Most Popular Books by Robert Griffin

In a writing style that captivates with its almost poetic insight and lustre, Griffin writes about life''s toughest troubles and offers encouragement for fortitude, compassion, grace and peace.

When I refer to schools in the five essays on education that comprise While Theres Time, I have elementary and secondary schools in mind. I approached this writing from the perspective of an insider, so to speak, as I have worked extensively in the field of education, first as a high school teacher and now as a professor of education in a university. These essays were prompted by dissatisfaction and a desire. Increasingly over the last few years, I have felt uncomfortable with the conventional wisdom in my field about how students ought to be educated. It just didn''t set right with me. Labels vary for the mainstream thinking in the profession, but let''s call it a progressive or neo-Deweyian (after the philosopher John Dewey) approach. Some might refer to it simply as modern education. Even though its advocates marshal compelling arguments in support of this set of ideas and practices (what they are will be spelled out in the essays), I was finding in my work in schools that it wasn''t getting good enough results with students in the classroom, and that in any case it simply didn''t fit me as a person or as a professional: my values, my hopes for schools and students and this society. So I felt an inner push to find an educational orientation that I could believe in more than the one that currently dominates in the field of education to the point that it could be called an orthodoxy, or at least find something that complements it, adds to it. These essays represent the results of my quest. I have concluded that the philosophical orientations that we most need to affirm and employ as bases for constructing school programs in our time are the very ones which are most often dismissed by professional educators, namely, conservatism and individualism. In these essays, I go into the specifics of conservative and libertarian orientations to education, explore what all the talk about teaching democracy in the schools is about, contrast sports and schools as settings, and use the concept of personal authenticity in a discussion of the work of teaching. What holds these five essays together is that they all are grounded in a conservative rather than liberal and individual-centered rather than collectivist frame of reference. These essays are self-contained enough to be read out of order, although I did line them up in the way that I think best presents my argument. I hope what I offer here informs the debate in this country over the best route to take in educating our children. I wrote this book with both general readers and professional educators in mind. For general readers, I hope what is here will provide them with a better understanding of how professional educators come at their work, and thereby enable them to deal with school people more effectively and give them some things they can take into account when determining what ought to go on in their children''s education, or in schools generally. For people in the profession who read this book--teachers and administrators, those in training to become teachers, and so on--I believe these writings will provide them with a clearer understanding of the predominant thinking in their field; a good way to understand anything is to compare it with something that contrasts with it. I would presume, and hope, that for some educators and educators-to-be this book will provide them with ideas they can use to guide their work. Much of what follows is expressed in the first person. I thought that if I brought myself into this book it would encourage readers to bring themselves into it. I would like readers to see these writings as my half of a conversation. I want them to respond critically to what I have written and extend it, take it farther than I have been able to--and I don''t think they have to be active in the field of education to be able to do that. I want readers to decide how, if at all, what I write changes the way they look at things, and what they a

Clement Marot and the Inflections of Poetic Voice delves into the dynamic intersections of persona, form, and voice in the poetry of Clément Marot, the foremost French poet of his time and a pioneer at the crossroads of medieval and Renaissance poetics. This work explores how Marot navigated the evolving literary landscape, infusing established genres with a distinctly personal voice that reflects his complex engagements with courtly tradition and burgeoning humanist thought. The volume addresses critical issues, including Marot’s manipulation of poetic conventions, his nuanced responses to religious and cultural currents, and his mastery in creating a fluid poetic self that both aligns with and transcends his historical moment. In tracing Marot’s stylistic evolution, this study positions his work as foundational to the French Renaissance, showing how his control over form, theme, and language established a framework for the later innovations of the Pléiade. Examining his corpus across multiple genres, the book highlights Marot’s interplay between inherited forms and original expression, while also addressing the challenges posed by his courtly environment and the textual inconsistencies of his published works. With comprehensive scholarship, Clement Marot and the Inflections of Poetic Voice offers academics and literary scholars a profound insight into Marot’s enduring influence on the development of French literary identity, making it essential reading for those interested in Renaissance studies, poetic voice, and the shaping of poetic selfhood. This title is part of UC Press''s Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press''s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.

This collection of original essays is designed for undergraduate and graduate courses in methods of teaching. While speaking to all the topics covered in traditional methods textbooks, the author also reflects on his own experiences as a student and teacher. He adopts a unique conversational and reflective style that integrates concerns for the well-being of teachers and their professional development, as well as for the role of students in the learning process. Engaging and informed, this book will be a resource for practicing teachers and those in training.

Présentation et explication d''un ouvrage paru en 1777.

Phytosanitary risk management is essential to the global economy as well as the world''s ability to feed itself. This book is about understanding the fundamentals of phytosanitary risk management for trade and non-trade issues, and how to manage those risks in an effective and efficient manner that is consistent with the international regulatory framework. Its purpose is to provide the international phytosanitary community and its principal stakeholders with a strong foundation in risk management concepts and a thorough guide to best practices.

This book is a combination of my thoughts, feelings, ideas, my joy, my pain, and my sorrow as I have walked the last 45 years of this life. There were times that this book and the poems are inspired by actual people that I have had the pleasure of meeting other times and moments of joy and laughter and even tragedy as I have had an opportunity to pour my heart out onto paper. There were times in this book when the poems are inspired by a thought or feeling or a moment. I have walked this journey called life through moments of pain. There is a popular saying that the struggle is real after spending time deployed in combat I agree some of the poems have been inspired by moments of real clarity with bullets and bombs popping and bursting all around me. After experiencing some of the most horrific moments of my life these poems were how I have dealt with these life moments. I invite you to share with me my journey makes it be real, and a moment of relief and transparency for you as it was for me. This book causes me to laugh at times to cry and to contemplate my existence as well as humanity.

I was invited to write this book as part of the Minerals, Rocks and Organic Materials Series of Springer-Verlag by Professor Peter J. Wyllie in 1974. Ophiolites have preoccupied me ever since 1948 as a graduate student and up to the present time as part of my research with the U.S. Geological Survey. During this period ophiolite, an obscure European geological term, has attained an ever-increasing importance, is now used to include all fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere incorporated into the orogenic zones of modern and ancient continental margins, and is a standard part of the plate tectonic paradigm. The purpose of this book is to provide a starting point for anyone interested in the background and state of knowledge concerning ophiolites (ancient oceanic lithosphere). Because ophiolites represent fragments of old oceanic crust their tectonic setting and age are extremely important in the reconstruction of ancient plate boundaries. Present day plate tectonic theories involve the generation and disposal of oceanic lithosphere, so that these ancient fragments of oceanic lithosphere can be used directly to reconstruct conditions within the ancient oceans. Since 1970, numerous meetings and conferences directly related to ophiolites have stimulated worldwide interest in the subject. As part of the International Correlation Program, the project "Ophiolites of Continents and Comparable Oceanic Rocks," was initiated by Dr. N. Bogdanov, Geological Institute, Moscow. This project has brought together an international group that has focused on the outstanding problems and is now producing a world map of ophiolite distribution.

Fully illustrated with archival photographs, this volume examines the development of this Cold War era armored vehicle. During the Second World War, the British infantry found itself lacking suitable transport to cope with the fast-moving German Blitzkrieg tactics. While various stopgap measures were implemented during the war, the postwar threats from nuclear, biological and chemical warfare made it imperative that a robust solution be found. By the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the AFV430 series was introduced. The FV300 and FV400 Cambridge carriers paved the way for the AFV430. Initially a basic armored personnel carrier, the series grew to cover a multitude of roles, including command, recovery, mortar, Swingfire, and remote mine clearing. This volume of the Images of War series describes in words and images the AFV430 and traces the development of infantry carriers for the British Army.

An in-depth look at this sophisticated armored vehicle with photos, technical details, and modeling information. During the 1980s and early 1990s the Challenger 1 main battle tank played a central role in Britain’s armored forces and achieved remarkable success in combat, destroying around 300 Iraqi tanks in the Gulf War. With its advanced Chobham armor and hydropneumatic suspension system, it was one of the most sophisticated and effective armored vehicles of the time and, in a modified form, it is still in service with the Jordanian army. It is also a popular subject with tank modelers and enthusiasts. Archive photos of the Challenger 1 in service and extensively researched color profile illustrations depict the tank throughout its operational life. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, and provide everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of the Challenger 1.

For much of the Cold War, the British Army''s main battle tanks (MBT) were first the Centurion and then the Chieftain. The question of the latter''s replacement became urgent when in 1980 MBT80 was canceled. While the Royal Ordnance Challenger (originally the Shir 2) was acquired as a stop gap its design and capability limitations quickly became apparent.Vickers then took over the Royal Ordnance tank building facility and against stiff foreign competition developed the Challenger 2.This superbly researched and illustrated book tells the story of the evolution and subsequent successful career of Challenger 2 which has seen distinguished service in war and peace since 1990 and has proved itself one of the worlds most formidable fighting vehicles. The authors do not shy away from technical detail and make comparisons with competitors. The result is an objective and authoritative work which will delight military equipment buffs, modelers and wargamers.

The Red Sea is an important geologic phenomenon because it affords researchers the unique opportunity to witness an ocean in the process of being born. The continental crust has broken along a complex jumble of faults and is slowly spreading apart and, with further rifting, this infant ocean will evolve into a younger version of the Atlantic. The author of this work has studied extensively the patterns produced by processes taking place in the Red Sea basin and on the adjacent continental masses, patterns that can be used to interpret older, larger, and more complex geologic features. His book describes the tectonics, structure, volcanic history, geomorphology, and economic aspects (potential for petroleum and heavy metals) of the area. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of geology, paleontology, and oceanography.

The Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank was Great Britain''s second purpose-designed Main Battle Tank and served as the spear point of the Royal Armored Corps for nearly 20 years. The Challenger 1 proved to be an excellent combat vehicle in Operation Granby after a controversial early career in the British Army, and it continues to serve the Jordanian army to the present day. Robert Griffin tells the story of the Challenger 1''s development and service, in this first volume of a two part study for the Kagero Photosniper series.