Mark C. Baker

Whether all human languages are fundamentally the same or different has been a subject of debate for ages. This problem has deep philosophical implications: If languages are all the same, it implies a fundamental commonality- and thus mutual intelligibility- of human thought.We are now on the verge of solving this problem. Using a twenty-year-old theory proposed by the world's greatest living linguist, Noam Chomsky, researchers have found that the similarities among languages are more profound than the differences. Languages whose grammars seem completely incompatible may in fact be structurally almost identical, except for a difference in one simple rule. The discovery of these rules and how they may vary promises to yield a linguistic equivalent of the Periodic Table of the Elements: a single framework by which we can understand the fundamental structure of all human language. This is a landmark breakthrough both within linguistics, which will herewith finally become a full-fledged science, and in our understanding of the human mind.

Baker argues that polysynthetic languages - in which verbs are built up of many parts and where one verb can act as a whole sentence - are more than an accidental collection of morphological processes; rather they adopt a systematic way of representing predicate-argument relationships, parallel to but distinct from the system used for English.

Baker argues that polysynthetic languages - in which verbs are built up of many parts and where one verb can act as a whole sentence - are more than an accidental collection of morphological processes; rather they adopt a systematic way of representing predicate-argument relationships, parallel to but distinct from the system used for English. This idea has repercussions for many areas of syntax and morphology, resulting in a comprehensive picture of the grammar of polysynthetic languages.

Canals are wonderful places to take a camera. There is over 200 years of transport history to document, with many attractive bridges, locks and other features. There are many colourful boats and a range of plants and flowers. Water, ice and snow add to the picture possibilities, with changing seasons, weather and time of day producing yet more variation. All manner of things can be seen from tow paths; industry, farming, skies, trees, a wide range of patterns and textures, fungi and so much more. This book celebrates the richness of the pictorial opportunities on offer, with 17 themed chapters and over 360 fabulous photographs. Some were clearly taken along a canal, but with over half, the context is unclear. Many of these could be described as off-beat, innovative or surprising. The artistic potential of canals is presented for all to enjoy. A selection of camera settings is given so that it is easier to understand how particular visual effects were achieved.Being a creative photographer is a little like being an observational comedian. You must learn to look at the world from strange angles, so that the ordinary and the mundane are presented in fresh and unusual ways, challenging and delighting the observer. This book sets out to do just that.140 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches.This is the third book in the UK Canals series, following on from 1: The Kennet and Avon Canal in pictures, which gives a general overview of this very popular waterway, 2: Wildlife of the Kennet and Avon Canal, 4: Pandemic diary: Newbury in a time of crisis and 5: Pandemic diary 2: Newbury emerges from lockdown. The author has also written, Living in a digital world: Demystifying technology.For more details on books by Mark C Baker, see http: //www.educationvision.co.uk/books.html

The Kennet and Avon Canal is a linear oasis, providing water and a green ribbon, linking other areas of natural habitat, as it runs from Bristol to Reading. It both provides wildlife habitat and acts as a wildlife corridor. Those keen to observe wildlife will find a wide range of birds, as well as invertebrates, mammals, fish and other aquatic creatures. There are common water birds, such as coots and moorhens, as well as red-listed species (those of most conservation concern) like the grey wagtail and marsh tit. Water voles, which have disappeared from some counties altogether, have gone from once being Britain's most common mammal, to its fastest declining, but they can still be found along this waterway. With over 370 sumptuous full colour photographs, Wildlife of the Kennet and Avon Canal illustrates the range of wildlife that anyone could come across. Most of the images were taken using a conventional, hand-held camera, either on the tow path or very close to it. Some of the close-ups were taken using a macro lens, with the camera sometimes mounted on a tripod, elsewhere a telephoto lens was used. There was no use of hides or specialist photographic equipment, beyond that mentioned. The book includes wildlife spotting suggestions and photographic hints and tips, as well as a collection of wildlife stories. It provides a fabulous introduction to watching and photographing wildlife and a way of enhancing your enjoyment of one of Britain's best-loved canals.152 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches This is the second book in the UK Canals series, following on from 1: The Kennet and Avon Canal in pictures, which gives a general overview of this very popular waterway. Other books include 3: Weird and wonderful canal photographs, 4: Pandemic diary: Newbury in a time of crisis and 5: Pandemic diary 2: Newbury emerges from lockdown.The author has also written, Living in a digital world: Demystifying technology. For more details on books by Mark C Baker, see http: //www.educationvision.co.uk/books.html

The Kennet and Avon Canal is made up of three historic waterways. The Kennet Navigation created a navigable link between Newbury and Reading in the early 18th Century. Shortly afterwards the Avon Navigation similarly linked the cities of Bath and Bristol. A 57 mile long artificial canal was constructed between 1794 and 1810 to join these two waterways. This provided a link from Bristol to Reading and then on to London, via the River Thames.At a time when road transport was costly, slow and unreliable, the UK's canals played a crucial role in unleashing the power of the industrial revolution. Huge social change followed, as the country transformed from a primarily agrarian economy, to become, for a while at least, the world's leading industrial power.With over 320 full colour photographs, "The Kennet and Avon Canal in pictures" starts by setting out the canal's context, including a brief history, before embarking on an end-to-end tour. This is followed by a selection of picturesque winter images, before finally looking at a selection of the wide range of flora and fauna, that can be seen and enjoyed along this waterway.With its rich and varied selection of images, the book makes an excellent souvenir for those who have experienced this quintessential English canal. It is a valuable planning aid for anyone preparing for a visit and an essential volume for all canal enthusiasts.Other books in the UK Canals series include 2: Wildlife of the Kennet and Avon Canal, 3: Weird and wonderful canal photographs, 4: Pandemic diary: Newbury in a time of crisis and 5: Pandemic diary 2: Newbury emerges from lockdown. Also, by the same author Living in a digital world: Demystifying technology.For more details about Mark C Baker books see http: //www.educationvision.co.uk/books.html136 pages, 8.5 x 11"

We are living through an information revolution that is radically changing all aspects of our lives. Living in a Digital World is designed for anyone who would like to build a better understanding of our increasingly digitally dominated world.With more than 140 diagrams and over 70 photographs, the book starts by examining what makes a digital device "digital" and how it functions as a data processor. A review of algorithms and software completes the foundations, before delving into a broad range of key technologies. These include: networks and the internet, flash memory, mobile communications, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. With these topics and many more to explore, Living in a Digital World will help you to create a sturdy framework, to improve your understanding of digital technology.There are numerous self tests with answers, to allow readers to check and consolidate their learning, as well as suggested practical tasks, promoting further exploration. Each chapter closes with a summary of key learning points. The book includes a detailed table of contents, a comprehensive index, a list of sources and a glossary of technical terms.Other books by the same author include the UK Canals series and titles such as 1: The Kennet and Avon Canal in pictures, 2: Wildlife of the Kennet and Avon Canal, 3: Weird and wonderful canal photographs, 4: Pandemic diary: Newbury in a time of crisis and 5: Pandemic diary 2: Newbury emerges from lockdown.For more details about Mark C Baker books see http: //www.educationvision.co.uk/books.html328 pages, 8.5 x 11"

'Agreement' is the grammatical phenomenon in which the form of one item, such as the noun 'horses', forces a second item in the sentence, such as the verb 'gallop', to appear in a particular form, i.e. 'gallop' must agree with 'horses' in number. Even though agreement phenomena are some of the most familiar and well-studied aspects of grammar, there are certain basic questions that have rarely been asked, let alone answered. This book develops a theory of the agreement processes found in language, and considers why verbs agree with subjects in person, adjectives agree in number and gender but not person, and nouns do not agree at all. Explaining these differences leads to a theory that can be applied to all parts of speech and to all languages.

'Agreement' is the grammatical phenomenon in which the form of one item, such as the noun 'horses', forces a second item in the sentence, such as the verb 'gallop', to appear in a particular form, i.e. 'gallop' must agree with 'horses' in number. Even though agreement phenomena are some of the most familiar and well-studied aspects of grammar, there are certain basic questions that have rarely been asked, let alone answered. This book develops a theory of the agreement processes found in language, and considers why verbs agree with subjects in person, adjectives agree in number and gender but not person, and nouns do not agree at all. Explaining these differences leads to a theory that can be applied to all parts of speech and to all languages.

For decades, generative linguistics has said little about the differences between verbs, nouns, and adjectives. This book seeks to fill this theoretical gap by presenting simple and substantive syntactic definitions of these three lexical categories. Mark C. Baker claims that the various superficial differences found in particular languages have a single underlying source which can be used to give better characterizations of these ‘parts of speech’. These new definitions are supported by data from languages from every continent, including English, Italian, Japanese, Edo, Mohawk, Chichewa, Quechua, Choctaw, Nahuatl, Mapuche, and several Austronesian and Australian languages. Baker argues for a formal, syntax-oriented, and universal approach to the parts of speech, as opposed to the functionalist, semantic, and relativist approaches that have dominated the few previous works on this subject. This book will be welcomed by researchers and students of linguistics and by related cognitive scientists of language.