John Wright

A practical investigation of how comedy works, by a well-respected practitioner and teacher. With a Foreword by Toby Jones. Comedy is recognised as one of the most problematic areas of performances. For that reason, it is rarely written about in any systematic way. John Wright, founder of Trestle Theatre and Told by an Idiot, brings a wide range of experience of physical comedy to this unique exploration of comedy and comedic techniques. The book opens with an analysis of the different kinds of laughter that can be provoked by performance. This is followed by the main part of the book: games and exercises devised to demonstrate and investigate the whole range of comic possibilities open to a performer. Why Is That So Funny? is an invaluable book for teachers and performers, and a fascinating read for anyone interested in how comedy works.

Many controversial issues revolve around complex scientific arguments which can be better understood with at least a minimal knowledge and understanding of the chemical reactions and processes going on in the world around us. This textbook offers an accessible introduction to chemical principles and concepts, and applies them to relevant environmental situations and issues. Written for students who have not taken A' level chemistry, this book bridges the gap between GSCE chemistry and first year undergraduate level.

Many controversial issues revolve around complex scientific arguments which can be better understood with at least a minimal knowledge and understanding of the chemical reactions and processes going on in the world around us. This textbook offers an accessible introduction to chemical principles and concepts, and applies them to relevant environmental situations and issues. Written for students who have not taken A' level chemistry, this book bridges the gap between GSCE chemistry and first year undergraduate level.

In this timely and exceptionally accessible work, philosopher John Wright tackles economic rationalism from a moral perspective. First, in non-technical language, he reviews the economic arguments for economic rationalism. Wright then sets out to examine the ethical defences for economic rationalism, considers the many criticisms of economic rationalism - and then weighs up whether the moral defences of economic rationalism are truly valid.

John Wright's collection of interviews and stories about Ralph Stanley puts readers around a campfire at a bluegrass festival while old-timers weave yarns far into the night. Told by those who create, produce, stage, love, and virtually live for old-time mountain music, these tales come from the longtime coworkers, sidemen, promoters, friends, and others in the orbit of the music legend. The storytellers include a scholar who knew Stanley from the early days, the housewife who ran the Stanley Brothers Fan Club, and a souvenir seller for whom the discovery of Stanley's music was almost a religious experience. Wright also uses these invaluable oral histories as a foundation to describe and evaluate Stanley's long career with the Clinch Mountain Boys and the development of his music after the death of his brother Carter. An appendix covers Ralph's prolific recording activity through the mid-1990s, including a breathtaking forty-five albums compromising more than 550 songs and tunes.

Plautus' Curculio, the shortest of the twenty surviving comedies by ancient Rome's master dramatist, certainly is among his best. It has all the characteristics that make Plautus a perennial favorite among readers of Latin: archetypal characters such as the braggart warrior and the greedy parasite, a seminal plot based on greed and deception, and the powerful, inventive verbal style that for two thousand years has been the playwright's chief claim to critical attention. For all those reasons, the Curculio is an excellent introduction to an important and appealing ancient writer. In the revision of the American Philological Association edition, the introduction and notes have been expanded and a vocabulary has been added. Because it retains the standard scholarly Latin text, it will be useful even to advanced readers of Plautus.

Libya and Chad have gone to war with each other several times since Independence, ostensibly over their rival claims to the disputed Aozou strip. ^IJohn Wright, senior political analyst in the BBC Arabic Service, traces the ethnic, cultural and economic links between them over the centuries and shows how these connections contribute to present rivalries.

Libya and Chad have gone to war with each other several times since Independence, ostensibly over their rival claims to the disputed Aozou strip. The author traces the ethnic, cultural and economic links between them over the centuries and shows how these connections contribute to present rivalries. There follows an analysis of Colonel Moammar Gadafi's aggressive policies towards Chad, which reflect his concern for Lybia's security and desire to increase its influence; his struggle against French influence in the region; and his perception of his country as a liberating force for fellow-Muslims in Chad and elsewhere. The author concludes that continued Libyan interest in Chadian affairs is unavoidable and that mutual hostility will continue into the foreseeable future. There are maps of the trade routes of northern Africa and the central Sahara and Sudan.

This book gives you an insight into the complexities of intimate relationships. Through vivid portrayals of real-life problem situations that couples face, it also gives clear, concise, effective strategies for you and your partner to use in resolving troubled areas in your relationship, so you can survive and grow as a couple. Dr John Wright also examines myths and beliefs that seriously reduce the chances of couple survival. He offers constructive alternatives to the destructive reaction patterns that are based on erroneous concepts of interpersonal relationships. A series of self-tests helps you to create your personal couple survival profile. The couple survival strategies he presents involve effective communication, expression of love and sexual intimacy, becoming effective problem-solvers, developing the fine art of negotiating a compromise, learning techniques of constructive arguing, handling the division of work, and coping with separation. There is a frank discussion of the pros and cons of open marriage. With the help of this book, you and your partner can change negative behaviour patterns and replace them with constructive couple survival strategies.