bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
America for Sale
Authors: Bouchard Craig T. , Koch James V.
Published: February 2024

Exploring the issue of foreign ownership of corporate America, a leading economist and the president of the steel producer, Esmark, revisit the sale of that company to a Russian firm.

Is it a good idea to allow foreigners to purchase critical and strategic American assets? No, say authors James Koch and Craig Bouchard. In America for Sale: How the Foreign Pack Circled and Devoured Esmark, Koch and Bouchard use the sale of Esmark—a transaction that put over 50 percent of American steel production into foreign hands—to make the case that this trend presents a clear and present danger to the economic future of United States of America.

America for Sale recaps the amazing, sometimes incredible events leading up to the sale of Esmark, including intense pressure from the United Steelworkers and the company’s major public shareholder to make a decision not in the best interest of all shareholders. It also analyzes the efforts by the Esmark board of directors to observe its fiduciary duty, details the company’s “poison pill” effort to raise its sales price, and describes the actions of Leo Gerard and Ron Bloom of the United Steelworkers Union—which led to some surprising alliances. The authors—one Esmark’s president and vice chairman of the board, the other an Esmark director, preeminent American economist, and former university president—then provide their own assessment of the Esmark story. They offer legislative and policy prescriptions aimed at making sure U.S. business doesn’t devolve into one big garage sale to foreigners seeking to take advantage of the coming decline of the U.S. dollar.
American Encounters with Arabs
Authors: Rugh William A.
Published: February 2024

For sixty years, U.S. government officials have conducted public diplomacy programs to try to reach Arab public opinion—to inform, educate, and understand Arab attitudes. American public affairs officers have met serious challenges in the past, but Arab public criticism of the United States has reached unprecedented levels since September 11, 2001. Polls show that much of the negative opinion of the United States, especially in the Middle East, can be traced to dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy. Rugh, a retired career Foreign Service officer who twice served as ambassador to countries in the region, explains how U.S. government officials have dealt with key problem issues over the years, and he recommends ways that public diplomacy can better support and enhance U.S. national interests in the Middle East. This struggle for the hearts and minds of the Arab world, so crucial to the success of American efforts in post-occupation Iraq, is carried out through broadcasting, cultural contacts, and educational and professional exchanges.

Rugh describes the difference between public diplomacy and propaganda. He points out that public diplomacy uses open means of communication and is truthful. Its four main components are explaining U.S. foreign policy to foreign publics; presenting them with a fair and balanced picture of American society, culture, and institutions; promoting mutual understanding; and advising U.S. policy makers on foreign attitudes. Public diplomacy supports the traditional diplomatic functions of official business between governments. Whereas diplomats from the United States deal with diplomats of foreign governments, public affairs officers deal with opinion leaders such as media editors, reporters, academics, student leaders, and prominent intellectuals and cultural personalities. Rugh provides an up-close-and-personal look at how public affairs officers do their jobs, how they used innovation in their efforts to meet the challenges of the past, and how they continue to do so in the post-September 11 era.
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Authors: Roberts Priscilla
Published: February 2024

Covering the Arab-Israeli conflict from its origins to the present, this valuable resource traces the evolution of this ongoing, seemingly unresolvable dispute through a wide array of primary source documents.

Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Documentary and Reference Guide provides a fresh, accessible, and thorough overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict, covering its origins in the late-19th century to the present-day situation and enabling readers to grasp why peace has proved so elusive, despite massive international efforts to reach a permanent and lasting solution to this protracted animosity.

Chronological chapters first address the years up to the establishment of Israel in 1948, then move forward to the wars of 1956 and 1967 and their impact; the 1973 Yom Kippur War and early efforts to reach a lasting peace settlement; and the ongoing international and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations since the mid-1980s. Readers will come away with not only an understanding of why so many great powers were from the beginning interested in the fate of the territory known as Palestine and of the current issues from an international perspective, but also an appreciation of the personalities and ethnic backgrounds involved that make the conflict so difficult to resolve.
Architecture and Power in Africa
Authors: Elleh Nnamdi
Published: February 2024

Two of the most ambitious religious edifices of the 20th century are the Our Lady of Peace Basilica in the West African country of the Ivory Coast and the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco. Nnamdi Elleh not only provides a substantial architectural and pictorial analysis of the buildings themselves. Using these two buildings as case studies, he also investigates questions of national memory, urban form, architectural styles, concepts of democracy, social hierarchies as well as the elites who make the decisions to build Africa's post-independence monuments and capital cities. His book is an exciting synthesis of theoretical and empirical analysis that is bound to stimulate debate about the form and content of post-colonial identities in Africa.
Arctic and Alpine Biomes
Authors: Quinn Joyce A.
Published: February 2024

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World: series covers the biomes at high altitudes and near the poles, including the arctic tundra biomes, the Mid-Latitude Alpine Tundra Biome (found in the mountain ranges of North America, Asia, and South America), and the tropical alpine tundra biome (for example, Hawaii).
Bernard Madoff and His Accomplices
Authors: Lewis Lionel S.
Published: February 2024

This is the first detailed study of how Bernard L. Madoff and his accomplices perpetrated a Ponzi scheme of epic proportions—what has been referred to as the “con of the century.”

In December 2008, Bernard L. Madoff was arrested for perpetrating a protracted Ponzi scheme of inconceivably huge proportions that defrauded clients of his securities company of nearly $20 billion—and was consequently sentenced to 150 years in jail. How did Madoff pull this off for years, even returning some or all of clients’ money when they asked, while in actuality was financing the lavish lifestyles of himself, his family, and his accomplices with the stolen funds? And why didn’t anyone in the highly regulated investment industry catch on sooner?

Bernard Madoff and His Accomplices: Anatomy of a Con examines Bernard L. Madoff’s unprecedented confidence game (con game), drawing back the curtain on what actually went on at his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, and exposing the day-to-day activities of his accomplices that enabled the elaborate con to succeed for as long as it did. Through the examination of court testimony and other court documents, the mechanics of the con game become clear, elucidating how Madoff’s friends and employees hustled money from investors; the methods by which false records, monthly statements to investors, and other documents were manufactured and mass-produced; and how a multitude of felonies and the highest levels of fraud became everyday practices.
Beyond Bond
Authors: Britton Wesley
Published: February 2024

At a time when the methods and purposes of intelligence agencies are under a great deal of scrutiny, author Wesley Britton offers an unprecedented look at their fictional counterparts. In Beyond Bond: Spies in Film and Fiction, Britton traces the history of espionage in literature, film, and other media, demonstrating how the spy stories of the 1840s began cementing our popular conceptions of what spies do and how they do it. Considering sources from Graham Greene to Ian Fleming, Alfred Hitchcock to Tom Clancy, Beyond Bond looks at the tales that have intrigued readers and viewers over the decades. Included here are the propaganda films of World War II, the James Bond phenomenon, anti-communist spies of the Cold War era, and military espionage in the eighties and nineties. No previous book has considered this subject with such breadth, and Britton intertwines reality and fantasy in ways that illuminate both. He reveals how most themes and devices in the genre were established in the first years of the twentieth century, and also how they have been used quite differently from decade to decade, depending on the political concerns of the time. In all, Beyond Bond offers a timely and penetrating look at an intriguing world of fiction, one that sometimes, and in ever-fascinating ways, can seem all too real.

At a time when the methods and purposes of intelligence agencies are under a great deal of scrutiny, author Wesley Britton offers an unprecedented look at their fictional counterparts. In Beyond Bond: Spies in Film and Fiction, Britton traces the history of espionage in literature, film, and other media, demonstrating how the spy stories of the 1840s began cementing our popular conceptions of what spies do and how they do it. Considering sources from Graham Greene to Ian Fleming, Alfred Hitchcock to Tom Clancy, Beyond Bond looks at the tales that have intrigued readers and viewers over the decades. Included here are the propaganda films of World War II, the James Bond phenomenon, anti-communist spies of the Cold War era, and military espionage in the eighties and nineties. No previous book has considered this subject with such breadth, and Britton intertwines reality and fantasy in ways that illuminate both.

He reveals how most themes and devices in the genre were established in the first years of the twentieth century, and also how they have been used quite differently from decade to decade, depending on the political concerns of the time. And he delves into such aspects of the genre as gadgetry, technology, and sexuality-aspects that have changed with the times as much as the politics have. In all, Beyond Bond offers a timely and penetrating look at an intriguing world of fiction, one that sometimes, and in ever-fascinating ways, can seem all too real.
Bill Gates
Authors: Becraft Michael B.
Published: February 2024

The cofounder of Microsoft, Bill Gates helped transform society by ushering in the era of ubiquitous personal computing. This book examines the life and achievements of this standout American inventor and philanthropist.

Bill Gates has been instrumental in creating and developing the home computing era that has thoroughly transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, from work to commerce to communication. Stepping down as CEO of Microsoft in 2000 after 25 years at the helm, he remained as chairman, a position he still holds.

This book paints a vivid picture of Bill Gates that covers his early life and his years as an inquisitive and adventurous student to his experiences as a budding entrepreneur and billionaire philanthropist who has often been listed among the richest individuals in the world. Author Michael Becraft presents complete information on how Microsoft evolved, from the company's inception until Gates's departure from active leadership; documents the economic, ethical, financial, legal, management, and leadership applications inherent in Gates's work; and examines the criticism that Gates's actions and decisions have drawn throughout his career.
The Biology of Religious Behavior
Authors: Feierman Jay R.
Published: February 2024

Offers a fresh and detailed take on the evolution of religious behavior from a biobehavioral perspective, promoting a new understanding that may help build bridges across the religious divide.

There has been much recent interest in the study of religion from the perspective of Darwinian evolution. The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion offers a broad overview of the topic, written by internationally recognized experts. In addition to its primary focus on religious behavior, the book addresses other important aspects of religion, such as values, beliefs, and emotions as they affect behavior.

The contributors approach the evolution of religion by examining the behavior of individuals in their everyday lives. After describing various religious behaviors, the contributors consider the behaviors with reference to their evolutionary history, development during the lifetime of the individual, proximate causes, and adaptive value. Happily, this foray into understanding religion from a biobehavioral perspective demonstrates that, at the biological and behavioral levels, what unites the different religions of the world is far greater than what divides them.
The Birth of Big Business in the United States, 1860-1914
Authors: Whitten David O. , Whitten Bessie E.
Published: February 2024

The economic and cultural roots of contemporary American business can be traced directly to developments in the era between the Civil War and World War I. The physical expansion of the country combined with development of transportation and communication infrastructures to create a free market of vast proportion and businesses capable of capitalizing on the accompanying economies of scale, through higher productivity, lower costs, and broader distribution. The Birth of Big Business in the United States illuminates the conditions that changed the face of American business and the national economy, giving rise to such titans as Standard Oil, United States Steel, American Tobacco, and Sears, Roebuck, as well as institutions such as the United States Post Office. During this period, commercial banking and law also evolved, and, as the authors argue, business and government were not antagonists but partners in creating mass consumer markets, process innovations, and regulatory frameworks to support economic growth. The Birth of Big Business in the United States is not only an incisive account of modern business development but a fascinating glimpse into a dynamic period of American history.
A Call to Arms
Authors: Paddock Troy
Published: February 2024

World War I highlighted the influence of newspapers in rousing and maintaining public support for the war effort. Discussions of the role of the press in the Great War have, to date, largely focused on atrocity stories. This book offers the first comparative analysis of how newspapers in Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary attempted to define war, its objectives, and the enemy. Presented country-by-country, expert essays examine, through use of translated articles from the contemporary press, how newspapers of different nations defined the war for their readership and the ideals they used to justify a war and support governments that some segments of the press had opposed just a few months earlier.

During the opening months of the war, governments attempted to influence public opinion functioned in a largely negative fashion, for example, the censoring of military information or criticisms of government policies. There was little effort to provide a positive message to sway readers. As a result, newspapers had a relatively free hand in justifying the war and the reasons for their respective nation’s involvement. Partisan politics was a staple of the pre-war press; thus, newspapers could and did define the war in terms that reflected their own political ideals and agenda. Conservative, liberal, and socialist newspapers all largely supported the war (the ones that did not were shut down immediately), but they did so for different reasons and hoped for different outcomes if their side was victorious.
Celebrate with Books
Authors: Blass Rosanne
Published: February 2024

Catch the wave of enthusiasm that accompanies holiday celebrations, and use it to promote reading and literature throughout the year. Focusing on books for elementary readers published within the past five years, Blass introduces you to 200 of the best new fiction and nonfiction titles about world holidays—from New Year's Day, Ramadan, and Mardi Gras to Juneteenth, Pioneer Day, and the Bon Festival. The guide offers full bibliographic information; a plot summary; a booktalk, bookwalk, or read-aloud for promoting the book to young readers; and ideas for discussion and extension learning activities. Chapters are organized chronologically from January to December, with additional chapters on Holidays in General and Other Special Occasions, covering such events as birthdays and losing a tooth. Alternative title suggestions for each holiday are given at the end of the section. A source of inspiration for reading assignments, book lists, and library displays, this guide is also a great resource for multicultural units. Grades K-6.
Children and Youth in Sickness and in Health
Authors: Golden Janet , Meckel Richard , Prescott Heather Munro
Published: February 2024

Six original essays reflect the growing scholarly interest in the history of childhood and youth, particularly issues affecting child health and welfare. These important new essays show how changing patterns of health and disease have responded to and shaped notions of childhood and adolescence as life stages.

Until the early 20th century, life-threatening illnesses were a sinister presence in the lives of children of all social classes. Today, many diseases and threats to child health have been eliminated or alleviated. Yet critical problems remain. New threats such as AIDS and violence take a steady toll. Child health remains an active concern for all families. Despite the development of health care policies, social welfare policies, and effective medication, the home remains—as it was in the Colonial period—the most critical site of care. Parents are still central to the preservation of children's health. This work imposes a holistic view of this experience for children and families. By examining the child's perspective of illness, the authors make an important contribution to the understanding of illness as part of the developmental process of growing up.
Circuits in the Sea
Authors: Hearn Chester G.
Published: February 2024

This book tells the story of the scientific talent and technological prowess of two nations that joined forces to connect themselves with a communications cable that would change the world. In 1855 an American visionary named Cyrus West Field, who knew nothing about telegraphy, sought to establish a monopoly on telegraphic revenues between North America and Europe. Field and the wealthy New Yorkers who formed the first Atlantic cable-laying company never suspected that spanning the vast and stormy Atlantic would require 11 years of frustration and horrific financial sacrifice. The enterprise would eventually engage some of the most brilliant minds in England, Scotland, and the United States, attracting men of science, men of wealth, and men of curiosity. Message time would be cut from more than four weeks to about two minutes. Such a feat would not have been possible without the massive ship the Great Eastern, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Britain’s foremost engineer, or the financial backing of Thomas Brassey, the era’s greatest builder of railroads.

Despite four failed attempts and the enmity that developed between the Union and Great Britain during America’s Civil War, Field never stopped urging his British friends to perfect a cable that could function in water as deep as two and a half miles. Without the unified effort of this small cadre of determined engineers, decades may have passed before submarine cables became reliable. This is the story of these men, their ships, and the technology that made it all possible. Behind the scenes were tough and worthy competitors who tried to beat them to the punch, adding a sense of urgency to their monumental task. Some called the Atlantic cable the greatest feat of the 19th century—with good reason. It perfected transoceanic communications and connected the world with circuits in the sea.
College Drinking
Authors: Dowdall George W.
Published: February 2024

Drinking has become recognized as one of the most important problems facing today's college student. Even though college drinking has increased only modestly over the past few decades, concern about its health, behavioral, and safety consequences has risen rapidly. This book examines college drinking as a social problem within higher education, based on interviews with many leading figures engaged in addressing the problem. It assesses the evidence about how many students drink or drink excessively, and what kinds of behavioral and health problems they have as a consequence. The book answers the crucial questions of why students drink and what mixture of personal and environmental factors shape college drinking. The complex links to campus crime and sexual assault are discussed fully. Key practical questions about effective prevention programs and countermeasures are answered in detail. Students and parents can take action to lower the risk of binge drinking by consulting an appendix, which explains how to use college guide data on 400 leading institutions or data about alcohol violations and crime available for several thousand colleges. Anyone concerned with higher education today will find a full discussion of the scope of the problem and what can be done about it.
Crash Course in Contemporary Reference
Authors: Goldsmith Francisca
Published: February 2024

A fresh, detailed, and thoughtful examination of reference services in the context of evolving community information needs and habits, a changing technological landscape, and new search strategies.

Professional practices in the field of library reference services have changed dramatically in the past decade in response to shrinking print reference collections and evolving technology, search strategies, and user needs and interests. This new guide explains all the basics of reference services, covering resource types and awareness of their appropriate uses, collection development and maintenance techniques that support reference service work, the latest online searching techniques, and best practices for service interactions through various platforms, including email, chat, text, phone, and face to face. Additionally, it addresses reference service ethics; communication and conducting reference interviews; important policies related to reference service development, provision, and maintenance; alternative reference service delivery points now in use; and professional service provider networking.

Both experienced reference librarians and those new to reference service will benefit from in-depth coverage of recent changes in online reference resources and print-based resources, guidelines for authoritative evaluation of web-based resources, explanations of online catalog searching skills, and tips for reference web page construction. The book also contains an expanded section on making digitized collections accessible and relevant; information on the growing need of members of the general population for help with various federal government access programs ranging from Veterans Affairs and Social Security to health care access, income tax regulation fulfillment, and immigrant documentation; and explanations of copyright in the digital sphere of resource use and transfer.
Crash Course in Technology Planning
Authors: Brown Christopher D.
Published: February 2024

This easy-to-use primer will empower anyone—even those with no IT background—to face the challenge of adding one or more technologies to library services or maintaining existing technologies.

Most of the public libraries in the United States are operating on tight budgets without allocation for IT personnel; in school libraries, the librarian often takes on the lion's share of IT responsibility. This book is an invaluable guide for library staff members who are put in the position of maintaining their own networks and computers with very little training or support. Authored by an assistant library director with years of firsthand experience working as a solo IT manager within public libraries, this guide provides practical information about overcoming the unique challenges of managing IT in a smaller organization, juggling multiple job roles, being limited by a restrictive budget, and working directly with the public.

Crash Course in Technology Planning addresses a wide variety of IT topics in the library sphere, providing information in a logical manner and order. It begins with an explanation of triaging existing IT issues, then moves into diagnosing and repairing both individual PCs as well as the library Local Area Network (LAN). The following chapters cover other important topics, such as the best way to inventory computers and equipment, how to budget for and procure new equipment, and recommended ways for an IT layperson to set and achieve goals.
The Daily Art of Management
Authors: Thoms Peg , Fairbank James F.
Published: February 2024

Effective managers matter to an organization. After all, they translate strategy into action and motivate the people they lead. But managers are sometimes less than effective, ending up in positions of authority and responsibility due to technical competence, company growth, or serendipity. Unprepared, they often lack key skills. Or, like so many managers promoted due to stellar job performance, they may have trouble understanding and motivating other people. Managers thrust into roles of authority need grounding in the fundamentals of management. And that's exactly what management experts Peg Thoms and Jim Fairbank deliver: The Daily Art of Management is the mentor at a manager's shoulder, full of excellent advice and encouragement.

Most advice to managers consists of general prescriptions: Be inspiring, Drive innovation, or Beat the competition through crisp execution. Great, but how? It's not easy doing any of these things. This book, which draws on the experience of Thoms and Fairbank as well as their research on management behavior, closes the gap between the idealized leader and reality—the gap between book learning and street smarts. It shows managers and aspiring leaders at all levels of the organization how to master ten key roles and practice them on a daily basis. Examples and practical guidelines reinforce the concepts and serve as a handy resource for anyone interested in the art and science of effective management. In this book, managers will learn how to: -Set goals -Create an ethical environment -Create a vision -Select and motivate followers -Manage change -Handle competitors . . . and other critical skills effective managers employ to get the job done with style. The Daily Art of Management covers the issues managers face every day—but for which they are rarely trained.
Deciphering Economics
Authors: O’Connor David E.
Published: February 2024

This compact yet comprehensive guide provides a wealth of information that is timely, easy to understand, and relevant to the academic and civic lives of students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.

Economics surround us, impacting the decisions people make as consumers, producers, workers, savers, investors, taxpayers, and voters. This guide offers a thorough and understandable overview of basic economic concepts and principles, providing building blocks for understanding the systems of economics in today's complex world. It then explores contemporary, economics-related topics, issues, and challenges that exist within local communities, the U.S. economy, and the global economy.

Using language that is clear, precise, and accessible to high school and community college students as well as to general readers, the book covers microeconomic topics, macroeconomic topics, and international economics. It connects theory and practice as it examines how economic decisions are made and looks at the roles of the private and public sectors in achieving growth, stability, and employment. In addition, the author explores overarching trends in the global economy and the prospects for economic development in emerging nations and offers specific ways to locate other quality print and online resources on economics.
Diversity and Philanthropy
Authors: Wagner Lilya
Published: February 2024

A “one size fits all” strategy is not effective when it comes to philanthropy and fundraising in today’s diversified environment. This book enables nonprofit leaders, board members, staff, and volunteers of nonprofit organizations to better reach diverse populations and incorporate perspectives that increase success by surveying the cultural context for philanthropic action.

Diversity and Philanthropy: Expanding the Circle of Giving is a concise, accessible, and research-backed resource that explains the traditions of philanthropy—an invaluable tool given the proliferation of global nongovernmental organizations that affect every aspect of society in every country. Author Lilya Wagner has worked across the globe as fundraising and nonprofit organizations proliferated in the last 25 years. This book is an outgrowth of her extensive research as well as an accumulation of her professional interactions in the field and real-world knowledge.

The book begins with an overview of culture and its influence on generosity and then examines the global increase of attention on diversity in giving. Chapters address specific cultural and ethnic groups; the traditions of their countries of origin; what influences their giving in North America; and characteristics that are inherent in culture, such as religion and attitudes about family. The book concludes with an insightful discussion of how to be a culturally proficient professional. An extensive listing of resources—including research on various aspects and angles of the topic, and surveys on giving both in North America and globally—makes it easy for those who want to pursue related topics in more detail.
Diversity Programming for Digital Youth
Authors: Naidoo Jamie Campbell
Published: February 2024

Combining information about outreach to diverse populations, selection of culturally diverse children's print and digital media, and library programming, this book is the tool librarians need to promote cultural understanding through engaging children's programs designed for today's culturally diverse youth.

Today's children live in a culturally diverse and constantly changing digital world. New digital media is created every day but librarians and other educators need help in evaluating cultural content in digital apps, determining whether they send appropriate social messages to children, and learning how to use them in library programs that promote cultural competence. Diversity Programming for Digital Youth: Promoting Cultural Competence in the Children's Library provides just the help that is needed.

This resource is the only one to examine the role of culturally diverse digital media and how it can be used with children's books to promote cultural competence in the library. It provides annotated lists of digital media paired with culturally diverse literature to offer librarians and educators a springboard for creating enriching, engaging, and culturally relevant programs for children from diverse backgrounds. The sample digital storytime programs celebrating diverse cultures will benefit busy librarians looking for ways to engage reluctant readers in library storytimes.
Edgewalkers
Authors: Neal Judi
Published: February 2024

In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. These edgewalkers have contemporary counterparts in today's organizations—those individuals who don't fit squarely into any one box; in their metaphorical travels they interpret trends from the marketplace, translate messages across departments, and envision the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, diverse, and globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.

They're the first people to volunteer to head up a new business unit, lead a cross-company initiative, or take on an overseas assignment. They're the glass half-full folks, who are constantly thinking out of the box, forging alliances with colleagues in other departments, seeking out new solutions to old problems, and anticipating challenges on the horizon. And in today's increasingly diverse workplaces, they are often people who have pursued unusual educational and career paths, traveled widely, and speak more than one language. Judi Neal has a term for these people: Edgewalkers.

Literally, an edgewalker is someone who walks between two worlds. In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. Today's corporate edgewalkers serve a similar function, interpreting trends from the marketplace, translating messages across departments, and envisioning the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews with edgewalkers from a variety of fields and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.
Elephant's Edge
Authors: Taylor Andrew J.
Published: February 2024

The Republican Party currently enjoys an edge. The advantage can be seen in Congress, state politics, judicial rulings, foreign and domestic policy, party finances, the media, public attitudes, and economic and demographic developments. Yet the Republicans do not seem capable of translating this into a durable electoral majority.

Conditions now exist within American politics that will facilitate the establishment of Republican rule. Many of these conditions have ripened during the past decade. They include rules governing elections and campaign finance, shifts in core political values among the public that are consistent with Republican philosophy, and fundamental social and economic changes in American society that are likely to increase the ranks of Republican voters. The author explains in lucid, engaging terms how Republicans have taken control of both houses of Congress and experienced a remarkable resurgence at the state level. He explores how conservatives are utilizing the courts to simultaneously move policy rightward and mobilize sympathetic parts of the electorate. He also examines social and economic changes to show how racial politics, religiosity, and the nature of work and wealth benefit today's Republican Party.

Republican rule should not be confused with Republican realignment. These conditions will advantage Republicans in future elections and bring about consistent Republican control of government at all levels—federal, state, and local, executive, legislative, and judicial. However, current conditions do not guarantee the kind of enduring Republican majority many journalists and strategists have predicted. Taylor explains the factors that will prohibit the Republicans from fully exploiting their advantages and dominating American politics the way the Democrats did in the 30 years following the New Deal. These factors include internal and intractable tensions within the Republican Party, the parties' sophisticated political information gathering strategies, and the innate risk aversion of the campaign industry.
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery in School Libraries
Authors: Kaaland Christie , Lokey William
Published: February 2024

When disaster strikes, school librarians can play a key role in keeping kids safe. This is the only book written specifically to provide school librarians with emergency preparedness and recovery tools as wrell as curricular tie-ins.

No school is immune to disaster, whether in the form of a natural event like a tornado or a tragedy like the violence that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The key to minimizing injury or death in an emergency is preparednesssomething the school librarian is uniquely positioned to lead. This must-have book will show you how to be proactive in getting your school ready for the worst. It provides comprehensive preparedness and recovery plans, check lists, and curricular recommendations on preparedness that can be tailored to your individual library and community.

Covering natural disasters, human-made disasters, and school violence, the book shows you how to conduct drills, assess vulnerabilities and risk, communicate preparedness plans, and use bibliotherapy for disaster recovery. It also describes how your library can be a safe haven for students who feel disconnected, bullied, or othenvise disenfranchised. Although the book is primarily intended for school librarians, classroom teachers will also find many ideas here for helping students be better prepared for disasters, whatever their cause or severity.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Statements
Authors: Worrell David
Published: February 2024

Like a detailed trail map through the jungle of finance, this book guides readers past small-business financial pitfalls, showing readers how to fine-tune operations and enhance profitability.

Easy to read and full of engaging stories, this book teaches the basics of true financial management—re-made just for small businesses. It's perfect for entrepreneurs who want to get more from their accounting without getting stuck in the details. The author examines each of the three major financial statements and explains both how and why business owners should utilize these powerful tools to create a more stable, more profitable business. Whether one's business has one employee or 100, the small business owner will gain a deeper understanding of why finance is so critical to survival and growth. Written by an experienced CFO and entrepreneur, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Financial Statements uses illustrations, real-life stories, and crystal-clear writing to show business owners the importance of "the numbers" and the critical nature of finance to the survival, profitability, and growth of their small businesses.
The Evolution of Arms Control
Authors: Burns Richard Dean
Published: February 2024

The Evolution of Arms Control: From Antiquity to the Nuclear Age is the first world history of arms control through time.

Drawing on his knowledge of the comparative history of warfare and arms control across preliterate, ancient, medieval, and modern polities, Richard Dean Burns focuses longitudinally on such perennial arms control issues as negotiation, verification, and compliance. Although he does not, for example, allege that war elephants and nuclear weapons are of equal destructive potential, he does discern instructive similarities between Carthage in 202 BCE and Iraq in 1991 AD.

Arms control and disarmament measures have been pursued and adopted throughout the history and prehistory of human warfare: sometimes as protocols recognizing evolving humanitarian taboos; sometimes as terms imposed by the victors on the vanquished; and sometimes as accords negotiated between rivals fearful of mutual destruction. Arms control measures ramped up in significance and urgency at the dawn of the 20th century by the introduction of rapid-fire weapons, aircraft, chemical agents, and submarines, and again at mid-century with the advent of weapons of mass destruction—nuclear, chemical, and bacteriological—with sophisticated delivery systems. As Burns makes clear, the enormous increase in destructive potential brought about by thermonuclear weaponry essentially changed the nature of war and, therefore, of arms control.
Exploring the Essentials of Healthy Personality
Authors: Woodall Camay
Published: February 2024

What are the elements upon which a healthy personality is built? This fascinating book identifies the key components and shares vivid case studies that demonstrate what happens when those elements are missing.

What is "normal" when it comes to human personality? And is it possible to achieve emotional health through intended effort, just like physical health? Clinical psychologist Camay Woodall, PhD, addresses these complex questions and many more in this work that cogently discusses the parameters of emotional health. This book covers historical concepts; examines personality at its formative stages and beyond; explains how "normal behavior" varies widely, yet emotional symptoms are definable; and pinpoints the common aspects of normality in human personality, such as the need for social connection, the struggle for realism, and the ability to come to terms with guilt.

Covering topics that include anxiety; self-esteem; depression; food (and the abuses of it), sex, love, and intimacy; shame and guilt; and spirituality, this book identifies common sources of dysfunctional personality traits and stresses the importance of individual responsibility in each area. Each chapter is richly illustrated by actual case studies from the author's 30 years of experience. The book will be of interest and highly useful to undergraduate or graduate-level students of psychotherapy, individuals undergoing therapy, parents who are concerned about their own or their family's behavior, and general readers.
Financial Literacy for Millennials
Authors: Smith Andrew O.
Published: February 2024

A modern primer on consumer finance and personal money management intended for readers aged 15 to 30, this guide can also serve as a primary text for high school, college, or adult education courses on personal finance.

There is growing awareness that teaching consumers more about finance is an urgent national priority—and that their education should begin early. Combining practical advice with targeted information on virtually every aspect of personal finance and money management, this book is the ideal resource for young people who want to start off their financial lives properly.

The guide updates traditional personal finance topics, such as budgeting, credit, debt, savings, and investment, and goes beyond those fundamentals to furnish important life lessons on such concerns as career planning, starting a business, Internet fraud, and avoiding financial scams. It even provides useful background on the tax system, how to avoid bankruptcy, legal issues young adults often face, and the plethora of government benefits they can access. In fact, young readers will come away from this book with basic knowledge of every important area of personal finance.

Ideal for teens and young adults, the volume will prove useful to parents who want to educate their children about the wise use of money, preparing them to make independent financial decisions. In addition, this book can be used to meet the standards enacted in every state for developing a curriculum guide for teaching financial literacy to high school students. It can also serve as a primary or supplementary resource in personal finance or consumer economics courses for college students and adults.
Financial, Commercial, and Mortgage Mathematics and Their Applications
Authors: Prakash Arun J. , Ghosh Dilip K.
Published: February 2024

Ideal for college students in intermediate finance courses, this book uniquely applies mathematical formulas to teach the underpinnings of financial and lending decisions, covering common applications in real estate, capital budgeting, and commercial loans.

An updated and expanded version of the time-honored classic text on financial math, this book provides, in one place, a complete and practical treatment of the four primary venues for finance: commercial lending, financial formulas, mortgage lending, and resource allocation or capital budgeting techniques. With an emphasis on understanding the principles involved rather than blind reliance on formulas, the book provides rigorous and thorough explanations of the mathematical calculations used in determining the time value of money, valuation of loans by commercial banks, valuation of mortgages, and the cost of capital and capital budgeting techniques for single as well as mutually exclusive projects.

This new edition devotes an entire chapter to a method of evaluating mutually exclusive projects without resorting to any imposed conditions. Two chapters not found in the previous edition address special topics in finance, including a novel and innovative way to approach amortization tables and the time value of money for cash flows when they increase geometrically or arithmetically. This new edition also features helpful how-to sections on Excel applications at the end of each appropriate chapter.
Flying the Black Flag
Authors: Bradford Alfred S.
Published: February 2024

Many peoples throughout history have fought pirates, writes Alfred Bradford in Flying the Black Flag. Some have lost and some have won. We should learn from their experience. From Odysseus—the original pirate of literature and lore—through Blackbeard and the feared pirates of the Spanish Main, his book reveals the strategies and methods pirates used to cheat, lie, kill, and rob their way into the historical record, wreaking terror in their bloody wakes.

The story begins with a discussion of Piracy and the Suppression of Piracy in the Ancient World. It details, for example, how the Illyrians used pirate vessels to try to wrest control of the Adriatic Coast from the mighty Romans, as well as how the intrepid Vikings went from pirate raids to the conquest of parts of Western Europe.

Moving into the 17th century and to the New World, Bradford depicts the golden age of the pirates. Here are the Spanish Buccaneers and the fabled Caribbean stronghold of Tortuga. Here are Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, and their fearsome counterparts. But piracy was hardly just a Western phenomenon. The Barbary Pirates looks East to examine the struggle between Christian and Muslim in the Mediterranean, while To the Shores of Tripoli details the American conflict with the Barbary Pirates. It reveals the lessons of a war conducted across a great distance against a nebulous enemy, a war in which victory was achieved only by going after the pirates' sponsor. On the South China Coast, we meet the first Dragon Lady, leader of Chinese pirates.

As intriguing as these tales of the past are in and of themselves, the stories and their swashbuckling villains hold lessons for us even today. In Conclusions and Reflections, Bradford gathers all of the chords together, discussing the conditions under which piracy arises, the conditions under which pirates organize and become more powerful, and the methods used to suppress piracy. Finally, he examines similarities between pirates and terrorists—and whether the lessons learned from the wars against pirates of the past might also apply to modern day terrorists.