Best Selling Books by A. Smith

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1901 Edition.

The HR Answer Book is an easy-to-use problem solver for managers and human resources professionals struggling to adapt to new workplace challenges. Authors Shawn Smith and Rebecca Mazin address more than 200 of the most common employer questions relating to job functions such as recruitment and hiring, discipline and downsizing, compensation and benefits, and training and employee relations. As a result, the book equips readers with the industry''s best practices to overcome any hurdle and experience astounding success in their roles.The updated second edition of The HR Answer Book contains a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the human resources field for management instructors, including revised and expanded sections on FMLA, health insurance changes, compensation laws, salary reductions, and using social networking to recruit employees. It is also packed with bonus checklists including: 10 Questions to Ask Before Scheduling an Interview, Job Applicant Flow logs, Performance Goals forms, and an Exit Interview Questionnaire.In the fast-paced environment of the twenty-first century, human resources professionals and department managers must try on new approaches to success. Whether used as a cover-to-cover resource or a quick reference for tackling specific challenges, this book offers the immediately accessible tools you need to thrive and help others--and your organization--do the same.

There are a few remaining wild places in Texas, notes author and nature educator Michael A. Smith, and exposure to these locales—from the high deserts and mountains of the Big Bend to the prairies and grasslands across the center of the state and the Piney Woods and Big Thicket of East Texas—can be restorative, both emotionally and physically. In this thoughtful tour of Texas ecoregions, Smith—also a licensed psychological associate—weaves perceptive prose, prompts, and meditations with evocative nature photography by Meghan Cassidy to create a guide for readers that promotes both greater appreciation of Texas nature and greater mindfulness of our place in the natural environment and its holistic importance to our wellbeing. Mindfulness in Texas Nature briefly explores the history of seven Texas ecoregions and discusses the benefits to health and wellbeing that are gained by spending time in nature. Written for readers who may not have a technical background in biology but who want to understand and experience nature at a deeper level, this book models mindfulness—experiencing oneself and surroundings in a fully-present, attuned, and nonjudgmental way—as an ideal practice for experiencing the woods, mountains, or wetlands of Texas. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs of woodlands, prairies, streams, flowers, and animals, Mindfulness in Texas Nature encourages readers to experience for themselves what makes these places special, how to get the most out of the time spent there, and how to plan meaningful visits to the many beautiful and significant natural areas across Texas.

The ''Big Book of Christmas Novels, Tales, Legends & Carols (Illustrated Edition)'' is a sprawling anthology that captures the multifaceted spirit of Christmas through its rich tapestry of stories, poems, and legends. It encompasses an array of literary styles that range from the sentimentality of carols to the dramatic flair of holiday legends. This collection stands as a testament to the influence of Christmas on global literary traditions, intertwining the profound and the whimsical across cultures. Among its treasures are tales that evoke the warmth of Dickensian Christmases, the magical environments akin to Hans Christian Andersen''Äôs fairy tales, and thrilling narratives that rival the wit of O. Henry''s classic Christmas stories. The anthology features contributions from a diverse array of literary luminaries such as Dickens, Alcott, and Poe, alongside timeless legends from figures like the Brothers Grimm and Beatrix Potter. United in this volume, these authors represent a spectrum of eras and styles, each lending their unique voice to the universal theme of Christmas. The editors have adeptly curated selections that highlight historical and cultural nuances, drawing connections between Victorian realism, Romantic idealism, and transcendent literary modernism, thereby deepening our appreciation for the holiday''s literary heritage. Reading this anthology is akin to embarking on a journey through the world''Äôs most cherished holiday traditions, providing readers an exceptional opportunity to explore variegated narratives enriching the Christmas spirit. Its vast range of insights, from the nostalgic to the philosophical, makes it an invaluable resource for understanding how Christmas has been celebrated and reimagined through storytelling. Whether for its educational merit or sheer enjoyment, this collection invites exploration and reflection on the unifying power of Christmas across time and cultures.

Taita has risen from nothing to become the most trusted man at the Pharaoh''s side. Only he can plot a mission that will return Egypt to its former glory. Only he can muster the force that can break the back of Egypt''s greatest enemy.

This study by historian Gene A. Smith not only chronicles important events in Jones''s life but also explores how those events helped shape the character and backbone of the navy during its formative years. The book describes Jones''s early career fighting smugglers, pirates, slave traders, and the British. It then evaluates his actions in the Battle of New Orleans and explains both how he carried the stars and stripes to Hawaii in the 1820s and how he helped incorporate California into the United States."--Jacket.

For fifty years, A Colorado History has provided a comprehensive and accessible panoramic history of the Centennial State. From the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to contemporary times, this enlarged edition leads readers on an extraordinary exploration of a remarkable place. "A Colorado History has been, since its first appearance in 1965, widely recognized as an exemplary work of its kind." --The Colorado Magazine Experience Colorado with this new, enlarged edition of A Colorado History. For fifty years, the authors of this preeminent resource have led readers on an extraordinary exploration of how the state has changed—and how it has stayed the same. From the arrival of Paleo-Indians in the Mesa Verde region to the fast pace of the twenty-first century, A Colorado History covers the political, economic, cultural, and environmental issues, along with the fascinating events and characters, that have shaped this dynamic state. In print for fifty years, this distinctive examination of the Centennial State is a must-read for history buffs, students, researchers—or anyone—interested in the remarkable place called Colorado.

This unique work brings together a comparative analysis of American institutions, a tour of the world''s political systems, and a manifesto for reform, offering insights on democracy that could revitalize U.S. politics and government. The United States has always taken pride in being a model of democracy. However, presidential systems are more closely associated with dictatorship and single-party rule in other parts of the world like Latin America and Africa. Indeed, democratic practices more often flourish in parliamentary systems, and the United States remains the only advanced, industrialized democracy with a presidential system instead of a parliamentary organization. Each of the 21 chapters in Importing Democracy: Ideas from Around the World to Reform and Revitalize American Politics and Government highlights a feature of a foreign nation''s political system that is absent in the U.S. system. Chapters also draw on brief case studies from countries as diverse as Australia, Brazil, Iceland, India, Germany and South Africa. Importing Democracy explores whether American politics and government might be enhanced by incorporating a multiparty system, a simplified Constitutional amendment process, parliamentary practices of accountability, proportional representation elections, presidential votes of "no confidence," restraints on judicial power, and much more.

Located just seconds from the winding Tennessee border, the remote mountain settlement of Lost Cove, North Carolina was once described as where the "moonshiner frolics unmolested." Today, Lost Cove is a ghost town accessible mainly to hikers hoping to catch a glimpse of the desolate settlement. In this first historically comprehensive book on Lost Cove, the author paints a portrait of an isolated yet thriving settlement that survived for almost one hundred years. From its founding before the Civil War to the town''s ultimate decline, Lost Cove''s history is an in-depth account of family life and kinship in isolation. The author explores historically relevant interviews and genealogical findings from railroad documents, old newspaper articles, church records and deeds. Also included are oral histories that provide authentic, conversational accounts from families in the cove.

In this in-depth look at the heated debates over paying college athletes, Ronald A. Smith starts at the beginning: the first intercollegiate athletics competition—a crew regatta between Harvard and Yale—in 1852, when both teams received an all-expenses-paid vacation from a railroad magnate. This striking opening sets Smith on the path of a story filled with paradoxes and hypocrisies that plays out on the field, in meeting rooms, and in courtrooms—and that ultimately reveals that any insistence on amateurism is invalid, because these athletes have always been paid, one way or another. From that first contest to athletes’ attempts to unionize and California’s 2019 Fair Pay to Play Act, Smith shows that, throughout the decades, undercover payments, hiring professional coaches, and breaking the NCAA’s rules on athletic scholarships have always been part of the game. He explores how the regulation of male and female student-athletes has shifted; how class, race, and gender played a role in these transitions; and how the case for amateurism evolved from a moral argument to one concerned with financially and legally protecting college sports and the NCAA. Timely and thought-provoking, The Myth of the Amateur is essential reading for college sports fans and scholars.

Originally published: New York: St. Martin''s Press, 2013.

Utilizing François Laruelle''s "non-philosophical" method, Smith constructs a unified theory of philosophical theology and ecology by challenging environmental philosophy and theology, claiming that and engagement with scientific ecology can radically change the standard metaphysics of nature, as well as ethical problems related to "the natural".

Harry has reformed from his chequered past and is making an honest living as the skipper of a chartered fishing boat in the Indian Ocean. Suddenly, men from his violent past overturn his good intentions, involving him in a hectic race to recover a fabulous treasure from an ancient wreck.

This extensive yet concise introduction to the phenomenon of globalization looks at its economic, environmental, and security dimensions as interpreted from different political points of view. Globalization: A Reference Handbook goes beyond the typical focus on multinational corporations and the wired world to explore the full scope of a process that actually began well before the dawn of the Digital Age. This timely, highly informative resource describes the development of globalization, especially in the era from World War II to the present, covering not only its economic aspects, but crucial, interrelated environmental and security issues as well. Rather than limit itself to one interpretation, the book offers an unbiased review of the definitions and assessments of globalization from various points of view, serving readers as an authoritative introduction to what scholars and activists across the political spectrum think about the central phenomenon of our time.

"Epic" films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200s and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Arguably the master of the genre, Cecil B. DeMille hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions. Each of the 355 alphabetically arranged entries in this book includes casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. This second edition is accompanied by all new photographs.

"Analyzing Social Media Networks with NodeXL provides a much needed resource for the social media research community, as it describes network theory, provides compelling examples using data sources like Twitter and Flickr, and highlights how to use a free sophisticated tool for analysis. This is the perfect book for anyone trying to analyze the behavior of online social networks and beyond." ---Adam Perer, Research Scientist, IBM Research "This book provides a basic introduction to social network analysis, followed by practical instruction and examples on gathering data from online sources, importing into Excel, and then analyzing the data through Excel. The book will be important for promoting research in the area for those in information science, sociology, cultural studies, virtual community, and e-commerce."---Caroline Haythornthwaite, PhD, Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Businesses, entrepreneurs, individuals, and government agencies alike are looking to social network analysis (SNA) tools for insight into trends, connections, and fluctuations in social media. Microsoft''s NodeXL is a free, open-source SNA plug-in for use with Excel. It provides instant graphical representation of relationships of complex networked data. But it goes further than other SNA tools - NodeXL was developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts that bring together information studies, computer science, sociology, human-computer interaction, and over 20 years of visual analytic theory and information visualization into a simple tool anyone can use. This makes NodeXL of interest not only to end-users but also to researchers and students studying visual and network analytics and their application in the real world.

the first book of the Ballantyne series, this novel tells the story of one family''s conquest of the untamed lands of Africa. Searching for the father they barely remember, Zouga and Dr. Robyn Ballantyne board Mungo St. John''s clipper and head for Africa. Long before they reach Africa, a love-hate relationship develops and fate takes control. Available in September.

A brand-new Ancient Egyptian epic from the number 1 bestselling author.

In the dangerous, diamond-rich African countryside, where only the strongest and the luckiest survive, a powerful family forges its destiny. Zouga Ballantyne, whose thirst for wealth leads him to risk a fortune in the ultimate gamble. His sons, Ralph and Jordan, who seek to tame the wild continent in their own ways. And Robyn Ballantyne, the beautiful healer, forced to save the life of the man she both hates and loves in the unmerciful war for dominance between white and black.

Smith takes a provocative look at the fascinating and beautiful landscapes painted by Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918), renowned for his intensely confrontational portraits, self-portraits, erotic images, and allegories. 90 illustrations, 50 in color.

BOOK 2 IN A THRILLING NEW ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SERIES, FROM INTERNATIONAL SENSATION WILBUR SMITH ''Best historical novelist'' - Stephen King ''A master storyteller'' - Sunday Times ''Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared'' - The Times ''No one does adventure quite like Smith'' - Daily Mirror A RUTHLESS ENEMY. A CIVILIZATION IN RUINS. A QUEST FOR SALVATION. For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita''s care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other. Determined to prove his worth, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the north - to Mycenae and through the heart of Hyksos land and across the great sea - to find allies to help defend Egypt. As the situation becomes increasingly precarious, and the fate of the kingdom is hanging in the balance, can Piay succeed in his quest or will this mean the end of the glory that is Egypt once and for all? Book 2 in the New Kingdom sequence and Book 8 in the Ancient Egyptian series from international sensation Wilbur Smith. Don''t miss the next in the series, Testament, coming soon. ''Titans of War'' was a Sunday Times bestseller for w/e 04/09/2022.

Bruce Curry is the leader of a mercenary band with the dubious support of three white officers. His mission is to relieve a mining town cut off by fighting and to retrieve a priceless consignment of diamonds. Ranged against his ill-disciplined unit are bandits, guerrillas and hostile tribes that infest the land. But there is another, even deadlier enemy - one of his own men.