Most Popular Books by Ines

How the European Union handles posted workers is a growing issue for a region with borders that really are just lines on a map. A 2008 story, dissected in Ines Wagner’s Workers without Borders, about the troubling working conditions of migrant meat and construction workers, exposed a distressing dichotomy: how could a country with such strong employers’ associations and trade unions allow for the establishment and maintenance of such a precarious labor market segment? Wagner introduces an overlooked piece of the puzzle: re-regulatory politics at the workplace level. She interrogates the position of the posted worker in contemporary European labour markets and the implications of and regulations for this position in industrial relations, social policy and justice in Europe. Workers without Borders concentrates on how local actors implement European rules and opportunities to analyze the balance of power induced by the EU around policy issues. Wagner examines the particularities of posted worker dynamics at the workplace level, in German meatpacking facilities and on construction sites, to reveal the problems and promises of European Union governance as regulating social justice. Using a bottom-up approach through in-depth interviews with posted migrant workers and administrators involved in the posting process, Workers without Borders shows that strong labor-market regulation via independent collective bargaining institutions at the workplace level is crucial to effective labor rights in marginal workplaces. Wagner identifies structures of access and denial to labor rights for temporary intra-EU migrant workers and the problems contained within this system for the EU more broadly.

Ines Nee makes important key contributions to service recovery research by analyzing the effect of management response content towards negative online customer reviews on the observer’s purchase intention. This study is the first to provide a conceptual basis of observers’ behavioral reactions towards organizational complaint handling in the context of social media and to empirically test the effect of the two most resource-intensive response options of compensation and explanation. With the help of a profound experimental design, the author detects strategies on how hotel companies should respond towards negative online customer reviews in order to increase the observer’s purchase intention and the hotel company’s return on complaint management.

Feeling like they''re different from others can sometimes be difficult for children. Sticking out because they''re tall, or short, or simply have a different hair color can feel like a burden, but it shouldn''t. This colorful illustrated non-fiction title shows readers how being different is not only not a bad thing, it makes them unique and special.

In this new spin on an old fairytale, Guy Rumpel’s golden touch could put a wrinkle in Midori Miller’s designs. Former model, Midori Miller, left the fashion world in disgrace and now lives quietly as a small town dressmaker and single mom. When her talented daughter catches the ear of a New York record producer, the last thing Midori wants is to return to the harsh glare of the spotlight. Caught between the producer’s charms, her daughter’s dreams, and her own new chance at success, Midori isn’t sure she can design the right path for herself or her family, especially when the producer makes a play for her heart. After a string of flops, producer Guy Rumpel believes he’s lost his golden touch. He needs to turn his career around with a hit record, and the young songbird from his hometown just may be the key. But when his family’s gift for finding their one true love shines its light on Midori, he’ll have to convince her to make the deal of a lifetime. Rumpeled is the second book in Ines Johnson’s bestselling Cindermama series. If you love contemporary romance with a touch of magic then this series is for you. Buy Rumpeled: a Cindermama Story and bring this modern fairytale into your world today!

From career transition expert and bestselling author Ines Temple comes a concise, practical guide for job-seekers, career-changers, and career-builders on how to manage your career like a business with YOU as its most valuable asset. Organized into 5 digestible chapters, You, Incorporated is a practical guide to career success that zeroes in on 3 essential concepts that job-seekers, career builders and career changers need to know: No Job is Forever, Employability Equals Options, and Your Career is Your Business. In a refreshingly clear, no-nonsense style, Ines shares the lessons she has learned advising and coaching thousands of people to help them find their own "job utopias." In You, Incorporated, readers will find a down-to-earth, accessible approach to becoming more valuable to current employers while developing long-term personal competitiveness to attract future employers and seize new opportunities!

Three exciting DC Super Friends™ stories in one book! The origin stories of Superman™, Wonder Woman™, and Supergirl™ are featured in this action-packed DC Super Friends™ treasury. With a padded cover and study board pages, this book is the perfect way to introduce toddlers to the World’s Greatest Super Heroes! DC Super Friends™ is a unique brand that gives preschoolers their very own versions of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes from DC Comics: Superman™, Batman™, Wonder Woman™, Aquaman™, The Flash™, Cyborg™, Hawkman™, and Green Lantern™.

The first comprehensive analysis of the applicability of international trade law to digital services at multilateral and regional levels.

Nickelodeon’s Blaze and the Monster Machines are ready to race! Boys and girls ages 4 to 6 will love this action-packed Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader. It features a shiny cover and over 30 shiny stickers! Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

Stell dir vor, du bist Single und wachst nach einer Partynacht plötzlich verheiratet auf … Ein humorvoller Weihnachtsroman über unerwartete Verbindungen und die Irrungen der Liebe Frisch getrennt genießt die lebensfrohe Skadi Baker Weihnachten in Las Vegas – glamourös und mit vollem Portemonnaie. Doch ihre Feierstimmung schlägt schnell um, als sie am ersten Weihnachtstag plötzlich verheiratet neben einem Fremden aufwacht: dem geheimnisvollen Jasper. Was wie ein böser Scherz beginnt, entpuppt sich als gewagte Wette ihrer wohlhabenden Freunde. Kann Skadi einen Monat mit dem Barsänger in Weihnachtsmann-Kluft verheiratet bleiben, winkt ein Tag, an dem ihre Freunde allem zustimmen müssen, was sie verlangt. Doch Alkohol und eine urplötzliche Ehe sind nur der Anfang. Zwischen Las Vegas und Honolulu eröffnet sich ein Monat voller Herausforderungen. Wird Skadis Ehrgeiz ausreichen, um mit Jasper diese skurrile Prüfung zu bestehen? Und welche Geheimnisse verbirgt der Mann, den sie niemals selbst gewählt hätte? Dies ist eine überarbeitete Neuausgabe des bereits erschienenen Titels Marry me, Santa. Erste Leser:innenstimmen „Eine herzerwärmende und humorvolle romantische Komödie. Ich konnte nicht aufhören zu lesen!“ „Skadi und Jasper sind so charismatische Charaktere, und ihre unerwartete Ehe sorgt für viele amüsante Momente. Absolute Empfehlung.“ „Ines Vitouladitis schreibt einen Weihnachtsroman über Liebe, Vertrauen und unerwartete Wendungen, der mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite gefesselt hat." „Las Vegas und Honululu – es gibt wohl kaum schönere Settings." „Die Beschreibungen sind so lebendig, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, selbst dort zu sein. Eine perfekte Lektüre für die weihnachtlichen Feiertage!“

A New Murder Mystery and New Clues to Her Parents'' Deaths, Angie Gomez Discovers Truth is Stranger than Soap Operas in Word Games, a Murder Mystery by Ines Saint --Dayton, Ohio – Present Day-- When soccer-star Ronnie Martinez is found dead, it''s ruled a suicide. Ronnie''s mother isn''t convinced, she thinks he was murdered. But only Angie and her cohorts at Riverside Funeral Home are willing to investigate. Angie can hear a dead person''s last words, but she still has a lot to learn about sleuthing, spying, and magic. The threats on her life tell her she''s close to the truth as Angie lands in deep-trouble and meets a fowl rescuer. Publisher''s Note: Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of humor, romance, and the paranormal will appreciate the Angie Gomez Murder Mystery series. Stories contain mild profanity and no explicit sex and can be enjoyed by readers 13 and up. "A deeply likeable story, Angie is the type of lead character a reader can fall in love with." -Andra Maguran The Angie Gomez Murder Mystery Series are best enjoyed in order: Last Words Word Games Words with Friends About the Author Ines Saint was born in Zaragoza, Spain, and grew up with one foot on an island of Puerto Rico and the other in the States. She''s bilingual and bicultural and has spent the last eighteen years raising her fun, inspiring boys and sharing her life with her husband/best friend/biggest fan. Her greatest joys are spending quality time with family and close friends, traveling, reading feel-good historical fiction, hiking, and snuggling next to her dog, Hobbit.

Sacrificed to a dragon as a teen, she was coddled for years. But when her dragon shifter fails to notice she’s all grown up and willing, she may just have to claim him herself. Since she was dropped on his doorstep, Cardi has had the hots for Kimber. Despite prancing around him in her off-the-shoulder shirts that showcase her bare midriff and her assortment of tight skorts that showcase her shapely thighs, he doesn’t take much notice of her. Kimber may have marked her as his, but he has yet to claim her by bopping her brains out. Cardi’s done waiting. Now she’s sure it’s time to resort to drastic measures. Kimber has his hands full with the upcoming Accords which aims to bring shifters to a peaceful agreement to get the Valkyrie to lift the ban of sacrifices coming into the Veil. The trouble is, his own sacrifice continues to act like a child and demand his attention at every turn. When grounding Cardi doesn’t work, she drops a bombshell by dumping Kimber. It seems like a perfect solution as the peace and quiet settles in… but then Kimber comes to understand that being dumped means she’s going to date other shifters. Their break up puts the Accords in jeopardy when Kimber has to abide by the new rules; rules that say a sacrifice makes her own choice of mate. With Cardi now a free agent, Kimber isn’t so sure she’ll choose him in the end. If he can’t win her back, and he resorts to ripping out the throats of the shifters sniffing around her, the fragile peace he’s cobbled together will turn to chaos. If you love alpha male shifters, fated mates, and steamy romance with a touch of 80’s nostalgia, then you don’t want to miss The Last Dragons series!

Do you wonder what happens to your consciousness after your body dies? Are you hoping for or believing in an afterlife, but just arent sure? Would you prefer more evidence that leads beyond religion, mediums, or blind faith? Inside youll discover research that suggests consciousness exists outside the human brain and body; insights out-of-body and near-death experiences can provide; how we continue to live after physical death and what to expect; the three types of deaths (or deactivations) and how they affect our awareness; how we spend the period between lives and the importance of a life mission; and ways to come to peace with leaving this life and letting family, friends, or partners go. Navigating this difficult phase in your life and being able to help your loved ones transition can be challenging. We all have to go through it and this book will assist you! If youre curious about exploring lifes most existential questions and what research is available in this field, perhaps because you had to face a serious illness, an accident, the passing of someone close to you, or harbor any fear of dying, this book is for you (Luis Minero, author of Demystifying the Out-of-Body Experience). Personally, I have walked out-of-body in the afterlife, traveling well beyond the horizon of our perceived physical reality during my own near-death experience. So I know that the concepts of OBE and NDE are valid. I welcome this new model and will use it in my work (Alan R. Hugenot, PhD, author of The Death Experience: What it is like when you die).

Who said ONLY children need to read fables to "grow up"?!! *** Unspoken - Efil: THE improbable fusion of the modern and primitive world, this soft science fiction is a fantastic fable designed to adult readers - This book deliberately contains very ambiguous settings and highly symbolic characters, as it hides 3 levels of interpretation: literal, symbolic and ethereal. For more info, welcome to visit www.myspace.com/ineskim

Presents fifty of the most important works from the early nineteenth to the turn of twentieth centuries in colour.

After the Black Years, the citizens of Civis, inhabitants of the caves took refuge underground and made a Pact with the inhabitants of the greenhouses, in the city of Silva. And so began the second era of civilization and still today, four hundred and fifty years later, the Pact is still observed. Vogel is one of the fifty-two apprentices beginning his period of instruction in Civis, but the forest has other plans for him.

Essential career guidance for corporate women with talent and ambition and advice for HR leaders on managing a diverse workforce; it sets out nine job assignments that every woman should have on her CV in order to lay the way for promotion and progression and insights into the lessons learned by the top senior women (and men) in business.

"It was cold and raining on the day he jumped". Thus begins this tale of suspense and anguish which unfolds against a financial backdrop...

Dying’s actually not so bad. Almost immediately, I’m finding that the afterlife has its perks. Like the hot, blue-skinned angel of death who’s whisking my body away from the surface of the Earth. I don’t protest when he beams the two of us straight into his opulent bedroom and then makes me see stars. Then I see double...His equally sexy twin brother is hotter than a supernova and wants to probe me solely for my pleasure. Wait? Probe? That’s when I realize this is more than a fantasy. Because I’m not dead. I’ve been abducted by aliens! They say I’m their soulmate, their destiny, and they’re never letting me go.

The politics of deportation -- Living the law -- Surveillance and control -- Undecided present, uncertain futures -- On compliance and resistance

Journey with Nia Rivers, archaeologist, fashionista, and an ancient immortal with a serious memory problem, as she digs up secrets buried in a past that is not always what we remember. From ninja assassins in the heart of China, to soul-stealing Greek Gods, and less than honorable knights from the round table, Nia kicks up rocks while kicking butt and stealing hearts. Get three full length books in one from this hot urban fantasy featuring spine-tingling adventure, twists on historical mysteries, and thrilling romance, where Tomb Raider meets Indiana Jones—and they live forever!

You have to learn how to be brave in life. It''s not easy. Sometimes it leads to trouble - as Moises finds out on the Amazon when he ignores the voice of the rainforest, as does Mariama from Africa when she breaks an important rule. But sometimes there are friends who can help you to be brave - such as Hanna, who is determined to protect her best friend from a nasty clique.

Children’s learning and understanding of science during their pre-school years has been a neglected topic in the education literature—something this volume aims to redress. Paradigmatic notions of science education, with their focus on biologically governed development and age-specific accession to scientific concepts, have perpetuated this state of affairs. This book offers a very different perspective, however. It has its roots in the work of cultural-historical activity theorists, who, since Vygotsky, have assumed that any higher cognitive function existed in and as a social relation first. Accepting this precept removes any lower limit we may deem appropriate on children’s cognitive engagement with science-related concepts. The authors describe and analyze the ways in which children aged from one to five grapple with scientific concepts, and also suggest ways in which pre-service and in-service teachers can be prepared to teach in ways that support children’s development in cultural and historical contexts. In doing so, the book affirms the value of cultural-historical activity theory as an appropriate framework for analyzing preschool children’s participation in science learning experiences, and shows that that the theory provides an appropriate framework for understanding learning, as well as for planning and conducting training for pre-school teachers.

Art and its Responses to Changes in Society brings together studies of young researchers dealing with the topics of decline, transformation, and rebirth from various points of view, characteristic of several different fields of the humanities and social sciences, in order to yield new insights into the analyzed subjects. The topics discussed here are diverse: on the one hand, several chapters deal with the metamorphosis of particular pictorial or architectural motifs and concepts, while on the other, studies are included that are dedicated to the analysis of the opera of individual artists, to various periods in architecture and landscape architecture, and to national and state commissions in art, as well as representations of WW2 atrocities in Yugoslavia and attempts to artistically reaffirm Christian symbolism after the end of socialism. As such, the book entails diverse scientific perceptions of art and society, from antiquity to modernity, from architecture to moving picture, from the USA to Yugoslavia, and from research on an object to observations on a concept.

In this book Ines Newman raises new questions about the fundamental principles that should guide local government decision making in an era when austerity measures leave local governments struggling to meet the demands for services. Drawing on a lifetime of experience as a practitioner and academic within local government, she shifts the agenda toward a more ethical view of how local governments can enact policies that improve social justice and local democracy. Newman argues that local governments should provide a voice for those who lack power, and she does so through an energizing call to reengage politics with ethics and an examination of how local governments can develop active citizens, make a difference in the well-being of the disadvantaged, and, in the end, promote real democracy.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease with a strong genetic predisposition. Formerly considered a purely skin disease, it is now recognised as a chronic systemic condition that may affect the nails and joints and can increase the risk of coexisting chronic conditions, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. The majority of patients experience mild to moderate severity of psoriasis, for which topical treatments are the first-line therapy. For more severe forms, ultraviolet therapy or systemic treatments, such as methotrexate and monoclonal antibodies, are available and can be highly effective. Despite these options, some patients experience insufficient results or adverse effects, and psoriasis is well established to significantly reduce health-related quality of life. In 2014, the World Health Assembly Resolution WHA 67.9 emphasised the need for new, widely accessible treatments for psoriasis. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to evaluate novel small-molecule treatment options for psoriasis within the field of redox medicine. In Study I, we investigated small-molecule MutT Homolog 1 (MTH1) inhibitors in preclinical models. The enzyme MTH1 is crucial for preventing oxidative damage to guanine, a nucleotide and building block of DNA. Cancer cells exhibit increased oxidative DNA damage and over-express MTH1 to protect their survival. Inhibition of MTH1, a strategy to disrupt this protective mechanism, is currently under clinical investigation by Prof. Helleday''s group at Karolinska Institutet (KI). Psoriasis shares pathological features with cancer, such as hyperproliferation, a pro-inflammatory environment, and angiogenesis, although malignant transformation generally does not occur in psoriatic cells. Psoriatic tissue also exhibits disrupted redox homeostasis, and we demonstrated in Study I that the enzyme MTH1 is upregulated in human psoriatic skin. MTH1 inhibition with subcutaneous injections reduced histological characteristics and inflammation in an in vivo mouse model of psoriasis. Our results of genetic analyses further support MTH1 inhibitors as a potential future treatment option for psoriasis. In Study II, we investigated the functional role of the gene nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2), which has been identified as a susceptibility gene for psoriasis. It has also been suggested as a disease classifier, distinguishing it from different types of eczema, another common skin disease. The small molecule nitric oxide (NO) is produced by NOS2, and other isoforms of NOS. NO has been shown to exhibit pleiotropic effects depending on its concentration in cells, which can lead to opposite effects on various biological functions, such as promoting or inhibiting proliferation and inflammation. We demonstrated that NOS2 contributes significantly to the psoriatic phenotype in a mouse model of psoriasis. Additionally, we observed beneficial effects of an NO-donor cream in the imiquimod (IMQ) mouse model, with decreased keratinocyte proliferation and reduced inflammatory infiltrate in the dermis. The results of Study II highlight the therapeutical potential of an NO-donor cream as a novel topical treatment option for the majority of patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis. In Study III, we evaluated a topical formulation of an MTH1 inhibitor (MTH1i TH1579) and demonstrated a diminished psoriatic phenotype in an in vivo mouse model of psoriasis. We showed that the number of IL-17-producing T-cells, crucial immune cells involved in driving the inflammation, was significantly reduced in murine skin following short-term treatment. Additionally, we observed a near abolition of IL-17 gene expression, an effect that may play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Furthermore, we explored an MTH1-S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2)-Enhancer of zeste homolog (EZH2) pathway potentially involved in the antiproliferative effects of topical MTH1 inhibition through its impact on the cell cycle. In conclusion, this thesis provides the foundation for the development of novel treatment options for psoriasis with the small-molecule substances MTH1i TH1579 and NO, the latter incorporated into an NO-donor cream, showing beneficial effects in a well-established mouse model of psoriasis. Psoriasis är en inflammatorisk och kronisk hudsjukdom som drabbar människor i alla åldrar världen över. Vanligtvis uppstår välavgränsade röda plack med silvriga eller grå fjäll på huden. Sjukdomen ansågs tidigare vara en ren hudsjukdom, men betraktas numera som en inflammatorisk systemsjukdom, vilket innebär att inflammationen också påverkar inre delar av kroppen. I detta sammanhang är det betydelsefullt att personer med hög sjukdomsbörda löper en ökad risk för samtidigt förekommande kroniska sjukdomar, såsom obesitas (fetma) och hjärt-kärlsjukdomar. Många patienter med psoriasis upplever också påverkan på naglar och leder. Det är välkänd att psoriasis har en betydande negativ inverkan på hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. Trots stora framsteg under de senaste decennierna i förståelsen av sjukdomens bakomliggande mekanismer och individens geners bidragande roll, finns det fortfarande ingen botande behandling. Ungefär två tredjedelar av patienterna med psoriasis har en mild till måttlig svårighetsgrad av sjukdomen. Mild psoriasis behandlas vanligtvis med mjukgörande medel och glukokortikoider (kortison), antingen ensamt eller i kombination med kolekalciferol (vitamin D3). Vid otillräcklig effekt tillämpas ljusbehandling som tillägg, följt av systemisk behandling med immunmodulerande läkemedel, där metotrexat är förstahandsvalet. Biologiska läkemedel utgör sista steget i behandlingstrappan. Dessa läkemedel är antikroppar i sprutform och anses för närvarande de mest effektiva behandlingsalternativen. Trots deras höga effektivitet finns det patienter med psoriasis som inte svarar på behandlingen eller som drabbas av allvarliga biverkningar. År 2014 betonade Världshälsoförsamlingen i resolution WHA 67.9 behovet av nya, allmänt tillgängliga behandlings-alternativ för psoriasis. I detta sammanhang är utvecklingen av nya terapier särskilt relevant för den majoritet av patienter med mild till måttlig psoriasis. De tre delarbetena i avhandlingen beskriver experimentella studier inom redoxmedicin för att utveckla nya behandlingar mot psoriasis som kan vara lämpliga för topikal behandling i salva- eller krämform på huden. Små-molekylära ämnen undersöktes, bestående av kemiska molekyler som har förmågan att påverka sjukdomsmekanismer i cellerna. Redoxmedicin är ett relativt nytt forskningsområde som fokuserar på kemiska processer som involverar oxidation- och reduktionsreaktioner (överföring av elektroner), ofta i samband med syre i kroppen. I den första studien undersöktes effekten av MTH1-hämmare i cellförsök och i en musmodell för psoriasis. MTH1-hämmarna utvecklades av en forskargrupp vid Karolinska Institutet, ledd av professor Helleday, som är verksam inom cancerforskning. MTH1-enzymet förhindrar att oxidativt skadade byggstenar (nukleotider) infogas i cellens DNA. Cancerceller utsätts för ökad oxidativ stress på grund av sin höga delningstakt. När enzymet hämmas ansamlas oxidativt skadade nukleotider, vilket leder till att cellerna drabbas av oxidativa DNA-skador och dör, en mekanism som här utnyttjas som behandlingsstrategi mot cancer. Psoriasisceller känne-tecknas också av en hög delningstakt och därmed förhöjd oxidativ stress, även om det sker i en godartad process. Detta inspirerade hypotesen att MTH1-hämmare även skulle kunna vara effektiva mot psoriasis. Eftersom positiva effekter av MTH1-hämmaren vid subkutan applikation (injektion) observerades på den psoriatriska inflammationen i musmodellen i studie I, fortsattes arbetet i studie III med att testa en krämformulering av MTH1-hämmaren. Även MTH1-krämen visade tydliga antiinflammatoriska effekter i mushud redan efter några få applikationer. En nyligen beskriven signalväg, som har betydelse för cellcykeln, undersöktes, vilket kan vara en förklaring varför den snabba delningen av hudceller bromsas och bidrar till att MTH1-hämmare verkar fungera som en innovativ behandlingsstrategi mot psoriasis. I studie II undersöktes en liten gasmolekyl, kväveoxid (NO), som bildas i alla däggdjur samt i vissa växter. Forskning under de senaste decennierna har visat att NO har olika funktioner beroende på dess koncentration. Den används bland annat av celler för att överföra signaler, eftersom den lätt diffunderar genom cellmembran. Vid infektioner med bakterier eller virus kan NO i höga koncentrationer användas för att eliminera dessa patogener. NO är en kraftfull vasodilatator, vilket innebär att det får blodkärlen att vidgas, vilket i sin tur leder till att blodtrycket sänks. En brist på NO i blodkärlen är en viktig mekanism bakom högt blodtryck. Genen för enzymet NOS2, som producerar NO i höga koncentrationer, har i studier visat sig vara betydelsefull i samband med psoriasis. I studie II undersöktes därför betydelsen av NOS2 för psoriasis i cell- och djurmodeller. I mus-försök analyserades effekten av ökad NO genom applicering av en NO-frisättande kräm. En förbättring av den psoriatriska inflammationen observerades, vilket indikerar att behandling med en NO-frisättande kräm kan vara en möjlig framtida behandlingsstrategi mot psoriasis. Sammanfattningsvis banar de tre studierna i avhandlingen väg för innovativa behandlingsalternativ för psoriasis inom redoxmedicin, med särskilt fokus på topikala behandlingar som kan nå en större patientgrupp, där nuvarande behandlingsalternativ är begränsade.

Cultural Mobility is a blueprint and a model for understanding the patterns of meaning that human societies create. Drawn from a wide range of disciplines, the essays collected here under the distinguished editorial guidance of Stephen Greenblatt share the conviction that cultures, even traditional cultures, are rarely stable or fixed. Radical mobility is not a phenomenon of the twenty-first century alone, but is a key constituent element of human life in virtually all periods. Yet academic accounts of culture tend to operate on exactly the opposite assumption and to celebrate what they imagine to be rooted or whole or undamaged. To grasp the shaping power of colonization, exile, emigration, wandering, contamination, and unexpected, random events, along with the fierce compulsions of greed, longing, and restlessness, cultural analysis needs to operate with a new set of principles. An international group of authors spells out these principles and puts them into practice.

Provides guidelines for promoting lasting and positive change by identifying and showing how to effectively manage the five essential elements of organizational success--organizational culture, management skills, team building, strategy structure, and the reward system.Position your organization for the long haul. In this thoughtful volume, author Ralph H. Kilmann provides guidelines for promoting lasting, positive change by identifying and showing how to effectively manage the five essential elements of organizational success--culture, management skills, team building, strategy structure, and reward systems. Basing his conclusions on first-hand consulting experience with such companies as AT&T, Ford, General Electric, and Xerox, the author clearly demonstrates how this approach can help companies move beyond Band Aid solutions to competitive challenges and initiate changes that aptly support long-term business goals.

Nourish your little one with delectable organic meals, tailored to every developmental stage, from first purees to hearty toddler feasts. Introducing Wholesome Baby Bites, the ultimate guide to preparing nutritious and flavorful organic meals for your growing child. This comprehensive handbook offers a wealth of practical tips, expert advice, and mouthwatering recipes that will delight both your baby''s taste buds and support their overall well-being. Wholesome Baby Bites guides you through the entire journey of feeding your baby, from selecting the freshest organic ingredients to preparing age-appropriate meals. Discover a treasure trove of purees, finger foods, toddler-friendly soups, and snacks, all meticulously designed to provide your child with the essential nutrients they need to thrive.: Navigating the complexities of feeding a baby can be overwhelming. Wholesome Baby Bites provides a solution, empowering you with the knowledge and confidence to create healthy, satisfying meals that promote your baby''s growth and development. This book is indispensable for all parents and caregivers of babies and toddlers who seek to provide their little ones with the best possible nutrition. Whether you are a first-time parent or an experienced caregiver, Wholesome Baby Bites has something for you.

Based on the analysis of 52 conversion narratives to various religious groups, A New Model of Religious Conversion utilizes case studies for comparison of converts'' backgrounds, network influence, and conversion narratives. The author convincingly illustrates a "fit" between the converts'' background and the religion they convert to, such as between disorganized family backgrounds and highly structured religions. Conversely, those from highly structured backgrounds often convert to more "open" groups. The book also makes it clear that not all conversions are influenced by networks or align themselves with a social constructivist view of a conversion as an "account." Taking converts'' trajectories seriously, the author makes a strong case for the application of biographical sociology to the study of conversion and (American) sociology overall.

It was a bold, ambitious and wildly arrogant idea: extending the reach of communism into space. Spurred on by the defeat of Hitler and the competitive rivalry with the United States, the Soviet space programme saw a frenetic surge of scientific activity focused on the objective of demonstrating Communist mastery beyond the confines of the Earth. In order to create the optimally standardized bodies that cosmonauts would require, top secret military laboratories were set up in 1970s East Germany. The New Man – the modern colonist of space – was intensively trained for the purpose of surviving years of weightlessness in outer space. Experiments were carried out in prisons, hospitals and army barracks with the aim of creating the perfect body: self-sufficient and able to endure extreme conditions for as long as possible. In order to exert dominance over space, it was first necessary to exert total control over those who were being trained to conquer it. Ines Geipel unravels this largely unknown and extraordinary history by delving into East German military records and talking to those who bear the scars of this state-inflicted trauma. Some of the older scientists conducting experiments had already served under the Nazi regime; others threw themselves into collaborating with the Stasi via the military research programme in order to avoid dealing with the war’s emotional legacy. Written like a thriller and infused with empathy from someone who had herself experienced the debilitating effects of state-administered doping programmes in the former GDR, this book exposes some of the most disturbing episodes in Germany’s recent past.

An all-new Step 2 deluxe Step into Reading leveled reader featuring Nickelodeon’s Blaze and the Monster Machines—plus shiny stickers! Blaze and the Monster Machines get ready to join the biggest race ever! Boys and girls ages 4 to 6 will thrill to this Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader, which features more than 30 shiny stickers. Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Race into action with Blaze and the Monster Machines! Preschoolers will learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as they help Axle City’s greatest hero overcome Crusher’s cheating ways and save the day with Blazing Speed, spectacular stunts, and awesome transformations!

Globalizing the Soybean asks how the soybean conquered the West and analyzes why and how the crop gained entry into agriculture and industry in regions beyond Asia in the first half of the twentieth century. Historian Ines Prodöhl describes the soybean’s journey centered on three hubs: Northeast China, as the crop’s main growing area up to the Second World War; Germany, to where most of the beans in the interwar period were shipped; and the United States, which became the leading cultivator of soy worldwide during the 1940s. This book explores the German and U.S. adoption of the soybean being closely tied to global economic and political changes, such as the two world wars and the Great Depression. The attraction of the soybean to stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic was linked to a need for cheap alternatives to butter and lard and a desire for greater quantities of meat, which led to the soybean becoming a cheap resource for fat and fodder. Only occasionally was it also used as food. This volume is useful for anyone who is studying or interested in economic history and commodity trading in the twentieth century. It is also connected to the histories of capitalism, globalization, imperialism, and materiality.

Murder Victims Are Telling Secrets in the Mortuary in Last Words, a Murder Mystery by Ines Saint Dayton, Ohio – Present Day When fortune-teller, Abuela Luci, informs her granddaughter, Angie, that "Many changes are coming your way," no one is more skeptical than Angie herself. Addicted to telenovelas and proud of her Puerto Rican roots, Angie Gomez Gomez lives alone with her dog, Tito Bendito. While she ekes out a living sculpting busts of prominent people she seldom admires, Angie''s true passion is solving the decade-old mystery of her parents'' murder. But when the town mayor, and former client, dies, the family asks Angie to do the post-mortem makeup. With the support of Pappa, the funeral director, and his grandson, Anthony, Angie commences her work in the depths of the mortuary, where she''s startled to discover that she can hear the echo of the dead person''s last thoughts, and the mayor''s last words were: "Bonnie is dead." After a few false starts and misadventures, the three of them use Angie''s newfound ability to solve the mayor''s murder without revealing to the police how they got the information. The funeral home starts offering discounts to murder victims'' families just so Angie can hear their last words and solve their murders, while Angie hopes her new ability leads to her parents'' murderer. With the police growing suspicious, Angie herself may be the next victim as someone doesn''t want their secrets told. Publisher''s Note: Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of humor, romance, and the paranormal will appreciate the Angie Gomez Murder Mystery series. Stories contain mild profanity and no explicit sex and can be enjoyed by readers 13 and up. "Abuela and her card reading...a delicious piece of the story." ~Andra Maguran The Angie Gomez Murder Mystery Series are best enjoyed in order: Last Words Word Games Words with Friends About the Author Ines Saint was born in Zaragoza, Spain, and grew up with one foot on an island of Puerto Rico and the other in the States. She''s bilingual and bicultural and has spent the last eighteen years raising her fun, inspiring boys and sharing her life with her husband/best friend/biggest fan. Her greatest joys are spending quality time with family and close friends, traveling, reading feel-good historical fiction, hiking, and snuggling next to her dog, Hobbit.