Best Selling Books by John Kelly

“Powerful, rich with details, moving, humane, and full of important lessons for an age when weapons of mass destruction are loose among us.” — Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb The Great Plague is one of the most compelling events in human history—even more so now, when the notion of plague has never loomed larger as a contemporary public concern. The plague that devastated Asia and Europe in the 14th century has been of never-ending interest to both scholarly and general readers. Many books on the plague rely on statistics to tell the story: how many people died; how farm output and trade declined. But statistics can’t convey what it was like to sit in Siena or Avignon and hear that a thousand people a day are dying two towns away. Or to have to chose between your own life and your duty to a mortally ill child or spouse. Or to live in a society where the bonds of blood and sentiment and law have lost all meaning, where anyone can murder or rape or plunder anyone else without fear of consequence. In The Great Mortality, author John Kelly lends an air of immediacy and intimacy to his telling of the journey of the plague as it traveled from the steppes of Russia, across Europe, and into England, killing 75 million people—one third of the known population—before it vanished.

Debunking popular wisdom on the devastating psychological and social effects of divorce, eminent psychologist Mavis Hetherington presents a more nuanced picture. This unprecedented look at our divorce-prone society concludes that the aftermath of divorce need not be a prescribed pathway of dissolution but can be one of healing and ultimate fulfillment. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

YOU CAN GIVE YOUR BABY A GREATER CHANCE FOR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS—MONTHS BEFORE BIRTH! A pioneering physician, Dr. Thomas Verny, gives startling new evidence based on two decades of medical research. Your unborn baby is: • Capable of learning • Able to warn you of medical problems you and your doctor may not be aware of • Able to hear and respond to voices and sounds—including music • Sensitive to his parents’ feelings about him • Capable of responding to love • An active, feeling human being. The ways in which you respond to and care for your unborn child may affect his physical and emotional well-being for the rest of his life. The choices you make today about your child’s birth may make a vital difference for years to come. You can prepare your unborn baby for a happy, healthy life. This remarkable book will show you how! A gift to every loving, caring parent. A book that will change the experience of pregnancy and childbirth forever!

A compelling new look at one of the worst disasters to strike humankind--the Great Irish Potato Famine--conveyed as lyrical narrative history from the acclaimed author of "The Great Mortality."

Based on a landmark longitudinal study, the nation''s leading expert on stepfamilies reveals his breakthrough findings and offers the first detailed guide to easing the conflicts of stepfamily life and healing the scars of divorce. There are more than twenty million stepfamilies in America. For most of them, the simple, daily issues that challenge every family are even more anxiety-provoking. After conducting a comprehensive nine-year-long study funded by the National Institutes of Health, Dr. James H. Bray has written an invaluable book that explains why over half of all stepfamilies fail and reveals the strategies that help the others succeed. A stepfamily is assaulted on all sides by difficult and often divisive questions. How much control should a stepparent have over a stepchild? How much authority should a nonresidential parent exert over a child? How should a difficult former spouse be handled? How does an "ours" baby change the emotional dynamic in a stepfamily? Why is there a lack of "honeymoon effect" during the first years of stepfamily life? The purpose of Stepfamilies is to answer all the important questions of stepfamily life--to fill in the knowledge gaps that undermine so many stepfamilies today and, crucially, to learn the effect of stepfamily life on children. Based on one of the largest and longest studies of stepfamily life ever conducted, Stepfamilies interweaves the stories of real families to illustrate such study findings as how: a stepfamily has its own natural life cycle a stepfamily takes several years to develop into a family unit a stepfamily is at greatest risk during the first two years a stepfamily ultimately coalesces into one of three forms a stepfamily must solve four basic tasks in order to succeed a stepfamily can help heal the scars of divorce Filled with emotional, gripping stories, Bray''s findings pinpoint the three major transitions in stepfamily life and identify the riskiest issues that can throw a family into crisis. Bray is the first to identify the several distinct forms that stepfamilies take and to explore which types of stepfamilies are more vulnerable than others and why. He also describes the natural life cycle of stepfamilies and basic tasks all stepfamilies must undertake to succeed. With a wealth of insight into the positive effects of remarriage, Bray shows how a loving, well-functioning stepfamily can lessen the trauma of divorce and restore a child''s and family''s sense of security. Most stepparents remarry with the highest hopes and new resolutions for a better life. Never before have their unique needs been addressed in depth. Through insightful case studies and practical advice, Stepfamilies reveals how a strong, stable stepfamily is as capable as a nuclear family of nurturing healthy development, of imbuing values, of setting limits and boundaries, and of providing a structure in which rules for living a moral and productive life are transmitted, tested, rebelled against, and ultimately affirmed. Bray''s positive message and fascinating findings--many of which defy intuition--will put stepfamilies on the road to lifelong harmony.

This edition contains a new chapter extending the story into the eighteenth century.

The second edition of Top Tips in Urology provides highly clinical tips and rapid-reference "tricks of the trade" to the most common questions and problems that arise for both the practicing urologist and the urologic surgeon. Covering each of the major areas of urology and with contributions for experience practicing urologists and surgeons, this book is a unique book containing valuable information for all urologists dealing with patients on a day to day basis.

"A remarkably vivid account of a key moment in Western history: The critical six months in 1940 when Winston Churchill and his cabinet debated whether England should fight Nazi Germany and then decided to "never surrender.""--Amazon.com.

Warfare in Atlantic Africa, 1500-1800 investigates the impact of warfare on the history of Africa in the period of the slave trade and the founding of empires. It includes the discussion of: : * the relationship between war and the slave trade * the role of Europeans in promoting African wars and supplying African armies * the influence of climatic and ecological factors on warfare patterns and dynamics * the impact of social organization and military technology, including the gunpowder revolution * case studies of warfare in Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Benin and West Central Africa

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book provides a comparative assessment of social pacts between governments, labor unions and employer organizations in Western Europe. Using a dataset covering 16 European countries, as well as eight in-depth country case studies, the authors argue that governments’ choice of social pacts or legislation is less influenced by economic problems, but is strongly influenced by electoral competition.

In 1957 58 Vietnamese soldiers were given military training by Special Forces troops. Ten years later green berets were assisting over 40,000 paramilitary troops, along with another 40,000 Regional Forces and Popular Forces soldiers. This monograph traces the development and notes the progress, problems, successes, and failures of a unique program undertaken by the U.S. Army for the first time in its history. With the withdrawal of the Special Forces from Vietnam in 1971, the Army could lay unique claim to the employment of a paramilitary force in sustained combat against a determined enemy. About the author: In 1960, Col. Kelly chaired the committee which produced the U.S. Army''s first definitive approach to counterinsurgency, "The Role of the U.S. Army in the Cold War." For two years he commanded the 1st SFG, which provided multiple teams for combat in Vietnam. From 6/66 to 6/67, he commanded the 5th SFG in Vietnam. He led the Combat Development Command, Institute for Strategic and Stability Operations.

Covers trees, shrubs, perennials, alpines, bulbs, annuals and biennials, and vegetables.

VALUE MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Second Edition Value Management is a philosophy, set of principles and structured management methodology for improving organisational decision-making and value-for-money. It is well-established in the international construction industry and has been endorsed as good practice in a range of UK government sponsored reports. The authors have addressed the practical opportunities and difficulties of Value Management by synthesising background, international developments, and benchmarking with their own extensive consultancy and action research experience in Value Management to provide a comprehensive package of theory and practice. Covering methods and practices, frameworks of value and the future of value management, this thoroughly updated second edition extends the integrated value philosophy, methodology and tool kit to describe the application of Value Management to service delivery, asset management and programmes, in addition to projects, products and processes. In particular, the new edition responds to: A range of recent UK industry and government publications; and most notably BS EN 16271:2012 - Value management: Functional expression of the need and functional performance specification; the imminent update of BS EN 12973:2000 Value Management; BS EN 1325 Value Management – Vocabulary, Terms and Definitions; the changes to "Value for Europe" governing the training and certification of Value Management in European Union countries; the UK Government’s Management of Value (MoV) initiative, and other leading reports, international guidance and relevant standards. Changes in Value Management practice, particularly in programmes and projects. Developments in the theory of value, principally value for money measures, whole life value option appraisal, and benefits realisation. Initiatives in asset management covering the management of physical infrastructure, for example the suite of three standards under the generic title of BS ISO 55000: 2014 Asset Management, and its predecessor BSI PAS55 2008 Asset Management: Specification for the Optimized Management of Physical Assets. It contains a dedicated chapter of exemplar case studies which demonstrate the new areas of theory and practice, and an extensive set of tools and techniques of use in Value Management practice. Public and private construction clients and construction professionals such as cost consultants, quantity surveyors, architects, asset managers, engineers, and project managers will all find Value Management of Construction Projects essential reading. It will also be of interest to researchers and students on construction related courses – particularly those at final year undergraduate and at Masters level.

Includes 6 Maps, 25 photo illustrations, 10 Charts and 8 Tables. “As long ago as 1957, U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were in the Republic of Vietnam, going about their business of training, advising, and assisting members of the Vietnamese Army. Despite the old Army witticism about never volunteering for anything, the Special Forces soldier is, in fact, a double volunteer, having first volunteered for airborne training and then again for Special Forces training. From a very meager beginning but sustained by a strong motivation and confidence in his mission, the Special Forces soldier has marched through the Vietnam struggle in superb fashion. “In 1957 some fifty-eight Vietnamese soldiers were given military training by Special Forces troops. Ten years later the Special Forces were advising and assisting over 40,000 paramilitary troops, along with another 40,000 Regional Forces and Popular Forces soldiers. This monograph traces the development and notes the progress, problems, successes, and failures of a unique program undertaken by the U.S. Army for the first time in its history. It is hoped that all the significant lessons learned have been recorded and the many pitfalls of such a program uncovered... “With the withdrawal of the Special Forces from Vietnam in 1971, the Army could honestly lay claim to a new dimension in ground warfare the organized employment of a paramilitary force in sustained combat against a determined enemy. I know I speak for my predecessors and successors in claiming that the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was the finest collection of professional soldiers ever assembled by the U.S. Army, anywhere, anytime.”

An overview of the history of the Atlantic Basin before 1830, describing interactions between the inhabitants of Africa, Europe and North and South America.