bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Work-Life Equation
Authors: Maw William L.
Published: February 2024

This book supplies a simple, memorable, and effective formula to solve problematic behaviors in the work environment and life in general. An invaluable guidebook, it will help readers move beyond mediocrity and achieve happier, more successful lives.

The Work-Life Equation: Six Key Values That Drive Happiness and Success is for the millions of people and business managers who are surrounded by bad behavior—with its attendant mediocre or unsatisfying results—at work and in their private lives, but who hope and dream for happier and more successful lives. The book begins with a frank explanation of the need for self-awareness and self-improvement, then describes how the "winning formula" and the equation for happiness and success in work-life—(H,S) = f(4C,2R)—can be applied via six types of behaviors to effect sweeping changes. The formula means Happiness and Success can be achieved by (is a function of) Cooperation, Consideration, Compassion, Courtesy, Respect, and Responsibility. The book focuses not just on the meaning of these values but also on how to "better live" them. It concludes with a self-assessment tool for the individual, team, or organization to complete that enables objective measurements of behaviors and identification of areas of potential improvement.

Dismissing the familiar, corporate value clichés, the author focuses on six key values most readers probably learned as kids but have forgotten about in adulthood—or didn't realize were still apt and relevant. The book provides priceless information and guidance for all readers but will be especially appreciated by those in the corporate workplace interested in self-improvement and success, educators and business students, executives looking to shift their firm's behavioral atmosphere in a positive direction, and individuals seeking inspiration and hope in their daily lives.
World War I
Authors: Beiriger Eugene Edward
Published: February 2024

Focusing on the war on the Western and Southern fronts and inclusive of material from all sides of the conflict, this book explores the novels and poems of significant soldier-writers alongside important contemporary historical documents.

The literary works of the First World War are one of the richest sources we have for understanding one of the twentieth century's most significant conflicts. Not only do many of them have historical merit, but some were critically acclaimed by both contemporaries and subsequent scholars. For example, Henri Barbusse's Under Fire, one of the earliest novels of the war, won accolades in France and the respect of war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen as well as novelists Erich Maria Remarque and Ernest Hemingway.

This book examines these works and those of war poets Rupert Brooke and John McCrae and others, providing context as well as opportunities to explore thematic elements with primary source documents, such as diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper and journal articles, speeches, and government publications. It is unique in its use of literary and historical sources as mediums by which to both better understand the literature of the war and use literature to better understand the war itself.
Write Like a Pro
Authors: Hausman Carl
Published: February 2024

For those looking to become great business writers, this practical guide supplies clear instruction and examples of how to organize thoughts into written form, impart information with pinpoint accuracy, persuade, and hold the reader’s interest: in short, to use language to get what you want.

In today’s business world, writers need to be prepared and comfortable with various forms of writing: reports, blogs, social media, white papers. Written by an established expert on writing and communication, journalism professor Carl D. Hausman, Write Like a Pro: Ten Techniques for Getting Your Point Across at Work (and in Life) can make you a better writer, regardless of your experience and current skill level; and will teach you how to vastly improve your written communication through a straightforward, easy-to-follow method.

This book doesn’t just cover the essential “mechanics” of good writing; it focuses on developing the more subtle skills of infusing your writing with eloquence, power, accuracy, and persuasiveness—and it shows readers how to achieve those qualities with no-nonsense advice. The information is highly accessible, sometimes amusing, and replete with memorable examples that demonstrate what works and teaches a strategy for solving any writing problem. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to write effectively, in any form, from emails to complaint letters to social media.
Writing for Conferences
Authors: Mallette Leo A. , Berger Clare
Published: February 2024

This book answers every question a doctoral graduate new to publishing could have about writing for a conference, from "Why would I want to publish at a conference?" to "What do I wear?"

Conferences are often a researcher's first foray into publishing. Each year, about 50,000 new doctoral graduates arrive to the publishing landscape, most with little or no understanding of how the conference publication process works. Yet until now, there have been no publications devoted to this specific subject.

Writing for Conferences: A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty serves as an essential guide for graduate students who want to publish the results of the research projects of their graduate program to maximum effect. It explains the conference publication process step-by-step and answers all of the questions asked by students inexperienced in publishing. The book is also a valuable reference manual for previously published authors, providing insightful sections on ethics in publishing, dress and grooming, presentation tips, and networking techniques to develop further research and career opportunities.
Writing Workouts to Develop Common Core Writing Skills
Authors: Haven Kendall
Published: February 2024

This book is a "best of" collection of tips and exercises to help nurture young writers and strengthen core skills. Since each activity has been tried and tested in thousands of classrooms, you'll find successful methods for turning even the most reluctant students into effective, powerful writers.

Writing proficiency is more important than ever, especially with the demands of standardized testing and the rigors of new standards impacting our schools. This classroom-tested manual, created from a combination of the author's extensive in-class experience and acclaimed research in neural science and developmental biology, addresses all facets of writing competency. The content links to common core curriculum elements in state language arts standards for every state.

Written by experienced educator and author Kendall Haven, the work features 13 innovative writing tips and 30 engaging activities for helping students become better writers. The first part of the book covers writing hints and techniques, while the second half contains core content activities for coaxing the best writing out of your students. A short introductory section lays out the five steps of effective student writing. Lastly, the text reveals how teachers—even those from non-literary backgrounds—can successfully teach and grade writing.
Organized Environmental Crime
Authors: van Uhm Daan
Published: February 2024

Developing an innovative approach to understanding how organized crime groups diversify into the illegal trade in natural resources, this book looks at the convergence between environmental crime and other serious crimes. In Organized Environmental Crime, Daan van Uhm breaks new ground by rejecting the classic image of organized crime as specializing in one kind of criminal activity. Instead, he develops an innovative approach to understanding how organized crime groups diversify into the illegal trade in natural resources by looking at the convergence between environmental crime and other serious crimes. Personal stories from informants directly involved in organized crime networks offer unique insights into the black markets in gold, wildlife, and timber in three environmental crime hotspots: the Darién Gap, a remote swath of jungle on the Colombia-Panama border in Latin America; the Golden Triangle, a notorious opium epicenter in Southeast Asia; and the eastern edge of the Congo basin, an important conflict area in Central Africa. The proliferation of organized environmental crime exacerbates the global destruction of ancient rainforests; the mass extinction of species; and the pollution of the atmosphere, land, and water, negatively affecting planet Earth. By uncovering its incentives, features, and harms, this book is crucial to understanding organized environmental crime in a rapidly changing world.
What You Need to Know about Personality Disorders
Authors: Duris Kimberly S. , Helm Katherine M.
Published: February 2024

This volume provides readers with all the information they need to know about personality disorders, including how to assess, treat, manage, and diagnose the varying signs and symptoms of the 10 different personality disorders currently recognized.

Having a personality disorder is different than having personality quirks. Personality quirks or eccentricities are considered normal; however, when certain dominant personality traits interfere with healthy psychological functioning, a personality disorder might be the cause.

This next installment in Greenwood’s Inside Diseases and Disorders series provides a complete overview of the 10 currently recognized personality disorders, as well as the myriad signs and symptoms that may lead to a diagnosis. Using the most recent scholarship and case studies, this volume aims to bring clarity to the topic of personality disorders, covering a wide range of topics from the history of assessing personality disorders to the ways in which a personality disorder may affect the family and friends of the patient.
Rape and Sexual Assault
Authors: Hatch Alison E.
Published: February 2024

This authoritative one-stop resource helps readers understand the problem of sexual assault in the United States, including societal factors, notorious cases, laws and practices, victim advocacy and reform efforts, and keys to recovery. It discusses who is being victimized, who is perpetrating the offenses, and what can be done (and is being done) to reduce rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment in homes and communities across America. The volume also explores the role that investigative shortcomings and rape culture have played in facilitating sexual assault and abuse, and how shifts in attitude and policy could combat this devastating crime.
Abraham Lincoln and His Era
Authors: Ireland Bobbi
Published: February 2024

Utilizing primary sources from the Library of Congress website, this unique classroom resource presents ready-to-use lesson plans, analysis tools, and rubrics based on Abraham Lincoln and his era.

Abraham Lincoln and His Era: Using the American Memory Project to Teach with Primary Sources is the perfect springboard for incorporating primary source materials into the classroom. The book is organized around a series of primary sources from the Library of Congress website, specifically the American Memory Collection and Abraham Lincoln's era.

Through this information-filled book, teachers and librarians will learn how to use the Library of Congress website and enhance learning with primary source materials. Differentiated instruction and evaluation techniques are included, as are lesson plans, rubrics, and analysis tools. In addition, the book will help teachers create their own lesson plans, analysis tools, and rubrics for other primary sources that correspond to their current lessons/activities.
The African American Student's Guide to STEM Careers
Authors: Palmer Robert T. , Arroyo Andrew T. , Flowers Alonzo
Published: February 2024

This book comprehensively reviews the factors that facilitate access and success of Black students in STEM majors in higher education, and it shares compelling testimonies from Black STEM professionals that will help inspire the next generation of Black scientists and engineers.

Most experts agree that America's success depends on having a workforce that is highly prepared in STEM areas. Unfortunately, students of color continue to be underrepresented in higher education, and specifically, in completing degrees and entering careers within the STEM fields. This book supports African American students (as well as all students) who are interested in STEM careers, providing information on the top colleges with STEM-related programs, particularly those that best support racially diverse students; practical advice for preparing for entrance into STEM programs; and inspirational stories of successful African Americans in STEM-related careers.

Authored by three educators expert in the areas of academic development of African Americans and minorities, STEM, and higher education, The African American Student's Guide to STEM Careers focuses on preparing Black students for STEM from K–12 through graduate school. Readers will more fully appreciate the importance of STEM, recognize why more Black students need to be more actively engaged in these disciplines, and understand how to prepare Black students for success in STEM throughout the educational pipeline.
African-American Sports Greats
Authors: Porter David L.
Published: February 2024

African-American athletes have played a significant role in the development and popularity of American professional sports, and have encountered numerous obstacles on the road to athletic success. This is the first comprehensive multi-sport biographical dictionary of African Americans who reached the pinnacles of success in their sport. It contains more personal and career profiles of African-American sports greats than are found in any other single source. Biographical profiles of 166 noted athletes, coaches, and administrators in team and individual sports include both Ristorical figures such as Jesse Owens and Satchel Paige and contemporary stars such as Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal, and Emmitt Smith. Forty-four sports historians contributed the colorfully written biographies, which blend both personal background information and athletic career accomplishments. All information is current through the middle of 1995.

The dictionary covers the contributions made by African-American greats in football, baseball, basketball, track and field, boxing, wrestling, auto and stock car racing, golf, thoroughbred racing, tennis, cycling, and figure skating. More than two-thirds of the entries represent team sports. The dictionary is organized alphabetically by person. Each colorfully written profile is 800-1,000 words in length and traces the subject's personal life, family and educational background, personal struggles, career accomplishments, records set, statistical data, awards and honors, and overall impact; and features lively quotations by and about the sports luminaries. Each entry contains a handy bibliography of books and articles about the subject. Biographies of managers, coaches, and club executives describe their teams, statistical achievements, accomplishments, strategy, and sports impact. A general introduction traces the historic struggle of African-American athletes in professional and Olympic sports and appendices provide alphabetical listings of biographical entries and entries by sport. A selection of photos complement the profiles. For the sports fan or librarian, this is a first stop for biographical information that captures the personality of the athlete and includes all the pertinent information about his or her accomplishments. It is an essential addition to the reference sections of junior high, high school, and public libraries.
The Age of Milton
Authors: Hager Alan
Published: February 2024

The 17th century was a time of significant cultural and political change. The era saw the rise of exploration and travel, the growth of the scientific method, and the spread of challenges to conventional religion. Many of these developments occurred in England and North America, and literature of the period reflects the intellectual and emotional fervor of the age. This reference chronicles the lives and works of more than 75 British and American writers of the 17th century.

Included are entries on such major canonical authors as Donne, Milton, and Jonson. The volume also covers the writings of such leading thinkers as Hobbes and Locke, along with the works of leading European figures like Galileo and Descartes. Also profiled are numerous significant women writers, including Mary Astell, Aphra Behn, and Anne Killigrew. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and includes a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a survey of the writer's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume additionally includes entries on several artists who significantly influenced British and American literary culture.
The Age of Napoleon
Authors: Conner Susan P.
Published: February 2024

Hegel called him an idea on horseback, a description that suggests Napoleon Bonaparte's complexity, as well as the extent to which he changed France, Europe, and the world. Napoleon has been called a visionary, a pragmatist, a cynical opportunist, an ogre, and a demigod. Here, he is described in his own words and the words of his contemporaries: from his clannishness to his knack for being at the right place at the right time, and from his genius to his obsession with detail.

Napoleon brought order out of the chaos of the French Revolution, pressed for revolutionary equality of opportunity, and planned a European union. In the process, he knew peace for only 14 months of his 15-year reign, marched his armies from Lisbon to Moscow, and caused the deaths of millions. In this resource, a detailed timeline, maps, illustrations, biographical sketches, and primary documents help students get a feel for the brief but enduring Age of Napoleon.
American Transportation Policy
Authors: Dilger Robert J.
Published: February 2024

The author maintains that American politics, institutional arrangements, and political culture have prevented the development of a comprehensive, integrated, intermodal transportation policy in the United States. Dilger makes his argument by examining the development of the national governmental authority in both surface and air transportation. Each transportation mode—highways/mass transit, Amtrak, and civilian air transportation—is examined separately, assessing their development over time and focusing on current controversies, including, but not limited to, the highway versus mass transit funding issue; the recent decentralization of decision making authority on surface transportation policy; Amtrak's viability as an alternative to the automobile; and current antiterrorist policies' effect on transportation policy.
Amici Curiae and Strategic Behavior in State Supreme Courts
Authors: Comparato Scott A.
Published: February 2024

Applying strategic approaches to both interest groups as amici curiae and state supreme court justices, Comparato investigates the influence of judicial retention methods and the ballot initiative on their behaivor. The results demonstrate that they behave strategically, attempting to achieve their goals within the confines of the institutional setting.

What impact do state-level institutions have on the behavior of state supreme court justices and interest groups participating as amici curiae in those courts? Specifically, is the information provided by interest groups conditioned on the judicial retention system, or whether the state uses the ballot initiative, and does that information impact the decision-making process of the justices? Comparato answers these questions by employing strategic theories of judicial and group behavior, with groups motivated by the attainment of policy and group maintenance, and state supreme court justices motivated by policy and the continued maintenance of their position on the court. He argues that the information provided in amicus curiae briefs allows both groups and state supreme court justices to achieve their respective goals.

In order to answer these questions, Comparto analyzes litigant and amicus curiae briefs as well as judicial decisions from seven state supreme courts to evaluate the effects of state-level institutions on the types of information provided to state supreme court justices, and how those justices respond to that information. The results suggest that interest groups do behave strategically, providing information to justices that they believe will be useful in helping the justices retain their seats on the court and achieve their desired policy outcomes. There is also support for the expectation that the information provided by litigants and amici, as well as the retention method, have a direct impact on the decision-making of justices.
Anglophone Caribbean Poetry, 1970-2001
Authors: Williams Emily A.
Published: February 2024

Caribbean poetry written in English has been attracting growing amounts of scholarly attention. The first substantial annotated bibliography of primary and secondary materials related to the topic, this reference chronicles the development of Anglophone Caribbean poetry from 1970 through 2001. Included are nearly 900 entries for anthologies, reference works, conference proceedings, critical studies, interviews, and recorded works. The volume also includes a chronology, an overview of the development and significance of Caribbean poetry in English, and extensive indexes.

In 1971 the Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies held a conference on West Indian literature at the University of the West Indies. This was the first assembly for the discussion of West Indian literature by West Indian people on West Indian soil. Since then, interest in Caribbean poetry written in English has grown dramatically. Caribbean poetry was influenced by the American Black Power movement during the 1970s, and women poets began to contribute their voices throughout the 1980s. Caribbean poets have, in turn, gained greater access to publishing outlets, resulting in a wider international readership and a corresponding increase in scholarly and critical studies. This book is the first substantial annotated bibliography of primary and secondary materials related to Caribbean poetry written in English.

The volume begins with the rise of interest in Anglophone Caribbean poetry in the 1970s and continues through 2001. Included are entries for nearly 900 anthologies, reference works, conference proceedings, critical studies, interviews, and recordings. The entries are grouped in chapters devoted to particular types of works. In addition, the volume includes a chronology, a discussion of the history of Anglophone Caribbean poetry, and extensive indexes.
Anorexia
Authors: Stryer Stacy Beller
Published: February 2024

Written in accessible but medically accurate prose, Anorexia provides a detailed explanation of how the diagnosis of anorexia is made, common physical and personality characteristics of those affected by the illness, and both short and long-term complications.

Anorexia takes the discussion a step further than similar books on the subject by placing the disease in context with a broad survey of the history of self-starvation from Antiquity to the present, and it tackles the difficult question of whether anorexia nervosa existed before the 19th century or is a uniquely modern disease. The book evaluates in detail the social, economic and cultural environments within which self-starvation has occurred historically, and it analyzes competing theories of the disease's origins—including sociocultural, developmental, biochemical, and genetic hypotheses. The book also provides coverage of several often overlooked topics, such as the incidence of anorexia among young men, and it makes use of the personal narrative of an anorexic throughout to give the reader some sense of what it feels like to have anorexia and what someone with anorexia may be thinking.
Artificial Paradise
Authors: Courrier Kevin
Published: February 2024

There is an epigram in this book from the Phil Ochs song, "Crucifixion", about the Kennedy assassination, that states: I fear to contemplate that beneath the greatest love, lies a hurricane of hate. On February 11th 1963, the Beatles recorded "There’s a Place", a dazzling, unheralded tune which was included on their electrifying debut album, Please Please Me. This song firmly laid the foundation on which a huge utopian dream of the sixties would be built. Within that dream, however, also lay the seeds of a darker vision that would emerge out of the very counterculture that the Beatles and their music helped create. Thus, even as their music attracted adoring fans, it also enticed the murderous ambitions of Charles Manson; and though the Beatles may have inspired others to form bands, their own failed hopes ultimately led to their breakup.

The disillusionment with the sixties, and the hopes associated with the group, would many years later culminate in the assassination of John Lennon and the attempted slaying of George Harrison by deranged and obsessive fans. In this incisive examination, author Kevin Courrier (Dangerous Kitchen: the Subversive World of Zappa, Randy Newman’s American Dreams) examines how the Fab Four, through their astonishing music and comically rebellious personalities, created the promise of an inclusive culture built on the principles of pleasure and fulfillment. By taking us through their richly inventive catalogue, Courrier illustrates how the Beatles’ startling impact on popular culture built a bond with audiences that was so strong, people today continue to either cling nostalgically to it, or struggle - and often struggle violently - to escape its influence.
Becoming Film Literate
Authors: LoBrutto Vincent
Published: February 2024

Though movies have remained our foremost cultural pastime for over 100 years, many of us still know very little about the tools used to create them. In this groundbreaking new book, Vincent LoBrutto provides an enjoyable and accessible education in the art of cinema: using 50 landmark films spanning the history of the medium, LoBrutto illustrates such important concepts as editing, production design, cinematography, sound, screen acting, narrative structure, and various genres, nationalities, and film eras. Each concept is illustrated by the selection of a film that epitomizes its use, so that readers will learn about film authorship in Citizen Kane, multiplot narrative in Nashville, widescreen filmmaking in Rebel without a Cause, and screen violence in The Wild Bunch. Explaining the various tricks of the moviemaking trade, Becoming Film Literate offers a crash course in cinema, one designed to give even the novice reader a solid introduction to this complex and multifaceted medium.

Though movies have remained our foremost cultural pastime for over 100 years, many of us still know very little about the tools used to create them. In this groundbreaking new book, Vincent LoBrutto provides an enjoyable and accessible education in the art of cinema: using 50 landmark films spanning the history of the medium, LoBrutto illustrates such important concepts as editing, production design, cinematography, sound, screen acting, narrative structure, and various genres, nationalities, and film eras. Each concept is illustrated by the selection of a film that epitomizes its use, so that readers will learn about film authorship in Citizen Kane, multiplot narrative in Nashville, widescreen filmmaking in Rebel without a Cause, and screen violence in The Wild Bunch.

Providing a unique opportunity to become acquainted with important movies and the elements of their greatness, Becoming Film Literate offers a crash course in cinema, one designed to give even the novice reader a solid introduction to this complex and multifaceted medium.
Catholicism and Science
Authors: Hess Peter M.J. , Allen Paul L.
Published: February 2024

When most people think about Catholicism and science, they will automatically think of one of the famous events in the history of science - the condemnation of Galileo by the Roman Catholic Church. But the interaction of Catholics with science has been - and is - far more complex and positive than that depicted in the legend of the Galileo affair. Understanding the natural world has always been a strength of Catholic thought and research - from the great theologians of the Middle Ages to the present day - and science has been a hallmark of Catholic education for centuries.

Catholicism and Science, a volume in the Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion series, covers all aspects of the relationship of science and the Church: How Catholics interacted with the profound changes in the physical sciences (natural philosophy) and biological sciences (natural history) during the Scientific Revolution; how Catholic scientists reacted to the theory of evolution and their attempts to make evolution compatible with Catholic theology; and the implications of Roman Catholic doctrinal and moral teachings for neuroscientific research, and for investigation into genetics and cloning.

The volume includes primary source documents, a glossary and timeline of important events, and an annotated bibliography of the most useful works for further research
The Challenges of Gifted Children
Authors: Klein Barbara
Published: February 2024

Educating and raising gifted children presents highly specific challenges. This book explains how parents can learn to optimize their child's potential and work with schools, spouses, friends, and specialists to create a nurturing and stable life.

Having a gifted child is a joy, but it is also one of the greatest challenges of parenthood to help that child find the right fit for education. In this remarkably insightful text, noted psychologist Barbara Klein, PhD, EdD, explains the emotional and social issues of giftedness, identifies parental actions and reactions that can exacerbate or soothe the challenges, and describes how these key factors tie in to identifying the best school and educational program to enable a gifted child to achieve his or her goals and maximize success. The text includes many vignettes from children and families who have sought guidance across 30 years from the author, an accomplished psychotherapist recognized as a national authority on raising gifted children.

This single-volume work presents an understandable theoretical overview of the psychological problems parents face raising their gifted child and clearly explains why the parent-child interaction can be so intense and stressful—a reality that is rarely acknowledged in the existing literature on giftedness. Parents of gifted children will learn how to make decisions about their children's social emotional development and educational future and understand how their actions can be helpful or harmful to their gifted child and his/her education. Educators will fully grasp why and how gifted kids are different and why they need different educational environments, while mental heath professionals will gain insight into their gifted patients' emotional struggles. And gifted individuals will realize that others experience similar struggles.
Children with Disabilities in America
Authors: Safford Philip L. , Safford Elizabeth J.
Published: February 2024

Images of disabled children are found throughout well-known works of literature, film, and even opera. Their characters range from sweet, to brave, to tragic. Disabled children are also a part of the reality of life either in personal ways or as poster girls and boys for drives and causes. Behind these images is a historical presence that has been created by the societies in which these children live and have lived. This work examines current knowledge about children's experience of physical, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral impairments from the Colonial period to the present, while revealing the social constructions of both disability and childhood throughout American history.

Just as disability has been advanced as an essential consideration in other historical inquiries, such as that of gender, this is a work intended to demonstrate the critical role of disability with respect to the history of childhood.
China’s International Petroleum Policy
Authors: Kong Bo
Published: February 2024

Author Bo Kong reveals how China’s international petroleum policy is shaped by the cogovernance of the country’s petroleum sector by its government and national oil companies, whose interests are at cross purposes with each other.

This exhaustive treatment of China’s international petroleum policy examines the cogovernance of China’s petroleum sector by its government and national oil companies, as they work at loggerheads with each other to shape such key policies as overseas investment, domestic price caps, and import controls in the face their country’s exploding demand for foreign oil. Imported oil already accounts half of China’s total consumption and is forecast to increase to 80 percent by 2030.

China’s International Petroleum Policy focuses on six major issues: the evolution of China’s petroleum governance regime, the making of China’s international petroleum policy, the international expansion of China’s national oil companies, the challenges confronting Chinese oil companies on the international petroleum chessboard, Beijing’s petroleum diplomacy, and the implications of China’s international petroleum policy. Each chapter describes the historical and institutional context of a particular issue, the key players, and the structures and processes through which policy is developed and implemented.
China's Reforms and Reformers
Authors: Ho Alfred K.
Published: February 2024

Ever since the death of Mao, China has undergone a transformation almost as radical as the Communist Revolution that Mao instigated. This book tells the stories of the many difficult economic, political, and social struggles that have taken place in post-Maoist China. Using both Chinese and non-Chinese sources, Alfred K. Ho unravels the complexities of life in China during the past generation. As Ho explains, contemporary Chinese are seeking to find solutions to their problems that reflect their own cultural values. As such, reform in China cannot be seen solely as an effort to emulate the West, especially the free market and democratic United States. Rather, Ho places current efforts at reform as part of a prolonged and continual process by Chinese to deal with their internal problems as well as the challenges and opportunities they face as a result of greater contact with the outside world.
The Collapse of the Soviet Empire
Authors: Neimanis George
Published: February 2024

An American academic describes the breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of an independent Latvia from the vantage point of Riga, where he was acting as an advisor to the Latvian Parliament and was a visiting faculty member at the time of the events. This description is unusual for several reasons—the author was based in Riga rather than Moscow or Leningrad, where most reporters lived, the work was written by someone who had access to the government, and the author was able to understand the local press and people. Background material on the Baltic countries and their relationship to the USSR is discussed.

By 1991, the Soviet system was floundering, with people spending an inordinate amount of time standing in lines to cope with shortages. The final breakdown of the Soviet empire began in the Baltic Republics, where Baltic nationalism and Russian nationalism clashed. By the end of 1991, the Baltic countries and most of the former Soviet republics had declared independence. The Soviet Union has bequeathed to the successor states an infrastructure and ethos that makes the transition to democracy and a free market extremely difficult. The work will interest those who want to learn what really happened during the breakdown of the USSR and those who need to deal with the changes that continue to occur in the successor states.
Collecting for the Curriculum
Authors: Catalano Amy J.
Published: February 2024

If you're a librarian charged with collecting curriculum materials and children's literature to support the Common Core State Standards, then this book—the only one that offers explicit advice on collection development in curriculum collections—is for you.

While there are many publications on the Common Core for school librarians and K–12 educators, no such literature exists for curriculum librarians at the post-secondary level. This book fills that gap, standing alone as a guide to collection development for curriculum librarians independent of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The book provides instruction and guidance to curriculum librarians who acquire and manage collections so you can develop a collection based on best practices.

The book begins with a primer on the CCSS and how curriculum librarians can support them. Discussion of the Standards is then woven through chapters, arranged by content area, that share research-based practices in curriculum development and instruction to guide you in curriculum selection. Material types covered include games, textbooks, children's literature, primary sources, counseling, and nonfiction. Additional chapters cover the management of curriculum collections, testing collections, and instruction and reference, as well as how to support and collect for special needs learners. Current practices in collection development for curriculum materials librarians are also reviewed. The book closes with a discussion of the future of curriculum materials.
Creating Human Development Theories
Authors: Thomas R. Murray
Published: February 2024

How—and why—do humans develop as they do? This book clearly explains the key components of human development theories and describes how to compose novel theories regarding this age-old puzzle.

As college students progress through bachelor's degree programs and then advance to their master's degree theses and doctoral dissertations, they are bombarded with studies of countless theories, often adopting some author's theory for interpreting information about human development, even when the theory does not precisely meet their needs. One way to solve the problem—a way especially tuned to the current classroom push for creative, critical thinking—is for the student to create his or her own theory. Unfortunately, even students as high as the doctoral level often don't understand how to create a well-ordered, workable theory of their own—a crucial gap in their "critical thinking" skillsets. This book is the solution to that specific problem. In these pages, in clear and detailed steps, is a complete explanation for developing a theory.

The book addresses key topics such as attention to need, population, basic assumptions, key terms, causes and stages, interpreting evidence, and applications. Author R. Murray Thomas—a well-known and highly respected elder in the social sciences—also details five illustrative theories, covering their history and providing insights about how they were developed. This work will be valuable to students of psychology, human development, child development, and theory as well as those in other disciplines seeking an understanding of theory building.
Creating Makers
Authors: Egbert Megan
Published: February 2024

This book shows you how, even with a tight budget and limited space, you can foster "maker mentality" in your library and help patrons reap the learning benefits of making–with or without a makerspace.

Just because your library is small or limited on funds doesn't mean you can't be part of the maker movement. This book explains that what is really important about the movement is not the space, but the creativity, innovation, and resilience that go along with a successful maker program. All it takes is making some important changes to a library's programs, services, and collections to facilitate the maker mentality in their patrons, and this book shows you how.

The author explains what a maker is, why this movement is important, and how making fits in with educational initiatives such as STEM and STEAM as well as with library service. Her book supplies practical advice for incorporating the principles of the maker movement into library services–how to use small spaces or mobile spaces to accommodate maker programs, creating passive maker programs, providing access to making through circulating maker tools, partnering with other organizations, hosting maker faires, and more. Readers will better understand their instructional role in cultivating makers by human-centered design thinking, open source and shared learning, and implementation of an inquiry approach.
Cruising Through Research
Authors: Volkman John D.
Published: February 2024

Teaching research skills is a breeze with these fun, reproducible lessons! Through a variety of engaging projects, students experience and learn research techniques that they can use throughout their lives. In one lesson, they take a treasure hunt approach, consulting standard library materials such as Current Biography, Dictionary of American History, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and Contemporary Authors, to find answers to a series of reference questions. In another students write letters (term papers in disguise) that describe in detail a future cruise. In the process they learn how to take notes and combine facts to produce an interesting paper and an accurate bibliography. Projects include topics for science, foreign language, social science, and language arts.
Culture and Customs of Botswana
Authors: Denbow James , Thebe Phenyo C.
Published: February 2024

Botswana's large deposits of diamonds have made it one of the richest African countries on a per capita basis. However, more than wealth, what has made Botswana a model country in southern Africa is its long tradition of democratic rule, respect for ethnic and racial differences, freedom of the press, and governmental programs to support its citizens. Even though Botswana has had its share of problems—including ecological disasters such as drought— the spirit of its people and their willingness, despite cultural differences, to work together to overcome such setbacks make this country exceptional. General readers will find a wealth of up-to-date information on such topics as the legacy of Christian missionaries, especially the famous David Livingstone, society post-Independence, the unique blend of Christianity and ancestral spiritual practices, the AIDS crisis, initiation rites, community rule by chiefs, polygamy, cattle raising, food and beer, betrothal customs, education, unique games, the integral music and dance, and much more.

The authors provide a thorough, one-stop resource for learning about a significant country that has stayed peaceful despite the strife of neighboring South Africa and Angola, for example. Narrative chapters by these insiders cover the land, people, languages, education, economy, history, religion and worldview, literature and media, art and architecture, cuisine and traditional dress, gender roles, marriage, and family, social customs and lifestyle, and music and dance. Photos, a chronology, and a glossary complement the narrative.
Culture and Customs of Pakistan
Authors: Malik Iftikhar
Published: February 2024

Until now, in-depth cultural information on Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country formed in 1947 after the dissolution of British rule in India, has been scarce. This crucial South Asian hotspot, in the news for tensions with neighboring India over nuclear capacity and security issues, finally is illuminated for general readers. This narrative encapsulates the historical pluralistic traditions, such as religious practices, languages, and ethnosocial ties, that Pakistanis share with their neighbors. The coverage of culture and customs is contextualized throughout with the richness of the past and present Indus Valley civilization.

The author is a native of Pakistan and provides authoritative insight into the many aspects of history and contemporary life. Western readers will be exposed to a range of folk traditions that coexist with modern influences from globalization. Descriptions of unfamiliar cultural phenomena such as the architecture of shrines and tombs, the distinctive dress of different groups, Pakistani Muslim courtship and marriage rituals, and lively kite-flying contests are some of the highlights.
The Culture of Excess
Authors: Slosar J.R.
Published: February 2024

In the wake of the 2008-2009 economic recession, this revealing work offers a psychological explanation of how we as a nation grapple with self-control and how we can develop a new and healthier generation.

As J.R. Slosar shows in this urgent, sometimes startling volume, the nation’s fast-and-loose approach to money was in fact a symptom of a more widespread pattern of excessive behavior. In The Culture of Excess: How America Lost Self-Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success, Slosar portrays an America where the drive to succeed and the fear of missing out manifested itself not only in self-entitled corporate fraud, but in everything from sharp rises in obesity and cosmetic medical procedures to equally troubling increases in eating disorders, panic attacks, and outbreaks of uncontrollable rage.

The Culture of Excess is the first book to assess the impact of economic and social factors on the nation’s psychological well-being. Narcissism, productive narcissism, psychopathy, rigidity and self destruction, perfectionism, the illusion of success, and identity achievement all come into play as Slosar diagnoses the psychological drivers behind this indulgent age, offering his prescription for helping “Generation Me” become “Generation We.”
Diana, Princess of Wales
Authors: Gitlin Martin
Published: February 2024

Long before her tragic death, Diana, Princess of Wales was a beloved modern icon, relatable to the general public in a way that transcended the barrier between royal and commoner. As a member of the royal family in an age of mass media, her fairy-tale wedding to, and painful divorce from, Prince Charles was played out on the world stage. Later, her humanitarian work for the Red Cross, her campaigns against landmines, and her work with the sick, especially AIDS victims, added a compassionate element to the royal family in the eyes of the world—and the world, ten years later, still hasn't gotten enough of Lady Di. This objective, accessible volume explores Diana's fascinating life, including her aristocratic upbringing, her whirlwind engagement to Prince Charles, her rocky marriage, her post-divorce status as global humanitarian icon, the media's frenzied treatment of her death, and her charitable legacy, including her sons' coming-of-age and their attempts to honor her memory.