New Releases by John Kelly

A study of the psychological and social effects of divorce discusses a wealth of issues such as how women and girls experience divorce differently than men and boys and reveals that the aftermath of divorce can be a pathway to healing and fulfillment.

"In Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, in the seventies, nothing happens. Everyday, Teenagers Declan Lydon and his trusted friend Spit Maguire stand under lampposts, in their circles of saliva, waiting to be overtaken by some hormonal storm, to be enveloped by strange women, to finally make some connection with the glorious, glamorous world they know is out there somewhere." "Their salvation - and release from the grinding tedium and bewilderment of small-town adolescence - comes through music. When, miraculously, Thin Lizzy come to town, Declan goes in to the concert in his brown cardigan and emerges wearing a black leather jacket." "Sophisticated Boom Boom is an account of the agonies and absurdities of growing up in a backwater of pebbledash and Space Invaders - about the loyalty of friends as they stumble together through the awkward years of puberty into an equally confusing independence, for which they are seriously under-prepared."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Based on a landmark longitudinal study, the nation''s leading expert on stepfamilies reveals his breakthrough findings and offers the first detailed guide to easing the conflicts of stepfamily life and healing the scars of divorce. There are more than twenty million stepfamilies in America. For most of them, the simple, daily issues that challenge every family are even more anxiety-provoking. After conducting a comprehensive nine-year-long study funded by the National Institutes of Health, Dr. James H. Bray has written an invaluable book that explains why over half of all stepfamilies fail and reveals the strategies that help the others succeed. A stepfamily is assaulted on all sides by difficult and often divisive questions. How much control should a stepparent have over a stepchild? How much authority should a nonresidential parent exert over a child? How should a difficult former spouse be handled? How does an "ours" baby change the emotional dynamic in a stepfamily? Why is there a lack of "honeymoon effect" during the first years of stepfamily life? The purpose of Stepfamilies is to answer all the important questions of stepfamily life--to fill in the knowledge gaps that undermine so many stepfamilies today and, crucially, to learn the effect of stepfamily life on children. Based on one of the largest and longest studies of stepfamily life ever conducted, Stepfamilies interweaves the stories of real families to illustrate such study findings as how: a stepfamily has its own natural life cycle a stepfamily takes several years to develop into a family unit a stepfamily is at greatest risk during the first two years a stepfamily ultimately coalesces into one of three forms a stepfamily must solve four basic tasks in order to succeed a stepfamily can help heal the scars of divorce Filled with emotional, gripping stories, Bray''s findings pinpoint the three major transitions in stepfamily life and identify the riskiest issues that can throw a family into crisis. Bray is the first to identify the several distinct forms that stepfamilies take and to explore which types of stepfamilies are more vulnerable than others and why. He also describes the natural life cycle of stepfamilies and basic tasks all stepfamilies must undertake to succeed. With a wealth of insight into the positive effects of remarriage, Bray shows how a loving, well-functioning stepfamily can lessen the trauma of divorce and restore a child''s and family''s sense of security. Most stepparents remarry with the highest hopes and new resolutions for a better life. Never before have their unique needs been addressed in depth. Through insightful case studies and practical advice, Stepfamilies reveals how a strong, stable stepfamily is as capable as a nuclear family of nurturing healthy development, of imbuing values, of setting limits and boundaries, and of providing a structure in which rules for living a moral and productive life are transmitted, tested, rebelled against, and ultimately affirmed. Bray''s positive message and fascinating findings--many of which defy intuition--will put stepfamilies on the road to lifelong harmony.

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Three case histories, one of which, Edward, has AIDS.

This edition contains a new chapter extending the story into the eighteenth century.

Publisher description: This book tells the story of the Christian religious movement led by Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita in the Kingdom of Kongo from 1704 until her death, by burning at the stake, in 1706. Beatriz, a young woman, claimed to be possessed by St Anthony, argued that Jesus was a Kongolese, and criticized Italian Capuchin missionaries in her country for not supporting black saints. The movement was largely a peace movement, with a following among the common people, attempting to stop the devastating cycle of civil wars between contenders for the Kongolese throne. Thornton supplies background information on the Kingdom, the development of Catholicism in Kongo since 1491, the nature and role of local warfare in the Atlantic slave trade, and contemporary everyday life, as well as sketching the lives of some local personalities.

Covers trees, shrubs, perennials, alpines, bulbs, annuals and biennials, and vegetables.

Offers instructions in choosing and using equipment, selecting and posing models, composing, lighting techniques for indoors and out, setting up a studio, and more.