Most Popular Books by Alena

We are living in an interesting era. We evolve and the old paradigms of good leadership are failing us. It is not about leading or following anymore. It is about learning how to lead yourself. I am sending my energy out to the conscious warriors, who are making this world a better place. You can read the whole thing, open at a random occasionally or just absorb by osmosis.

This study, on the role of flexibility and security on labour market performance, argues that flexicurity is the most relevant approach for Central and Eastern European countries. The book follows the pattern of analysis used in "Labour markets in transition", a previous monograph by the authors, and re-examines the different dimensions of flexibility, including flexible forms of employment. It studies fluctuations of labour turnover over the economic cycle. Then it review changes in the regulatory provisions, collective bargaining, labour taxation and labour market policies and their impacts on key labour market indicators for the period 1999-2003 as compared with the end of the 1990s. Through a series of national case studies, the volume examines how the countries of Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland have attempted to balance labour market flexibility and security since the late 1990s. A discussion on wage flexibility is also included. The search for abetter combination of flexibility and security has been a major challenge within the European Union and it is often seen as indispensable for improving competitiveness and at the same time maintaining the European social model. This book looks into how this can be achieved through the flexicurity approach and shows how "activation" of labour market policies and social dialogue can be the keys to success.

"Eyes Turned Skyward is a powerful examination of the cost—emotional, familial, generational—when women are denied their right to soar... Alena Dillon''s poetic prose and complex characters will linger long after the last page is turned!" — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author From the author of Mercy House and The Happiest Girl in the World comes a brilliant, dual timeline novel about a daughter discovering her mother’s past as a female pilot during World War II and the consequences of women’s contributions remaining unrecognized. Kathy Begley is an empty nester, the primary caretaker of her ailing mother, and the emotional support for her laid-off husband. She’s also returning to the office after two decades to work under a borderline inappropriate boss. Then a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony invitation arrives, and she uncovers an unfathomable family secret: her mother, Peggy Mayfield, wasn’t just a tempestuous wife and mother. She was a Women Airforce Service Pilot. Peggy jumped at the opportunity to become a WASP, the first American females to fly military aircraft. She wore men’s uniforms, sweated, studied, trained, and soared. She also danced, drank, played poker, and fell in love with adventure, new friends, and her commanding officer. Once a spunky flyer, Peggy is now filled with regret as she confronts the end of her life, but Kathy is determined to make her last months count by securing Peggy long overdue recognition, appreciating her anew, and forgiving her before it’s too late. Eyes Turned Skyward is an unforgettable novel about unheralded female heroism, the transformation of misogyny, inheritance, and ultimately, reconciliation.

Leos Janácek (1854--1928) is one of the few great opera composers of the twentieth century; his operas, orchestral, chamber, and vocal works are all part of the international repertory. This catalogue is by far the most comprehensive to appear in any language, with up-to-date and reliable information on all his works. Each entry provides detailed information on date of composition (and shows on what basis dating has been arrived at); source of text or programme; performing forces; duration; manuscripts and their locations; publication (a complete listing); performances and productions; dedication; literature. A special feature is the explanation of terms which may be unfamiliar to the western reader such as ''Glagolitic'', ''Varyto'', ''Lachian'', and ''Indian Club Swinging''. This catalogue is also the first to include a complete, annotated list of the composer''s varied and extensive writings.

In recent decades curators and artists have shown a distinct interest in religion, its different traditions, manifestations in public life, gestures and images. Breaking Resemblance explores the complex relationship between contemporary art and religion by focusing on the ways artists re-work religious motifs as a means to reflect critically on our desire to believe in images, on the history of seeing them, and on their double power— iconic and political. It discusses a number of exhibitions that take religion as their central theme, and a selection of works by Bill Viola, Lawrence Malstaf, Victoria Reynolds, and Berlinde de Bruyckere—all of whom, in their respective ways and media, recycle religious motifs and iconography and whose works resonate with, or problematize the motif of, the true image.

A detailed and practical guide to DNS implementation, configuration, and administration

In this original, bottom-up account of the evolution of contemporary Russia, Alena Ledeneva seeks to reveal how informal power operates. Concentrating on Vladimir Putin''s system of governance - referred to as sistema - she identifies four key types of networks: his inner circle, useful friends, core contacts and more diffuse ties and connections. These networks serve sistema but also serve themselves. Reliance on networks enables leaders to mobilise and to control, yet they also lock politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen into informal deals, mediated interests and personalised loyalty. This is the ''modernisation trap of informality'': one cannot use the potential of informal networks without triggering their negative long-term consequences for institutional development. Ledeneva''s perspective on informal power is based on in-depth interviews with sistema insiders and enhanced by evidence of its workings brought to light in court cases, enabling her to draw broad conclusions about the prospects for Russia''s political institutions.

Value is typically theorized from the frameworks of economic theory or of moral/ethical theory, but we need to instead think about value foremost as political. Alena Wolflink uncovers a tension in value discourses between material and aspirational life. As she shows, erasing this tension, as has been the historical tendency, can entrench existing configurations of power and privilege, while acknowledging the tension is a vital part of democratic practice. Using genealogical, conceptual-historical, and interpretive approaches, and drawing from such diverse sources as Aristotle, Anna Julia Cooper, Michael Warner, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Wolflink argues that abstractions of value discourse in both economic theory and moral philosophy have been complicit in devaluing the lives of women, queer people, and people of color. Yet she further argues that value claims nonetheless hold democratic potential as a means of asserting and defining priorities that center the role of political economy in the making of political communities. With many real-world examples vividly portrayed, Claiming Value is an unusually accessible work of political theory accessible to students in courses on political theory, moral philosophy, social theory, economic theory, democracy, social inequality, and more.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this convenient volume provides comprehensive analysis of the legislation and rules that determine civil procedure and practice in Czech Republic. Lawyers who handle transnational matters will appreciate the book’s clear explanation of distinct terminology and application of rules. The structure follows the classical chapters of a handbook on civil procedure: beginning with the judicial organization of the courts, jurisdiction issues, a discussion of the various actions and claims, and then moving to a review of the proceedings as such. These general chapters are followed by a discussion of the incidents during proceedings, the legal aid and legal costs, and the regulation of evidence. There are chapters on seizure for security and enforcement of judgments, and a final section on alternative dispute resolution. Facts are presented in such a way that readers who are unfamiliar with specific terms and concepts in varying contexts will fully grasp their meaning and significance. Succinct, scholarly, and practical, this book will prove a valuable time-saving tool for business and legal professionals alike. Lawyers representing parties with interests in Czech Republic will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its comparative value as a contribution to the study of civil procedure in the international context.

"This book aims to contribute to [the] debate on the degree of flexibility and security needed for the transition countries, and its implications for the new direction of labour market and social policies."--Foreword.

The WAVE-IT project focuses on the development of skills for the 21st century of primary and secondary school teachers and student teachers. In cooperation with partner universities of several European countries, primary school teachers and students got acquainted with the concept of skills for the 21st century and developed educational projects for primary and secondary school pupils in international teams.

Slime is the answer. Fluffy. Crunchy. Smooth. Sparkly. Iridescent. Irresistible. Slime has arrived, bringing with it a tangible sense of serenity. It’s a beautiful substance, enjoyed on many levels: Discover the alchemy of making your own; chill out with slime-playing videos; and get inspired by playful presentations of every iteration slime can take. Whatever your pleasure, The Zen of Slime celebrates it with stunning art, secret recipes, interviews with Instagram sensations, and branding, packaging, and photography advice. Embrace the slime. Your journey has already begun.

Over the last 25 years it has become more and more evident that salivary gland pathology is by far the subject within head and neck pathology that causes most diagnostic challenges and problems for general pathologists. During courses the author has given, consultants and trainees alike have expressed the lack of a comprehensive, useful book on salivary gland pathology. Such a book needs to be broad and to illustrate almost every variant of all tumor entities. Another important feature to incorporate is the newly gained knowledge about genetics in salivary gland tumors, a knowledge that has emerged during the last 3-4 years only (and is growing continuously). A mapping of the immunophenotypes of salivary gland tumors is neither available today and will greatly benefit in routine diagnostic work.

From playwright and TV writer Alena Smith comes a hilarious and irreverent illustrated book based on the popular Twitter feed (@tweenhobo), featuring a young spunky girl who sets out in search of freedom, adventure, and her own personal obsession: Justin Bieber tickets. Get ready to laugh and learn with the littlest hobo. She’s only twelve years old, but a “hard twelve.” You’ll meet her friends: Stumptown Jim (her weatherbeaten BFFL); Tin Cap Earl (who’s always down to shoot a junkyard haul video); Toothpick Frank (who learns to love Pinterest); Salt Chunk Annie (a “woman of the night,” whatever that means); and Hot Johnny Two-Cakes (who Tween Hobo swears she does NOT have a crush on). Find out how she survives, thanks in part to strawberry lip gloss. You’ll hear her take on major cultural events (“I go off a fiscal cliff every time I go near a Claire’s”). And you’ll enjoy beautiful hand-rendered illustrations that bring out the beauty in her words—just like how eyeliner makes a hobo’s look really pop. Often snarky and frequently ridiculous, this imaginative journal-like book includes maps, jokes, laughs, doodles, tips, hobo symbols (“House with a triangle on top means PIZZA PARTY!!!), games, stories, and more. So grab your iPhone and wrap it in a handkerchief, tie it to a stick, and let’s roll!

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, Free University of Berlin (John F. Kennedy Institue for North American Studies), course: Art and Radicalism in the United States, c. 1901-1929, language: English, abstract: Much like the polarizing discussions around finding and displaying truth in photographic meaning, social documentarian Lewis Hine’s child labor photographs have attracted their share of heterogeneous interpretations. While his original intention of pursuing social change and having his photographic work act as a “lever for social uplift” (Hine, 111) is not denied altogether, some scholars have questioned this work as actually supportive to an ideology reproducing the class system that it set out to alter.This essay looks at a multitude of perspectives on Hine’s work, specifically focusing on one representative image of his work for the National Child Labor Committee during the Progressive Era, comparing the author''s own analysis with interpretations of Alan Trachtenberg, Maren Stange and James Guimond among others to reassess questions of aesthetic and moral value in a representative photograph of the NCLC period.

For a post-human hitchhiker, human life – with its anxiety, ageing, illness and constant need for problem-solving – may look unviable. Yet, for humans, the life struggle is softened by human touch, human emotion and human cooperation. The Global Encyclopaedia of Informality, Volume 3 continues the journey of the two previous volumes into the world’s open secrets, unwritten rules and hidden practices. It focuses on issues of emotional ambivalence and pressures of the digital age. The informal practices presented in this volume demonstrate the urgency of alleviating tensions between continuity and all-too-rapid change and the need to tackle the central problem of modern societies – uncertainty. The volume takes a reader on a ‘biographical’ journey through elusive, taken-for-granted or banal ways of getting things done from over 70 countries and world regions. It offers innovative understanding of the significance of fringes, and challenges the assumption that informality is associated exclusively with poverty, underdevelopment, the Global South, oppressive regimes or the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It also maps the patterns of informality around the globe; identifies specific informal practices in a context-sensitive way; and documents their ambivalent impact on people engaged in problem-solving, on societies in which these problems arise, and on humanity overall. Praise for The Global Encyclopaedia of Informality, Volume 3 ‘This book tells a story of human cooperation. It is not the narrative you’ll find in books teaching you how to solve problems. It is an assemblage of something much more endemic, fundamentally human, and much more pervasive than we tend to think of informality. It involves money and power, but also the alternative currencies of gaining advantage or gaming the system.’ Bruce Schneier, author of A Hacker''s Mind ‘Alena Ledeneva’s latest database of rule bending is a goldmine for documentary makers and storytellers. Entries from 70 countries, covering a human lifespan from Chinese “anchor babies” to funeral feasts in Azerbaijan, offer remarkable insights into the way the world really works.’ Lucy Ash, journalist

This book focuses on the presentation and evaluation of geological maps of the Central Europe from 1750 up to 1840. Milestones in presentation of stratigraphy and tectonics and new geological models on such maps will be underlined. Map descriptions contain fundamentals editorial data as well as the map author’s affiliation and biographies. It represents for the region of the Central Europe the first work of this type. Geological maps represent geological synthesis and indicate the level of geological knowledge throughout history. They serve as guidelines for an economic utilization of mineral deposits and further geological investigation.

Take this book and...remake it! Introducing the first guide that not only teaches kids the basics of altered art, but is the very material for creating those personal pieces. That’s because this volume, along with dozens of others, is an art project just waiting to happen. With irreverent text and beautiful photography--and techniques such as stitching, image transferring, and cutting--Alter This! shows children how to turn telephone, picture, and even those boring grammar books into something exciting. Budding artists will decorate pages with collage, paint, stamps, pockets, and pop ups, and transform entire tomes into shadow boxes, picture frames, purses, or tools for passing notes in the hallway. Kids will want to own this book...and make it their own, too!

Generationen verwebt: Vom 2. Weltkrieg bis in die Neunziger. Ein Mosaik aus Erinnerungen, das die Kraft der Hoffnung, Entschlossenheit und unbezwingbaren Optimismus zeigt, die uns von Generation zu Generation weitergereicht werden.

Four Seasons in my Kitchen believes that baking is not difficult if one knows the correct steps in the process. Readers will gain new knowledge on how to create butter fillings for cakes, desserts, pastries and rolls. They will also learn how to make fruit sauces and purees, icings of different tastes and flavored whipped creams. Young, middle-aged, elderly, non-professional and professional will definitely love this book as it shows them many delectable ways to enjoy baking. Todays society is a fast food, junk food eat-on-the-go type of environment. The author hopes that this book reminds people to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. She aims to tell readers that baking desserts is easy and rewarding. She hopes that they can experience the joy of baking and the feeling of accomplishment as they improve their cooking skills.

This book is about the lives of young ''ordinary'' Czech women who came of age in the aftermath of the 1989 Velvet Revolution. It is a collection of interviews with fourteen women of similar age and education, but varying work, marital and childbearing experiences. Three additional chapters outline the design of the study, the social and historical forces that have shaped these women''s lives, and the common themes emerging out of the interviews, linking them to both legacies of communism and the current postcommunist transition.

Feminism in Practice uses feminism as a blueprint for exploring change strategies. It features twenty contemporary feminists from diverse arenas, including activists, comedians, musicians, politicians, poets, and showrunners. The women come to life through line drawings, brief biographies, extensive quotations, their definitions of feminism, and the change strategies they employ. Questions for reflection encourage readers to think through their own relationship to feminism and change. Chapter 1 defines feminism, raising issues with the typical definition of feminism as the effort to achieve equality between women and men. It concludes with a description of over twenty types of feminism. Chapter 2 describes the triggering events, happening places, and key ideas of the four waves of feminism. The opening chapters provide a comprehensive understanding of the diversity and complexity of feminist movement. The book is organized around five primary objectives that animate contemporary change efforts—proclaiming identity, naming a problem, enriching a system, changing a system, and creating an alternative system. Each objective is developed through theoretical assumptions and twelve change strategies that show it at work in feminist movement. Feminism in Practice also serves as a practical handbook that readers can use to experiment with the strategies and expand their toolkits for creating change in their lives and worlds. The authors are uniquely qualified to explore issues of feminism and change. Karen Foss and Sonja Foss are second wave feminists who have written extensively on alternative change strategies, feminist communication, and feminist theory. Alena Ruggerio brings to the project the standpoint of a third wave feminist at home in pop culture. Her scholarship lies at the intersection of rhetoric, feminism, and religious studies. To learn more about Feminism in Practice, listen to the authors’ October 2021 interview on The Jefferson Exchange.

This book is a dictionary and grammar sketch of Ruruuli-Lunyala, a Great Lakes Bantu language spoken by over 200,000 people in central Uganda. The dictionary part includes about 10,000 entries. Each lexical entry provides translations into English, example sentences, and basic grammatical information. The dictionary part is supplemented with an outline of the Ruruuli-Lunyala grammar, which treats most of the phonological and morpho-syntactic topics. This book is a result of a joined effort of a large team of linguists and many speakers of Ruruuli-Lunyala and is intended as a resource for linguists and Ruruuli-Lunyala speakers, learners, and educators.

A stunning survey of the rarely seen book designs of Czech artist Josef Capek Josef Capek (1887-1945) was one of Czech modernism''s most formative protagonists. The artist first studied weaving before finding his métier as both a painter and designer. During a short stint in Paris, he befriended the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who was then the leading theorist of and driving force behind Cubism. Capek adopted the Cubist style, fusing it with moodier elements of Expressionism and Symbolism to create a uniquely Czech take on the style. Alongside his work as a painter, Capek designed several hundred book covers from 1918 until his death in 1945 for Czech publications of early twentieth-century authors such as Apollinaire, Karel Capek, Jan Bartos, Josef Hora, Josef Kopta, Pierre Mac Orlan, Giovanni Papini, Pirandello, Miroslav Rutte and Georg Trakl and nineteenth-century authors such as Flaubert, Goethe, Kropotkin, Sheridan Le Fanu and Arthur Machen. Capek''s designs were much celebrated in Czechoslavakia for their simplicity and their virtuoso use of linocut. Itself a beautiful publication, The Book Design of Josef Capek: Seeing The Book presents a fully-illustrated and complete survey of this rarely seen work.

I am just an ordinary woman turned extraordinary through circumstances. I touch others through my own tragedies by giving them hope and encouragement and reminding them that sometimes the richest people are those who have endured tragedy, pain, sadness, and struggle, allowing them to lead a more abundant life. Never would I change my life experiences. My greatest gift is my endless compassion for others, and my sincerest hope is to bring each and every one of you the gift of pure joy, the kind of joy that enlarges your heart and brings tears to your eyes. I have laughed at adversity, tragedy, failure, poor health, and financial devastation. Yet I am so very rich! Yes, it was God who told me to contact you through my book and his words. If you met me personally, you would understand this is not my ego talking. I am only repeating what God told me. I am. You are. We are all destined for greatness!

Balance your mind and body—unlock the power of Reiki Whether you’re looking to relieve stress, practice more gratitude, or boost general well-being, the Reiki Healing Handbook can help. Reiki is a Japanese healing practice that restores the flow of energy between your body, mind, and spirit. This Reiki reference book will show you how to align your chakras (energy centers) and incorporate symbols and hand positions into a balanced routine. You’ll learn how to clear your mind and focus your energy where it’s needed so you can reduce negative thoughts and feelings, and start healing. Reiki Healing Handbook includes: The 5 precepts—Learn about the five core principles of Reiki: Just for today: do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, practice diligently, and show compassion. Guided techniques—Beautiful illustrations show you the proper way to perform the hand positions and engage different chakras. Mix and match—Find tips for adding crystals, yoga, essential oils, and other tools to your practice for stronger energy flow. Improve your energy flow and start healing with Reiki.

"FREEDOM" is the selection of photos, mostly in black&white, taken thinking of the concept of freedom to shoot just for pleasure, without constraints and with a bit of transgression, just to capture all the beauty of a Woman seen as a symbol of eroticism, elegance, refinement and sensuality.

Based on in-depth research in Poland and Slovakia, Domesticating Neo-Liberalism addresses how we understand the processes of neo-liberalization in post-socialist cities. Builds upon a vast amount of new research data Examines how households try to sustain their livelihoods at particularly dramatic and difficult times of urban transformation Provides a major contribution to how we theorize the geographies of neo-liberalism Offers a conclusion which informs discussions of social policy within European Union enlargement

A clear and comprehensive guide to TCP/IP protocols.

This book concerns the subject of illegal charters. The risks associated with illegal charters are high, and the consequences are dire and different for all the parties involved. Pilots can lose their hard-earned licenses, aircraft owners might not get paid by the insurance companies, businesses might be prosecuted and fined, customers do not get what they paid for. The worst consequence of an illegal charter is that someone gets hurt or killed. The tragic part in reading about a flight accident is the understanding that an illegal charter could have been avoided. The present book aims to fulfil the industry’s call for greater awareness, education, and transparency. It will systematically and thoroughly investigate the application of law in a practical context of illegal charters. It engages in a comprehensive comparative study across various jurisdictions, such as the USA, Europe, Russia, Asia and the Middle East. This text considers whether the elements evidencing state practice in regulation of illegal charters are peculiar to the region and legal system. It examines how illegal charters can be prevented and undertakes the analysis of risks and consequences of illegal charters. This is an important book that is likely to have a significant impact on existing scholarship regarding international and national aviation law and be of interest of all parties involved in aviation. This includes industry professionals, legal practitioners, academics, policy-makers, and government officials.

Myofibroblasts (MFB) are found in most tissues of the body. They have the matrix-producing functions of fibroblasts and contractile properties that are known from smooth muscle cells. Fundamental work of the last decades has shed remarkable light on their origin, biological functions and role in disease. During hepatic injury, they fulfill manifold functions in connective tissue remodeling and wound healing, but overshooting activity of MFB on the other side induces fibrosis and cirrhosis. The present e-book "Liver myofibroblasts" contains 9 articles providing comprehensive information on "hot topics" of MFB. In our opening editorial we provide a short overview of the origin of MFB and their relevance in extracellular matrix formation which is the hallmark of hepatic fibrosis. Thereafter, leading experts in the field share their current perspectives on special topics of (i) MFB in development and disease, ii) their role in hepatic fibrogenesis, and (iii) promising therapies and targets that are suitable to interfere with hepatic fibrosis.

When Joanne K. Rowling published her first Harry Potter novel in 1997, probably nobody expected the tremendous success her writing debut was going to bring her. The huge popularity of the seven-book series led not only to an equally successful series of film adaptations, but also to a variety of well selling merchandise. Children and adults alike are enchanted by the wizarding world that Rowling so meticulously created. However, Rowling’s story does not only serve as a source for our entertainment, she also uses her fantasy world as a metaphor for our own world, depicting rights and wrongs in many different fields. One of the main themes is even a very controversial one: discrimination. And Rowling did not just invent a world in black and white, she does not simply tell the reader that prejudice is a reprehensible trait in our society. Rather, she created a world for the readers to explore and find things out for themselves as the story continued. In this paper, the author claims that the representation of discrimination in the Harry Potter series influences the readers in a positive way and that they are likely less prejudiced against stigmatised groups after reading the books.

In this exciting collection of noblebright fantasy, fresh new fantasy voices and award-winning authors explore grief and hope, sacrifice and heroism. Rediscover the best aspect of classic fantasy - the noblebright ideals that made heroes heroic, even when the world grew dark around them. Thieves, dragons, nightmares, fairy warriors, pookas, enchanted bear-men, and other magical creatures will delight you in these unique tales of possibility, courage, and hope. This anthology features stories from: Leslie J. Anderson, C.A. Barrett, Terri Bruce, Aaron DaMommio, M.C. Dwyer, Anthony Eichenlaub, Francesca Forrest, Chloe Garner, W.R. Gingell, Lora Gray, Kelly A. Harmon, Tom Howard, Rollin Jewett, Tom Jolly, Samuel Marzioli, Amanda Nargi, Aimee Ogden, Beth Powers, Darrell J. Pursiful, Charles D. Shell, April Steenburgh, Alena Sullivan, and Troy Tang. Edited by Robert McCowen and C. J. Brightley.

Being a Woman and Being Tatar uses ethnographic research to explore the multifaceted and complex identities – such as gender, ethnicity, religion – of Tatar women in Siberia and Estonia. Focusing on the intersections and interactions of multiple identities and exploring that focus through Tatar women’s own voices, narratives, and subjectivity, this book unfolds women’s stories about what it means to be a woman and to be a Tatar in a post-Soviet situation through narrations of their aspirations, their sexuality, their relationship with relatives, and the dynamics of power and hierarchy they feel themselves within. It explores how identity and tradition are shaped by state politics, and also brings attention to new geographical areas, including the Tyumen region and Estonia. Being a Woman and Being Tatar will demonstrate to those studying gender studies and cultural anthropology the intricacies of Tatar women’s identities, and invites readers to better understand the Tatar women’s diversity across Eastern Europe and Russia.

"A dystopian novel for the digital age, The word exchange offers an inventive, suspenseful, and decidedly original vision of the dangers of technology and of the enduring power of the printed word"--P. [2] of cover.