In A Tale of Three Thirsty Cities: The Innovative Water Supply Systems of Toledo, London and Paris in the Second Half of the Sixteenth Century, Chaim Shulman presents an analysis of three projects of urban water supply systems carried out between 1560s–1610s. The technical and economic differences between these projects resulted from external conditions not directly related to the water supply problem. Although the same basic technology was apparently available at the time in all cases, the geographical, engineering, entrepreneurial and cultural nature of each region differed. The inhabitants’ wellbeing improvement achieved varied accordingly. Much broader insights are drawn on the policies of the three monarchies regarding the initiative of and support for grand scale public works in general.

"There was a time, and no mistake, When thet same ranche down in the brake Was pleasanter a heap to me Than any sight on land or sea. The hosses knew it like their master, Smelt it miles orf, and spank'd the faster! Ay, bent to reach thet very spot, Flew till they halted steaming hot Sharp opposite the door, among The chicks and children old and young; And down I'd jump, and all the go Was 'Fortune, boss!' and 'Welcome, Joe!' And Cissy with her shining face, Tho' she was missus of the place, Stood larfing, hands upon her hips; And when upon her rosy lips I put my mouth and gave her one, She'd cuff me, and enjy the fun! She was a widow young and tight, Her chap had died in a free fight, And here she lived, and round her had Two chicks, three brothers, and her dad, All making money fast as hay, And doing better every day. Waal! guess tho' I was peart and swift, Spooning was never much my gift; But Cissy was a gal so sweet, So fresh, so spicy, and so neat, It put your wits all out o' place, Only to star' into her face. Skin whiter than a new-laid egg, Lips full of juice, and sech a leg! A smell about her, morn and e'en, Like fresh-bleach'd linen on a green; And from her hand when she took mine, The warmth ran up like sherry wine; And if in liquor I made free To pull her larfing on my knee, Why, there she'd sit, and feel so nice, Her heer all scent, her breath all spice! See! women hate, both young and old, A chap that's over shy and cold, And fire of all sorts kitches quick, And Cissy seem'd to feel full slick The same fond feelings, and at last Grew kinder every time I passed; And all her face, from eyes to chin, Said *'Bravo, Joe! You're safe to win!' And tho' we didn't fix, d'ye see, In downright words that it should be, Ciss and her fam'ly understood That she and me would jine for good.

Before this world is made into a virtual utopia it’s destined to be destroyed by fire; But Christians won’t have to go through those fiery days that shall burn as an oven, as recorded in Malachi 4; And our Heavens won’t even allow their tears to be shed, as thirsty grounds below swiftly spread everywhere, while turning our planet into a giant dust bowl. Then our earth’s crust will resonate from the resounding of moving mantle, that shall quickly waste all of the cities of a doomed race that foolishly followed after the ways of Babylon. And the electrical explosions of lightening crackles will then suddenly detonate within our expanse like unstable chemicals, that reacts ferociously with non compatible elements. Even our continental shelves shall also be rearranged in our new earth, when the underlying strata is moved miles out of it’s place by gargantuan earthquakes. Then our abandoned coastlines will be rapidly betrayed by waters, that leave real quick without any word. And within all areas of the circle of our earth new dry land shall suddenly arise to contend with bloody looking muck that shall be thrown up during volcanic conniptions. For our former forgotten seas will be swiftly transformed from eruptions, while they abruptly become parched badlands of the driest thirsty kind. And those bone dry lands will suddenly be floating upon steaming lava as it cools. Then the deepest gorges will be unexpectedly filled in by our ever shaking earth. At that point, our entire firmament will also be enshrouded with some real dusty ashes, while speedily producing real stagnant blackened clouds, that will be unable to empty themselves, due to the supernatural restraints that God shall place upon them. Furthermore, all unprotected life will then hastily cease, during those most foreboding, and darkest hours of God’s very worst fury; For all of the past vegetation of our greenest plains will then abruptly curl up into little balls, while quickly perishing very quick beneath the scorching rays of our sun that has gone more than crazy. And our planet will then immediately be stripped naked due to all of those combined happenings, that will rapidly lead to untold destruction. But after all those above horrid things have finally come to pass, only at that point shall our earth soon arise and shine, with our God’s most loving restoration. And the mortal remnant of our great tribulation era shall then always live together with immortal resurrected people, that shall no longer be male or female. And all of our Lord's elect shall then live evermore upon a blessed remade world, that will never pass away.

Selected works of Charles Dickens from the series "Best of the Best" is the book that everyone should read to understand themselves and each other. The authors and works for this book series were selected, as a result of numerous studies, analysis of the texts over the past 100 years and the demand for readers. It must be read in order to understand the world around us, its history, to recognize the heroes, to understand the winged expressions and jokes that come from these literary works. Reading these books will mean the discovery of a world of self-development and self-expression for each person. These books have been around for decades, and sometimes centuries, for the time they recreate, the values they teach, the point of view, or simply the beauty of words. This volume of the Best of the Best series includes famous works • Great Expectations • David Copperfield • Oliver Twist • Bleak House • A Tale Of Two Cities • A Christmas Carol • Our Mutual Friend • Little Dorrit • The Pickwick Papers

'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' Vividly interweaving epic historical drama with personal tragedy, Dickens's gripping novel depicts the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, as they become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette, the daughter of a political prisoner. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Richard Maxwell

"A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens (unabridged) is presented by Blackstone Audio and comes with what is perhaps the best audiobook app available (see FEATURES, below). One of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels, A Tale of Two Cities, set during the French Revolution, is a compelling portrait of the results of terror and treason, love and supreme sacrifice. Self-contained, this audiobook app is perfect for your commute, on a trip, or while relaxing. Based on a library-quality recording, this app was built especially for your iPhone and iPod Touch. No unreadable text, no endless scrolling on a tiny screen. The audio is of higher-than-normal quality, making for a great listening experience that will not tire your ears or grate on your nerves. NOTICE: This app includes the exact same 5-star recording offered elsewhere at much higher prices. It was professionally recorded by Blackstone Audio's Grammy®-nominated narrator Frederick Davidson. You are not buying yet another amateur or volunteer narration. No clicks, background noises, throat clearing, mispronunciations, tinny voices or monotones will be found here. “What can be said about a book which provides us with the single finest opening line in English literature, outside of Genesis 1:1 in the KJV? Dickens was, without any doubt whatsoever, the finest writer of historical literature/romance fiction of the 19th century.”—AllReaders.com •EXPERIENCE. About 15 hours of narration. Created as a Folium enhancedAudio™ edition, this book includes extra functions and features not found on lesser players. •PLAYER CONTROLS. Includes listen (play), pause, multi-speed fast forward/reverse, jump ahead/back, chapter skip, volume control, one-touch chapter- and bookmark browser. There is also a “scrub” bar that finds any point inside the chapter with just a tap. •SLEEP TIMER. Have you ever fallen asleep watching TV or listening to a book? If so, you'll love this feature. Once set, the book will stop, place a bookmark, and allow you to jump back to where you probably began dozing. •CLEAR & ELEGANT DESIGN. Simple, clean, intuitive, and smarter than average. •CHAPTER TIMINGS. Always know how much time it will take to finish a chapter. Plus, the progress bar at the top of the screen shows how far into the book you’ve come. •OFFLINE LISTENING. You are airplane-ready! Once downloaded, listen uninterrupted without threat from a lost network connection. Downloads are usually just 5-10 minutes, but depend upon your network speed. •AUTO-BOOKMARKING. The player remembers where you stopped listening and returns to that exact spot when you open the book again. •TELL-A-FRIEND. An easy way to recommend the book to your friends or Twitter feed. •FEEDBACK. Share your ideas for books, functions, and features. We are very responsive to our listeners and appreciate all feedback and ideas. RATING: 12+ for depiction of violence, and period language that may be difficult to follow. ___________________ When the starving French masses rise to overthrow a corrupt and decadent government, both the guilty and the innocent become victims of their frenzied anger. Soon nothing stands in the way of the chilling figure they enlist for their cause—La Guillotine, the new invention for efficiently chopping off heads. This captivating tale uses the contrasts between the two cities’ “beliefs” to reveal the central choice confronting every society and each individual: Should a person work to change society, or should the revolution occur within his heart?

Many of the world’s major cities sprang up on the banks of rivers. Used for water, food, irrigation, transportation, and power, rivers sustain life and connect the world together, but most of us think of them simply as waterways that must be crossed on the way to another place. Using four European and two North American rivers as examples, A Story of Six Rivers considers the place of rivers in our world and emphasizes the inextricable links between history, culture, and ecology. Peter Coates explores six rivers, chosen as examples of the types of rivers found on the planet: the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe; the Spree, which flows through Berlin; the Po, which cuts eastward across northern Italy; the Mersey in northwest England; the Yukon, which runs through Canada and Alaska; and the Los Angeles in California. Creating a series of river biographies, Coates gives voice to each of these bodies of water, exploring how rivers nurture us, provide cultural and economic opportunities, and pose threats to our everyday lives. He challenges recent narratives that paint rivers as the victims of abuse, pollution, and damage at the hands of humans, focusing on change rather than devastation. Describing how humans and rivers form a symbiotic—and sometimes mutually destructive—relationship, Coates argues that rivers illustrate the limits of human authority and that their capacity to inspire us is as strong as our ability to pollute them. An intimate portrait of the way these bodies of water inform our lives, A Story of Six Rivers will make us reconsider the streams and tributaries we traverse each day.