Tess of the D’Urbervilles

This comprehensive textbook discusses the legal, organizational and ethical aspects of information governance, assurance and security and their relevance to all aspects of information work.

Information governance describes the activities and practices which have developed to control the use of information, including, but not limited to, practices mandated by law. In a world in which information is increasingly seen as a top-level asset, the safeguarding and management of information is of concern to everyone. From the researcher who is responsible for ethical practices in the gathering, analysis, and storage of data, to the reference librarian who must deliver unbiased information; from the records manager who must respond to information requests, to the administrator handling personnel files, this book with equip practitioners and students alike to implement good information governance practice in real-world situations.

Key topics covered include:

Information as an asset

The laws and regulations

Data quality management

Dealing with threats

Security, risk management and business continuity

Frameworks, policies, ethics and how it all fits together.

Readership: Fully supported by examples, discussion points and practical exercises, this is essential reading for everyone who needs to understand, implement and support information assurance policies and information governance structures. It will be particularly valuable for LIS students taking information management and information governance courses, and information professionals with an advisory or gatekeeping role in information governance within an organization.

“Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project

Still in his early thirties, Chris Guillebeau completed a tour of every country on earth and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and focused on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise”—even if you don’t consider it such—and what other people will pay for.  You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish—sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins.

In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

Handbook of Agricultural Entomology by Helmut van Emden is a landmark publication for students and practitioners of entomology applied to agriculture and horticulture. It can be used as a reference and as a general textbook.

The book opens with a general introduction to entomology and includes coverage of the major insects (and mites) that cause harm to crops, livestock and humans. The important beneficial species are also included. Organisms are described in a classification of insect Orders and Families. The emphasis is on morphological characters of major taxonomic divisions, “spot characters” for the recognition of Families, and the life histories, damage symptoms and economic importance of the various pest species.

The book is beautifully illustrated in full colour with more than 400 figures showing both the organisms and the damage caused to plants with diagnostic characters indicated by arrows. Coverage is world-wide and includes much material stemming from the vast personal experience of the author.

The future is here. Learn to live in it.

In twenty-one bite-sized lessons, Yuval Noah Harari explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment.

How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war, ecological cataclysms and technological disruptions? What can we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? What should we teach our children?

Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a thrilling journey through today’s most urgent issues. The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change. Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?

‘Fascinating… compelling… [Harari] has teed up a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the 21st century’ Bill Gates, New York Times

‘Truly mind-expanding… Ultra-topical’ Guardian

‘21 Lessons is, simply put, a crucial book’ Adam Kay