This three-part course in Modern Standard Arabic for non-native speakers approaches the language through a series of themed topicsâdaily life in the... Arab world, politics and governance, literature and the arts, science and medicine, astronomyâconcentrates principally on listening and speaking skills. In each section, vocabulary is built up as various linguistic structures and strategies are introduced and practiced in a clear introduction to Arabic grammar. A CD accompanies Volume 1, and in addition to a full glossary of vocabulary items at the end of each volume (with meanings in both English and French), a supplementary dictionary, al-Muâjam al-musaâid, gives a complete key to the vocabulary of all three books in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and German. Comprehensive and easily digestible, varied and informative, these books make an ideal basis for a classroom-based course in Arabic anywhere in the world.

One of world cinema’s most exciting filmmakers, Pedro Almodóvar has been delighting, provoking, arousing, shocking, and—above all—entertaining... audiences around the globe since he first burst onto the international film scene in the early 1980s. All about Almodóvar offers new perspectives on the filmmaker’s artistic vision and cinematic preoccupations, influences, and techniques. Through overviews of the filmmaker’s oeuvre and in-depth analyses of specific films, the essays here explore a diverse range of subjects: Almodóvar’s nuanced use of television and music in his films; his reworkings of traditional film genres such as comedy, horror, and film noir; his penchant for melodrama and its relationship to melancholy, violence, and coincidence; his intricate questioning of sexual and national identities; and his increasingly sophisticated inquiries into visuality and its limits. Closing with Almodóvar’s own diary account of the making of Volver and featuring never-before-seen photographs from El Deseo studio, All about Almodóvar both reflects and illuminates its subject’s dazzling eclecticism. Contributors: Mark Allinson, U of Leicester; Pedro Almodóvar; Isolina Ballesteros, Baruch College; Leo Bersani, UC Berkeley; Marvin D’Lugo, Clark U; Ulysse Dutoit, UC Berkeley; Peter William Evans, Queen Mary U of London; Víctor Fuentes, UC Santa Barbara; Marsha Kinder, USC; Steven Marsh, U of Illinois, Chicago; Andy Medhurst, U of Sussex; Ignacio Olivia, Universidad Castilla–La Mancha, Cuenca; Paul Julian Smith, U of Cambridge; Kathleen M. Vernon, SUNY Stony Brook; Linda Williams, UC Berkeley; Francisco A. Zurián, U Carlos III, Madrid.

Access the unprecedented potential of bond investing! Bonds have come a long way in recent years. No longer just a relatively safe and secure... investment, bonds now offer the potential for capital appreciation in addition to interest income. All About Bonds, Bond Mutual Funds, and Bond ETFs is the key to understanding both traditional and new types of bond investments. This detailed but accessible introduction covers everything from basic bond characteristics to fixed-income investment techniques. You'll gain a thorough education on such topics as yield, liquidity, duration, convexity, valuation, and emerging markets and find the answers to many questions a bond investor will ask, such as: What percentage of my portfolio should be dedicated to bonds? What are the newest products and where do I find them? What are the risks involved with investing in bonds, bond mutual funds and bond ETFs? How can I use the Internet to my advantage? Whether you're involved in the bond market already or about to enter it, All About Bonds, Bond Mutual Funds, and Bond ETFs will guide you though the process of choosing the best bonds for your needs, evaluating their performance, and managing a bond portfolio.

GENERATE BIG PROFITS WITH TODAY’S HOT TEST COMMODITIES! During the average trading day, trillions of dollars’ worth of commodities change hands. If... you want to snatch some profits from this booming market, you fi rst need to understand all the fundamentals—and All About Commodities is the place to go. Without the confusing jargon and complex language of other investing guides, this book uses simple language to explain what drives price fluctuations of commodities—from energy, industrial metals, and mines to livestock, agriculture, and precious metals—and how to design a powerful, reliable strategy for profi ting from them. Learn everything there is to know about: Using futures and options to enter the commodities market Risks unique to commodities trading—and how to manage them Ways to identify important patterns to steer your investing decisions The benefits and disadvantages of commodity funds

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DERIVATIVES All About Derivatives, Second Edition, presents the complex subject of financial derivatives with a... clarity and coherence you won’t find in other books. Using real-world examples and simple language, it lucidly illustrates what derivatives are and why they are so powerful. This second edition of All About Derivatives provides a rock-solid foundation on: The most common contracts available to you in today's market Key concepts such as cost of carry, settlement, valuation, and payoff Proven methods for establishing fair value How leverage can work for you--and against you The various derivative contracts traded today, including forwards, futures, swaps, and options Pricing methods and mathematics for determining fair value Hedging strategies for managing and reducing different types of risk INCLUDES A BRAND-NEW CHAPTER ON THE ROLE DERIVATIVES PLAYED IN THE 2008 FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

Here's a fun and easy way to learn the ins and outs of effects - compression, delay, distortion, filters, reverb, looping, vocoder and many more. You'll... learn when, how and why to use them, and how to create the sound you desire. Covers: equipment; pedal tips; power recommendations; and more. The CD demos 72 effects and includes full tracks of popular songs demonstrating the effects.

Whether you want indoor space for orchids and blooming tropicals or a year-round site to grow vegetables and cut flowers, you'll discover a whole new... world of gardening in a greenhouse with this book in hand. It provides plans and building tips, advice on kits and equipment, and proven growing techniques. It's the complete guide to creating and using your indoor paradise.

Hedge funds have long been viewed as mysterious, high-risk investments, unsuitable for most investors. All About Hedge Funds debunks these myths and... explains how any investor can take advantage of the high-potential returns of hedge funds while incorporating safeguards to limit their volatility and risk. This clear-headed, commonsense guide tells investors: What hedge funds are--and what they are not Four key hedge fund strategies How to incorporate hedge funds into an existing portfolio Types of risk involved in hedge fund investing

The easy way to get started in investing The most stressful investment for any new investor is the first one. All About Investing helps remove... that stress, by providing inexperienced investors with techniques for establishing realistic investment goals, buying the proper assets to meet those goals, and constructing a safe and suitable portfolio of long-term investments.

"The word "love" is most often defined as a noun, yet...we would all love to better if we used it as a verb," writes bell hooks as she comes out... fighting and on fire in All About Love. Here, at her most provacative and intensely personel, the renowned scholar, cultural critic, and feminist skewers our view of love as romance. In its place she offers a proactive new ethic for a people and a society bereft with lovelessness.As bell hooks uses her incisive mind and razor-sharp pen to explode th question "What is love?" her answers strike at both the mind and heart. In thirteen concise chapters, hooks examines her own search for emotional connection and society's failure to provide a model for learning to love. Razing the cultural paradigm that the ideal love is infused with sex and desire, she provides a new path to love that is sacred, redemptive, and healing for the individuals and for a nation. The Utne Reader declared bell hooks one of the "100 Visionaries Who Can Change Your Life." All About Love is a powerful affirmation of just how profoundly she can.

Is there someone special you'd like to open up to? Do you want to know yourself better? Self-discovery and self-revelation aren't easy. With simple but... provocative questions, All About Me is a great tool for self-reflection that spotlights everything your loved ones would be interested to know about you but never thought--or dared--to ask. Such as: Name a friend you should not have kissed. Describe a moment when you achieved absolute happiness. Recall a compliment that made you blush. Write about your most beautiful and your most horrifying memory of your parents. Does a naked photo of you exist? The wide-ranging questions--from short yes/no's to open-ended ones that probe your psyche--are personal, direct, and addictively fun to answer. The basic specs, including blood type and annual salary, are also covered.If you've ever wished that you or your loved ones had been born with an operating manual, your wish has been granted. Filled in or left blank, All About Me is a perfect gift for everyone you care about--friends, relatives, mentors, and lovers. Published just in time for Valentine's Day, but also ideal for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, birthdays, showers, and weddings, this unique book gives the best present of all: the gift of you.

All About Me: Teenage Edition Being a teenager is never easy. These special years are often challenging, but also full of wonderful surprises. With... questions about wishes and fears, memories and beliefs, secrets and dreams, this edition of All About Me will reveal everything everyone ever wanted to know about you but never thought—or dared—to ask. Fill it in, leave it blank, or ask and answer questions out loud—this is the perfect book for you, and your friends.

Have you struggled through tedious lessons and boring instruction books in your desire to learn to sing? If you wish there were a fun and engaging way... to motivate you in your singing quest then this is it ä ÊAll About SingingÊ is for you] Whether it's learning to read music preparing an audition singing in a choir or all of the above this guide will help you to finally start singing your favorite songs in many different styles. Plus you'll learn interesting tidbits on vocal health working with a microphone conquering stage fright and other fun stuff about singing. This fun-filled easy-to-use guide includes: an introduction to how the voice works; basic music-reading instruction; background on various styles of music including many favorite songs; performance tips & tricks; famous singers & suggested listening; and more] Includes many songs to help you practice and learn including: Fields of Gold Û I've Got You Under My Skin Û In My Life Û Love Me Tender Û 'O Sole Mio Û Unforgettable Û What a Wonderful World Û and more.