Tony Wright's Very Short Introduction to British Politics is an interpretative essay on the British political system, rather than merely an abbreviated textbook on how it currently works. He identifies key characteristics and ideas of the British tradition, and investigates what makes British politics distinctive, while emphasizing throughout the book how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system actually functions. Each chapter is organized around a key theme, such as the constitution or political accountability, which is first established and then explored with examples and illustrations. This in turn provides a perspective for a discussion of how the system is changing, looking in particular at devolution and Britain's place in Europe.

With the release of Flash MX 2004, Macromedia has given you a brand-new Extensibility Layer, which lets you look under the hood of Flash and extend its functionality. You now have the ability to take your designs further than ever before—if you have an idea for a new feature, you can just create it yourself and "plug it in." This is the future of Macromedia Flash!

Extending Macromedia Flash MX 2004 covers the entire spectrum of the new extensibility architecture in Flash MX 2004 and Flash MX Professional 2004. It includes in-depth tutorials on each new area—commands; tools; Timeline Effects; behaviors; use of the MMExecute command; executing Flash from the command line; and full coverage of XML to UI, which enables you to easily create custom user interfaces for your Flash Extensions. The final section of this book contains a comprehensive desktop reference to JavaScript Flash (JSFL), the new language that you’ll use to create your Flash extensions.

These new features allow you to share code and design effects more effectively within a community or a production environment, and they also enable you to package up and reuse code within Flash, with a view to increasing productivity and decreasing production times.

Extending Macromedia Flash MX 2004 will show you how to
• Speed up repetitive tasks in Flash with custom commands
• Add new tools to the toolbar for drawing any kind of shape or object on the stage
• Create automated tweens for any object onstage with Timeline Effects
• Define scripted behaviors that can easily be applied to any object

Use these advanced extensibility tools to make Flash perform better than ever!

Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-creator Joe Shuster showcases rare and recently discovered erotic artwork by the most seminal artist in comics, Joe Shuster. Created in the early 1950s when Shuster was down on his luck after suing his publisher, DC Comics, over the copyright for Superman, he illustrated these images for an obscure series of magazines called "Nights of Horror," published under the counter until they were banned by the U.S. Senate. Juvenile deliquency, Dr. Fredric Wertham, and the Brooklyn Thrill Killers gang all figure into this sensational story.
The discovery of this artwork reveals the "secret identity" of this revered comics creator, and is sure to generate controversy and change the perception of the way we look at Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen forever. The book includes reproductions of these images, and an essay that provides a detailed account of the scandal and the murder trial that resulted from the publication of this racy material.
"Jeepers, Mr. Kent!"—USA Today"Eye-opening…a compelling feat of literary sleuthing."—Publishers Weekly
"A shocking expose"—National Enquirer

"Startling. . . this fascinating collection adds a new dimension to a hidden history.”
—Miami Herald

Secret Identity is an incredible find of historic significance to comics art….—Library Journal

Adapted from the bestselling grassroots history of the United States, the story of America in the world, told in comics form  Since its landmark publication in 1980, A People’s History of the United States has had six new editions, sold more than 1.7 million copies, become required classroom reading throughout the country, and been turned into an acclaimed play. More than a successful book, A People’s History triggered a revolution in the way history is told, displacing the official versions with their emphasis on great men in high places to chronicle events as they were lived, from the bottom up.
 
Now Howard Zinn, historian Paul Buhle, and cartoonist Mike Konopacki have collaborated to retell, in vibrant comics form, a most immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries-long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Central America, Vietnam, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows the story of Zinn, the son of poor Jewish immigrants, from his childhood in the Brooklyn slums to his role as one of America’s leading historians.
 
Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions, A People’s History of American Empire presents the classic ground-level history of America in a dazzling new form.

Whether you write an occasional professional letter or a daily newspaper column, William Zinsser's On Writing Wellshould be required reading. Simplicity is Zinsser's mantra: he preaches a stripped-down writing style, strong and clear. He has no patience for excess (most use of adjectives and adverbs, he writes, just adds clutter) or tired phraseology (for instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving those "future archaeologists" most often found "stumbl[ing] upon the remains of our civilization"). He recommends that all writers of nonfiction read their work aloud (don't commit something to paper that you wouldn't actually say) and write under the assumption that "the reader knows nothing" (not to be confused with assuming the reader's an idiot). In addition to the chapters on the expected—usage, audience, interviews, leads—Zinsser also focuses on such trouble spots as science and technical writing, business writing, sports, and humor.