Books

Immigration and Homelessness in Europe
Bill Edgar, Joe Doherty and Henk Meert
The Policy Press
ISBN 1-86143-647-6

Research shows a substantial and growing number of immigrants among the users of homeless services across Europe. In some countries, close to half of those who use these services are immigrants in situations of desperate need.

This stands in rather stark contrast to the notion, popularly bandied about, that immigrants are favoured in relation to social housing and social welfare and that their arrival heralds the beginning of a new life in relative ease and comfort. Economic and other factors contributing to the incidence of homelessness among immigrants are thoroughly explored in this book.

Bill Edgar is Honorary Research Fellow in Town and Regional Planning.

International and Comparative Mineral Law and Policy
Elisabeth Bastida, Thomas Walde & Janeth Warden
Kluwer Law International/ Aspen Publishers
ISBN 9041121161

This book covers a broad spectrum of issues shaping the current paradigm of minerals sector governance. The ultimate aim of the book is to understand trends and developments in mineral law and policy occurring at international, regional, cross-border and in some selected cases at national level and also to identify some of the challenges lying ahead.

Topics are divided into five main chapters: international and comparative aspects of mineral law; actors and policies in the minerals industry; investment prospects, financial and fiscal issues; sustainable development and regional outlooks.

The authors are staff at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law Policy. Elizabeth Bastida is Director of Mining Programme, Thomas Walde is Co-Director International Business Transactions Programme, and Janeth Warden-Fernandez is Research and Teaching fellow

Who Governs Scotland?
Alex Wright
Routledge
ISBN 0-714-65513-9

This book addresses the premise that the question of who governs Scotland has become increasingly ambiguous, due in part to European integration, globalisation and devolution within the UK. It argues that although the concept of multi-level governance helped illuminate regionalisation with the EU, it was not an appropriate model for Scotland.

Alex Wright argues that the arrangements that underpinned inter-governmental relations between Scotland, the UK and the EU are inadequate, and that Scotland's international profile has markedly changed in the aftermath of devolution.

The book adds to the debate on constitutional reform, and offers insights into the Scottish parliament's foreign affairs agenda. Alex Wright is Lecturer in Scottish, UK and EU politics.

Book of the Month

"I was Howard Hughes" by Steven Carter RRP £6.99. Our price 25% off retail price.

The book is an exhilarating read about the remarkable life of Howard Hughes, a man who embodied the American dream. Part Great Gatsby, part This is Spinal Tap, Steven Carter's hilarious debut paints a fictional portrait of a biographer, his notorious subject, and the illusions we hold about fame and fortune.

Best book ideas

Do you have a great idea for a book? Dundee University Press (DUP) is offering three £100 cash prizes for best book ideas in a unique competition designed to catch the attention of academics who can spot the best opportunities in their subject areas.

Following its launch in October, DUP has a number of new titles in the pipeline including a primer of mining law and a five volume series on Scotland's medieval history. With an ambitious publishing programme building to 20-30 books in three years time, there is a real appetite for attracting the best and the most readable books to publish in science and the communication of science, law and the professions, architecture and art history as well as history.

Publishing Manager Carol Pope, "No-one is closer to the student and academic market than the academics themselves. They know when there is a need for a title in a specialist area, when there's an important book crying out for translation into English, or when an out-of-print text has been overlooked for reprint.

"As a relative newcomer to the academic publishing scene we need to make our presence known and felt. We want academics who may be used to going down other publishing routes to pause and think of DUP as an interesting and exciting alternative, indeed to make it their first thought in the future."

The 'Best Book Ideas' competition, offers three £100 cash prizes for the best book proposal, best reprint proposal and best translation proposal.

To enter the best book proposal, send the title and a 500 word synopsis of a book you would like to see written and published, along with the audience to whom you think the book should be addressed.

To make a proposal for best reprint, send the title, author and a 250 word explanation of why you think the book should be reprinted, and the audience it would address.

Best translation proposals can be entered by sending the title, author and, if possible, the ISBN of an important book you believe should be published in an English translation, with 500 words explaining why.

All book proposals should be for non-fiction titles in the fields of history, art history, architecture, law and the professions, science or the public communication of science. Full details can be viewed at www.dup.dundee.ac.uk

Entries should be sent to Carol Pope, Dundee University Press, DD1 4HN or to dup@dundee.ac.uk The deadline for entries is 28 February.

Commendation for medical book

The British Medical Association book competition has highly commended "High blood pressure at your fingertips" by Professor Tom Fahey of the Division of Community Health Sciences and Professor Deirdre Murphy of the Department of Maternal and Child Health Sciences. The book was nominated in the popular medicine category.

Aimed at encouraging and rewarding excellence in medical publishing, the main objective of the BMA competition is to encourage the production of high-quality medical books. Tom Fahey's writing was also awarded in the Primary Health Care category, as writer of the blood pressure chapter in the "Oxford Textbook of Primary Medical Care" which took first prize.