When the Raging Grannies sprang up in 1987 they didn’t realize they’d be starting a worldwide movement. They just wanted to protest, but in a different way. And they do. Their weapons are outrageousness, satire, and song. And they were the beginning of more than 50 chapters of Raging...  more

When the Raging Grannies sprang up in 1987 they didn’t realize they’d be starting a worldwide movement. They just wanted to protest, but in a different way. And they do. Their weapons are outrageousness, satire, and song. And they were the beginning of more than 50 chapters of Raging Grannies that now thrive throughout Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Europe. Wearing outlandish hats and warbling witty lyrics, they poke fun at the powerful people who are wreaking havoc with their grandchildren’s world. But in spite of their lighthearted approach, their purpose is extremely serious. The Grannies have challenged nuclear-armed ships, forestry companies, arms manufacturers, multinational corporations, pharmaceutical giants, manufacturers of war toys, the World Trade Organization, and every level of government, from municipal councils to the American presidency. For their messages of peace and justice, Grannies have been hosed by the U.S. Navy, arrested, jailed and pepper-sprayed. They’ve also been praised by Ralph Nader, Peter Gzowski, David Suzuki and Pete Seeger, invited to perform far and wide, and hailed as role models. Off Our Rockers is a most readable and amusing book, showing how groups of older women around the world take on the powers that be, win the occasional battle, and have a wonderful time doing it all.

The "progressive era", 1890-1920, gave rise to an efficiency craze in which "efficient" and "good" came close to meaning the same thing. At the heart of the craze was Frederick W. Taylor's system of scientific management, one of the first comprehensive programs...  more

The "progressive era", 1890-1920, gave rise to an efficiency craze in which "efficient" and "good" came close to meaning the same thing. At the heart of the craze was Frederick W. Taylor's system of scientific management, one of the first comprehensive programs of industrial management in the United States. In Taylor's world, laws of management, were, like the laws of nature, impartial, above class prejudice, and definable according to the methods of science. Haber's critical examination of this period has much to say about typical American attitudes toward business, politics, and the idea of equality.

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are all associated with significant emotional and relational stress. They can have serious physical complications. Most cases of anorexia and bulimia nervosa remain undiagnosed, and many diagnosed cases are inappropriately treated. It...  more

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are all associated with significant emotional and relational stress. They can have serious physical complications. Most cases of anorexia and bulimia nervosa remain undiagnosed, and many diagnosed cases are inappropriately treated. It is therefore essential to reduce the gap between research evidence and clinical experience in order to improve diagnosis and treatment of these mental disorders. This latest volume examines the recurrent social and biological problem of eating disorders and provides:Coverage of all aspects of eating disorders, including diagnosis, epidemiology and pharmacological treatmentContributions from internationally acclaimed expertsAn unbiased and reliable reference point This title is the sixth volume in the exciting, innovative WPA Series Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry.  Written by internationally renowned psychiatrists, this book series provides evidence-based information for psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and policy makers.   Are eating disorders a serious problem? Eating disorders are a growing public health threat / Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action -- Problem of eating disorders is exaggerated / Malcolm Evans -- Eating disorders primarily affect white Western women / Anne Iverson -- Eating disorders are a growing problem among minority women / Denise Brodey -- Eating disorders contribute to the epidemic of obesity in America / Susan Z. Yanovski -- Obesity epidemic is a myth that promotes eating disorders / Courtney E. Martin -- What causes eating disorders? Genetics play a significant role in eating disorders / Craig Johnson, Cynthia Bulik -- Eating disorders may be symptoms of chronic physical illness / Randy Schellenberg -- Neurochemical imbalances cause anorexia / Ellen Ruppel Shell -- Eating disorders have multiple complex causes / Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. -- Cultural obsession with thinness is harmful / Mimi Spencer -- Cultural obsession with thinness is not harmful / Polly Vernon -- Fashion industry promotes eating disorders / Janet Treasure [and others] -- Fashion industry should not be held responsible for eating disorders / Michelle Cottle -- What role does the Internet play in eating disorders? Pro-ana web sites are dangerous and should be condemned / Elanor Taylor -- Pro-ana web sites are valuable and have a right to exist / Angie Rankman -- Controversial web sites glorify anorexia and bulimia / Kristen Depowski, Kelly Hart -- Internet is an important tool in recovery from eating disorders / Theresia Laksmana. How should eating disorders be treated? Involuntary treatment of anorexics is justified / James L. Werth Jr. [and others] -- Some anorexics have the right to refuse treatment / Simona Giordano -- Family therapy is the most promising treatment for anorexia / James Lock -- There are no effective treatments for chronic anorexia / Judith Graham -- Medications effectively treat bulimia and binge-eating disorder / Diane Mickley -- Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for bulimia and binge-eating disorder / Ann M. Schapman-Williams, James Lock, Jennifer Couturier -- Effective treatment for eating disorders depends on increasing insurance coverage / Leah Litman

"Hersey's Letter to the Alumni is a summary of the wisdom that its author has accumulated during his five years as Master of Pierson College at Yale. It is a compelling account of last May Day's events at New Haven, the clearest I have ever come across. It is an attempt to sketch in...  more

"Hersey's Letter to the Alumni is a summary of the wisdom that its author has accumulated during his five years as Master of Pierson College at Yale. It is a compelling account of last May Day's events at New Haven, the clearest I have ever come across. It is an attempt to sketch in the background of those events. It is a definition of the present mood of students, a tempered plea for understanding and avoidance of stereotyped thinking. It is a letter not only addressed to Yale's alumni, but also to old grads of colleges everywhere in America and all members of the generations that find themselves bewildered and frightened by student unrest. It should be read by everyone." -- Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times

Was Leonardo Da Vinci a member of the "Priory of Sion," a secret society reaching all the way back to the Crusades? Does his famous painting, "The Last Supper," contain a hidden code about this society’s most precious secret? Did Jesus father children by Mary Magdalene? What was the Holy...  more

Was Leonardo Da Vinci a member of the "Priory of Sion," a secret society reaching all the way back to the Crusades? Does his famous painting, "The Last Supper," contain a hidden code about this society’s most precious secret? Did Jesus father children by Mary Magdalene? What was the Holy Grail? The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has stirred the popular imagination by cleverly interweaving theories about such questions with a fast-paced fictional narrative. Many readers have been so swept away by the drama of this murder mystery that they have accepted Brown’s fictional reconstruction of Christian origins and medieval history as established fact. New Testament scholar Robert M. Price, a member of the Jesus Seminar, examines the creative uses of history in Brown’s novel, showing that, however intriguing Brown’s fictional speculations may be, the real facts behind the novel are even more fascinating. What does the best historical evidence say about the possibility that Jesus might have survived the crucifixion? How did the Gospels come to be accepted as the established accounts of Jesus’ life and why were other Gnostic traditions suppressed? How did the Roman Emperor Constantine figure in the development of Christian dogma? What was Mary Magdalene’s role in early Christianity and how was it adapted in later attempts to develop a "sacred feminine" element in Christianity? These are some of the important questions about Christianity that Dr. Price pursues in this engrossing discussion of Christian history. Price combines sophisticated historical analysis with completely accessible and witty prose in this enlightening, factually based sequel to Brown’s speculative bestseller.

Focusing on the most destructive fires of modern times, Nicholas Faith details the work of these investigators as they piece together causes of ignition, observe how fire spreads and smoke flows, and attempt to understand the behavior of those unlucky souls caught in the most fearsome infernos....  more

Focusing on the most destructive fires of modern times, Nicholas Faith details the work of these investigators as they piece together causes of ignition, observe how fire spreads and smoke flows, and attempt to understand the behavior of those unlucky souls caught in the most fearsome infernos. Their work can convict arsonists or form the bases of legislation-making buildings safer for all of us. Including information about the cataclysmic conflagrations at the MGM Grand and Our Lady of the Angels School, Blaze features first hand testimonies from people whose lives have been scarred by their encounters with fire. Nicholas Faith examines the fire-fighters who risk their lives tackling the blazes, and the investigators, safety engineers, and forensic scientists who scour gutted rubble heaps in the hope of understanding mankind's most complicated ally -- and its most dangerous foe.

A revelatory look at Amish youth as they have never been looked at before Rumspringa is a fascinating look at a little-known Amish coming-of-age ritual, the rumspringa—the period of “running around” that begins for their youth at age sixteen. Through vivid portraits of...  more

A revelatory look at Amish youth as they have never been looked at before Rumspringa is a fascinating look at a little-known Amish coming-of-age ritual, the rumspringa—the period of “running around” that begins for their youth at age sixteen. Through vivid portraits of teenagers in Ohio and Indiana, Tom Shachtmanoffers an account of Amish life as a mirror to the soul-searching and questing that we recognize as a generally intrinsic part of adolescence.The trappings of the Amish way of life—the “plain” clothes and electricity-free farms—conceal the communities’ mystery: how they manage to retain their young people and perpetuate themselves generation after generation. The key to this is the rumspringa, when Amish youth are allowed to live outside the bounds of their faith, experimenting with alcohol, premarital sex, trendy clothes, telephones, drugs, and wild parties. By allowing them such freedom, their parents hope they will learn enough to help them make the most important decision of their lives—whether to be baptized as Christians, join the church, and forever give up worldly ways, or to remain out in the world.In this searching book, Shachtman draws on his skills as a documentarian to capture young people on the cusp of a fateful decision, and to give us an original and deeply affecting portrait of the Amish as a whole.