Robert Thornton Books

Railway buildings have always had a fascinating character all of their own, despite many no longer being in operational railway service. This book tells the story of how these buildings evolved alongside the development of the railway in Great Britain and examines how architects over the years have responded to the operational, social and cultural influences that define their work. Written for those with a keen interest in architecture and the railway, as well as those new to the subject, 'The Architecture and Legacy of British Railway Buildings' provides an unique insight into the production of railway architecture, both in the context of railway management and the significant periods of ownership, and the swings in national mood for railway-based transportation. As well as tracing its history, the authors take time to consider the legacy these buildings have left behind and the impact of heritage on a continually forward-looking industry.0Topics covered include: the context of railway architecture today; the history of how it came into existence; the evolution of different railway building types; the unique aspects of railway building design, and finally, the key railway development periods and their architectural influences.

When your desire to write a polite recommendation letter stands in the way of telling the truth, turn to The Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations and you can do both. Each positive-sounding remark about a person's work ethic, personality, or brains can have a hidden meaning thanks to tricky phrasing and questionable punctuation. Robert J. Thornton's manual of double-edged recommendations helps you do your part and leaves it to the new employer to interpret your comments as praise or criticism. (Does "She works without direction" mean that she works independently or that she's disorganized?) With this book, you'll never feel that you brushed over an employee's failings or that you damaged a reputation. The Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations is a handy way to create truthful descriptions guaranteed to amuse you, appease former employees, and let new employers draw their own conclusions. Robert J. Thornton is a professor of economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Over the years, he has lost much sleep worrying how to write fitting letters of recommendation. His colleagues at Lehigh have grown weary listening to him talk about the subject, however, and wish he would get a life. For obvious reasons, he seldom is asked to write letters of recommendation anymore, and he is deathly afraid to ask anyone to write one for him.