Various Authors

Unlock the door to the extraordinary with RARE, a gripping anthology of original short stories that explores secrets unlike any you've encountered before. Crafted exclusively for adult audiences, these tales venture into the forbidden, the hidden, and the wonderfully strange. From the depths of space to the intimacy of family bonds, RARE takes you on an unforgettable journey. Discover the secrets between mothers and daughters, a fateful meeting with a king, and the unsettling mysteries of creepy crawlies. Delve into realms where science fiction bends reality and the rare truths of our world come to light. Perfect for readers who crave the unexpected, RARE invites you to confront the extraordinary secrets we all keep locked away. Will you dare to uncover them?

The stories within these pages draw on the personal narratives of surrogate partners, kink and BDSM professionals, escorts and intimacy coaches, to show that all forms of sex(uality) work have the potential to provide powerful healing. Whether the goal of the work is to give sexual pleasure and release, teach sexual skills, improve body image, help someone embrace their sexuality, or to provide solace to those who need it most - the groundbreaking stories within this anthology show the critical role that sex work plays in the lives of so many. Essential reading for sex therapists, sex educators, gender and sexuality studies students, and anyone interested in sex and sexuality.

Dive into the heart of social work in this pioneering A-Z reference guide which brings theory to life through the lived experience of social workers. Drawing on narrative accounts from a thriving community of practice, this justice-driven book offers authentic and intimate outlooks on the realities of social work. Each chapter focuses on one aspect of practice and is supplemented with a diverse tapestry of professional voices at various stages of their career. Each contribution offers a unique perspective, including insight from professionals who have first-hand experience of social work interventions. Examples of practice are from across the age range, from the experience of supporting a young person to move from a children's residential home into their first flat through to ensuring that an older person living in a care home carries on voting. Real-life cases are paired with critical reflections, learning points, and relevant case law. This combined approach allows for wisdom in practice as well as legal literacy within a person-centred, relational framework. Brought up to date with a splash of punk philosophy, bringing optimism to the social work struggle for those whose rights need support to be upheld and for their voices to be heard. In revealing the profound relationship between social work, power, and human rights, this guide will allow you to become a more reflective and impactful practitioner.

Etsitkö jännitystä, uusia näkökulmia tai rentouttavaa lukuelämystä? Tutustu kirjakategorioihimme ja löydä seuraava suosikkikirjasi.

This book features four peer-reviewed reviews on the economics of key elements of agriculture. The first chapter describes the economic potential for the widespread adoption of agricultural robotics worldwide, focussing primarily on adoption in low- and middle-income countries. The chapter also considers the broader implications of agricultural robotics adoption on the farm sector. The second chapter explores the large and diverse literature on the economics of nitrogen in agriculture and the economics of off-farm impacts from nitrogen fertilisation. The chapter also considers the over-application of nitrogen fertilisers and their contribution to nitrogen pollution. The third chapter summarises recent advances in the development of novel integrated weed management (IWM) strategies and the economic consequences of their use in farming systems. The chapter also reviews the economics of different IWM strategies and the contrasting approaches used to assess their efficiency. The final chapter discusses the use of groundwater for agricultural use and how unregulated overdevelopment of this key resource poses a threat to its sustainability. This chapter presents several approaches to groundwater governance and evaluates the appropriateness of each approach using socioeconomic theory.

This book features five peer-reviewed reviews on developing a circular economy in agriculture. The first chapter discusses the relationship between a circular economy and bioeconomy as they relate to agriculture, as well as the key principles and challenges of circular, closed-loop agricultural systems. The second chapter introduces new approaches to food production and ‘waste’ management, including the opportunity to partially close nutrient cycles in urban agricultural settings and the wider food system. The third chapter provides a brief overview of the key principles of a circular economy and discusses how the advent of new alternatives to plastic food packaging can contribute to mitigating plastic waste and its environmental impact. The fourth chapter discusses facility-based plant production systems, such as plant factories, and the importance of the circulation of materials in achieving a sustainable balance between food production and environmental protection. The final chapter considers how regenerative urban agri-food systems can be built through a circular economy approach and provides examples of how this can be achieved, as well as how novel natural resource networks can be created in circular food economies in urban areas.

This book features four peer-reviewed reviews on organic soil amendments. The first chapter examines the role of biofertilisers and consortia of microorganisms in improving the effectiveness of organic fertilisation, before moving on to consider the use of animal excrement, including manures, slurry and guano. The chapter also considers the use of products or by-products of both animal and plant origin as fertilisers. The second chapter provides a critical evaluation of the potential of compost to improve soil health, as well as the sources of variability and potential risks of compost for environmental quality. Two case studies evaluate the trade-offs between benefit and risks in the use of compost in perennial and annual crops. The third chapter discusses optimising slurry management in agricultural practices and highlights current decision tools for optimising manure management. It also reviews modifying animal slurry pH to enhance its value as a biobased fertiliser through methods such as bio acidification and alkalinisation. The final chapter provides an overview of the main technologies for manure valorisation into bioenergy and biofertiliser products. It discusses developments in more established technologies such as solid-liquid (S/L) separation, anaerobic digestion and composting, as well as more innovative techniques, including struvite precipitation.