Design

Imagine you woke up one morning to find everything created by engineers had disappeared. What would you see?

No cars, no houses; no phones, bridges or roads. No tunnels under tidal rivers, no soaring skyscrapers. The impact that engineering has had on the human experience is undeniable, but it is also often invisible.

In BUILT, structural engineer Roma Agrawal takes a unique look at how construction has evolved from the mud huts of our ancestors to skyscrapers of steel that reach hundreds of metres into the sky. She unearths how engineers have tunnelled through kilometres of solid mountains; how they've bridged across the widest and deepest of rivers, and tamed Nature's precious - and elusive - water resources. She tells vivid tales of the visionaries who created the groundbreaking materials in the Pantheon's record-holding concrete dome and the frame of the record-breaking Eiffel Tower. Through the lens of an engineer, Roma examines tragedies like the collapse of the Quebec Bridge, highlighting the precarious task of ensuring people's safety they hold at every step.

With colourful stories of her life-long fascination with buildings - and her own hand-drawn illustrations - Roma reveals the extraordinary secret lives of structures.

Time to dream. A summer plan for anyone after a better quality of life, from a new HQ to a nicer home. Plus, our annual Quality of Life survey.

Capturing life at sea through engaging photographs, compelling stories, and authentic fisherman's recipes, this characterful volume is a one-of-a-kind companion for all sea lovers with a sense of adventure and appetite.

Whether in the shimmering sunshine of the Adriatic Coast or up against a two-and-a-half-meter swell in Brittany, Captain's Dinner is a maritime journey of discovery through the world of fishing. What does it mean to be dependent on the vagaries of nature on a daily basis? What is it like to haul in fishing nets in rain and galeforce 8 wind? How do freshly caught breams, herring, etc. actually end up on deck by lunch break and on the plate by night? In search of answers, photographer Paul Pflüger braved the wind and weather to accompany 27 fishermen at work on European seas, observing their daily routine over several months. The result is a lively, intimate, and unadulterated logbook of fishing and life at sea, combining captivating portraits of the protagonists alongside their own commentaries on the delicate craft and hard labor that make up a fisherman's existence today, not least when faced with critically-diminished fish stocks and attendant fishing quotas. The featured fishermen also share their own favorite, previously-unpublished seafood dishes, from fried onion herb herring to Irish surf & turf or cold smoked mullet. With more than 50 of these delicious, simple seafood recipes, Captain's Dinner is a must for all those who love and care about the sea and its unique flavors.

Ever since its launch in 2007, Monocle has been passionate about improving our cities. Each year it compiles a Quality of Life Survey, which names the top 25 cities to call home, and across the issues it has interviewed the most productive mayors, looked at the metropolises putting pedestrians first, and met the people making room for parks, both pocket-sized and plush. In this important new book the magazine's editors unpack what makes a great city and how to fix one that's flagging. How do you fashion your own High Line, create the most covetable housing, or transform a grimy river into a glistening asset? Beautifully shot and illustrated, this is a book that takes the urbanism debate away from city hall and explains what's needed in ways that will inspire us all.

The aim of this book is to improve your penmanship within two hours. After reading these 40 pages, you will gain an understanding of the mechanics of cursive handwriting.
These rules and insights apply regardless of the writing style you learnt at school. I guarantee your success. This is not a copybook as there is nothing to be gained from superimposing a calligraphic style upon a faulty understanding of the fundamental principles of pen manipulation.

Therefore, it may not be necessary to abandon your current style of handwriting. As the old expression says, Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In my system you will discover that there is one dominant anticlockwise moving shape which is repeated over and over again to form writing which remains legible from start to finish. With a few additional hints on pen strokes, you will be amazed by what you can do.