Best Selling Books by V.

A fully revised and updated new edition of the classic history of western America The newly revised second edition of this concise, engaging, and unorthodox history of America’s West has been updated to incorporate new research, including recent scholarship on Native American lives and cultures. An ideal text for course work, it presents the West as both frontier and region, examining the clashing of different cultures and ethnic groups that occurred in the western territories from the first Columbian contacts between Native Americans and Europeans up to the end of the twentieth century.

Thomas V. Morris discusses life, death, religion, the nature of faith and more. This captivating book is ideal both for thoughtful unbelievers who consider Christianity unreasonable, and Christians wanting to know how to share their faith with sceptics. Writing in an engaging, conversational style, Morris takes an intriguing new look at the big questions that keep coming up -- questions about life, death, God, religion, the nature of faith, the formation of an adequate worldview, and the meaning of life. Morris explores these kinds of questions in an earnest yet thoroughly entertaining and easily readable way, relating numerous personal anecdotes, incorporating intriguing material from the films of Woody Allen and the journals of Tolstoy, and using the writings of the seventeenth-century genius Blaise Pascal as a central guide.

Praise for the previous editions: ..".well researched...concise...interesting..."--American Reference Books Annual

This book explores the references to Egypt in the Pentateuch--twice as dense as in the rest of the Hebrew Bible--in the context of the production of the text''s final form during the Persian period. Here, as Greifenhagen shows, Egypt functions ideologically as the primary "other" over against which Israel''s identity is constructed, while its role in Israel''s formation appears as subsidiary and as a superseded stage in a master narrative which locates Israel''s ethnic roots in Mesopotamia. But the presentation of this powerful neighbour is equivocal: a dominant anti-Egyptian stance coexists with alternative, though subordinate, pro-Egyptian views, suggesting that the Pentateuchal narrative was produced within a context of ideological conflict over attitudes towards a land that provided a home for Jewish fugitives and emigrants.

An introduction to sociology, integrating material on the media throughout and looking at chapter concepts as they are likely to apply in the 21st century. Sections on the sociological perspective; the social framework; social differentiation and inequality; social institutions; and social change feature chapter opening case studies and anecdotes, historical material, and color photo essays on violence in the media, gender roles on television, and the media and the environmental movement. Pedagogical aids include chapter outlines, key terms and concepts, and questions. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Based on the analysis of English grammar and the previously de- veloped the international universal transcriptional writing, created new international language with English vocabulary, but with a simplified grammar and simplified universal transcriptional writing.

This psychologically penetrating revisionist account of the life and rule of Rusia''s 18th-century Tsar-reformer develops an important theme - that is, what happens when the drive for "progress" is linked to an autocratic, expansionist impulse rather than to a larger goal of human emancipation? And, what has been the price of power - both for Peter and for Russia?

Feroces, crueles, valientes y apasionados, los cosacos hacen temblar la estepa bajo los cascos de sus caballos. Y entre ellos se encuentra Taras Bulba, un anciano lleno aún de fuerza e inteligencia que junto a sus hijos, Ostap y Andrí, avanzará por tierras polacas con intención de vengar su fe ortodoxa burlada por los católicos. Ninguna guarnición, ciudad amurallada o iglesia podrán detenerlos, hasta que la desgracia se cierna sobre ellos y el apuesto y enamoradizo Andrí haga que su padre maldiga el día en que lo engendró. Taras Bulba, una anomalía entre la obra más conocida de Gogol, es una aventura trepidante, una sinfonía en perpetuo crescendo, en la que cada capítulo es más intenso y sorprendente que el anterior. un fresco tan afinadamente dibujado y tan vívido que resulta absolutamente intemporal.

Explaining why certain children are gifted and how giftedness is manifested, each chapter addresses the relevance for children with AD/HD and Asperger Syndrome. Lovecky guides parents and professionals through methods of diagnosis and advises on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behaviour and relationships at home and at school.

What kinds of behaviors and groups prompt intervention? What interpretive framework does the public apply to sexual behavior?

This comprehensive and accessible reference explores the greatest and most mysterious of civilizations, hailed for its contributions to science, mathematics, and technology. Each chapter is supplemented by an extensive bibliography as well as photos, original line drawings, and maps.

The New Public Service: Serving, not Steering provides a framework for the many voices calling for the reaffirmation of democratic values, citizenship, and service in the public interest. It is organized around a set of seven core principles: (1) serve citizens, not customers; (2) seek the public interest; (3) value citizenship and public service above entrepreneurship; (4) think strategically, act democratically; (5) recognize that accountability isn’t simple; (6) serve, rather than steer; and (7) value people, not just productivity. The New Public Service asks us to think carefully and critically about what public service is, why it is important, and what values ought to guide what we do and how we do it. It celebrates what is distinctive, important, and meaningful about public service and considers how we might better live up to those ideals and values. The revised fourth edition includes a new chapter that examines how the role and significance of these New Public Service values have expanded in practice and research over the past 15 years. Although the debate about governance will surely continue for many years, this compact, clearly written volume both provides an important framework for a public service based on citizen discourse and the public interest and demonstrates how these values have been put into practice. It is essential reading fo students and serious practitioners in public administration and public policy.

An insightful, up-to-date look at creating in the digital environment In a practical, easy-to-understand format, The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects covers every aspect of creating and outputting fully rendered three-dimensional computer still images or animations, including visual effects for live action. Along with helpful insights into the newest techniques available in the latest software programs and hardware, this new edition provides solid conceptual and critical basics through a combination of technical explanations and creative techniques. Creative vision can be brought to life on the screen through an easy-to-understand, step-by-step approach supported by full-color sample work by such leading companies as Pixar Animation Studios, Square, DreamWorks SKG, Fox, Disney, and many independent artists and studios. Isaac Victor Kerlow (Los Angeles, CA) is Director of Digital Production at the Walt Disney Company and a longtime active member of SIGGRAPH and the Visual Effects Society.

From a National Book Award winner: “A Short History of the United States may be brief, but it is wise, eloquent, and authoritative.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times–bestselling author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle “Readers of all political stripes will appreciate” this concise history of the United States (Publishers Weekly), an accessible and lively volume containing the essential facts about the discovery, settlement, growth, and development of the American nation and its institutions, including the arrival and migration of Native Americans, the founding of a republic under the Constitution, the emergence of the United States as a world power, the outbreak of terrorism here and abroad, the Obama presidency, and everything in between. “Masterful . . . a perfect history for our times.” —Robert Dallek, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Nixon and Kissinger “Everything a casual (or bewildered) reader needs to know . . . An objective narrative of this nation’s history.” —Publishers Weekly

Stereoelectronic Effects illustrates the utility of stereoelectronic concepts using structure and reactivity of organic molecules An advanced textbook that provides an up-to-date overview of the field, starting from the fundamental principles Presents a large selection of modern examples of stereoelectronic effects in organic reactivity Shows practical applications of stereoelectronic effects in asymmetric catalysis, photochemical processes, bioorganic chemistry and biochemistry, inorganic and organometallic reactivity, supramolecular chemistry and materials science

This essential summation of Palisca''s life work was nearly finished by his death in 2001, and it was brought to completion by Thomas J. Mathiesen.

The first multivolume encyclopedia to document the history of one of the most influential religious movements of the Middle Ages—the Crusades. The Crusades: An Encyclopedia surveys all aspects of the crusading movement from its origins in the 11th century to its decline in the 16th century. Unlike other works, which focus on the eastern Mediterranean region, this expansive four-volume encyclopedia also includes the struggle of Christendom against its enemies in Iberia, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic region, and also covers the military orders, crusades against fellow Christians, heretics, and more. This work includes comprehensive entries on personalities such as Godfrey of Bouillon, who refused the title "King of Jerusalem," and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who tore up his own clothing to make symbols of the cross for crusaders, as well as key events, countries, places, and themes that shed light on everything from the propaganda that inspired crusading warriors to the ways in which they fought. Special coverage of topics such as taxation, pilgrimage, warfare, chivalry, and religious orders give readers an appreciation of the multifaceted nature of these "holy wars."

An eloquent document of the civil rights movement that remains a work of profound social relevance 50 years after it was first published. A revolutionary work since its publication, Black Power exposed the depths of systemic racism in this country and provided a radical political framework for reform: true and lasting social change would only be accomplished through unity among African-Americans and their independence from the preexisting order.

Mielczarek (physics, George Mason U.) and science writer McGrayne explore the critical importance of the metal element in life from bacteria to humans. They report on recent discoveries about iron and magnetism in bacteria, in myriad animal and plant species, and in humans, such as that many migrating animals have minute deposits of magnetite inside them that are sensory navigators. They also, of course, discuss the role of iron in mammalian blood and the iron- related diseases of humans.

The Western media, in particular, has cast Iran variously as an outlaw country or an outcast but seldom as a normal country, as least since the demise of the Shah or Iran. The United States doesn''t cotton to countries falling out of its sphere of influence, particularly if they happen to possess substantial oil reserves, as Iran does, and contain important listening posts on Russia. Add to that a fundamentalist Muslim regime, and the result is an outlaw or outcast label. Yet, could Iran perhaps represent the wave of the future for Muslim countries? Does the label itself tell more about the labellers than about Iran? This book presents papers which present facets of Iran''s political activities which might not normally reach Western readers.

From New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder Return to the realms of Sitia and Ixia, where a young glass magician becomes ensnared in a deadly power struggle that may cost her everything… Opal Cowan, glass magician-in-training, has discovered a terrifying and powerful new ability: she can steal the power of other magicians. And that makes her too dangerous to be set free. Ordered to house arrest by the Council, Opal defies them to search for Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. But as she travels through the Moon Clan’s lands, she begins to hear disturbing rumors that Ulrick’s desire for blood magic has eclipsed any sense of reason—and perhaps even his passion for her. Deep in hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn’t sure whom to trust. And everywhere she turns, people want to control her powers for their own deadly gain. Opal must make the choices to secure her own future, even as the path she treads becomes more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Previously Published. The Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V. Snyder Book One: Poison Study Book Two: Magic Study Book Three: Fire Study Book Four: Storm Glass Book Five: Sea Glass Book Six: Spy Glass Book Seven: Shadow Study Book Eight: Night Study Book Nine: Dawn Study

The Bible has had a profound influence on the diverse cultures of Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Africa, and it has left an imprint on Asia. "The Bible: A History" tells the story of this remarkable book from its making to its emergence as the bestselling book in history.

Butterfly enthusiasts, nature lovers, and curious general readers will perhaps be surprised to learn that Florida''s butterfly fauna is unique--and that, until the appearance of this volume, there has been no adequate field guide for the butterflies of this region. This guide simplifies identification by illustrating only species found in Florida--using superb photographs of live butterflies coupled with detailed range maps and identification data. It also offers, with unprecedented detail, much information on flight times and abundances for each of five Florida subregions, including reports on 70 localities in which to find butterflies. Lastly, discussions of the foodplants for each species along with suggestions for attracting these species to one''s garden make this work invaluable for all Florida gardeners interested in butterflies.

In the Second Edition of Scientific Writing for Psychology, veteran teacher, editor and author, Robert V. Kail provides straightforward strategies along with hands-on exercises for effective scientific writing in a series of seven lessons. Kail shares an abundance of writing wisdom with “tools of the trade”—heuristics, tips, and strategies—used by expert authors to produce writing that is clear, concise, cohesive, and compelling. The exercises included throughout each extensively class-tested lesson allow students to practice and ultimately master their scientific writing skills.

Can an orthodox Christian creed and ritual be combined with a liberal church administration and a tolerant civic acceptance of not-so-orthodox views and practices? This question—perennial among Catholics for the past two centuries and the goal of the Anglican quest for a via media—finds an affirmative answer in Zdenek V. David''s history of the Utraquist church of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Bohemia. This church declared its autonomy from the Roman church in 1415 after the Bohemian preacher Jan Hus, who had decried clerical abuses and opposed the pope''s doctrinal and juridical authority, was condemned by a Roman church council and executed. Sometimes called "Hussitist" (a usage David attacks for exaggerating Hus''s role; "Utraquist" is the Latinized form of the Czech name it adherents used) this Bohemian church administered its institutions and educated and managed its clergy independently of Rome for the next two hundred years. David''s book focuses on the middle course steered by the Utraquists after the onset of the Protestant Reformation. It rejected core Protestant beliefs, such as salvation by faith alone, and practices, going so far in emphasizing apostolic succession as to have its new priests ordained by Latin-rite or, in a few cases, Eastern-rite Uniate bishops. At the same time, the Utraquists pursued their orthodoxy by disputation rather than hurling anathemas and lived alongside Lutherans, the Unity of Brethren, and others. Ultimately the Utraquist church was reabsorbed into Roman Catholicism and its special features repressed in the Counter-Reformation.

The index to the 39-volume History of al-Tabari.

Opening the Books of Moses presents an introduction to the first five books of the Bible. It is written for any student engaged in the scholarly study of these most central of biblical texts. The aim throughout is to examine the books with a view to illuminating the ideas, beliefs and experiences of the time. This broad overview provides: a survey of the current state of Pentateuchal research; an analysis of how the texts were shaped by their time and audience; an outline of Jewish areas in the Persian period; the study concludes with an analysis of key concerns in the study of the Pentateuch, notably the Torah, geography, ethnicity, the nature of Yahweh and other deities, theories of cult, treaties and oaths, and Moses himself.

TAKEN AS A WHOLE, EARTH''S OCEANS COMPRISE ONE OF ITS LARGEST INTERACTING, INTERRELATED, AND INTERDEPENDENT SYSTEMS. As humans continue to impact Earth systems, it is important to understand not only how the oceans operate, but also how the oceans interact with Earth''s other systems, such as the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. "Introductory Oceanography, Tenth Edition, " is designed to introduce the non-science student to perhaps this most integrated of all physical sciences through clear explanations, abundant illustrations, and compelling, relevant examples and applications. New to this edition: Students Sometimes Ask: Common (often entertaining) questions, with answers. New word etymons, which help demistify scientific jargon. Coverage of the most recent discoveries in oceanography, profiled in over 30 new feature boxes. Over 100 new photos and illustrations. New appendix: Careers in Oceanography.

From New York Times Bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder Once, only her own life hung in the balance... When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. Now, she’s become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Through wits and magic, she’s able to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek. But as old rivalries begin to emerge, Yelena discovers sinister plots that threaten to unravel the carefully won peace. Valek’s job and his life are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret—or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is—while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers. Her days as a poison taster are long gone. But without her magic, Yelena must once again rely on wits and skill to survive… Previously published. The Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V. Snyder Book One: Poison Study Book Two: Magic Study Book Three: Fire Study Book Four: Storm Glass Book Five: Sea Glass Book Six: Spy Glass Book Seven: Shadow Study Book Eight: Night Study Book Nine: Dawn Study

How many people could read and write in the ancient world of the Greeks and Romans? No one has previously tried to give a systematic answer to this question. Most historians who have considered the problem at all have given optimistic assessments, since they have been impressed by large bodies of ancient written material such as the graffiti at Pompeii. They have also been influenced by a tendency to idealize the Greek and Roman world and its educational system. In Ancient Literacy W. V. Harris provides the first thorough exploration of the levels, types, and functions of literacy in the classical world, from the invention of the Greek alphabet about 800 B.C. down to the fifth century A.D. Investigations of other societies show that literacy ceases to be the accomplishment of a small elite only in specific circumstances. Harris argues that the social and technological conditions of the ancient world were such as to make mass literacy unthinkable. Noting that a society on the verge of mass literacy always possesses an elaborate school system, Harris stresses the limitations of Greek and Roman schooling, pointing out the meagerness of funding for elementary education. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans came anywhere near to completing the transition to a modern kind of written culture. They relied more heavily on oral communication than has generally been imagined. Harris examines the partial transition to written culture, taking into consideration the economic sphere and everyday life, as well as law, politics, administration, and religion. He has much to say also about the circulation of literary texts throughout classical antiquity. The limited spread of literacy in the classical world had diverse effects. It gave some stimulus to critical thought and assisted the accumulation of knowledge, and the minority that did learn to read and write was to some extent able to assert itself politically. The written word was also an instrument of power, and its use was indispensable for the construction and maintenance of empires. Most intriguing is the role of writing in the new religious culture of the late Roman Empire, in which it was more and more revered but less and less practiced. Harris explores these and related themes in this highly original work of social and cultural history. Ancient Literacy is important reading for anyone interested in the classical world, the problem of literacy, or the history of the written word.

The eastern edge of Europe has long been in flux. The nature of the Ukrainian-Russian relationship is both complex and ambiguous. Prompted by the countries’ historical and geographical entanglement, Volodymyr Kravchenko asks what the words Ukraine and Russia really mean. The Ukrainian-Russian Borderland abandons linear historical interpretation and addresses questions of identity and meaning through imperial and geographic contexts. Dominated by imperial powers, Eastern Europe and its boundaries were in a constant state of flux and re-identification during the Russian imperial period. Here, the Little Russian early modern identity discourse both connects and separates modern Russian and Ukrainian identities and gives rise to issues of historical terminology. Mirroring the historical ambiguity is the geographical fluidity of the borders between Ukraine and Russia; Kravchenko situates this issue in the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv University as both real and imagined markers of the borderland. Putting the centuries-long Ukrainian-Russian relationship into imperial and regional contexts, Kravchenko adds a new perspective to the ongoing discourse about relations between the two nations.

In this book the authors draw on what is known, largely from recent research, about the nature of genes and cells, the genetics of development and animal and plant body plans, intra- and interorganismal communication, sensation and perception, to propose that a few basic generalizations, along with the modified application of the classical evolutionary theory, can provide a broader theoretical understanding of genes, evolution, and the diverse and complex nature of living organisms.

In the decades following the Civil War--as industrialization, urbanization, and economic expansion increasingly reshaped the landscape--many Americans began seeking adventure and aesthetic gratification through avian pursuits. By the turn of the century, hundreds of thousands of middle-and upper-class devotees were rushing to join Audubon societies, purchase field guides, and keep records of the species they encountered in the wild. Mark Barrow vividly reconstructs this story not only through the experiences of birdwatchers, collectors, conservationists, and taxidermists, but also through those of a relatively new breed of bird enthusiast: the technically oriented ornithologist. In exploring how ornithologists struggled to forge a discipline and profession amidst an explosion of popular interest in natural history, A Passion for Birds provides the first book-length history of American ornithology from the death of John James Audubon to the Second World War. Barrow shows how efforts to form a scientific community distinct from popular birders met with only partial success. The founding of the American Ornithologists'' Union in 1883 and the subsequent expansion of formal educational and employment opportunities in ornithology marked important milestones in this campaign. Yet by the middle of the twentieth century, when ornithology had finally achieved the status of a modern profession, its practitioners remained dependent on the services of birdwatchers and other amateur enthusiasts. Environmental issues also loom large in Barrow''s account as he traces areas of both cooperation and conflict between ornithologists and wildlife conservationists. Recounting a colorful story based on the interactions among a wide variety of bird-lovers, this book will interest historians of science, environmental historians, ornithologists, birdwatchers, and anyone curious about the historical roots of today''s birding boom.

Yelena, about to be executed, is offered the job of food taster to the Commander of Ixia, but politics and magic keep threatening her life.