Rachel Williams – författare

The surface modification of biomaterials plays a significant role in determining the outcome of biological-material interactions. With the appropriate modification a material's surface can be tailored to improve biocompatibility, adhesion and cell interactions. Consequently surface modification is vital in the development and design of new biomaterials and medical devices. Surface modification of biomaterials reviews both established surface modifications and those still in the early stages of research and discusses how they can be used to optimise biological interactions and enhance clinical performance.Part one begins with chapters looking at various types and techniques of surface modification including plasma polymerisation, covalent binding of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), heparinisation, peptide functionalisation and calcium phosphate deposition before going on to examine metal surface oxidation and biomaterial surface topography to control cellular response with particular reference to technologies, cell behaviour and biomedical applications. Part two studies the analytical techniques and applications of surface modification with chapters on analysing biomaterial surface chemistry, surface structure, morphology and topography before moving onto discuss modifying biomaterial surfaces to optimise interactions with blood, control infection, optimise interactions with soft tissues, repair and regenerate nerve cells, control stem cell growth and differentiation and to optimise interactions with bone.The distinguished editor and international team of contributors to Surface modification of biomaterials have produced a unique overview and detailed chapters on a range of surface modification techniques which will provide an excellent resource for biomaterials researchers and scientists and engineers concerned with improving the properties of biomaterials. It will also be beneficial for academics researching surface modification.Reviews both established surface modifications and those still in the early stages of research and how they can be used to optimise biological interactions and enhance clinical performanceStudies analytical techniques and applications of surface modification with chapters assessing biomaterial surface chemistry, surface structure, morphology and topographyDiscusses modifying biomaterial surfaces to optimise interactions with blood and soft tissues and also to repair and regenerate nerve cells and control infection

American Philanthropy at Home and Abroad explores the different ways in which charities, voluntary associations, religious organisations, philanthropic foundations and other non-state actors have engaged with traditions of giving.Using examples from the late eighteenth century to the Cold War, the collection addresses a number of major themes in the history of philanthropy in the United States. These examples include the role of religion, the significance of cultural networks, and the interplay between civil diplomacy and international development, as well as individual case studies that challenge the very notion of philanthropy as a social good.Led by Ben Offiler and Rachel Williams, the authors demonstrate the benefits of embracing a broad definition of philanthropy, examining how American concepts including benevolence and charity have been used and interpreted by different groups and individuals in an effort to shape – and at least nominally to improve – people’s lives both within and beyond the United States.

This collection sheds light on the history of charity and philanthropy in the United States since the Civil War. It explores the ways in which charities, local associations, religious organisations and philanthropic foundations have engaged and interacted with American politics, society and relations with the world. Beginning in the 19th-century, the first chapters address the domestic, religious and transatlantic dimensions of philanthropy during a period of conflict and upheaval. The second section showcase four domestic case studies, exploring debates about the purpose of 'good works', including charity in the Ku Klux Klan and philanthropic African-American business women. The last chapters explore how philanthropy sought to shape US foreign policy during the interwar period, and assess the complex relationship between art, culture and government policy during the Cold War. In highlighting the significant role that charitable works have played in American politics and society, and the ways in which the concept of philanthropy has evolved since the mid-19th century, this collection demonstrates their value as a lens through which to view American history.

In the heat of June in 1943, a wave of destructive and deadly civil unrest took place in the streets of Detroit. The city was under the pressures of both wartime industrial production and the nascent civil rights movement, setting the stage for massive turmoil and racial violence. Thirty-four people were killed, most of whom were Black, and over half of these were killed by police. Two thousand people were arrested, and over seven hundred sustained injuries requiring treatment at local hospitals. Property damage was estimated to be nearly $2 million. With Run Home If You Don't Want to Be Killed, Rachel Marie-Crane Williams delivers a graphic retelling of the racism and tension leading up to the violence of those summer days. By incorporating firsthand accounts collected by the NAACP and telling them through a combination of hand-drawn images, historical dialogue, and narration, Williams makes the history and impact of these events immediate, and in showing us what happened, she reminds us that many issues of the time-police brutality, state-sponsored oppression, economic disparity, white supremac-plague our country to this day.

In the heat of June in 1943, a wave of destructive and deadly civil unrest took place in the streets of Detroit. The city was under the pressures of both wartime industrial production and the nascent civil rights movement, setting the stage for massive turmoil and racial violence. Thirty-four people were killed, most of whom were Black, and over half of these were killed by police. Two thousand people were arrested, and over seven hundred sustained injuries requiring treatment at local hospitals. Property damage was estimated to be nearly $2 million. With Run Home If You Don't Want to Be Killed, Rachel Marie-Crane Williams delivers a graphic retelling of the racism and tension leading up to the violence of those summer days. By incorporating firsthand accounts collected by the NAACP and telling them through a combination of hand-drawn images, historical dialogue, and narration, Williams makes the history and impact of these events immediate, and in showing us what happened, she reminds us that many issues of the time-police brutality, state-sponsored oppression, economic disparity, white supremacy-plague our country to this day.

Examining how a civilian organization used the Civil War to advance their religious mission Tabernacles in the Wilderness discusses the work of the United States Christian Commission (USCC), a civilian relief agency established by northern evangelical Protestants to minister to Union troops during the American Civil War. USCC workers saw in the Civil War not only a wrathful judgment from God for the sins of the nation but an unparalleled opportunity to save the souls of US citizens and perfect the nation. Thus, the workers set about proselytizing and distributing material aid to Union soldiers with undaunted and righteous zeal. Whether handing out religious literature, leading prayer meetings, preaching sermons, mending uniforms, drawing up tailored diets for sick men, or bearing witness to deathbed scenes, USCC workers improvised and enacted a holistic lived theology that emphasized the link between the body and soul. Making extensive use of previously neglected archival material—most notably the reports, diaries, and correspondence of the volunteer delegates who performed this ministry on the battlefront—Rachel Williams explores the proselytizing methods employed by the USCC, the problems encountered in their application, and the ideological and theological underpinnings of their work. Tabernacles in the Wilderness offers fascinating new insights into the role of civilians within army camps, the bureaucratization and professionalization of philanthropy during the Civil War and in the United States more broadly, and the emotional landscape and material culture of faith and worship.

‘He pushed open the door, and I saw that he was pulling something out of a bag he was carrying. It was a gun – a sawn-off shotgun.’Featured on ITV's Lorraine with Michael Sheen and Rachel Williams. Darren was funny and attractive, and 21-year-old Rachel fell head-over-heels for him; it wasn’t long before they moved in together, and she fell pregnant with his child. But his inner demons soon surfaced... Weakened and alone, Rachel was beaten and tormented by him for 18 years, until one day, Darren turned up at her place of work with a shotgun and left her for dead. But her ordeal wasn’t over…Devastating yet inspiring, Rachel’s story of hope tells of how you can always find the light, even in the very darkest of times.‘Incredibly poignant and powerful.’ – Victoria Derbyshire‘Transformative. Life changing.’ – Michael Sheen

Science tells us that babies develop best when they are spoken to, sung to and read to. Introduce your baby to a world of words and pictures with these 30 classic nursery rhymes from the Mother Goose collection and beyond paired with images of Chloe Giordano’s delightful hand-embroidered illustrations on cloth.Even when they’re tiny, the sound of their parents’ voices helps babies make sense of the world and feel comfortable with new people and places. This treasury gives you the opportunity to rediscover just how useful (and calming) these best-loved nursery rhymes are in one, handsome volume.Bond with your baby and help them grow as you recite and sing these timeless rhymes:Hey, Diddle Diddle; Baa, Baa, Black Sheep; This Little Piggy; Hush Little Baby; Hickory, Dickory, Dock; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; Little Bo-Peep; Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat; Row, Row, Row Your Boat; The Itsy Bitsy Spider; London Bridge; Mary Had a Little Lamb; One, Two, Buckle My Shoe; Humpty Dumpty; Rub-a-dub-dub; Pat-a-Cake; I Saw a Ship A-Sailing; Old MacDonald; Rock-a-Bye Baby; The Wheels on the Bus; I’m a Little Teapot; This Old Man; Jack and Jill; The Muffin Man; Little Miss Muffet; The Owl and the Pussy-cat; Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush; Old Mother Hubbard; Pop! Goes the Weasel; Are you Sleeping?Continue this cherished daily ritual of reading to your child with the follow-up book of folktales, Read to Your Toddler Every Day.

Introduce your little one to a cosy world of reading with these 10 classic nursery rhymes paired with gorgeous hand-embroidered illustrations.  This board book will establish your child’s love of reading, boost their fine motor skills and reassure them with the calming sound of your voice. Its squishy, padded cover and touchable, textured pages offer a soothing sensory element and many years of reading enjoyment.  Bond with your baby as you share these timeless rhymes from your own childhood: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Hey, Diddle, Diddle  This Little Piggy Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Row, Row, Row Your Boat Pat-a-Cake Humpty Dumpty The Incy Wincy SpiderLittle Miss MuffetMary Had a Little Lamb This is a comforting, nostalgic and touching keepsake for you and your child to treasure together. Read to your baby every day and guide them to a love of reading for pleasure that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.  The perfect gift for a baby shower, birthday or Christmas, Nursery Rhymes for Your Baby turns simple rhymes into joyful rituals that nurture connection and early learning. The Stitched Storytime series brings beloved nursery rhymes, prayers and folktales to life through stunning embroidered artwork that young children will cherish. Featuring the masterful artwork of Chloe Giordano – described by the The New York Times as “heart-stoppingly delicate embroidery" – these books are keepsakes to treasure, perfect for creating calm, cosy moments for families to share and treasure together.  Also available in the series is First Prayers for Your Baby in board book format, and the picture books Read to Your Baby Every Day, Pray with Your Baby Every Day,  Read to Your Toddler Every Day and Read to Your Baby Every Night.

Explore ten of the world's most diverse environments and reveal their hidden secrets with a magic coloured lens that illuminates each page in a kaleidoscope of colour. Discover the dark and mysterious creatures of the night, whose super-sensory powers allow them to live and survive in the shadows, then switch the lens to step into daylight, where the heat of the sun supercharges the secret lives of creatures big and small. Finally, use the third lens to reveal the luscious plant life of every habitat as you travel through a jungle, a reef, grasslands, woodland and uncover a world that never sleeps. This is an animal book like no other, allowing you to view the natural world in full technicolour.With three layers of artwork to discover hidden within every image, this book can be revisited again and again, providing hours of independent learning and entertainment about the wonders of the natural world.See 3 images in 1 with the eye-boggling Illumi series, featuring magic-lens artwork from creative design duo Carnovsky. Dinosaurs, animals, the human body, and even ghosts are envisioned like never before in this groundbreaking series. The explosions of colour on each page are in fact three distinct layers of illustrations, each exploring a different aspect of a fascinating subject. Use the three-colour lens to reveal the hidden details on each one, then read all about the topic on in-depth fact pages. There’s always something new to discover in Illumi!Also available from the Illumi series: Illuminatlas, Illumanatomy, Illuminightmare​ and Illumisaurus.

The sun is getting low,and moon is on her way.It’s time to slow things down...and hug this lovely day.Bring calm to bedtime with this gentle lullaby, as you say goodnight to nature’s daytime and welcome the night. Inspired by the bestselling Slow Down with delightful illustrations by Freya Hartas.

Step inside each picture, where wild things walk -Find frogs, big cats and monkeys... and birds that can talk.Get lost inside the jungle. Climb a mountain's peak!And solve the secret riddle, buried in the deep...Use the clues in every wild habitat to solve the picture puzzles and uncover the world's most amazing ANIMAL CAMOUFLAGE!

Discover how there is a season for everything in this antidote to an instant world.The concept of time is hard to grasp. From a single minute to a full century, hearts beat, trees bloom and grow - and a human lives a lifetime. This book takes 18 different periods of time - from a single minute; to an hour; to over a century - to show the process of life, looking at biology in all its forms, from plants, animals and human biology too. In one minute, learn that your heart beats over 100 times. In one day, learn how a dragonfly unfurls a pair of wings. In a season, watch a bear hibernate for winter. In over 80 years, see a human live a lifetime. Packed with real science but rooted in the deeper things in life, this poetic non-fiction anthology is sure to prompt questions between a parent and child.This book is a perfect antidote to an instant world· Discover how there is a season for everything in this book that explores the process of life· A full illustrated step-by-step guide to lifecycles and the process of living things · Watch and wonder at the journey of an apple tree from bud to fruit, watch a rainforest grow over 60 years and be amazed at all a human life contains from its beginnings as a baby to old age

All around us, nature is turning, growing and working. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. Go outside and explore... see what you find when you take the time to slow down.Reading like a story book, but filled with facts about real-world animals and nature, this the perfect introduction to the world of wonder on your doorstep for readers aged 3-6. Slow down with this beautiful hardback book and enjoy:· A treasury of miracles that happen on our very doorsteps· 50 nature stories, told step-by-step· Gorgeous colour illustrated throughout with sumptuous gold foil cover· Visual stories that are perfect for young readers 3+ and up· Mindfulness activities included at the back of the book Words of praise for this book:A Bookseller Editor's Choice book"Fifty moments in nature are captured in slowed-down double page spreads: a cresting wave, a hatching chick, a bee pollinating a flower. The effect is magical." Fiona Noble, The Bookseller"A wonderful book for inspiring a love of the natural world." - The Bookseller"This cosily illustrated volume wants us to take time to stand and stare, paying attention to everyday natural events, many of which can be appreciated in a garden or indoors through a window" ?The Sunday Times