Like Captain James Cook, I have been slowly circling the Antarctic.
While labouring on other books, the ice-covered continent kept
looming into view like an alluring mirage, suggesting itself as a
subject worthy of closer exploration. The chance to do so came after
I completed Conquest: How societies overwhelm others (2008),
which examined how so-called 'supplanting societies' claim territories
and make them their own over an extended period of time. It
was a new way of looking at the history of the world.
This is a book for all preachers (of any denomination), be they ordained, readers, students preparing for a preaching ministry, or lay people called on to deliver a sermon from time to time.
In his introduction, David Day describes the ambivalence in churches about preaching. He goes on to help preachers construct and deliver addresses that draw the practice closer to the high theology we hold of the sermon as the 'word of God'. The author believes that the best and most effective preaching is biblical, and several chapters focus on how to draw our message authentically from scripture. He also gives plenty of practical help on the craft of preaching. And in doing so, he is courageous enough to expose some of his own sermons as examples of good or (occasionally) bad practice, as well as sermons from fifty or so preachers who are equally brave in offering their own efforts.
'David Day is a superb communicator. His style is economical, vivid, subtle and clear, and he uses those gifts to help others discover their own voice.'
Anvil
'This is perhaps the best book I have ever been asked to review. It is practical, packed with relevant exercises, clear, non-technical and often very funny.'
The Reader
Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells.
The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism.
In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.