New Releases by Robert A

Robert A is the author of Nanomedicine, Volume I (2024), The Power Broker (2024), The Expositor's Bible The Book Of Numbers (2024), Guardians of Language (2023), Time Enough For Love (2021).

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Nanomedicine, Volume I

release date: Dec 06, 2024
Nanomedicine, Volume I
Molecular nanotechnology has been defined as the three-dimensional positional control of molecular structure to create materials and devices to molecular precision. The human body is comprised of molecules, hence the availability of molecular nanotechnology will permit dramatic progress in human medical services. More than just an extension of "molecular medicine," nanomedicine will employ molecular machine systems to address medical problems, and will use molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale. Nanomedicine will have extraordinary and far-reaching implications for the medical profession, for the definition of disease, for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions including aging, for our very personal relationships with our own bodies and ultimately for the improvement and extension of natural human biological structure and function. This book will be published in three volumes over the course of several years. Readers wishing to keep up-to-date with the latest developments may visit the nanomedicine website maintained by the Foresight Institute (http://foresight.org/Nanomedicine/index.html).

The Power Broker

release date: Sep 16, 2024
The Power Broker
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A modern American classic, this huge and galvanizing biography of Robert Moses reveals not only the saga of one man’s incredible accumulation of power but the story of his shaping (and mis-shaping) of twentieth-century New York. One of the Modern Library’s hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, Robert Caro''s monumental book makes public what few outsiders knew: that Robert Moses was the single most powerful man of his time in the City and in the State of New York. And in telling the Moses story, Caro both opens up to an unprecedented degree the way in which politics really happens—the way things really get done in America''s City Halls and Statehouses—and brings to light a bonanza of vital information about such national figures as Alfred E. Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt (and the genesis of their blood feud), about Fiorello La Guardia, John V. Lindsay and Nelson Rockefeller. But The Power Broker is first and foremost a brilliant multidimensional portrait of a man—an extraordinary man who, denied power within the normal framework of the democratic process, stepped outside that framework to grasp power sufficient to shape a great city and to hold sway over the very texture of millions of lives. We see how Moses began: the handsome, intellectual young heir to the world of Our Crowd, an idealist. How, rebuffed by the entrenched political establishment, he fought for the power to accomplish his ideals. How he first created a miraculous flowering of parks and parkways, playlands and beaches—and then ultimately brought down on the city the smog-choked aridity of our urban landscape, the endless miles of (never sufficient) highway, the hopeless sprawl of Long Island, the massive failures of public housing, and countless other barriers to humane living. How, inevitably, the accumulation of power became an end in itself. Moses built an empire and lived like an emperor. He was held in fear—his dossiers could disgorge the dark secret of anyone who opposed him. He was, he claimed, above politics, above deals; and through decade after decade, the newspapers and the public believed. Meanwhile, he was developing his public authorities into a fourth branch of government known as "Triborough"—a government whose records were closed to the public, whose policies and plans were decided not by voters or elected officials but solely by Moses—an immense economic force directing pressure on labor unions, on banks, on all the city''s political and economic institutions, and on the press, and on the Church. He doled out millions of dollars'' worth of legal fees, insurance commissions, lucrative contracts on the basis of who could best pay him back in the only coin he coveted: power. He dominated the politics and politicians of his time—without ever having been elected to any office. He was, in essence, above our democratic system. Robert Moses held power in the state for 44 years, through the governorships of Smith, Roosevelt, Lehman, Dewey, Harriman and Rockefeller, and in the city for 34 years, through the mayoralties of La Guardia, O''Dwyer, Impellitteri, Wagner and Lindsay, He personally conceived and carried through public works costing 27 billion dollars—he was undoubtedly America''s greatest builder. This is how he built and dominated New York—before, finally, he was stripped of his reputation (by the press) and his power (by Nelson Rockefeller). But his work, and his will, had been done.

The Expositor's Bible The Book Of Numbers

release date: Jan 02, 2024
The Expositor's Bible The Book Of Numbers
Robert A. Watson''s "The Expositor''s Bible: The Book of Numbers" gives a compelling look at the biblical book of Numbers. Watson''s incisive essay digs into the historic and non-secular significance of the Israelites'' trek through the desolate tract as associated inside the fourth book of the Old Testament. With rigorous research and sophisticated interpretation, Watson deciphers the numerical and symbolic components of Numbers, bringing mild on its topics of religion, obedience, and divine guidance. He investigates the importance of the census, tribe organization, and the Levites'' function in Israelite spiritual lifestyles. Watson''s elegant writing fashion fascinates readers and invites them to remember the everlasting instructions and ethical teachings contained within the book of Numbers. Through testimonies of riot, punishment, and redemption, he emphasizes the value of trusting God and the repercussions of disobedience. "The Expositor''s Bible: The Book of Numbers" is a useful aid for scholars, theologians, and all people seeking to get a higher hold close of the Old Testament.

Guardians of Language

release date: Sep 01, 2023
Guardians of Language
What did it mean to be a professional teacher in the prestigious "liberal schools"—the schools of grammar and rhetoric—in late antiquity? How can we account for the abiding prestige of these schools, which remained substantially unchanged in their methods and standing despite the political and religious changes that had taken place around them? The grammarian was a pivotal figure in the lives of the educated upper classes of late antiquity. Introducing his students to correct language and to the literature esteemed by long tradition, he began the education that confirmed his students'' standing in a narrowly defined elite. His profession thus contributed to the social as well as cultural continuity of the Empire. The grammarian received honor—and criticism; the profession gave the grammarian a firm sense of cultural authority but also placed him in a position of genteel subordination within the elite. Robert A. Kaster provides the first thorough study of the place and function of these important but ambiguous figures. He also gives a detailed prosopography of the grammarians, and of the other "teachers of letters" below the level of rhetoric, from the middle of the third through the middle of the sixth century, which will provide a valuable research tool for other students of late-antique education. What did it mean to be a professional teacher in the prestigious "liberal schools"—the schools of grammar and rhetoric—in late antiquity? How can we account for the abiding prestige of these schools, which remained substantially unchanged in their methods

Time Enough For Love

release date: Oct 05, 2021
Time Enough For Love
Journey through time and space with the longest-living man in the universe in this mind-bending novel from New York Times bestselling Grand Master of Science Fiction Robert A. Heinlein. Time Enough for Love follows Lazarus Long through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds. Heinlein''s longest and most ambitious work, it is the story of a man so in love with Life that he refused to stop living it, and so in love with Time that he became his own ancestor.

I Will Fear No Evil

release date: Oct 05, 2021
I Will Fear No Evil
The brilliantly shocking story of the ultimate transplant from New York Times bestselling author Robert A. Heinlein. As startling and provocative as his famous Stranger in a Strange Land, here is Heinlein''s awesome masterpiece about a man supremely talented, immensely old and obscenely wealthy who discovers that money can buy everything. Even a new life in the body of a beautiful young woman.

On Democracy

release date: Nov 24, 2020
On Democracy
Written by the preeminent democratic theorist of our time, this book explains the nature, value, and mechanics of democracy. In a new introduction to this Veritas edition, Ian Shapiro considers how Dahl would respond to the ongoing challenges democracy faces in the modern world. “Within the liberal democratic camp there is considerable controversy about exactly how to define democracy. Probably the most influential voice among contemporary political scientists in this debate has been that of Robert Dahl.”—Marc Plattner, New York Times “An excellent introduction for novices, as well as a trusty handbook for experts and political science mavens.”—Publishers Weekly

Gun Trader's Guide, Forty-Second Edition

release date: Oct 06, 2020
Gun Trader's Guide, Forty-Second Edition
If you are seeking a comprehensive reference for collectible gun values, the Gun Trader’s Guide is the only book you need. Included are extensive listings for handguns, shotguns, and rifles from some of the most popular manufacturers, including Beretta, Browning, Colt, Remington, Savage, Smith & Wesson, Winchester, and many more. The Gun Trader''s Guide is a one-stop manual to buying collectible firearms. For more than half a century, this guide has been the standard reference for collectors, curators, dealers, shooters, and gun enthusiasts. Updated annually, it remains the definitive source for making informed decisions on used firearms purchases. With more than two million copies sold and in its forty-second edition, this updated Gun Trader’s Guide boasts dozens of new entries and includes a complete index and a guide on how to properly and effectively use this book in order to find the market value for your collectible modern firearm. Determine the new prices for any firearm you want to sell or trade, whether its condition is in-box, excellent, or good. With new introductory materials that every gun collector and potential buyer should read, this book is the ultimate guide to purchasing classic or discontinued firearms. No matter what kind of modern firearm you own or collect, the Gun Trader’s Guide should remain close at hand.

Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation

release date: Sep 20, 2019
Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation
Straddling Europe and Asia, the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world and home to a panoply of religious and ethnic groups from the Muslim Tatars to the Buddhist Buryats. Over the past 40 years, Russia has experienced the most dramatic transformation of any modern state. The second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation provides insight into this rapidly developing country. This volume includes coverage of pivotal movements, events, and persons in the late Soviet Union (1985-1991) and contemporary Russia (1991-present), This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Russia.

Book of Glock

release date: Mar 13, 2018
Book of Glock
Robert A. Sadowski showcases all of Glock’s American handgun models, from the first model, the Glock 17, which premiered in 1982, to the all-new G43, and educates firearms enthusiasts on the quirks of each. The Book of Glock references all Glock pistols available in the United States with in-depth information on all models—history, serial numbers, rare Glock variants, comparative models, cutaway sales models, and more. Sadowski worked closely with Stanley Ruselowski, the president of the Glock Collectors Association, to bring readers information and photos of rarely seen Glocks. Each chapter is dedicated to a different model. Sadowski provides a timeline of the company’s evolution and a close look at how Glock redefined the combat pistol. Other chapters touch on rare models, commemorative editions, and Glock tools and accessories. Whether a firearms collector or a new enthusiast, anyone can enjoy Sadowski’s analysis of Glocks throughout history.

Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders

release date: Oct 31, 2017
Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders
Using the authors many years of experience in emergency services and his skills as a hazardous materials consultant, prepares the first responder to handle everything from re-establishing control and on-scene triage to investigating the crime. Including information on pre-incident and avoidance tactics, the author also discusses monitoring and detection techniques, protective equipment and decontamination, and an extensive list of resource organizations and training opportunities. This up-to-date 3rd edition is written to provide concise information for emergency responders who might be called upon to confront explosive, chemical, nuclear, biological, or incendiary acts of terrorism.

Between Work and Leisure

release date: Sep 08, 2017
Between Work and Leisure
Occupational devotion, as defined by Robert A. Stebbins, is a strong and positive attachment to a form of self-enhancing work, where the sense of achievement is high and the core activity, or set of tasks, is endowed with such intense appeal that the line between work and leisure is virtually erased. This volume examines conditions that attract people to their work in this profound way, and the many exceptional values and intrinsic rewards they realize there. The author sets out by discussing people who are devoted to their occupations, and describes the kinds of occupations in which such people are found, the nature of their commitment to their work, and the kind of values they strive to realize through work. Stebbins frames occupational devotion in four broad social contexts--history, religion, work, and leisure--then considers the further subdivisions of gender, social class, and social character. The heart of the book uses research findings on leisure to develop a powerful critique of the "workaholic" model. Stebbins shows instead that deeply felt worker enthusiasm is devoid of addictive or coerced behavior. Stebbins also explores the role of money. How important is it? What happens when money becomes a major if not dominant value, as has happened, for example, in the realm of professional sports? Finally, he examines the social implications of the compatibility of work and serious leisure, using exploratory research to identify their shared motivational factors. Between Work and Leisure aims to debunk the prevailing myth that work and leisure are wholly separate and, often as not, mutually antagonistic spheres of life. Stebbins shows that a close relationship between leisure and work offers the opportunity for people to find joy in work just as they do in leisure. This volume will be of interest to those interested in work and occupations, as well as those interested in the quality of their own lives.

History on Film/Film on History

release date: Jul 28, 2017
History on Film/Film on History
History on Film/Film on History has established itself as a classic treatise on the historical film and its role in bringing the past to life. In the third edition of this widely acclaimed text, Robert A. Rosenstone argues that to leave history films out of the discussion of the meaning of the past is to ignore a major means of understanding historical events. This book examines what history films convey about the past and how they convey it, demonstrating the need to learn how to read and understand this new visual world and integrating detailed analysis of films such as Schindler’s List, Glory, October, and Reds. Advocating for the dramatic feature as a legitimate way of doing history, this edition includes a new introduction, a revised final chapter, a new epilogue that discusses recent history films such as Selma and The Imitation Game, and an extensive and updated guide to further reading. Examining the codes and conventions of how these films tell us about the past and providing guidance on how to effectively analyse films as historical interpretations, this book is an essential introduction to the field for students of history and film.

Law and Society in Transition

release date: Jul 12, 2017
Law and Society in Transition
Year by year, law seems to penetrate ever larger realms of social, political, and economic life, generating both praise and blame. Nonet and Selznick''s Law and Society in Transition explains in accessible language the primary forms of law as a social, political, and normative phenomenon. They illustrate with great clarity the fundamental difference between repressive law, riddled with raw conflict and the accommodation of special interests, and responsive law, the reasoned effort to realize an ideal of polity. To make jurisprudence relevant, legal, political, and social theory must be reintegrated. As a step in this direction, Nonet and Selznick attempt to recast jurisprudential issues in a social science perspective. They construct a valuable framework for analyzing and assessing the worth of alternative modes of legal ordering. The volume''s most enduring contribution is the authors'' typology-repressive, autonomous, and responsive law. This typology of law is original and especially useful because it incorporates both political and jurisprudential aspects of law and speaks directly to contemporary struggles over the proper place of law in democratic governance. In his new introduction, Robert A. Kagan recasts this classic text for the contemporary world. He sees a world of responsive law in which legal institutions-courts, regulatory agencies, alternative dispute resolution bodies, police departments-are periodically studied and redesigned to improve their ability to fulfill public expectations. Schools, business corporations, and governmental bureaucracies are more fully pervaded by legal values. Law and Society in Transition describes ways in which law changes and develops. It is an inspiring vision of a politically responsive form of governance, of special interest to those in sociology, law, philosophy, and politics.

From Humility to Hubris among Scholars and Politicians

release date: May 16, 2017
From Humility to Hubris among Scholars and Politicians
Achievement meritorious enough to generate discussion covers considerable territory. This book concentrates on one part of it: that inhabited by scholars and politicians. In their world self-esteem flowing from achievement is founded on expertise related to ideas, their generation, and their implementation.

Leisure and the Motive to Volunteer: Theories of Serious, Casual, and Project-Based Leisure

release date: Oct 29, 2015
Leisure and the Motive to Volunteer: Theories of Serious, Casual, and Project-Based Leisure
Volunteering and its nonprofit organizations have commonly been analyzed in economic terms, with volunteering being referred to as "unpaid (productive) work". This economic definition has been around far longer than that of volunteering conceived of as leisure, which is discussed as the volitional definition. By means of a lengthy literature review, this book sets out the theoretical and empirical contributions of the serious leisure perspective to understanding volunteer motivation. This second approach began more than 40 years ago. It answers the key motivational question of why people engage in unpaid productive work, laborious or not. Since in this conception payment in cash or in kind is not an incentive to perform such work, what encourages people to volunteer? The serious leisure perspective, unlike mainstream economics, can shed considerable light on this question.

Reorienting the 19th Century

release date: Oct 23, 2015
Reorienting the 19th Century
Andre Gunder Frank was a path-breaking scholar in several disciplines over an illustrious and contentious 50-year career. First amongst his many important works is the book ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age, which sought to correct a Euro-centric world view of the development of the global political economy. Frank passed away in April 2005 while working on this new book, a sequel to ReORIENT. In this book Frank shows many of the myths of European industrialisation, hegemony and capitalism which have hidden the fact that Asia remained a serious power not just into the 18th century, as Frank himself argued in 1998, but well into the 19th century as well. When Frank passed away his colleagues rallied to finish this book and it is presented here as his final major statement.

Orphans of the Sky

release date: Dec 22, 2014
Orphans of the Sky
Hugh had been taught that, according to the ancient sacred writings, the Ship was on a voyage to faraway Centaurus. But he also understood this was actually allegory for a voyage to spiritual perfection. Indeed, how could the Ship move, since its miles and miles of metal corridors were all there was of creation? Science knew that the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Convertor was fed, the lights would continue to glow and the air would flow, and the Creator''s Plan would be fulfilled.Of course, there were the muties, grotesquely deformed parodies of humans, who lurked in the upper reaches of the Ship where gravity was weaker. Were they evil incarnate, or merely a divine check on the population, keeping humanity from expanding past the capacity of the Ship to support? Then Hugh was captured by the muties and met their leader (or leaders), Joe-Jim, with two heads on one body. And he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was to late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the ship?

Bombing to Win

release date: Apr 11, 2014
Bombing to Win
From Iraq to Bosnia to North Korea, the first question in American foreign policy debates is increasingly: Can air power alone do the job? Robert A. Pape provides a systematic answer. Analyzing the results of over thirty air campaigns, including a detailed reconstruction of the Gulf War, he argues that the key to success is attacking the enemy''s military strategy, not its economy, people, or leaders. Coercive air power can succeed, but not as cheaply as air enthusiasts would like to believe. Pape examines the air raids on Germany, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq as well as those of Israel versus Egypt, providing details of bombing and governmental decision making. His detailed narratives of the strategic effectiveness of bombing range from the classical cases of World War II to an extraordinary reconstruction of airpower use in the Gulf War, based on recently declassified documents. In this now-classic work of the theory and practice of airpower and its political effects, Robert A. Pape helps military strategists and policy makers judge the purpose of various air strategies, and helps general readers understand the policy debates.

The American Presidents, Washington to Tyler

release date: Jan 10, 2014
The American Presidents, Washington to Tyler
As of 2012, only 43 men have held the office of the President of the United States. Some have been sanctified and some reviled. This historical work addresses the careers of the first ten presidents, men who made vital contributions not only to the office of the presidency, but to the course of the fledgling nation. From Washington through Tyler, every term is recounted in detail and each presidential profile provides as many as a hundred quotations (with full source notes) by the president, his friends, family, historians, and others. Each profile ends with an extensive bibliography of books about the president, his principles and policies, and also provides suggestion for further reading. Rigorously nonpartisan in approach, this detail-rich text describes the early years of what may well be one of the most demanding jobs in the world.

Double Star

release date: Sep 12, 2013
Double Star
One minute, down-and-out actor Lorenzo Smythe was - as usual - in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars. Suddenly he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had been kidnapped. Peace with the Martians was at stake - failure to pull off the act could result in interplanetary war. And Smythe''s own life was on the line - for if he wasn''t assassinated, there was always the possibility that he might be trapped in his new role forever!

The Biology of Cancer

release date: May 15, 2013
The Biology of Cancer
Thoroughly updated and incorporating the most important advances in the fast-growing field of cancer biology, The Biology of Cancer, Second Edition, maintains all of its hallmark features admired by students, instructors, researchers, and clinicians around the world.The Biology of Cancer is a textbook for students studying the molecular and cellula

Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitors in Drug Discovery

release date: Jan 31, 2013
Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitors in Drug Discovery
Offers essential guidance for discovering and optimizing novel drug therapies Using detailed examples, Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitors in Drug Discovery equips researchers with the tools needed to apply the science of enzymology and biochemistry to the discovery, optimization, and preclinical development of drugs that work by inhibiting specific enzyme targets. Readers will applaud this book for its clear and practical presentations, including its expert advice on best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid. This Second Edition brings the book thoroughly up to date with the latest research findings and practices. Updates explore additional forms of enzyme inhibition and special treatments for enzymes that act on macromolecular substrates. Readers will also find new discussions detailing the development and application of the concept of drug-target residence time. Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitors in Drug Discovery begins by explaining why enzymes are such important drug targets and then examines enzyme reaction mechanisms. The book covers: Reversible modes of inhibitor interactions with enzymes Assay considerations for compound library screening Lead optimization and structure-activity relationships for reversible inhibitors Slow binding and tight binding inhibitors Drug-target residence time Irreversible enzyme inactivators The book ends with a new chapter exploring the application of quantitative biochemical principles to the pharmacologic evaluation of drug candidates during lead optimization and preclinical development. The Second Edition of Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitors in Drug Discovery continues to offer a treatment of enzymology applied to drug discovery that is quantitative and mathematically rigorous. At the same time, the clear and simple presentations demystify the complex science of enzymology, making the book accessible to many fields— from pharmacology to medicinal chemistry to biophysics to clinical medicine.

Starman Jones

release date: Sep 25, 2012
Starman Jones
From the First Golden Age of SF master Robert A. Heinlein, this is the so-called juvenile (written, Heinlein always claims, just as much for adults) that started them all and made Heinlein a legend for multiple generations of readers—with a new introduction and afterword by popular military science fiction author Michael Z. Williamson. A poor young man seeks his fortune in space and comes of age a ship’s officer and hero. The stars were closed to Max Jones. To get into space you either needed connections, a membership in the Guild, or a whole lot more money than Max, the son of a widowed, poor mother, was every going to have. What Max does have going for him are his uncle’s prized astrogation manuals—book on star navigation that Max literally commits to memory word for word, equation for equation. When Max’s mother decides to remarry a bullying oaf, Max takes to the road, only to discover that his uncle Chet’s manuals, and Max’s near complete memorization of them, is a ticket to the stars. But serving on a spaceship is no easy task. Duty is everything, and a mistake can mean you and all aboard are lost forever. Max loves every minute of his new life, and he steadily grows in the trust of his superior officers, and seems to be on course for a command track position. But then disaster strikes, and it’s going to take every trick Max ever learned from his tough life and his uncle’s manuals to save himself and the ship from a doom beyond extinction itself. From the First Golden Age of Heinlein, this is the so-called juvenile (written, Heinlein always claims, just as much for adults) that started them all and made Heinlein a legend for multiple generations of readers. About Robert A. Heinlein: “Not only America''s premier writer of speculative fiction, but the great writer of such fiction in the world.”—Stephen King “One of the grand masters of science fiction.”—Wall Street Journal

The Triumph of Capitalism

release date: Dec 31, 2011
The Triumph of Capitalism
Today there is widespread recognition that capitalism is the socioeconomic system of choice. This volume, perhaps the best single-volume assessment of this economic model and how it emerged, contributes to the understanding of the historic role of capitalism. After reviewing the gestation of the system, it explains the emergence of full-blown capitalism in the eighteenth century, taking it into the nineteenth and its link to the industrial revolution. The primary focus, however, is on the twentieth century, in which capitalism faced and met challenges due to world wars and depression with the aid of interventionist policies, notably Keynesian economics and the welfare state. But the failure of the postwar policy consensus to cope with the twin problems of inflation and slow economic growth led to a resurgence of greater reliance on unalloyed capitalism. Capitalist values so permeate modern culture in America that to question them seems like heresy. In 1989, the economist Robert L. Heilbroner, who had been a perceptive student of capitalism and socialism for decades, proclaimed "The Triumph of Capitalism," arguing that the contest of economic systems was over and the victory of capitalism was unambiguous. Fifteen years later, C. Fred Bergsten, Director of the Institute for International Economics, reinforced this view: "The U.S. model of capitalism and globalization dominates thinking around the world." Writer Russell Baker, dismayed by perceived degrading effects of market-obsessed management on journalism, observed that "belief in the virtue of maximized profits has acquired something like sanctity in American life." An appreciation of economic and social history, and the accompanying clash of ideas, is helpful in providing a context in which ongoing challenges may be evaluated. It is important to know that what is understood to be capitalism has changed significantly over time. The purpose of this book is to provide such context. Written by an economist, but accessible to a general public, this book is a wide-ranging assessment of today''s dominant economic system and its historical development.

Serious Leisure

release date: Dec 31, 2011
Serious Leisure
Serious Leisure offers a comprehensive view and analysis of the current state of the sociology of leisure. Defining and differentiating the way people use their free time, Stebbins divides such activity into categories of serious, casual, and project-based leisure that he further separates into a variety of types and subtypes. Together they comprise what he calls "serious leisure." In this perspective, serious leisure constitutes systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer activity sufficiently substantial and interesting in nature and requiring special skills, knowledge, and experience. Casual leisure, though immediately, intrinsically rewarding, is by contrast a relatively short-lived pleasurable activity, requiring little or no special training to enjoy it. Project-based leisure is a short-term, reasonably complicated, occasional creative undertaking carried out in free time. Stebbins sets out the basic concepts and propositions that make up the three forms, focusing on their essential elements. He takes stock of the serious leisure literature as well as that for casual and project-based leisure. Stebbins sees "serious leisure" realized by way of a set of foundational concepts--organization, community, history, lifestyle, and culture--and several of their component areas. He reviews the history and background of the concept of serious leisure and then adds historical commentary on, first, casual leisure and, then, project-based leisure. Finally, he examines the future and the importance of the serious leisure perspective in a globalizing world, and some of its critical links with other fields of knowledge and practice, notably the nonprofit sector and preventive medicine. Together with its original insights, Serious Leisure offers a single, handy, coherent, comprehensive resource. It will be of interest to sociologists, labor studies specialists, and economists.

The Sociological Souls of Black Folk

release date: Aug 16, 2011
The Sociological Souls of Black Folk
The Souls of Black Folk is W.E.B. Du Bois'' most famous work. While the work is often viewed as a classic in African American literature and the history of the African American experience, the sociological significance of the work has been understated. In his initial discussions with the book''s original publisher, Du Bois desired to prepare a volume that would showcase his ongoing sociological work on "the Negro problems." While many editions of Du Bois'' classic text have appeared, no edition has focused primarily on the eight previously published essays in their original form and chronological order. This fact alone makes The Sociological Souls of Black Folk unique. An introductory essay by the volume''s editor, Robert Wortham, highlights the sociological significance of the original essays by addressing such themes as the concept of the self, the social construction of the African American experience, and racial inequality. Eight additional essays originally published between 1897 and 1900 are added by the editor in a second section. These additional sociological essays focus on African American entrepreneurship, crime, race relations, liberal arts education, the Black Church''s function within the African American community, and the quality of African American life in the Southern Black Belt. The essays included in The Sociological Souls of Black Folk provide the reader with an opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for Du Bois'' early sociological work and recognize that Du Bois was indeed one of the pioneering figures in the development of sociology in the United States.

The Gothic Enterprise

release date: Jun 28, 2011
The Gothic Enterprise
The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture. Evoking feelings of awe and humility, they make us want to understand what inspired the people who had the audacity to build them. This engrossing book surveys an era that has fired the historical imagination for centuries. In it Robert A. Scott explores why medieval people built Gothic cathedrals, how they built them, what conception of the divine lay behind their creation, and how religious and secular leaders used cathedrals for social and political purposes. As a traveler’s companion or a rich source of knowledge for the armchair enthusiast, The Gothic Enterprise helps us understand how ordinary people managed such tremendous feats of physical and creative energy at a time when technology was rudimentary, famine and disease were rampant, the climate was often harsh, and communal life was unstable and incessantly violent. While most books about Gothic cathedrals focus on a particular building or on the cathedrals of a specific region, The Gothic Enterprise considers the idea of the cathedral as a humanly created space. Scott discusses why an impoverished people would commit so many social and personal resources to building something so physically stupendous and what this says about their ideas of the sacred, especially the vital role they ascribed to the divine as a protector against the dangers of everyday life. Scott’s narrative offers a wealth of fascinating details concerning daily life during medieval times. The author describes the difficulties master-builders faced in scheduling construction that wouldn’t be completed during their own lifetimes, how they managed without adequate numeric systems or paper on which to make detailed drawings, and how climate, natural disasters, wars, variations in the hours of daylight throughout the year, and the celebration of holy days affected the pace and timing of work. Scott also explains such things as the role of relics, the quarrying and transporting of stone, and the incessant conflict cathedral-building projects caused within their communities. Finally, by drawing comparisons between Gothic cathedrals and other monumental building projects, such as Stonehenge, Scott expands our understanding of the human impulses that shape our landscape.

How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 7th Edition

release date: Jun 16, 2011
How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 7th Edition
This newly updated version of the classic guide to writing and publishing scientific papers provides the tools needed to succeed in the communication aspects of a scientific career. • Includes scientific graphs and photographs as well as cartoons by Sidney Harris, Charles Schulz, Jorge Cham, and others • Provides a glossary of nearly 100 key terms in writing, publishing, and related realms • Includes a thorough topic index

The Encyclopedia of Old Fishing Lures

release date: May 10, 2011
The Encyclopedia of Old Fishing Lures
Robert A. Slade, after collecting old fishing tackle since 1958 and contributing articles on old fishing lures for a collector magazine for several years started researching and writing books in the 1990''s. He published the HISTORY & COLLECTIBLE FISHING TACKLE OF WISCONSIN in 1999 which sold 4,500 copies. Bob realized that even though there have been many books published on the subject of old fishing lures that few books covered any detailed history on the old lure makers. His latest book writing project was nine years in the making and covers over 100 years of lure making history starting in 1875 and covers over 2,500 lures makers throughout all of North America. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OLD FISHING LURES MADE IN NORTH AMERICA is the first publication with extensive history and patent information on old lure makers and the first to include extensive coverage on Canadian lure makers. The author traveled to 11 states and 3 Candian Providences visting collectors homes, newspaper archives, museums and other sources and has taken over 10,000 pictures in preparing the historical stories for these books. The set of books arranges for the individual and company lures makers to appear in alphabetical order. People purchasing these books can buy any one single book, a whole set, or even a book a month if they desire as the books will be printed and shipped on demand. Each book has over 400 pages of text, pictures and collector values with each book containing a table of contents and index as well as a master index for the complete set of books.
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