Most Popular Books by Michael Johnston

Michael Johnston brings you the first in a new epic fantasy series inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear. The ruling family of the Soleri Empire has been in power longer than even the calendars that stretch back 2,826 years. Those records tell a history of conquest and domination by a people descended from gods, older than anything in the known world. No living person has seen them for centuries, yet their grip on their four subjugate kingdoms remains tighter than ever. On the day of the annual eclipse, the Harkan king, Arko-Hark Wadi, sets off on a hunt and shirks his duty rather than bow to the emperor. Ren, his son and heir, is a prisoner in the capital, while his daughters struggle against their own chains. Merit, the eldest, has found a way to stand against imperial law and marry the man she desires, but needs her sister’s help, and Kepi has her own ideas. Meanwhile, Sarra Amunet, Mother Priestess of the sun god’s cult, holds the keys to the end of an empire and a past betrayal that could shatter her family. Detailed and historical, vast in scope and intricate in conception, Soleri bristles with primal magic and unexpected violence. It is a world of ancient and elaborate rites, of unseen power and kingdoms ravaged by war, where victory comes with a price, and every truth conceals a deeper secret. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Focusing on the Great Plains states of Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota between 1929 and 1945, Down and Out on the Family Farm examines small familyøfarmers and the Rural Rehabilitation Program designed to help them. Historian Michael Johnston Grant reveals the tension between economic forces that favored large-scale agriculture and political pressure that championed family farms, and the results of that clash. ø The Great Depression and the drought of the 1930s lay bare the long-term economic instability of the rural Plains. The New Deal introduced the Rural Rehabilitation Program to assist lower- to middle-income farmers throughout the country. This program combined low-interest loans with managerial advice. However, these efforts were not enough to compete with the growing scale of agriculture or to counter the recurring drought of the era. Regional conservatism, environmental factors, and fiscal constraints limited the federal aid offered to thousands of families. ø Grant provides extensive primary source research from government documents, as well as letters, newspaper editorials, and case studies that focus on individual lives and fortunes. He examines who these families were and what their farms looked like, and he sheds light on the health problems and other personal concerns that interfered with the economic viability of many farms. The result is a provocative study that gives a human face to the hardships and triumphs of modern agriculture.

Corruption is a threat to democracy and economic development in many societies. It arises in the ways people pursue, use and exchange wealth and power, and in the strength or weakness of the state, political and social institutions that sustain and restrain those processes. Differences in these factors, Michael Johnston argues, give rise to four major syndromes of corruption: Influence Markets, Elite Cartels, Oligarchs and Clans, and Official Moguls. In this 2005 book, Johnston uses statistical measures to identify societies in each group, and case studies to show that the expected syndromes do arise. Countries studied include the United States, Japan and Germany (Influence Markets); Italy, Korea and Botswana (Elite Cartels); Russia, the Philippines and Mexico (Oligarchs and Clans); and China, Kenya, and Indonesia (Offical Moguls). A concluding chapter explores reform, emphasising the ways familiar measures should be applied - or withheld, lest they do harm - with an emphasis upon the value of ''deep democratisation''.

Step-by-step photos illustrate the entire lamp-making process. Includes full-size, fold-out patterns to make 12 beautiful shades. Features "Pro Tips" from a master glass artist.

How to make angels, candleholders, suncatchers, mirrors, picture frames, garden ornaments, and more beautiful projects, from easy to more complex.

Illustrated, step-by-step instructions. Two methods of building a panel: lead and copper foil. Contains ten full-size patterns and includes a chapter on how to repair stained glass.

Illustrated step-by-step instruction on techniques to make a variety of beautiful and practical stained glass boxes. Photos show exactly how to assemble corners, attach hinges and lids, work with mirrored glass, create shelves and compartments, and add feet and lips. Detailed information for the beginner or more experienced glass artist.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Isle of the Lost (a Disney Decendants novel)--the powerful trilogy that’s been compared to Game of Thrones continues in this sequel to Frozen! Nat and her drakon are the last of their kind—sworn to protect what their enemies seek to control—and she’s risked her life for their reunion. But fighting for the majestic Blue meant saying goodbye to Wes, breaking both their hearts. Back in New Vegas, citizens are threatened by the resurgence of magic and declare war on all the marked. Wes and his team travel to the extravagant indoor city of El Dorado looking for his sister, but when they are caught on the wrong side of the RSA’s strict new laws, Wes is forced to do the unthinkable—surrender and rejoin the military''s quest to uncover the magical source, the same land Nat is struggling to protect. Now he and Nat find themselves on opposing sides of a war that could potentially destroy what’s left of the world. “As fearless as a futuristic Game of Thrones.” —Margaret Stohl “A thought-provoking novel, part epic fantasy and part social commentary.”—Entertainment Weekly on Frozen: Heart of Dread, Book One

Michael Johnston discusses how he reached out to inspire his teenage students at a rural school in the Mississippi Delta.

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Silence of the Soleri is the action-packed sequel to the epic fantasy novel Lev Grossman calls "bloody and utterly epic." Solus celebrates the Opening of the Mundus, a two-day holiday for the dead, but the city of the Soleri is hardly in need of diversion. A legion of traitors, led by a former captain of the Soleri military, rallies at the capital’s ancient walls. And inside those fortifications, trapped by circumstance, a second army fights for its very existence. In a world inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear, this follow-up to Michael Johnston''s Soleri, finds Solus besieged from within as well as without and the Hark-Wadi family is stuck at the heart of the conflict. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Congenital or early-onset disorders of the nervous system have a profound and lifelong impact on the lives of children and their families. Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood provides up-to-date information on the full range of these neurological disorders, from fetal and neonatal neurology to adolescence. Movement disorders, epilepsies and seizure disorders, metabolic diseases, auditory and visual disorders, and genetic anomalies are among the many topics covered in this text. Extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter guide the clinician to further relevant reading. This fourth edition retains the patient-focussed, clinical approach of its predecessors. The international team of editors and contributors has honoured the request of the late Jean Aicardi, that his book remain ‘resolutely clinical’, which distinguishes Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood from other texts in the field. This edition: Is completely revised and updated Includes latest developments in genetic advances Contains new chapters on basal ganglia diseases and psychogenic disorders Has an easy-to-use one volume format with full-colour illustrations

Explores four types of corruption and the implications for reform, emphasizing practical ways to check abuses of wealth and power.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Isle of the Lost (a Disney Decendants novel) the first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic. Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows. At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she''s heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light. But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all. “The mix of adventure and fantasy will have you addicted!” —Seventeen.com “A one-sitting read. The world-building in Frozen is absolutely addictive. You''ll really feel like you''re traveling through this frozen, post-apocalyptic country (with) the setting, the realistic characters and the fast pace.” —Romantic Times “Fans of The Hunger Games will no doubt enjoy sinking their teeth into this exciting book.” —SLJ

The companion to Volume 2 of The New Church''s Teaching Series, Roger Ferlo''s Opening the Bible, Michael Johnston''s Engaging the Word teaches us how to use the critical and practical tools for reading the Bible described by Ferlo to interpret the Hebrew and Christian scriptures: what did they mean for their original audience and what do they mean for us today? Johnston introduces us to the key terms and concepts of biblical criticism that show us how to read Scripture on three key levels: the literal, historical, and prophetic. He explores with us passages that touch on questions of ethics, the nature of God, the teachings of Jesus, and eschatology, and offers vivid insights into the physical setting and geography of the Bible. Above all, the purpose of Engaging the Word is to help us become people who can read and interpret the Bible intelligently and perceptively. It offers the fundamental questions that we must ask of any biblical text in order to enter fully into its meaning for us and for our worshiping community: Who wrote the passage? When was it written? What does it actually say? For what community or group was it written? What was its message for that community? What is its message for us today?

The action-packed finale to the series Entertainment Weekly calls, "part epic fantasy and part social commentary . . . addictive." Recast the spell. Light the flame. Make the world anew. With the ruins of New Kandy still smoldering around them and Nat’s bond to her beloved drakon quickly fraying, Nat and Wes are lost amid a sea of destruction—with Wes at death’s door. Wes tried to save his sister, Eliza, and protect them from her cruelty, only to see firsthand just how dark her power had become. Desperate to escape the dangers lurking in New Kandy, Wes accepts help from a mysterious voice calling out to him from the Blue, leading Nat and his crew into even more perilous surroundings. They quickly realize that their only chance for survival lies with Nat and the quest for a new world to replace their broken one—but at what cost? In this epic conclusion to the Heart of Dread trilogy, Nat and Wes must put their love to the ultimate test in hopes of seeing their world reborn. Praise for the Heart of Dread series "Ice cold hotness." - MTV.com "Fans of The Hunger Games will no doubt enjoy sinking their teeth into this exciting book."--School Library Journal "De la Cruz and Johnston score a hit. . . . Readers will find themselves completely immersed in the authors'' dangerous world."--Kirkus Reviews "Readers are plunged right in the middle of the action from the first page... an action-packed adventure."--Kirkus Reviews "The concept of overlapping worlds on one planet will intrigue readers and raise philosophical questions about the nature of reality. The cliff-hanger ending assures readers that a finale is in the works."--Booklist "Fans of the first book will no doubt be very happy with where this action-filled trilogy is headed."--School Library Journal

Corruption is once again high on the international policy agenda as a result of globalization, the spread of democracy, and major scandals and reform initiatives. But the concept itself has been a focus for social scientists for many years, and new findings and data take on richer meanings when viewed in the context of long-term developments and enduring conceptual debates. This compendium, a much-enriched version of a work that has been a standard reference in the field since 1970, offers concepts, cases, and fresh evidence for comparative analysis. Building on a nucleus of classic studies laying out the nature and development of the concept of corruption, the book also incorporates recent work on economic, cultural, and linguistic dimensions of the problem, as well as critical analyses of several approaches to reform. While many authors are political scientists, work by historians, economists, and sociologists are strongly represented. Two-thirds of the nearly fifty articles are based either on studies especially written or translated for this volume, or on selected journal literature published in the 1990s. The tendency to treat corruption as merely a synonym for bribery is illuminated by analyses of the diverse terminology and linguistic techniques that help distinguish corruption problems in the major languages. Recent attempts to measure corruption, and to analyze its causes and effects quantitatively are also critically examined. New contributions emphasize especially: corruption phenomena in Asia and Africa; contrasts among region and regime types; comparing U.S. state corruption incidence; European Party finance and corruption; assessments of international corruption rating project; analyses of international corruption control treaties; unintended consequences of anti-corruption efforts. Cumulatively, the book combines description richness, analytical thrust, conceptual awareness, and contextual articulation.

Nonprofit Internet Strategies offers every charitable organization the opportunity to analyze their options and select the appropriate strategy to integrate traditional marketing, communications, and fundraising practices with their online efforts. It is an excellent how-to guide--a practical manual for nonprofit staff written in non-technical language--prepared by experts in the field based on real-life experiences and case studies.

This book argues that it is time to step back and reassess the anti-corruption movement, which despite its many opportunities and great resources has ended up with a track record that is indifferent at best. Drawing on many years of experience and research, the authors critique many of the major strategies and tactics employed by anti-corruption actors, arguing that they have made the mistake of holding on to problematical assumptions, ideas, and strategies, rather than addressing the power imbalances that enable and sustain corruption. The book argues that progress against corruption is still possible but requires a focus on justice and fairness, considerable tolerance for political contention, and a willingness to stick with the reform cause over a very long process of thoroughgoing, sometimes discontinuous political change. Ultimately, the purpose of the book is not to tell people that they are doing things all wrong. Instead, the authors present new ways of thinking about familiar dilemmas of corruption, politics, contention, and reform. These valuable insights from two of the top thinkers in the field will be useful for policymakers, reform groups, grant-awarding bodies, academic researchers, NGO officers, and students.

The monograph series Oxford Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture showcases the plurilingual and multicultural quality of medieval literature and actively seeks to promote research that not only focuses on the array of subjects medievalists now pursue--in literature, theology, and philosophy, in social, political, jurisprudential, and intellectual history, the history of art, and the history of science--but also that combines these subjects productively. It offers innovative studies on topics that may include, but are not limited to, manuscript and book history; languages and literatures of the global Middle Ages; race and the post-colonial; the digital humanities, media and performance; music; medicine; the history of affect and the emotions; the literature and practices of devotion; the theory and history of gender and sexuality, ecocriticism and the environment; theories of aesthetics; medievalism. The Middle English Book addresses a series of questions about the copying and circulation of literature in late medieval England: How do we make sense of the variety of manuscripts surviving from this period? Who copied and disseminated these diverse manuscripts? Who read the literary texts that they transmit? And what was the relationship between those copying literature and those reading it? To answer these questions, this book examines 202 literary manuscripts from the period 1350 to 1500. First, this study suggests that most surviving manuscripts fall into four categories, depending on the proximity and relationship of that manuscript''s scribes and readers. But beyond proposing these new categories, this book also looks at the history of writing practices, and demonstrates the ubiquity of bureaucracies within late medieval England. As a result, The Middle English Book argues that literary production was a decentered affair, one that took place within these numerous, modest, yet complex, bureaucracies. But this book also argues that, because literary production arose in such scattered bureaucracies, manuscripts were local products, produced within the cultural and economic milieu of their users. Manuscripts thus form a fundamentally different sort of cultural artefact than the printed books with which we are familiar--a form of centralized, urbanized, and commercialized textual production that was just over the historical horizon in late medieval England.

Romance and the Gentry in Late Medieval England offers a new history of Middle English romance, the most popular genre of secular literature in the English Middle Ages. Michael Johnston argues that many of the romances composed in England from 1350-1500 arose in response to the specific socio-economic concerns of the gentry, the class of English landowners who lacked titles of nobility and hence occupied the lower rungs of the aristocracy. The end of the fourteenth century in England witnessed power devolving to the gentry, who became one of the dominant political and economic forces in provincial society. As Johnston demonstrates, this social change also affected England''s literary culture, particularly the composition and readership of romance. Romance and the Gentry in Late Medieval England identifies a series of new topoi in Middle English that responded to the gentry''s economic interests. But beyond social history and literary criticism, it also speaks to manuscript studies, showing that most of the codices of the "gentry romances" were produced by those in the immediate employ of the gentry. By bringing together literary criticism and manuscript studies, this book speaks to two scholarly communities often insulated from one another: it invites manuscript scholars to pay closer attention to the cultural resonances of the texts within medieval codices; simultaneously, it encourages literary scholars to be more attentive to the cultural resonances of surviving medieval codices.

How can one man be a decorated veteran, donate his medical skills to thousands, and work tirelessly for the Los Angeles School Board? That is the Doc Newman story.

The nonprofit community has embraced new technology with enthusiasm and vigour for three key reasons: increased Internet usage by nonprofits, growth in the total online audience, and advances in technology.

"This book includes scores of real-life results related to the things that count - like response percentages, costs, and average dollar returns. There is also a CD-ROM with dozens of full-color samples of successful fund raising packages, all of which are backed by the expertise of renowned contributors. Direct Response Fund Raising is an indispensable tool to plan and execute bold and successful direct response campaigns that will boost donor and membership response rates quickly - and consistently."--BOOK JACKET.

H-Bombs and Hula Girls tells the extraordinary tale of ten bright and cheerful young British midshipmen who were part of Operation Grapple, the top secret thermonuclear weapon tests at Christmas Island in 1957, the first successful test of a British nuclear weapon. Evoking the Cold War atmosphere of Britain in the 1950s as it raced to secure its place among the world''s thermonuclear powers, H-Bombs and Hula Girls follows these men on their remarkable journey. Their trip begins on the aircraft carrier HMS Warrior. On it, they sail through an Atlantic hurricane, squeeze through the Panama Canal, and then head to Easter Island, where they arewitness to three megaton H-bomb explosions. Afterward, they tour Hawaii and the South Pacific and around the coast of South America, serving as goodwill ambassadors. Compiled by crewmember Michael Johnston from journals, letters, and contemporary records, and with a foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, H-Bombs and Hula Girls concludes with a surprising revelation that Operation Grapple may not have been quite what it seemed.

Offers advice on how a nonprofit organization can benefit from fundraising on the Internet--from creating a Web site to securing automated credit card donations.

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this first book in a new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

This analysis of political corruption and public policy in America considers such issues as the costs and benefits of political corruption, the causes of corruption, and the consequences of a corruption-free political system. J.S. Nye''s definition of corruption is used for the discussion: ''behavior which deviates from the formal duties of a public role (elective or appointive) because of private-regarding (personal, close family, private clique) wealth or status gains: or violates rules against the exercise of certain types of private-regarding influence.'' Three general perspectives for understanding corruption are considered: (1) personalistic approaches, which deal with the kinds of people who hold positions of public trust; (2) an institutional view, which finds the causes of corruption in flaws or unrecognized biases in laws and institutions; and (3) a systemic perspective, which suggests that corruption grows from basic relationships between government and society. The development of the systemic view suggests that corruption is a form of influence that depends on the successful mobilization of political resources. Case studies of machine politics, police corruption, and Watergate are presented, followed by a case study that shows the difficulties of reform to counter corruption. An analysis of the broad social and political consequences of corruption considers both the costs and benefits of corruption. The concluding chapter offers a few reform strategies and policy proposals, tempered by a comment on the necessity of a realistic perspective of corruption in a democratic society. A selected bibliography has 61 listings, and a subject index is provided. Illustrative tabular information and footnotes accompany each chapter.