New Releases by Michael Brown

Examines perceptions of the natural world in ideas and practices of African-descended communities in South Carolina from the colonial period to the twentieth century.

Brown''s Simplified English Grammar presents English in its simplicity with illustrations students of all ages and ethnic backgrounds are sure to appreciate. The parts of speech are enumerated concisely and the mechanics of writing English sentences are handled superbly.

A Rapid Load Test (RLT), developed to determine the initial stiffness and bearing capacity, is an economical and practical alternative to a Static Load Test (SLT). The broad application of RLT, however, was hampered by uncertainty about the interpretation of the test results. This book offers clear guidance on the available analysis techniques and

A down-to-earth approach to spirituality that links your garden with biblical tradition. “Perhaps you’re asking, ‘What is a “Jewish garden”?’ Though it is essentially a collection of plants, it’s really more than that. You don’t just grow plants in a Jewish garden; you incorporate them into your life. Some will help transport you to different times and places; others will provide your senses with aromas, tastes, and beauty. All will help you experience a more personal attachment to God and to Judaism.” —from the Introduction This guide shows how your gardening can sustain your spirit in new ways, whether you grow one fig tree on an apartment terrace, or five acres of wheat in the country. It may also help you realize, as never before, that for each fruit and vegetable associated with every holiday, there is a profound and sustaining reason. To ancient Jews, figs symbolized prosperity, grapes signified fertility, and olives represented the renewal of life. Barley was the chief cooking staple, and dates were a honey substitute. The Jewish Gardening Cookbook gives clear and easy-to-follow instructions on how these foods—and more—can be grown and used for holidays, festivals, and life cycle events. For example, following the cycle of the Jewish year, it explains how to grow apples to bake in apple-raisin-nut cake at Rosh Hashanah, potatoes for latkes at Hanukkah, and ways to maximize use of your zucchini crop with zucchini nut bread at Purim. The Jewish Gardening Cookbook provides tasty vegetarian recipes so that what you grow can be enjoyed during holiday meals, bringing our biblical past into our lives as people who have a profound relationship with the Land of Israel.

In Moving Beyond Self-Interest, psychologists, neuroscientists, economists, and political scientists discuss and extend cutting-edge developments in the science of caring for and helping others. Their insights help readers appreciate the human capacity for engaging in altruistic acts, on both a small and large scale.

Vital signs of hope and humanity They are the unsung heroes of health care, putting their own lives at risk to provide support and comfort to those who need it most. Registered nurse Michael Brown has interviewed over fifty practicing nurses, spanning forty-one states and most nursing specialties. In Nurses: The Human Touch, he takes you to the front lines of his profession, where split-second, life-and-death decisions are made every day. You’ll experience firsthand the combatlike tension of an inner-city emergency room, the nonstop action of a Mobile Intensive Care Unit, the sound, sight, and feel of an operation in progress, harrowing daily life in a psychiatric hospital, and the joy of welcoming in the newly born. You’ll share in the challenges and rewards, triumphs and disappointments of the nursing profession. And you’ll watch extraordinary stories unfold—life stories that bear witness to the courage, commitment, and compassion of these outstanding medical professionals.

A history of the Denver & Rio Grande''s Silverton Branch. Also includes a history of the Mears Short-lines. Discover the history of the line and how it went from a working railroad to the successful tourist line. Including many photographs and maps.

Designed for students with little or no musical background, An Introduction to the History and Literature of Music in Western Culture is an interdisciplinary text that can stand alone in a music appreciation class or serve as an excellent supplement to a survey of Western history or literature. The driving philosophy behind this text is music education, not musicology. Author Michael Brown has taught this material for 25 years in both high school and college, giving him a feel for the impractical and overburdened quality of many music appreciation textbooks. Because most students come to school with only a very limited knowledge of music, the overriding goal of An Introduction to the History and Literature of Music in Western Culture is simply to introduce students to the aesthetic appreciation of music and to give music a place in their view of the world. The text covers major composers and forms in chronological order, though without attempting to present a comprehensive history of music. Instead, the emphasis is on a broad view of the aesthetics of music as it has developed over the course of Western civilization. Similarly, it has no sample music manuscripts, but a pair of compact discs complements the text by offering selections to go with the “Music Analysis” sections of each chapter. Furthermore, the culture and style of each period is communicated more fully through dozens of works of art, from antiquity to the modern era, reproduced throughout the book.

The battle of Bannockburn, fought on the fields south of Stirling at midsummer 1314, is the best known event in the history of Medieval Scotland. It was a unique event. The clash of two armies, each led by a king, followed a clear challenge to a battle to determine the status of Scotland and its survival as a separate realm. As a key point in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the fourteenth century, the battle has been extensively discussed, but Bannockburn was also a pivotal event in the history of the British Isles. This book analyses the road to Bannockburn, the campaign of 1314 and the aftermath of the fight. It demonstrates that in both its context and legacy the battle had a central significance in the shaping of nations and identities in the late Medieval British Isles.

"A well-written and carefully crafted account of Aguaruna magic and its practical applications [that] diverges from more traditional approaches by focusing not only on the symbolic realm of magic but also on the instrumental intent." --American Anthropologist

Michael Brown offers an overview of the history of the development of African American and Afrocentric biblical interpretation. He then discusses how such scholarship began as an attempt to correct the biases African Americans perceived to be manifest in European and Euro-American biblical scholarship. This corrective, he says, quickly developed a life of its own, and Afrocentric biblical interpretation developed its own interpretive voice and style. Brown also examines Afrocentrism and the "blackening of the Bible," offering a critique of the color politics of Afrocentric criticism. He examines the evolution of womanism as a method of biblical interpretation, and explores and criticizes the ways that ideological and postcolonial criticism has contributed to Afrocentric biblical criticism. Finally, he presents the challenges he thinks confront the practice of such criticism, and he advances a new paradigm for the project that will put it in conversation with a wider audience of biblical scholars, classicists, historians, and theologians. Michael Joseph Brown is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Candler School of theology, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the author of What They Don''t Tell You: A Survivor''s Guide to Academic Biblical Studies and The Lord''s Prayer through North African Eyes: A Window into Early Christianity.

During the century and a half of their power the Black Douglases earned fame as Scotland''s champions in the front line of war against England. On their shields they bore the bloody heart of Robert Bruce, the symbol of their claim to be the physical protectors of the hero-king''s legacy. But others saw the power of these lords and earls of Douglas in a different light. To their critics the Douglases were a force for disorder in the kingdom, lawless, arrogant and violent, whose power rested on coercion and whose defiance of kings and guardians ultimately provoked James II into slaying the Douglas earl with his own hand. Michael Brown analyses the rise and fall of this family as the dominant magnates of the south, from the deeds of the Good Sir James Douglas in the service of Bruce to the violent destruction of the Douglas earls in the 1450s. Alongside this study of the accumulation and loss of power by one of the great noble houses, The Black Douglases includes a series of thematic examinations of the nature of aristocratic power. In particular these emphasise the link between warfare and political power in southern Scotland during the fourteenth century. For the Black Douglases, war was not just a patriotic duty but the means to power and fame in Scotland and across Europe.

Whether viewed as a lawgiver, tyrant or martyr, James I has cast a long shadow over the history of Scotland. Michael Brown''s biography, the first full-length study in over fifty years, concludes that despite its apparent glamour and power, James I''s `golden age'' had shallow roots: after a life of drastically swinging fortunes, he met his end in a violent coup, a victim of his own methods.

Delve into the twisted minds of serial killers and uncover the chilling methods that define their reign of terror. "The Deadly Patterns" takes you on a gripping journey into the darkest recesses of human behavior. Through detailed examinations of various killing methods, you will discover the chilling techniques used by these ruthless predators. From the meticulous planning of an organized killer to the chaotic rampage of an impulsive one, each method reveals a disturbing glimpse into the killer''s mind. This book explores the psychological underpinnings of serial killing, delving into the motivations that drive their horrific acts. You will learn about the thrill of the kill, the insatiable lust, and the twisted rituals that fuel their murderous desires. Through compelling case studies, you''ll gain a chilling understanding of the individuals who leave a trail of bodies behind, their lives, and their methods. Beyond the chilling details, this book also examines the impact of serial killing on victims, survivors, and communities. You''ll learn about the challenges of catching these elusive predators and the tireless efforts of law enforcement to bring them to justice. Discover the patterns that emerge from their crimes, the methods used to profile their victims, and the chilling reality of the escalation of violence that defines their murderous careers. Prepare to be both horrified and captivated by the dark realities of the world''s most terrifying predators. This book is not for the faint of heart, but for those seeking a deeper understanding of the darkness that lies within us all.