{"title":"Books by Mark Williams","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780500252369","title":"The Celtic Myths That Shape the Way We Think","description":"How do myths that were deeply embedded in the customs and beliefs of their original culture find themselves retold and reinterpreted across the world, centuries or even millennia later? Focusing on ten myths that have had the greatest cultural impact and are the most relevant to our lives today, Mark Williams reveals the lasting influence of Celtic mythology, from medieval literature to the modern fantasy genre. Ten chapters recount the myths and explore the lasting influence of legendary figures including King Arthur, the Celtic figure who paradoxically became the archetypal English national hero; Cú Chulainn, the hero of the Táin, Ireland’s great medieval epic, who became a symbol of the reborn Irish nation; the Irish and Scottish hero Finn, who as ‘Fingal’ caught the imagination of Napoleon, Goethe and Mendelssohn; and the Welsh mythical figure Blodeuwedd, magically created from flowers of the oak, who inspired Yeats.    Williams also explores the contentious use of mythic imagery in nationalist ideology, and how characters and concepts from Celtic legends have been relevant to past and present discussions on national identity. His elegantly written retellings capture the beauty of the original myths while also delving deeper into the history of their meanings, offering the reader an intelligent and engaging take on these powerful stories. Beautiful illustrations of the artworks these myths have inspired over the centuries are presented in a colour-plates section and in black-and-white within the text.    Mark Williams' mythological expertise and captivating writing style makes this book essential reading for anyone who appreciates the myths that have shaped our artistic and literary canons and continue to inspire today. With 77 illustrations","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201749713074,"sku":"9780500252369","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500252369_6f33b34f-5989-4ffc-94d0-18a7419702cc.jpg?v=1786013904"},{"product_id":"9780199672899","title":"Ocean Worlds","description":"Oceans make up most of the surface of our blue planet. They may form just a sliver on the outside of the Earth, but they are very important, not only in hosting life, including the fish and other animals on which many humans depend, but in terms of their role in the Earth system, in regulating climate, and cycling nutrients. As climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation by humans puts this precious resource at risk, it is more important than ever that we understand and appreciate the nature and history of oceans. There is much we still do not know about the story of the Earth's oceans, and we are only just beginning to find indications of oceans on other planets. In this book, geologists Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams consider the deep history of oceans, how and when they may have formed on the young Earth -- topics of intense current research -- how they became salty, and how they evolved through Earth history. We learn how oceans have formed and disappeared over millions of years, how the sea nurtured life, and what may become of our oceans in the future. We encounter some of the scientists and adventurers whose efforts led to our present understanding of oceans. And we look at clues to possible seas that may once have covered parts of Mars and Venus, that may still exist, below the surface, on moons such as Europa and Callisto, and the possibility of watery planets in other star systems.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227878470005,"sku":"9780199672899","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199672899_66b5f559-276b-4b79-b72b-6869758dad76.jpg?v=1786012655"},{"product_id":"9780691183046","title":"Ireland`s Immortals – A History of the Gods of Irish Myth","description":"A sweeping history of Ireland's native gods, from Iron Age cult and medieval saga to the Celtic Revival and contemporary fictionIreland’s Immortals tells the story of one of the world’s great mythologies. The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nation’s languages, the book describes how Ireland’s pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era—and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A lively narrative of supernatural beings and their fascinating and sometimes bizarre stories, Mark Williams’s comprehensive history traces how these gods—known as the Túatha Dé Danann—have shifted shape across the centuries. We meet the Morrígan, crow goddess of battle; the fire goddess Brigit, who moonlights as a Christian saint; the fairies who inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s elves; and many others. Ireland’s Immortals illuminates why these mythical beings have loomed so large in the world’s imagination for so long.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56293577949557,"sku":"9780691183046","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691183046_a382c443-ba76-4b38-b8ee-e0934eabc037.jpg?v=1786015056"},{"product_id":"9781462537037","title":"Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis acclaimed work has introduced tens of thousands of clinicians to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for depression, an 8-week program with proven effectiveness. Step by step, the authors explain the \"whys\" and \"how-tos\" of conducting mindfulness practices and cognitive interventions that have been shown to bolster recovery from depression and prevent relapse. Clinicians are also guided to practice mindfulness themselves, an essential prerequisite to teaching others. Forty-five reproducible handouts are included. Purchasers get access to a companion website featuring downloadable audio recordings of the guided mindfulness practices (meditations and mindful movement), plus all of the reproducibles, ready to download and print in a convenient 8 1\/2\" x 11\" size. A separate website for use by clients features the audio recordings only.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e New to This Edition\u003cbr\u003e *Incorporates a decade's worth of developments in MBCT clinical practice and training.\u003cbr\u003e *Chapters on additional treatment components: the pre-course interview and optional full-day retreat.\u003cbr\u003e *Chapters on self-compassion, the inquiry process, and the three-minute breathing space.\u003cbr\u003e *Findings from multiple studies of MBCT's effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. Includes studies of adaptations for treating psychological and physical health problems other than depression.\u003cbr\u003e *Audio files of the guided mindfulness practices, narrated by the authors, on two separate Web pages--one for professionals, together with the reproducibles, and one just for clients.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e See also the authors' related titles for clients: \u003ci\u003eThe Mindful Way through Depression, Second Edition\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates these proven strategies in a self-help format, with in-depth stories and examples. \u003ci\u003eThe Mindful Way Workbook\u003c\/i\u003e gives clients additional, explicit support for building their mindfulness practice, following the sequence of the MBCT program. Plus, for professionals: \u003ci\u003eMindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with People at Risk of Suicide\u003c\/i\u003e extends and refines MBCT for clients with suicidal depression.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56300130533749,"sku":"9781462537037","price":45.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57688205623669,"sku":"9781462507504","price":82.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781462537037.jpg?v=1792686130"},{"product_id":"9781462553921","title":"The Mindful Way Through Depression","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe revolutionary book that has helped hundreds of thousands of readers find relief from chronic unhappiness is now in a revised and updated second edition.\u003c\/b\u003e This authoritative, easy-to-use self-help program is grounded in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, a clinically proven approach. The expert authors explain why our usual attempts to \"fix\" sadness or \"just stop thinking about it\" can actually worsen depression, instead of relieving it. Through vivid stories and downloadable audio meditations encouragingly narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the book shows how you can break the mental habits that lead to despair--and recover a sense of joy, aliveness, and possibility. Revised throughout to be even more reader friendly, the second edition features fresh insights on coping with the challenges of our ever-changing world, the latest scientific data, and four additional audio tracks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e See also the authors' \u003ci\u003eMindful Way Workbook\u003c\/i\u003e, which provides step-by-step guidance for building your mindfulness practice in 8 weeks. Plus, mental health professionals, see also the authors' bestselling therapy guide: \u003ci\u003eMindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685965275509,"sku":"9781462555512","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781462553921.jpg?v=1792599228"},{"product_id":"9781509534609","title":"The Anthropocene – A Multidisciplinary Approach","description":"Humans rank with the powerful forces of nature transforming Earth. Since the mid-20th century, population growth, industrialization, and globalization have had such deep and wide-ranging impacts that our planet no longer functions as it did during the previous eleven millennia. So distinctive is this collective human intervention that a new geological interval has been proposed; it is called the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is intriguing scientifically, fascinating intellectually, and deeply disturbing politically, socially, economically, and ethically. We must learn how to co-exist sustainably with the rest of nature in what is emerging as a new planetary state. To do so, we must first understand what \"Anthropocene\" means in all its dimensions. This book adopts a multidisciplinary approach, starting with an exploration of the Anthropocene as a geological concept: ranging across the physical changes to the landscape, to the rapidly heating climate, to a biosphere undergoing transformation. And what of the \"anthropos\" in the Anthropocene? While geoscience does not normally address political and ethical issues of justice and equity, or economics and culture, Anthropocene studies in the humanities and social sciences investigate the complexities of the human activity driving global change.  Here the book looks at human history, both in the deep past and more recently, the politics and economics of growth spurring the Anthropocene, and potential ways of mitigating its cruel effects. Our fragile, still beautiful, planet is finite. The new realities of the Anthropocene will need our best efforts, across disciplinary divides, at effective hope and action.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301420904821,"sku":"9781509534609","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781509534609_c9bd23e1-6187-458a-93e0-dae749227f36.jpg?v=1786021629"},{"product_id":"9780199571840","title":"Fiery Shapes","description":"The presentation of the magical and mantic in Celtic literature has persistently been dogged by misunderstanding and over-romanticized readings. Among the misconceptions about the ancient and medieval Celtic peoples, the notion of a specifically 'Celtic' astrology remains widespread in the popular mind. This study aims to counter such myth-making, and to demonstrate how a number Irish and Welsh literary writers in the medieval and Early Modern period conceived of portents in the heavens - comets, blood-coloured moons, darkened suns - and what they knew of the complex art of astrology. Early Irish churchmen felt that the end of the world was imminent, and this book explores the ways in which they saw signs in the heavens as evidence of impending apocalypse, and how they adapted such millenarian imagery for use in native sagas in Irish. It then moves on to an extended discussion of the cloud-divination ascribed to Irish druids in high medieval literary texts; this has sometimes naively been taken as evidence for the actual customs of the druidic caste, but it is shown here to be a development of the later Middle Ages, long after the druids' disappearance. Turning to Wales, the cosmological knowledge of two linked figures is scrutinized: the super-poet Taliesin, and King Arthur's prophet Merlin, whom Geoffrey of Monmouth represented in the mid 12th century as an astrological sage with a purpose-built observatory. Evidence for the knowledge of astrology amongst the learned poets of later medieval Wales is then laid out, with an analysis of a powerful late 15th century poem indicting the evil influence of the planet Saturn; such knowledge seems to have been largely medical in nature, and the book concludes with an examination of a number of Welsh astrological texts in manuscript, setting them against the longest astrological poem in a Celtic language, the mid 17th century Puritan mystic Morgan Llwyd's spiritualizing and evangelical 'Heavenly Science'.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311620927861,"sku":"9780199571840","price":152.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199571840_871f767d-469b-4a43-a5d8-dbf2a76b1c67.jpg?v=1786012294"},{"product_id":"9780199683505","title":"The Goldilocks Planet","description":"Climate change is a major topic of concern today, scientifically, socially, and politically. It will undoubtedly continue to be so for the foreseeable future, as predicted changes in global temperatures, rainfall, and sea level take place, and as human society adapts to these changes. In this remarkable new work, Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams demonstrate how the Earth's climate has continuously altered over its 4.5 billion-year history. The story can be read from clues preserved in the Earth's strata - the evidence is abundant, though always incomplete, and also often baffling, puzzling, infuriating, tantalizing, seemingly contradictory. Geologists, though, are becoming ever more ingenious at interrogating this evidence, and the story of the Earth's climate is now being reconstructed in ever-greater detail - maybe even providing us with clues to the future of contemporary climate change. The history is dramatic and often abrupt. Changes in global and regional climate range from bitterly cold to sweltering hot, from arid to humid, and they have impacted hugely upon the planet's evolving animal and plant communities, and upon its physical landscapes of the Earth. And yet, through all of this, the Earth has remained consistently habitable for life for over three billion years - in stark contrast to its planetary neighbours. Not too hot, not too cold; not too dry, not too wet, it is aptly known as 'the Goldilocks planet'.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311623025013,"sku":"9780199683505","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199683505_c4a0d2b2-5a03-4986-9fc0-f38ef73310b7.jpg?v=1786012714"},{"product_id":"9781837760725","title":"The Coastal Forager","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA must-have guide to the edible opportunities of North Atlantic coastlines, covering coastal plants, seaweed, shellfish and more, from professional foraging guide and wild-food chef Mark Williams.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo the knowing eye, our coasts are an incredible source of nutrition and flavors—from aromatic maritime herbs and succulent coastal vegetables to umami-rich seaweeds and gourmet shellfish. Join Mark on an intimate gastronomic and ecological journey through a dazzling range of coastal habitats, learning how to safely identify, considerately harvest and creatively cook coastal wild foods.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe coast is not just one habitat, but a complex tapestry of ecosystems, woven by the sea. Structured around these distinct habitats—salt marsh, shingle, cliffs, sandy beach and the intertidal zone—the book leads us on a detailed exploration of an incredible and diverse range of edible species, with fascinating insights into their ecological roles and ethnobotanical history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing a mix of stunning illustrations from Sofia Iva and informative and evocative photographs, we learn how to safely, legally, considerately and deliciously connect with them. Through recipes, seasonal tips, preserving guides, and fascinating personal stories from Mark’s own wild and rugged coastal home in Scotland, you will discover the flavors, nourishing abundance and fascinating stories of our shorelines.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome of the species covered in the book are: sea buckthorn, beach rose, sea sandwort, sea beet, wild thyme, marsh samphire, wrack, sea lettuce, kelp, limpets, cockles, oysters and mussels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe species explored in this book are found on the temperate coasts of the North Atlantic, making it ideal for use along:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe eastern seaboard of North America (from the Carolinas, northwards through Canada). \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll coasts of the UK and Ireland.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe North Atlantic coasts of Europe (from Scandinavia down to Northern Spain).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369313481077,"sku":"9781837760725","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781837760725_8e336f14-e1e3-4674-85c8-e7939f6bc3d2.jpg?v=1786028275"},{"product_id":"9781839970375","title":"Supporting Parents and Families with Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing","description":"\u003cp\u003eProviding help for practitioners to support parents and grandparents during the perinatal period, this book offers advice on how to maintain good mental wellbeing. The authors lay the groundwork for understanding the factors that affect perinatal mental health and offer practical interventions which enhance the practitioners' ability to help both parents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book looks at the importance of good mental health, the different types of poor mental health, as well as the impact of these on the infant. It also raises awareness of the importance of fathers' mental health and the understanding of how parents can have different timelines for their own traumas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy providing practitioners with a toolkit to look at parents' and grandparents' mental health during the perinatal period, \u003ci\u003eSupporting Parents and Families with Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing\u003c\/i\u003e is an essential guide for recognising parents' deteriorating mental health, helping them to improve it, leading them to recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369326391669,"sku":"9781839970375","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781839970375_465c3a55-5355-4997-9948-68fae3987237.jpg?v=1786027851"},{"product_id":"mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy-with-people-at-risk-of-suicide","title":"Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With People at Risk of Suicide","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrounded in extensive research and clinical experience, this book describes how to adapt mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for participants who struggle with recurrent suicidal thoughts and impulses. Clinicians and mindfulness teachers are presented with a comprehensive framework for understanding suicidality and its underlying vulnerabilities. The preliminary intake interview and each of the eight group mindfulness sessions of MBCT are discussed in detail, highlighting issues that need to be taken into account with highly vulnerable people. Assessment guidelines are provided and strategies for safely teaching core mindfulness practices are illustrated with extensive case examples. The book also discusses how to develop the required mindfulness teacher skills and competencies. Purchasers get access to a companion website featuring downloadable audio recordings of the guided mindfulness practices, narrated by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale. (Published in hardcover as \u003ci\u003eMindfulness and the Transformation of Despair: Working with People at Risk of Suicide\u003c\/i\u003e.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e See also\u003ci\u003e Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition\u003c\/i\u003e, by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale, the authoritative presentation of MBCT.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484311527797,"sku":"9781462531684","price":33.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781462531684.jpg?v=1786266369"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-mark-williams.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}