The records of manorial courts have been used increasingly as the principal source for the reconstruction of rural and small town society in Medieval England. They offer a unique source with which to investigate peasant demography, family patterns, the village community and economy, the characteristics and instruments of customary law and the ways in which that law was perceived and exploited by landlords and tenants.

These 26 papers, written in honour of John Wacher, take a look at the towns of Roman Britain, western Europe, and beyond. With subjects ranging from Ancyra to Wroxeter, from urban art to waste water, this collection complements Wacher's seminal publication Towns of Roman Britain (1974), and its companion volume, The 'Small Towns' of Roman Britain (1990).

Richard Smith's wildly popular books have made America laugh about everything from wedding-night jitters to weight loss. Now he turns his comic talent to a subject he's about to experience himself: climbing the half-century hill.

Over the next 15 years, 45 million baby boomers will celebrate their 50th birthdays. With Smith as their guide, the Boomers will know exactly what lies ahead. Not only does turning 50 mean you survived your 40s, but you get to join the AARP, answer your front door in bedroom slippers, and spend your kid's inheritance on liposuction. You also know you're 50...