Steve Ward

On a cold February day in 1844, a small group of travellers disembarked their ship at the port of Liverpool in England. There was no welcoming party; no bands and banners and the visitors slipped silently away to their hotel. Amongst them was the American showman P. T. Barnum and his prot g Charles S. Stratton, known as General Tom Thumb. Both were little known in England at that time. But this would mark the beginning of a three-year long tour of the United Kingdom and continental Europe. F ted by crowned heads, the tour would bring both Barnum and Stratton international fame and fortune.By Royal Command charts the progress of this tour, with all its highs and lows, triumphs and disasters. Not just another book about Barnum, it celebrates this pivotal time in his life, and draws upon primary sources and contemporary news reports to give a forensic examination of the impact that he and Tom Thumb had on social attitudes towards the 'exotic'.

Since the foundation of the 'modern' circus in the eighteenth century, the circus has been presented in defined spaces. Initially, performances were given in the open air and, over a period of time, these spaces first became enclosed and then later roofed. Temporary wooden structures often became semi-permanent until, in the nineteenth century, many permanent stone-built buildings were erected solely for the purpose of presenting circus. This phenomenon spread from the UK across Europe and beyond, creating a style of circus architecture that has never been repeated. The purpose of this book is to examine what caused these buildings to be constructed and their design and architecture. Examples of key structures will be explored in detail, some of them still surviving today and still being used for circus performances. The book will also look at the developments of contemporary circus architecture and raise questions as to the future of the circus building.

The Legend is the remarkable autobiography of Steve Ward, the world's oldest ever professional boxer. It details the astonishing obstacles Steve has overcome to become a three-times Guinness World Record holder after taking up the sport he loves again at the age of 54. Steve's unstinting ambition is driven by a promise made by his late father Bernard, who introduced him to boxing and told allcomers his son would be a world champion. His story is an inspiration to anyone who has hit hard times and proof of the old adage that all things are possible. A very serious foot injury sustained in a freak accident at work eventually led to Steve planning to kill himself before he bounced back to confound the medical profession and achieve his dream of winning a world title in his very last fight, at 64 years of age.

We live in a society that places an increasing value in ethnic diversity and cultural identity. However, the contribution that performers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds made to the development of the circus in the nineteenth century is very often overlooked and largely forgotten. Pablo Fanque and Miss La La may be notable names of the period but there were many others besides. Using contemporary records and images, this book explores the wealth and depth of talented black and other ethnic performers, and the contribution they made to the success of the nineteenth century circus. These are iconic figures who should be drawn in from the margins of history and given the recognition they deserve.

Trading can be intensely rewarding. But it is also one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging activities anyone can pursue. As in other high-performance domains, those who are serious about mastering their craft and staying in the game spend serious time working on their game, including training their mind and body.Steve Ward has spent the last 15 years working as a performance coach with financial traders and investors at some of the biggest and most successful investment banks, hedge funds, asset managers, commodities trading houses and proprietary trading groups across the globe, helping them to perform at their best, to navigate the highs and lows of trading and investing in the markets, and to sustain high performance for the long run.As one hedge fund client put it to him, "It's about becoming bulletproof".Becoming a bulletproof trader is forged over time through experience, and by applying the latest insights from biological and psychological sciences, the best that practical philosophy can teach us, and a healthy dose of pragmatism – doing what actually works in the real world of trading the markets.This book brings together all of Steve's latest insights into how to deal with stresses and setbacks and sustain high performance in a comprehensive, accessible and unmissable book, so that you too can become a bulletproof trader.Don't trade without it.

An "advanced learner" is someone who is usually cooperative across a variety of contexts, usually tolerates brief delays, denials, and corrections, and is at least beginning to develop independent task completion. He may have worked through much of the programming provided in Teaching Good Learner Repertoires (Ward, 2013), and is now ready for the next step. The current book guides teachers in strategies to: establish functional independence; improve spontaneity; expand upon contexts in which the student cooperates with teacher expectations; strengthen self-calming; maximize the benefits of inclusive education, and more.

Philip Astley first pegged out his circular 'ride' on the banks of the Thames in 1768 and so laid down the foundations of the modern circus. Performing feats of trick riding with his wife Patty Jones, little did he realise that before long women would become a dominant force in the circus. Sawdust Sisterhood explores how the circus empowered women and gave them the opportunity to compete and succeed as performers in their own right in an otherwise masculine world. Drawing upon historical news reports and contemporary interviews, the book explores the lives of female circus performers and focuses upon several of the more well-known artistes from across two centuries of circus, including; Madame Saqui, the renowned French wire-walker of the early nineteenth century; Nellie Chapman, the Victorian 'Lion Queen' of Wombwells's Menagerie and Circus; and Katie Brumbach, otherwise known as Sandwina, perhaps the most famous Strongwoman of the twentieth century. Sawdust Sisterhood acknowledges the role of the female circus performer across the centuries.

Beneath the Big Top is a social history of the circus, from its ancient roots to the rise of the 'modern' tented travelling shows. A performer and founder of a circus group, Steve Ward draws on eye-witness accounts and contemporary interviews to explore the triumphs and disasters of the circus world. He reveals the stories beneath the big top during the golden age of the circus and the lives of circus folk, which were equally colourful outside the ring: * Pablo Fanque, Britain's first black circus proprietor * The Chipperfield dynasty, who started out in 1684 on the frozen Thames * Katie Sandwina, world's strongest woman and part-time crime-fighter * The Sylvain brothers, who fell in love with the same woman in the ring

Become a savvy trader with a "mindful" edge... TraderMind is an essential resource for understanding and applying mindfulness-based approaches that help to enhance an individual trader's overall performance. Based upon extensive research and practical application in the real world of the trading floor, TraderMind includes methods, tactics and techniques to build and enhance awareness and insight, which help manage thoughts and emotions and maximize trading performance. The author demonstrates how to overcome habitual or impulsive trading behaviours, manage energy levels, become more attuned to and responsive to the market, more situationally aware and build patterns of effective trading behaviour. By developing these skills and good behaviours, traders can overcome inherent biases and, ultimately, improve their trading decisions. The techniques outlined in TraderMind can be utilized as core competencies of trading psychology or can be used to complement other behavioural methods and strategies. The TraderMind tool-set does not replace the need for basic trading skills, knowledge, strategy, or key performance enablers such as preparation and performance analysis. Rather, TraderMind is designed to act as a facilitator or multiplier to enhance trader decision-making and improve overall performance. "A thoughtful read with 'bang-for-the buck' practical strategies for time pressed traders." – Linda Raschke, President at LBRGroup, Inc., CTA Also includes the TraderMind 8 Week Training Program.

Thinking, and betting, like the pros"Most people in sports betting are looking at things the wrong way."- Peter Webb, founder of Bet Angel"Some people only ever seem to want to hit the sexy six, and not take the singles"- Compton Hellyer, founder of Sporting IndexThis is a book that teaches you how to bet on sports with the same discipline and mindset as the professionals.Lots of books and websites give advice on profitable strategies – and tipsters and systems proliferate. But this is the only guide that helps you make your trades and bank your wins for the long term, avoiding the perennial dangers of overconfidence, irrationality and emotion.However successful your selections, you are never safe from crippling losses until you know how to bet with the clear head and calm approach of the masters.The simple fact is that most people betting on sports lose over the long term. Performance errors currently hamper the majority of bettors: they lose their bets because they first lose their heads.The only answer is to think differently. With chapters ranging across motivation, performance analysis, the betting process and going pro, this book is the definitive guide to achieving this:- Use dozens of exercises to sharpen your thinking and refine your betting processes.- Share in the exclusive insights of professional sports bettors, who reveal for the first time how they have built successful gambling careers.- Benefit in every chapter from one-to-one training from the author, a professional sports and trading performance coach.Sports Betting to Win is your own personal course for establishing a firm psychological foundation for long-term betting success.

High Performance Trading provides proven practical techniques and strategies to help traders of all abilities, experience levels and styles to enhance their trading performance and psychology.Based on practical coaching and training interventions, personal experiences, the latest research and feedback, and advice from leading traders, trading coaches and trading psychologists, this book offers something for everyone who wants to become a better trader.- Discover how to avoid the common pitfalls of trading and how to take the practical steps that can set you up for trading success.- Strengthen your trading discipline as you discover the art of flawless execution.- Develop and hone your mental edge through learning to think like a successful trader.- Programme yourself for trading success with powerful mental conditioning techniques.- Develop unshakeable focus and concentration and learn how to get into the trading zone.- Understand how to achieve and sustain a core of trading confidence.- Learn how to utilise simple techniques to manage your emotional states.- Build resilience to cope with trading stresses, and pressures and manage losses, setbacks and errors.- Move towards greater consistency and success in your trading performance.