Search results for ""rowman littlefield""

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, has captured our attention by stepping away from the papal throne, unafraid to give impromptu interviews, decentralize church governance, or explore new horizons for the greater good of the people of God. His actions and words suggest that he is here not to dominate but to serve, less inclined to preach than to listen, and to bring us back to Jesus “that we may have life and have it more abundantly.” Award-winning journalist Robert Blair Kaiser argues that the pope’s Jesuit DNA is central to understanding how Pope Francis is shaping the church and the world. Inside the Jesuits takes readers inside the Jesuits’ head-and-heart take on faith. The author tells the story of his own Jesuit training before leaving to become a journalist and highlights how the key elements of the Jesuit formation have made Pope Francis the pope he is—like Jesus in his simplicity, launching bold administrative moves to update the Church, and daring to say and do things no other pope has said or done. He washes the feet of those in prison, including a Muslim woman. He says of homosexuals, "Who am I to judge?" To further illustrate the Jesuit DNA in action, Kaiser produces some fascinating profiles of other Jesuits and former Jesuits working the Jesuit motto, "for the greater glory of God"—which Kaiser gives a more worldly spin: "for the greater good of the people of God." Inside the Jesuits is a powerful exploration of how the Jesuit training—to be more like Jesus—has shaped Pope Francis, a self-confessed sinner who encourages us to love our supposedly-less-worthy selves and help make a better world.

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Are contemporary U.S. labor unions irrelevant, or in fact a changing force to be reckoned with as they grow into a new economy in a globalized America? Is the current political power exercised by U.S. labor unions more akin to the social movements of the sixties or the interest politics of the nineties? After winning the presidency of the AFL-CIO in 1995, John Sweeney and his colleagues have taken strides to make labor more important in the United States economically and politically, despite reduced membership. Here, four authors come together to survey the status of labor unions past, present, and future, nationally as well as through the microcosm of the labor situation in Ohio, one of the largest, most representative, and most electorally significant states in the country. The authors focus on union membership, leadership, political attitudes, strategies, and grassroots mobilization to paint a picture of union revitalization in a context of economic and social change. American labor still wields clout on Election Day, but union revitalization is a work in progress. For unions to matter every day to their members and leaders, they must consolidate their economic bases and rise to the challenges carefully documented in this book.

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Are contemporary U.S. labor unions irrelevant, or in fact a changing force to be reckoned with as they grow into a new economy in a globalized America? Is the current political power exercised by U.S. labor unions more akin to the social movements of the sixties or the interest politics of the nineties? After winning the presidency of the AFL-CIO in 1995, John Sweeney and his colleagues have taken strides to make labor more important in the United States economically and politically, despite reduced membership. Here, four authors come together to survey the status of labor unions past, present, and future, nationally as well as through the microcosm of the labor situation in Ohio, one of the largest, most representative, and most electorally significant states in the country. The authors focus on union membership, leadership, political attitudes, strategies, and grassroots mobilization to paint a picture of union revitalization in a context of economic and social change. American labor still wields clout on Election Day, but union revitalization is a work in progress. For unions to matter every day to their members and leaders, they must consolidate their economic bases and rise to the challenges carefully documented in this book.

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The census is, without a doubt, the most used resource for genealogists. Thus, researchers must sift through thousands of pages of these records looking for individuals arranged by the random routes taken by census enumerators. While the federal government made several efforts to index these census records, most were not indexed. Until now, there has been no guide to all census indexes. Tom Kemp's new book, The American Census Handbook, is the first general guide to the thousands of published census indexes currently available in print and online and is sure to be used by beginning and experienced genealogists alike. This essential reference lets researchers quickly see what is available for their area of interest and lets them know what records, indexes, and abstracts are available on microfilm, on CD-ROM, on the web, or published as books or articles. Arranged chronologically by year, geographically, and by general topics (this section includes indexes that focus on ethnic groups as well as indexes to current and former military personnel and their families), The American Census Handbook includes information on federal, state, county and town census records. This one-stop source for census research is an essential purchase for all genealogists who want to save time and effort as they search for valuable information about their ancestors. Thomas Kemp, a well-known librarian and genealogist, is the chair of the Genealogy Committee of the American Library Association and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. He is also the author of the best-selling Virtual Roots: A Guide to Genealogy and Local History on the World Wide Web and The Genealogist's Virtual Library: Full-Text Books on the World Wide Web as well as many other books.

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Like the first edition, this revised and updated edition of Tropical Rainforests: Latin American Nature and Society in Transition provides a variety of perspectives on the complex relationship between society and nature on the rainforest frontiers of Latin America. Containing eleven new articles from experts in various fields and an updated introduction by the editor, this book provides an overview of the complex issues of tropical deforestation, both past and present.

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Philosophy is shaped by life and life is shaped by philosophy. This is reflected in The Philosophical I, a collection of 16 autobiographical essays by prominent philosophers. Candid and philosophically insightful, these personal narratives critically call into question the belief that philosophy should be kept separate from the personal experience of philosophers. Each contributor traces the fundamental influences-both philosophical and otherwise-that have shaped his or her identity. In this postmodern world, the self is often viewed as irreparably fragmented and fractured, but the reflections in this volume point to a self that is a continuous, though dynamic, storyline. What shines through in each of these essays is that philosophy is a profoundly personal adventure.

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The book gives a practical introduction to the concepts, structure, politics, law, hazards, threats, and practices of homeland security everywhere, focusing on US “homeland security,” Canadian “public safety,” and European “domestic security.” It is a conceptual and practical textbook, not a theoretical work.

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Winner of the 2018 National Outdoor Book Award for Best Instructional Book! The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping introduces new rafters to the skills, equipment, and knowledge required to mount a multiday whitewater rafting trip. Rafting equipment, skills, and techniques have changed drastically in recent years, and this book provides the latest information on equipment selection, care, repair, and use; whitewater rafting techniques; reading rivers; hazard evaluation and basic rescue; camping techniques; river cooking and living; and expedition planning. Written in a clear and comprehensive manner by outdoor educator and whitewater veteran Molly Absolon, The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping is a great tool for novices and an excellent resource for experienced rafters.

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Since its inception in 1992, The Mariner’s Book of Days has been hailed as the best, most entertaining nautical desk diary and calendar to see print. It is also a valuable reference in its own right; each annual edition—completely different from its predecessor—has become a collector’s item. On each right-hand page is day- by-day space for daily notes, appointments, and reminders. On each left-hand page is a fascinating miscellany of what Robert Louis Stevenson once called “the entertainment of fooling among boats.” The Mariner’s Book of Days is a daily, weekly, monthly, annual reminder of the things we love most about the wsea: the pleasures of choosing, building and maintaining our own boats; the intricacies of seamanship and navigation; the development of nautical knowledge; the traditions of the sea; the evolution of a way of life. It is organized in a generally topical manner yet has a labyrinthine quality, not unlike the way we think about the sea when we are so unfortunate as to be away from it. One thing leads to another and then another,and before we know it we’re building a boat with Howard Chapelle, or sailing around the world with Joshua Slocum, or having a drink with Captain John Smith, or, perhaps best of all, dreaming about boats, ships, and the sea with Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. The Mariner’s Book of Days is an annual treasure. Year by year it takes us on a new and different 365-day imaginary voyage through time, an encyclopedic passage through the maritime past, present and future.

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Any murder causes pain and suffering that ripple through families and communities—of both the victims and the perpetrators—but premeditated murders cause the worst kind of damage. The Allure of Premeditated Murder is about the worst kinds of premeditated homicide in which the perpetrator plans an attack over a period of days, weeks, or months, leaving behind massive carnage and unspeakable suffering. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with murderers, sociologists Jack Levin and Julie B. Wiest help readers understand why such vicious murders occur and what we can do to minimize their incidence. Throughout the book, they examine why people engage in acts of premeditated murder—planning and implementing terrible violence against others—from the perpetrator’s viewpoint. By juxtaposing the motivations for these hideous homicides against everyday social circumstances, these often-baffling crimes are explained in an easy-to-understand manner that paves the way for promising solutions. In the process of examining the characteristics of premeditated murder, the book also addresses those questions that are commonly asked about this kind of violent crime but usually unanswered. How could a killer have enjoyed his murderous rampage when he committed suicide right afterward? Why do sadistic killers sometimes regard their murders as great accomplishments? What can be done to effectively reduce the likelihood of this kind of homicide? As violence remains such a prominent and troubling topic nationwide, The Allure of Premeditated Murder successfully explores the reasons behind the worst violence as well as the most promising solutions.

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The hardest part of paddling South Carolina is choosing your route! From the mountain-rimmed waters of Lake Jocassee to the rapids of the Saluda River to rice-field canals along Wadboo Creek, the Palmetto State offers a variety of great paddles all year-round. Paddling South Carolina features 40 paddling adventures throughout the state. With a focus on recreational paddling, all trips avoid complicated put-ins, portages, and dangerous expert sections but offers concise paddle summaries, excellent route descriptions, GPS coordinates, and sidebars on geology and wildlife. Lakes and ponds, rivers and creeks are featured.

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The ultimate camping handbook—whether you’re with family or friends, camping or in your backyard—Family Camping has everything you need for a perfect experience. Part inspiration, part practical knowledge, this book is a whole lot of fun. Family Camping offers up food and drink recipes, family activities, nature hacks, expert know-how, and more for the outdoor lover looking for a memorable weekend with the family. Each chapter opens with a first-person story from expert author, Charlie Ess, who has been camping and exploring the beautiful outdoors of his native Alaska for 40 years. With aspriational photos supplied by Cheryl Ess, Family Camping is a gorgeous, treasured keepsake for campers everywhere.

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In 1877 the members of the United States Senate postponed all business for the day so that they might attend a horse race—the iconic, polarizing post-Civil War event at the center of this story. The nation, still recovering from the depredations of the Civil War and the Reconstruction that followed, recognized it as a North vs. South encounter, pitting New York’s powerful thoroughbred Tom Ochiltree and New Jersey’s Parole—owned by the ostentatious Northern tycoons Pierre and George Lorrilard—against the already legendary “Kentucky crack,” Ten Broeck—owned by the teetotaling, plain-living Frank Harper and ridden by black jockey and former slave William Walker—representing a former slave state and its Southern values. The race and the colorful cast of characters involved reflected the still seething America during one of the nation’s most difficult and divisive periods. Shrager presents a fascinating and heart-pounding piece of history exposing the racial and economic tensions following the Civil War that culminated in one final race to the end.

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The Grimaldis of Monaco tells in full the remarkable history of the world’s oldest reigning dynasty. For nearly eight hundred years, from the elegant Genoese Rainier I to the current Prince Albert II, the Grimaldis—“an ambitious, hot-blooded, unscrupulous race, swift to revenge and furious in battle”—have ruled Monaco. Against all odds, they have proved themselves masterful survivors, still in possession of their lands and titles despite the upheavals of the French Revolution and the First and Second World Wars, when royal heads rolled and most small countries met their demise. With insufficient weaponry and military forces far too small to go into combat against their more powerful neighbors, France and Italy, the Grimaldis endured by their cunning and their shrewd choice of brides—rich women and high connections in the most influential courts of Europe, and often, strong sexual appetites. The French nobleman’s daughter who married Louis I later became the mistress of France Louis XIV. Her son, Antoine I was wed to an aristocratic wife who outdid her mother-in-law by having so many lovers her husband took to hanging them in effigy. The seafaring adventurer Prince Albert I was unfortunate enough to have two wives, one British, one American, who ran off with their lovers. His second wife, the American Alice Heine, a fabulously rich heiress from New Orleans and the widowed Duchesse de Richelieu, was the model for Proust’s Princess of Luxembourg. Heine used her own wealth to bring grandeur, culture, and sophistication to the palatial center of Monte Carlo; and with the introduction of gambling, an internationally celebrated resort was born, initially for the privileged few and later for raffish café society, The last section of the book is devoted to the most recent generations of the Grimaldis. Here, a new image of Rainier III emerges as both man and monarch, beginning with his blighted childhood as the son of divorced parents and of a mother scorned as illegitimate. And preceding the drama of his marriage to Grace Kelly, there is an account of his intense love affair with a French film start and reasons behind his sister’s lifelong malice and envy of him. The final note is necessarily tragic, detailing in full the deaths of both Princess Grace and Princess Caroline’s husband in sudden and shocking accidents

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Southern Florida is a paddler's paradise, from sandy keys, to mazes of mangroves, and sparkling aquamarine water in between. This guide includes more than 50 trips that are a perfect introduction to exploring the waterways and coasts of Southern Florida. Nigel Foster offers expert insider tips on how to manage tides and changeable weather, alerts readers to potential hazards on the routes, and includes fun anecdotes of his experiences with the area wildlife. Look inside to find: clear maps, difficulty ratings, and points of special interest, as well as fascinating insights on the history and ecology of Florida's waterways.

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Crimes of Reason brings together expanded and updated versions of some of Braude’s best previously published essays, along with new essays written specifically for this book. Although the essays deal with a variety of topics, they all hover around a set of interrelated general themes. These are: the poverty of mechanistic theories in the behavioral and life sciences, the nature of psychological explanation and (at least within the halls of the Academy) the unappreciated strategies required to understand behavior, the nature of dissociation, and the nature and limits of human abilities. Braude’s targets include memory trace theory, inner-cause theories of human behavior generally, Sheldrake’s theory of morphogenetic fields, widespread but simplistic views on the nature of human abilities, multiple personality and moral responsibility, the efficacy of prayer, and the shoddy tactics often used to discredit research on dissociation and parapsychology. Although the topics are often abstract and the issues deep, their treatment in this book is accessible, and the tone of the book is both light and occasionally combative.

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The Use of Force, long considered a classic in its own right, brings together enduring, influential works on the role of military power in foreign policy and international politics. Now in its eighth edition, the reader has been significantly revised; with twenty innovative and up-to-date selections, this edition is 60 percent new. Meticulously chosen and edited by leading scholars Robert J. Art and Kelly M. Greenhill, the selections are grouped under three headings: theories, case studies, and contemporary issues. The first section includes essays that cover the security dilemma, terrorism, the sources of military doctrine, the nuclear revolution, and the fungibility of force. A new subsection of Part I also deals with ethical issues in the use of force. The second section includes case studies in the use of force that span the period from World War I through the war in Afghanistan. The final section considers issues concerning the projection of US military power; the rising power of China; the spread of biological and nuclear weapons and cyberwarfare; intervention in internal conflicts and insurgencies; and possible future developments in terrorism, nuclear abolition, and robotic warfare. Continuing the tradition of previous editions, this fully updated reader collects the best analysis by influential thinkers on the use of force in international affairs. Contributions by: Bruce J. Allyn, Kenneth Anderson, Robert J. Art, Mark S. Bell, Richard K. Betts, Laurie R. Blank, James G. Blight, Stephen G. Brooks, Seyom Brown, Daniel Byman, Audrey Kurth Cronin, Patrick M. Cronin, Alexander B. Downes, Karl W. Eikenberry, John Lewis Gaddis, Erik Gartke, Alexander L. George, Avery Goldstein, Kelly M. Greenhill, G. John Ikenberry, Robert Jervis, Gregory Koblentz, Peter R. Mansoor, John J. Mearsheimer, Nicholas L. Miller, Louis C. Morton, Barry R. Posen, Louise Richardson, George B. Samson, Thomas C. Schelling, Jack L. Snyder, Paul Staniland, Barbara F. Walter, Kenneth N. Waltz, Matthew Waxman, David A. Welch, Jon Western, and William C. Wohlforth.

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In the modern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the ruins of a vast Jewish cemetery lie buried under the city’s university. Nearby is the site of the childhood home of one of the founders of the modern Turkish state. These are tantalizing reminders of what was once the bustling cosmopolitan city of Salonica, home not just to Greeks but to thousands of Sephardic Jews, Turks, Bulgarians, and Armenians living and working peacefully alongside one another. Thessaloniki is just one example among many of what used to be. Over the past two centuries, ethnic cleansing has remade the map of Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, transforming vast empires that embraced many ethnic groups into nearly homogenous nations. Towns and cities from Germany to Turkey still show traces of the vanished and nearly forgotten ethnic and religious communities that once called these places home. In Terrible Fate, Benjamin Lieberman describes the violent transformations that occurred in Salonica and hundreds of other towns and cities as the Ottoman, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German empires collapsed, to be reborn as the modern nation-states we know today. His book is the first comprehensive history of this process that has involved the murder and forced migration of tens of millions of people. Drawing upon eyewitness accounts, contemporary journalism, and diplomatic records, Lieberman’s story sweeps across the continent, taking the reader from ethnic cleansing’s earliest beginnings in Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia in the nineteenth century, through the rise of nationalism, both world wars, the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the rise and fall of the Soviet empire, up to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Along the way he examines the decisive roles of political leaders—not only monarchs and dictators but also those who were democratically elected—as well as ordinary people who often required very little encouragement to rob and brutalize their neighbors, or who were simply caught up in the tide of history.

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Allies at Odds examines America's Vietnam policy from 1961 to 1968 in an international context by focusing on the United States' relationship with its European partners France, West Germany, and Great Britain. The European response to America's Vietnam policy provides a framework to assess this important chapter in recent American history within the wider perspective of international relations. Equally significant, the respective approaches to the "Vietnam question" by the Europeans and Americans reveal the ongoing challenge for nation-states of transcending narrowly defined state-centered policies for a global perspective pursuant of common goals among the trans-Atlantic allies. Blang explores the failure of France, West Germany, and Great Britain to significantly influence American policy-making.

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Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, has captured our attention by stepping away from the papal throne, unafraid to give impromptu interviews, decentralize church governance, or explore new horizons for the greater good of the people of God. His actions and words suggest that he is here not to dominate but to serve, less inclined to preach than to listen, and to bring us back to Jesus “that we may have life and have it more abundantly.” Award-winning journalist Robert Blair Kaiser argues that the pope’s Jesuit DNA is central to understanding how Pope Francis is shaping the church and the world. Inside the Jesuits takes readers inside the Jesuits’ head-and-heart take on faith. The author tells the story of his own Jesuit training before leaving to become a journalist and highlights how the key elements of the Jesuit formation have made Pope Francis the pope he is—like Jesus in his simplicity, launching bold administrative moves to update the Church, and daring to say and do things no other pope has said or done. He washes the feet of those in prison, including a Muslim woman. He says of homosexuals, "Who am I to judge?" To further illustrate the Jesuit DNA in action, Kaiser produces some fascinating profiles of other Jesuits and former Jesuits working the Jesuit motto, "for the greater glory of God"—which Kaiser gives a more worldly spin: "for the greater good of the people of God." Inside the Jesuits is a powerful exploration of how the Jesuit training—to be more like Jesus—has shaped Pope Francis, a self-confessed sinner who encourages us to love our supposedly-less-worthy selves and help make a better world.

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The great wide open is closer than you think. One of the benefits of being in such a small coastal State is that you can walk the cliffs of Newport in the morning and be in dense forest on the western forest after lunch. Just because you're in downtown Providence doesn’t mean that you can’t take a day hike anywhere in the State. Within an hour tops, you can be deep in the woods far from civilization, even though the closest main road will undoubtedly be only 3 miles away in either direction. Let Steve Mirsky take you to the best, often hidden, hiking routes right here in Rhode Island.

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This is the authoritative guide to the best climbs at the top rock climbing destinations in Western Europe, including Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, and Norway. The route topos are accompanied by route descriptions, equipment recommendations, and accurate route ratings. This sturdy edition, with sewn binding and kivar covers, is intended for rough use at the crags. Other books in the Rock Climbing series include Arizona, Boulder Canyon, Colorado, Colorado's San Luis Valley, Connecticut, Desert Rock, Flatirons, Eldorado Canyon, Joshua Tree, Lake Tahoe, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Montana, New England, New Jersey, New Mexico and Texas, Red Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Barbara & Ventura, Shelf Road, Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, Wasatch Range, Washington, and Yosemite's Select.

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Black Americans continue to lag behind on many measures of social and economic well-being. Conventional wisdom holds that these inequalities can only be eliminated by eradicating racism and providing well-funded social programs. In Race, Wrongs, and Remedies, Amy L. Wax applies concepts from the law of remedies to show that the conventional wisdom is mistaken. She argues that effectively addressing today's persistent racial disparities requires dispelling the confusion surrounding blacks' own role in achieving equality. The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that discrimination against blacks has dramatically abated. The most important factors now impeding black progress are behavioral: low educational attainment, poor socialization and work habits, drug use, criminality, paternal abandonment, and non-marital childbearing. Although these maladaptive patterns are largely the outgrowth of past discrimination and oppression, they now largely resist correction by government programs or outside interventions. Wax asserts that the black community must solve these problems from within. Self-help, changed habits, and a new cultural outlook are, in fact, the only effective tactics for eliminating the present vestiges of our nation's racist past. Published in cooperation with the Hoover Institution

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Paying Freedom's Price provides a comprehensive yet brief and readable history of the role of African Americans—both slave and free—from the decade leading up to the Civil War until its immediate aftermath. Rather than focusing on black military service, the white-led abolitionist movement, or Lincoln’s emergence as the great emancipator, Escott concentrates on the black military and civilian experience in the North as well as the South. He argues that African Americans—slaves, free Blacks, civilians, soldiers, men, and women— played a crucial role in transforming the sectional conflict into a war for black freedom. The book is organized chronologically as well as thematically. The chronological organization will help readers understand how the Civil War evolved from a war to preserve the Union to a war that sought to abolish slavery, but not racial inequality. Within this chronological framework, Escott provides a thematic structure, tracing the causes of the war and African American efforts to include abolition, black military service, and racial equality in the wartime agenda. Including a timeline, selected primary sources, and an extensive bibliographic essay, Escott’s book will be provide a superb starting point for students and general readers who want to explore in greater depth this important aspect of the Civil War and African American history.

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Who rules Russia? This question is generated by President Vladimir Putin's most ambitious reform program to date—his attempt since 2000 to reshape the Russian federation, centralize much of the power lost by the Kremlin to the eighty-nine regional governors during the 1990s, and strengthen his weak grip on Russia's institutions and political elite. In The Dynamics of Russian Politics Russian and Western authors from the fields of political science, economics, ethnology, law, and journalism examine the reform's impact on key areas of Russian life, including big business, law enforcement, corruption, political party development, health care, local government, small business, and ethnic relations. Volume I presents the historical context and an overview of the reforms, then tracks how Putin's plans were implemented and resisted across each of the seven new federal okrugs, or megaregions, into which he divided Russia. In particular, the authors analyze the goals and contrasting political styles of his seven commissars and how their often-concealed struggles with the more independent and determined governors played out. Volume II examines the impact of these reforms on Russia's main political institutions; the increasingly assertive business community; and the defense, police, and security ministries. It also analyzes how the reforms have affected such key policy areas as local government, health care, political party development, the battle against corruption, small business, ethnic relations, and the ongoing Chechen war. Together, the two volumes simultaneously reveal that Putin's successes have been much more limited and ambiguous than is widely believed in the West while offering detailed and nuanced answers to the difficult but crucial question: Who rules Russia?

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Through the stories of a group of school girls in what used to be India's most progressive city, Bangalore Girls reveals how the freedom women once enjoyed in the Silicon Valley of India has been eroded by the rising tide of right-wing nationalism, misogyny, and religious fundamentalism.Author Supriya Baily explores one of India's most dynamic cities through the eyes of a group of women who grew up and went to school together in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As they enjoyed the trappings of a burgeoning middle class, these classmates also watched their country move to the right politically and socially, spurred on by the Ayodhya riots that tore down the Babri Masjid Mosque in 1992 and the sectarian violence that followeda Hindu nationalist tide that continues to rise today. The book offers us a window into these women's lives and shows us how they are responding to the breakdown of progressivism across multiple domains. They discuss not only their own safety a

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The candid autobiography of all-star pitcher Sudden Sam McDowell, whose alcohol-fueled life quickly and famously spiraled out of control, and his ultimate redemption as a counselor for other athletes suffering from addiction.Sam McDowell seemed to have it all. Considered by many to be the next Sandy Koufax when he signed with the Cleveland Indians, Sam boasted one of the fastest arms in major league baseball. But on the inside, he was playing in an alcoholic fog, beset by addiction, depression, narcissism, and thoughts of suicide. The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell is the captivatingly honest autobiography of the six-time American League all-star pitcher and self-admitted worst drunk in baseball. Sam holds nothing back, sharing the pressures he felt as a young baseball phenom, his frustrations over a lack of coaching to help develop his talent, the pitfalls of his dangerous alcoholic lifestyle, and his attempted suicide. When Sudden Sam finally hit rock bottom, certain he had been defeated by alcoholism, he instead found hope, rehabilitation, and sobriety. After extensive education and training, he emerged as the first successful counselor in major league baseball. Sam helped to turn around the lives of players who, just like him, had fallen into the abyss of addiction or faced psychological and emotional problems that were destroying their careers. With details of his own severe battles with depression and addiction told alongside the struggles of players who came to him for help, The Saga of Sudden Sam offers special insight into the longstanding addiction issues that plague Major League Baseball. It also provides understanding and hope to anyone struggling with addiction and shows that recovery is attainable.

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Y''all best be fixin'' to be a grinnin'' like a possum eatin'' a sweet tater. Southerners sure do have a way with words! Who needs simple and direct when you can color every conversation with Southern style. There seems to be a Southern saying for every occasion. Some are inspiring and uplifting while others have that biting tongue-in-cheek humor Southerners adore, and Bless Your Heart and Mind Your Mama brings together the best phrasin'' south of the Mason Dixon. So sit back on yer bohunkus and dig into a collection of Southernisms that''ll make you slap a knee and call your mama.

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Much of what is written about getting old has a negative feel to it, which is certainly not entirely unjustified. Health may begin to fail. Finances may become tighter as income dwindles or stops altogether. Family and friends may move away or move on. But the retirement years do not have to be negative or bleak. Within this “dark scenario,” a positive existence is possible. Planning Your Time in Retirement focuses on the variety of free-time activities available to retirees as related to their physical, social, and economic situation in old age, helping readers find out what their passions are, what the possibilities might be, and how to cultivate their own leisure lifestyle. For some retirees, a post-work existence consisting of fun works well, for they have managed to shape an interesting casual leisure lifestyle based on easygoing activities that make them happy. Seldom included in the popular image of leisure, however, are other types of leisure that are also widely available to retirees. Regardless of means, the retirement years can consist of activities and pastimes that fulfill the interests and pursuits of any retiree. A variety of exciting leisure activities exists, which retirees may pursue within their financial, physical, mental, and geographic limits. This book provides a guide—the serious leisure perspective—for exploring these activities and choosing those that fit one’s tastes, aptitudes, and abilities. At its most appealing, a leisure lifestyle includes a balance of easy-to-do casual interests as well as serious ones that require knowledge, effort, and perseverance. For some, enjoyment and fulfillment may come from engaging in volunteer work, while for others it may involve leisure activities from which they gain some form of payment. By employing the notion of positive simplicity—simple living in the domain of leisure—many people at this stage of life can delight in these final years. While time and money cannot be ignored, finding those activities that allow for engagement, reward, and simplicity can result in days, even years, of leisure that is meaningful, enjoyable, healthy, and empowering.

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This unique collection of writings by the celebrated author David Madden provides a multitude of reflections on the Civil War and Reconstruction, from nonfiction to fiction. Included are Madden’s examination of key works by historians James McPherson and Fletcher Pratt, the story of the effort to simultaneously burn nine bridges by nine unionist guerrilla bands in the most complicated and coordinated guerrilla tactic of the war, and rediscoveries of both classic and contemporary works of Civil War fiction from William Faulkner, Joseph Stanley Pennell, and more. Alongside these essays are pieces from Madden’s Civil War novel, Sharpshooter, which illustrate the interconnectedness of fiction and nonfiction. This meshing of iconoclastic and controversial pieces includes varied perspectives on every aspect of the war and reconstruction, from culture and civilian life to an imagining of Abraham Lincoln’s critique of how historians have recorded the war and its aftermath. By exploring this web of perception, we can better understand the war and, in turn, shed greater light on the present and the future.

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Everyday life requires courage. From physical challenges to moral and spiritual ones, Profiles in Christian Courage tells the stories of inspiring figures whose lives can encourage us in our own struggles. In twenty reader-friendly chapters, Kerry Walters explores the meaning and scope of Christian courage, offers tips on how to cultivate it in daily life, and profiles of Christians who have exemplified it themselves. The portraits are of modern women and men from all parts of the globe. Some are well-known, such as Mother Theresa, C.S. Lewis, or Thea Bowman, while others are less known. Some faced extreme physical threats, while others faced spiritual or emotional darkness. But they are all inspiring role models for everyday courage in our own lives.

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From life along the Tigris River in the 1970s to the ongoing Arab Spring uprisings, Phil Karber has witnessed decades of change throughout the Middle East. Fear and Faith in Paradise draws on his wealth of experience to sketch a timely and compelling portrait of the region throughout history. Going beyond the endless images of terrorism and war, he challenges pervasive stereotypes of Muslims and delves into the living history and cultures of Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Persians, Jews, Tunisians, Moroccans, Armenians, and others. Seamlessly moving between past and present, Karber skillfully develops two overarching themes: How America's footprint can be shifted from a military to a humanitarian emphasis and how fear is used as a cudgel by today’s monotheistic leaders to sacrifice the faithful. Whether Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, they all invoke their own vision of paradise, often as incentive, in hopeless conflicts that seem doomed to be repeated. Karber’s down-to-earth writing vividly conveys the region’s charm and beauty against a backdrop of power struggles among competing faiths, nationalisms, and outside forces.

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In Civic Liberalism: Reflections on Our Democratic Ideals, prominent political theorist Thomas A. Spragens, Jr. asserts that most versions of democratic ideals—libertarianism, liberal egalitarianism, difference liberalism, and the liberalism of fear—lead our polity significantly astray. Spragens offers another alternative. He argues that we should recover the multiple and complex aspirations found within the tradition of democratic liberalism and integrate them into a more compelling public philosophy for our time—or what he calls civic liberalism. Civic liberalism, Spragens contends, endorses both liberty and equality although neither can properly be understood as a maximizing principle. Instead, liberty should be seen as the constitutive threshold good of autonomy; and equality should be seen as a moral postulate and instrumental good. Moreover, civic liberalism explicitly embraces forms of 'fraternity,' civic friendship, and civic virtue consistent with respect for social pluralism. Therefore, a better understanding of our democratic ideals will free us from the constrictive orthodoxies of the left and right, lead us toward better public policy, and help us become a well ordered society of flourishing, self-governing civic equals.

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Alanson B. Houghton—American industrialist, politician, and diplomat—was the world's most influential diplomat during the "New Era" of the 1920s. Houghton, who served as ambassador to both Germany (1922–1925) and Great Britain (1925–1929), offers a unique window into the formation and implementation of American foreign policy. This fascinating new text by Jeffrey J. Matthews provides a clear and concise account of Houghton's diplomatic experience and consequently a fresh assessment of U.S. foreign policy during a pivotal decade in world history. As the leading ambassador in Europe, Houghton played a key role in the major diplomatic achievements of the era, including the Dawes Plan for reparations, the Locarno security treaties, and the Kellogg-Briand peace pact. While Hougton's significant contributions to these international accords is fully explored, the major theme of this book is his emergence as chief critic of U.S. foreign policy within the Harding and Coolidge administrations. Alanson B. Houhgton: Ambassador of the New Era offers students a concise historical narrative and a substantive reevaluation of 1920s American foreign policy. This text will help students understand why the United States failed to establish a stable world order during the New Era and additionally sheds light on the key historiographical themes of isolationism, new-imperialism, and corporations. For students taking courses on the Gilded Age, the interwar years, and U.S. foreign policy, this new volume will be an invaluable resource.

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Of all of the Founding Fathers of the American republic none, with the possible exception of Thomas Jefferson, has evoked more passions and aroused more controversy than Alexander Hamilton. In this absorbing new biography, eminent historian Lawrence Kaplan examines Hamilton's conception of America's role in the world and the foreign policies that followed from his vision. Kaplan looks at how Hamilton acted upon his views in shaping the course of American foreign relations. The author provides a focused, accessible biography of Hamilton and a nuanced assessment of his impact on Federalist Era foreign policy. In the Jefferson-Jackson era Hamilton's persona as an elitist urban aristocrat condemned him as an enemy of an expanding democratic America-an Anglophile at a time when Great Britain was the major adversary. Such was his reputation as an enemy of the common man that his deep-seated opposition to the institution of slavery won little recognition from northern abolitionists. This book will fascinate readers with its insights into Hamilton and the formative years of the United States of America.

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There may be no group in American society that is more talked about but so little understood as Evangelical Christians. Sometimes dismissed as violent fundamentalists and ignorant flat earthers, few can doubt the political, cultural, and religious significance of the Evangelicals. Barry Hankins puts the Evangelical movement in historical perspective, reaching back to its roots in the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century and leading up to the formative moments of contemporary conservative Protestantism. Taking on key topics such as the standing of science, the authority of scripture, and gender and racial equality, Hankins analyzes what is most essential for us to understand today about this potent movement.

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In this groundbreaking new work, Matthew Mancini tells the surprising story of Alexis de Tocqueville's reception in American thought and culture from the time of his 1831 visit to the United States to the turn of the twenty-first century. The author uncovers an historical record that is replete with unmistakable evidence of Tocqueville's continuing importance to American intellectuals throughout the post-Civil War period of his supposed oblivion, and also of his reputation being exaggerated by recent historians referring to the post-World War II decades. Through comprehensive analysis of Tocqueville's published works, Mancini critically examines the ways in which Tocqueville's ideas have been received and, at times, misunderstood. Mancini challenges almost every element of the common understanding of Tocqueville's reception into American intellectual culture while recovering and re-examining many important intellectuals of the last 150 years. In doing so, Mancini inscribes an important chapter in American cultural history, namely the idea of Tocqueville himself.

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In this updated and significantly expanded edition of his The Rhetoric of Racism, Mark Lawrence McPhail responds to subsequent critiques and advances in scholarship. Like the earlier text, Revisited looks at the rhetorical dynamics of racism—how, in addition to social and material structures and institutions, language can be a cause and facilitator of racism. Revised introductions and four new chapters add thorough discussions of essentialism and racial difference; theories of complicity and coherence, including critical applications; the theory of racism as a problem of psychiatry; and perspectives on contemporary racial discourse.

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Challenging Authority argues that ordinary people exercise extraordinary political courage and power in American politics when, frustrated by politics as usual, they rise up in anger and hope and defy the authorities and the status quo rules that ordinarily govern their daily lives. By doing so, they disrupt the workings of important institutions and become a force in American politics. Drawing on critical episodes in American history, Frances Fox Piven shows that it is precisely at those seismic moments when people act outside of self-restricting political norms that they become empowered to their full democratic potential.

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Best Easy Day Hikes Spokane/Coeur d'Alene includes concise descriptions and detailed maps for 22 easy-to-follow trails in Washington and Idaho that allow hikers of all levels to enjoy beautiful views, get fit in the outdoors, and learn about the region's history. Look inside for:Casual hikes to full-day adventuresAfter-dinner strolls to full-day hikesHikes for everyone, including familiesMile-by-mile directions and clear trail mapsTrail Finder for best hikes for history buffs, river and lake lovers, and great viewsGPS coordinates

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In the modern period, the space we inhabit and through which we move has predominately been conceived as the mere setting for human action, ontologically separate from the body. In Markan studies, the result has been the multiplication of textual geographies that hide the spatiality of Jesus’s narrativized and, thus, living body. Rather than representing Jesus’s body as replicating the spatial configurations of dominant scribal cartographic practice (including imperial practice), James B. Pendleton shows that Mark portrays Jesus’s body as a living production of space that troubles dominant maps. Against readings of Mark that argue that Jesus is either an imperial or an anti-imperial figure, Pendleton argues that Mark presents Jesus’s body, and thus his spatiality, as both inside (as an insider) and outside (as an outsider) simultaneously, in what has more commonly being theorized recently as third spatiality, or Thirdspace. Rather than an imperial or anti-imperial economy of spatial production, Pendleton argues, Mark presents Jesus’s body within a both-and, and more economy that is kenotic, revealing God’s own royal yet “emptying” body.

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This richly illustrated book takes a different angle on Robert E. Peary’s North Pole expedition. By shifting the focus away from the unanswerable question of whether he truly reached 90º North Latitude, the authors shed light on equally important stories and discoveries that arose as a result of the infamous expedition. Peary's Arctic Quest ventures beyond the well-cited story of Peary’s expedition and uncovers the truth about race relations, womens’ scientific contributions, and climate change that are still relevant today. Readers will gain a greater appreciation for Peary’s methodical and creative mind, the Inughuit’s significant contributions to Arctic exploration, and the impact of Western expedition activity on the Inughuit community. The volume will also feature artifacts, drawings, and historic photographs with informative captions to tell little-known stories about Peary’s 1908-1909 North Pole expedition.

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