Alumni Services

April 2018

This month's packed bookshelf includes works from alumni who studied such diverse fields as medicine, sociology, artificial intelligence and chemistry.

1.

Author

Ron Butlin

Degree Arts
Book

Steve & FranDan Take on the World

Steve has had enough – enough of cyber-bullies, enough of adults messing up the world. Sharp-witted Fran and her brother worry-wart Dan feel exactly the same. And so, along with his dog Nessie, Steve and the FranDan twins leave town in the dead of night to start on the biggest adventure of their lives . . .

But if things were bad before, they soon get worse. Much, much worse. Some seriously bad men show up. Why have Steve and Dan been overpowered and led away as prisoners? Why are they kept tied up in the barn of a disused farm?

Having managed to escape, and with no way to call for help, Fran knows it’s up to her to mount a one-woman rescue.

Steve & FranDan Take on the World

2.

Author Paul Greatrix
Degree English Language
Book

True Crime on Campus

Students, staff and visitors often do the strangest things. From zombie apocalypse and unexplained beeping incidents to Quidditch and scrabble accidents it really is all kicking off on campus.  Pigeons, tigers, ninja turtles and a tarantula are all involved and there is much strange behaviour and many unfortunate events. True Crime on Campus has been published by Paul Greatrix, Registrar of the University of Nottingham, since 2010. Blogging under the banner of Registrarism at Wonkhe, the home of higher education wonkery, many hundreds of bizarre, unfortunate, inexplicable and just plain weird campus crime reports have appeared over the years. Staff, students and anyone interested in what really happens outside the university lecture room will enjoy these very real examples of True Crime on Campus.

True Crime on Campus

3.

Author Mandy Haggith
Degree Msc, PhD Artificial Intelligence
Book

The Walrus Mutterer

Northern Britain, 320BC. Rian, a carefree young woman is enslaved by a powerful trader and taken aboard a vessel for a long and perilous voyage. Their quest: to find precious walrus ivory and amber – sources of untold wealth and influence. They’re joined by a mysterious, ambitious stranger, Pytheas the Greek, who is seeking riches from the North to bring back to his native land.

In the first volume of this extraordinary, imaginative trilogy, Mandy Haggith takes us back to prehistoric times and opens the way for an intergenerational saga ranging from the Sub-Arctic to the Mediterranean. As visceral as it is gripping, The Walrus Mutterer introduces an unforgettable cast of characters. It’s a stunning achievement from an award-winning novelist and poet.

The Walrus Mutterer

Mandy Haggith's website

4.

Author Gwenda Kyd
Degree BSc, PhD Chemistry
Book

The Plants of Dr Bach

When Dr Edward Bach developed his 38 flower remedies in the 1930s he was carrying on a tradition of using plants for healing stretching back at least 60,000 years. Today we understand more about how the chemical compounds in plants govern their lives and can also be useful to us.  However, although the flower remedies are known and used worldwide, the source plants themselves are often overlooked.  This book lifts the lid on the lives of the remedy plants and explores some of their weird and wonderful other uses and their origins.  We’ll discover the plant extract used to test for a rare blood group, the tree which helps make beer taste smoother and the flower forbidden to Victorian girls because of the shocking dreams it provoked!  Come and explore the world of the very special plants of Dr Bach.

The Plants of Dr Bach

5.

Author David McCrone
Degree Sociology, Social Scences
Book

The New Sociology of Scotland

This ground-breaking new introduction is a comprehensive account of the social, political, economic and cultural processes at work in contemporary Scottish society.

At a time of major uncertainty and transformation The New Sociology of Scotland explores every aspect of Scottish life. Placed firmly in the context of globalisation, the text:

  • examines a broad range of topics including race and ethnicity, social inequality, national identity, health, class, education, sport, media and culture, among many others.  
  • looks at the ramifications of recent political events such as British General Election of 2015, the Scottish parliament election of May 2016, and the Brexit referendum of June 2016.
  • uses learning features such as further reading and discussion questions to stimulate students to engage critically with issues raised.

Written in a lucid and accessible style, The New Sociology of Scotland is an indispensable guide for students of sociology and politics. 

The New Sociology of Scotland

6.

Author G. Ross Roy
Degree Hon DLitt
Book

Selected Essays on Robert Burns

Along with introductions to such well-known Burns poems as "Tam o' Shanter" and "Auld Lang Syne," this book, edited by Patrick Scott (PhD 1976), includes essays discussing Burns's attitudes to the French Revolution, politics, and religion, his love-letters to Clarinda, The Merry Muses of Caledonia, poems written about Burns, and the editing of Burns's works. The volume opens with some autobiographical reflections about his encounters with Burns that Ross Roy recorded shortly before his death, and it concludes with an illustrated interview about some of the Burns treasures he had collected.  

Selected Essays on Robert Burns

 

7.

Author Peng Yong Sim
Degree BMedSci, MBChB, PGCert Clin Ed
Book

Pocket Tutor Ophthalmology (Second Edition)

Co-authored by Shyamanga Borooah, Mark Wright, Baljean Dhillon, the Pocket Tutor series give practical guidance on subjects that medical students and foundation doctors need help with `on the go', at a highly-affordable price that puts them within reach of those rotating through modular courses or working on attachment. Topics reflect information needs stemming from today's integrated undergraduate and foundation courses: Common presentations Investigation options (e.g. ECG, imaging) Clinical and patient-orientated skills (e.g. examinations, history-taking) The highly-structured, bite-size content helps novices combat the `fear factor' associated with day-to-day clinical training, and provides a detailed resource that students and junior doctors can carry in their pocket. Key points New edition features completely updated text and revised diagnostic algorithms Over 50 brand-new, high-quality clinical images Highly-affordable price and convenient pocket-size format Breaks down a subject that students receive little teaching on using clear images, concise and informative text, and specific management scenarios.

Pocket Tutor Ophthalmology (Second Edition)

 

Your book

If you are a member of the alumni community and have recently published a book, we would be delighted to include it in the Alumni Bookshelf. Email the details, along with your degree details, to Brian Campbell:

Email Brian Campbell

Please note

Books are added to the bookshelf in order of submission. All of the further information links listed are the external websites of the book publisher, the author, or the bookseller. The University of Edinburgh is not responsible for the content and functionality of these sites.