? How do some people shine brilliantly at public speaking when others stumble with their words and seem on the verge of an anxiety attack? Why do some people sink into all-consuming depression when life has dealt them a poor hand, while in others it merely increases their resilience? The difference between too much pressure and too little can result in either debilitating stress or enduring demotivation in extreme situations. However, the right level of challenge and stress can help people to flourish and achieve more than they ever thought possible. In The Stress Test, clinical psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist Professor Ian Robertson, armed with over four decades of research, reveals how we can shape our brain’s response to pressure and answers the question: can stress ever be a good thing? The Stress Test is a revelatory study of how and why we react to pressure in the way we do, with real practical benefit to how we live.

This book describes a full range of contemporary techniques for the design of transmitters and receivers for communications systems operating in the range from 1 through to 300 GHz. In this frequency range there is a wide range of technologies that need to be employed, with silicon ICs at the core but, compared with other electronics systems, a much greater use of more specialist devices and components for high performance – for example, high Q-factor/low loss and good power efficiency. Many text books do, of course, cover these topics but what makes this book timely is the rapid adoption of millimetre-waves (frequencies from 30 to 300 GHz) for a wide range of consumer applications such as wireless high definition TV, '5G' Gigabit mobile internet systems and automotive radars. It has taken many years to develop low-cost technologies for suitable transmitters and receivers, so previously these frequencies have been employed only in expensive military and space applications. The book will cover these modern technologies, with the follow topics covered; transmitters and receivers, lumped element filters, tranmission lines and S-parameters, RF MEMS, RFICs and MMICs, and many others. In addition, the book includes extensive line diagrams to illustrate circuit diagrams and block diagrams of systems, including diagrams and photographs showing how circuits are implemented practically. Furthermore, case studies are also included to explain the salient features of a range of important wireless communications systems. The book is accompanied with suitable design examples and exercises based on the Advanced Design System – the industry leading CAD tool for wireless design. More importantly, the authors have been working with Keysight Technologies on a learning & teaching initiative which is designed to promote access to industry-standard EDA tools such as ADS. Through its University Educational Support Program, Keysight offers students the opportunity to request a student license, backed up with extensive classroom materials and support resources. This culminates with students having the chance to demonstrate their RF/MW design and measurement expertise through the Keysight RF & Microwave Industry-Ready Student Certification Program. www.keysight.com/find/eesof-university www.keysight.com/find/eesof-student-certification

What makes a winner? Why do some succeed both in life and in business, and others fail? The ‘winner effect’ is a term used in biology to describe how an animal that has won a few fights against weak opponents is much more likely to win later bouts against stronger contenders. As Ian Robertson reveals, it applies to humans, too. Success changes the chemistry of the brain, making you more focused, smarter, more confident and more aggressive. And the more you win, the more you will go on to win. But the downside is that winning can become physically addictive. By understanding what the mental and physical changes are that take place in the brain of a ‘winner’, how they happen, and why they affect some people more than others, Robertson explains what makes a winner or a loser – and how we can use the answers to these questions to understand better the behaviour of our business colleagues, employees, family and friends.