Best Selling Books by Michael

From the depression of the 1890s through World War I, construction tradesman held an important place in San Francisco''s economic, political, and social life. Michael Kazin''s award-winning study delves into how the city’s Building Trades Council (BTC) created, accumulated, used, and lost their power. He traces the rise of the BTC into a force that helped govern San Francisco, controlled its potential progress, and articulated an ideology that made sense of the changes sweeping the West and the country. Believing themselves the equals of officeholders and corporate managers, these working and retired craftsmen pursued and protected their own power while challenging conservatives and urban elites for the right to govern. What emerges is a long-overdue look at building trades as a force in labor history within the dramatic story of how the city''s 25,000 building workers exercised power on the job site and within the halls of government, until the forces of reaction all but destroyed the BTC.

Contains an exclusive preview of Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston. Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why a chimp fetus resembles a human being? And should that worry us? There''s a new genetic cure for drug addiction—is it worse than the disease? We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps, a time when it''s possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars and to test our spouses for genetic maladies. We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes . . . Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn. Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and the bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect. The future is closer than you think.

The transatlantic slave trade brought individuals from diverse African regions and cultures to a common destiny in the American South. In this comprehensive study, Michael Gomez establishes tangible links between the African American community and its Afr

From her humble beginnings in Jamaica to her humble upbringing in Queens New York to her spotlight alongside high profile judges on the Panel of American Idol (including her infamous feuding with Mariah Carey.) Nicki Minaj came to conquer, to win, and she did. TidalWave Comics introduces the latest in it''s popular ''Fame'' series which focuses on the lives of celebrities. Join writer Troy, Michael and artist Jill Lamarina as they explore the life and times of mega hip Hop talent Nicki Minaj.

The Jasmine Dragon has become a fixture of social life in Ba Sing Se. When his tea supply suddenly and mysteriously dries up, Iroh goes in search of answers and finds himself captured by a familiar face—bounty hunter June! Iroh must confront a part of his past while June considers her future, but however things go…someone’s got to free the tea! Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman and Adele Matera are back with another new adventure in the word of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Written in consultation with co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!

The traditional topics of the "philosophy of nature" — space, time, causality, the structure of the universe — are overwhelmingly present in our modern scientific theories. This book traces the complex paths that discussion of these topics has followed, from Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes, Leibniz, Kant and other great thinkers, right up to the relativistic cosmologies and the grand unified theories of contemporary science. In the light of this historical development, it becomes clear that modern science gives us not only a technological power over the world, but also a deeper understanding of physical reality. In this sense, science could be regarded as an heir to the traditional "philosophy of nature". Moreover, the reader will learn why science itself deserves to be the subject of philosophical reflection.

Hear the other side of the story on sexual conversion therapy! In their fervor to “fix” homosexuals, practitioners of sexual conversion therapies have often overlooked or completely dismissed the possible psychological and social side effects of such treatments. Sexual Conversion Therapy: Ethical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives works to counterbalance the clinical and ethical omissions of overzealous therapists who have focused on efficacy and outcome at the expense of their patients’self-esteem. Sexual Conversion Therapy features first-person accounts of patients and clinicians, including psychotherapists who themselves have undergone treatments ranging from psychoanalysis to religious faith healing to aversion behavior conditioning and even electroshock therapy. In addition to examining the history and ethics of conversion therapy, the book presents empirical data on current practice and recovery processes for survivors of failed conversion attempts. Sexual Conversion Therapy presents current perspectives on the harmful impact of sexual orientation interventions, including: “Cures: A Gay Man?s Odyssey” “Becoming Gay” “A Psychologist?s Journey Through the Ex-Gay Movement” “Therapeutic Antidotes: Gay and Bisexual Men Recover from Conversion Therapies” “I?m Your Handyman: A History of Reparative Therapies” Nearly 30 years after the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a small but dedicated group of mental health practitioners continues to diagnose and treat homosexuality as a mental illness. Sexual Conversion Therapy is an essential alternative to the bulk of published material that champions treatments that produce a handful of heterosexuals “cured” of their “illness,” while inflicting emotional and psychological damage on countless gay and lesbian patients who failed to convert.

In this groundbreaking book, Michael Tomasello presents a comprehensive usage-based theory of language acquisition. Drawing together a vast body of empirical research in cognitive science, linguistics, and developmental psychology, Tomasello demonstrates that we don’t need a self-contained “language instinct” to explain how children learn language. Their linguistic ability is interwoven with other cognitive abilities. Tomasello argues that the essence of language is its symbolic dimension, which rests on the uniquely human ability to comprehend intention. Grammar emerges as the speakers of a language create linguistic constructions out of recurring sequences of symbols; children pick up these patterns in the buzz of words they hear around them. All theories of language acquisition assume these fundamental skills of intention-reading and pattern-finding. Some formal linguistic theories posit a second set of acquisition processes to connect somehow with an innate universal grammar. But these extra processes, Tomasello argues, are completely unnecessary—important to save a theory but not to explain the phenomenon. For all its empirical weaknesses, Chomskian generative grammar has ruled the linguistic world for forty years. Constructing a Language offers a compellingly argued, psychologically sound new vision for the study of language acquisition.

In this innovative book, master clinician Michael Garrett shows how to weave together cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy to support the recovery of persons suffering from psychosis. This integrated framework builds on the strengths of both methods to achieve lasting gains, even for patients with severe, chronic mental illness. The therapist is guided to use CBT to help the patient recognize the literal falsity of delusions, while employing psychodynamic strategies to explore the figurative truth and personal meaning of psychotic symptoms. Extended case presentations and numerous clinical vignettes illustrate Garrett’s compassionate, empowering approach. Winner (Second Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Category

This revised and greatly expanded edition of a well-established reference book presents 5105 feature length (four reels or more) Western films, from the early silent era to the present. More than 900 new entries are in this edition. Each entry has film title, release company and year, running time, color indication, cast listing, plot synopsis, and a brief critical review and other details. Not only are Hollywood productions included, but the volume also looks at Westerns made abroad as well as frontier epics, north woods adventures and nature related productions. Many of the films combine genres, such as horror and science fiction Westerns. The volume includes a list of cowboys and their horses and a screen names cross reference. There are more than 100 photographs.

Seeking to set herself apart from the reputation of her infamous pirate father, Bonnie Lass makes waves to find ancient treasure and strange waters. Mercenaries, shadowy elitists, and an out-of-this-world sea monster stand between Bonnie''s troupe and the promise of glory! For the first time in collected print, Volumes 1 and 2 of Bonnie Lass now make for one grandiose tale!

This updated edition of The Village Herbalist provides a complete guide to the art and practice of herbalism, as well as an introduction to the herbalist’s role in family and community life. Inspirational profiles of practicing herbalists from across the country add a human touch to the authors’ wealth of practical herbal knowledge. The Herbalist’s Way includes time-honored healing wisdom from many cultures, as well as information on: • Roles and responsibilities of herbalists in their communities • Herbal workshops, conferences, and education centers • Growing, drying, and preparing medicinal herbs • Learning to listen to clients and recommend holistic treatments for healing and continued wellness • Licensing, marketing, and other legal and business issues facing modern herbalists • Comprehensive resources and suggestions for building your herbal library

"A fascinating study exploring the motivation of French soldiers during the Napoleonic Era, and the process through which they became Napoleon''s men."—Frederick C. Schneid, author of Napoleon''s Conquest of Europe The men who fought in Napoleon''s Grande Armée built a new empire that changed the world. Remarkably, the same men raised arms during the French Revolution for liberté, égalité, and fraternité. In just over a decade, these freedom fighters, who had once struggled to overthrow tyrants, rallied to the side of a man who wanted to dominate Europe. What was behind this drastic change of heart? In this ground-breaking study, Michael J. Hughes shows how Napoleonic military culture shaped the motivation of Napoleon''s soldiers. Relying on extensive archival research and blending cultural and military history, Hughes demonstrates that the Napoleonic regime incorporated elements from both the Old Regime and French Revolutionary military culture to craft a new military culture, characterized by loyalty to both Napoleon and the preservation of French hegemony in Europe. Underscoring this new, hybrid military culture were five sources of motivation: honor, patriotism, a martial and virile masculinity, devotion to Napoleon, and coercion. Forging Napoleon''s Grande Armée vividly illustrates how this many-pronged culture gave Napoleon''s soldiers reasons to fight. "Hughes offers a tight and well-grounded exposition and analysis of French military culture in the Napoleonic period in which military honour is presented as a dynamic element." — Journal of European Studies "Hughes''s book not only contributes to our understanding of the military success of Napoleon''s army, but also elegantly employs cultural history methods to better understand army operations and sustained troop motivations." —Julia Osman, History: Reviews of New Book

Australia is home to some of the most interesting and unusual frogs in the world, and Michael J. Tyler is acknowledged to be the foremost expert on them. This lavishly illustrated new edition of Australian Frogs is the definitive resource on the subject, with updated tables and supplementary text on the fossil record which is vital to historical understanding. Tyler covers the origins, environment, nomenclature, habits, and biology of frogs. The topic of declining frog populations, noted in American newspapers as a harbinger of ecological distress, has become the subject of a new chapter. Tyler discusses dietary studies and explains the effect on frogs of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and heavy metals. He provides information, as well, on an unprecedented study to control populations of the Cane Toad, Bufo marinus.

The Chemical History of a Candle presents a series of lectures on the chemistry and physics of flames given by Michael Faraday. The lectures described the different zones of combustion in the candle flame and the presence of carbon particles in the luminescent zone. Demonstrations included the production and examination of the properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases. An electrolysis cell is demonstrated, first in the electroplating of platinum conductors by dissolved copper, then the production of hydrogen and oxygen gases and their recombination to form water. The properties of water itself are studied, including its expansion while freezing (iron vessels are burst by this expansion), and the relative volume of steam produced when water is vaporized. Techniques for weighing gases on a balance are demonstrated. Atmospheric pressure is described and its effects demonstrated.

Trust is an invaluable commodity in any business environment. Organizations benefit from being viewed as transparent, open and human, and one of the best ways of achieving this is through authentic employee advocacy. Participation Marketing takes a detailed look at the benefits that arise when employees are fully subscribed to a brand''s ethos, and how this can be used to magnify a brand''s voice. After all, it''s likely that every individual employee of a company now has several hundred unique social media connections, if not more. So by engaging staff and encouraging them to participate in company activity and share via their own channels, they will be broadcasting trusted brand experiences to entirely new groups of consumers. Employee advocacy has always been worth investing in, but as the combination of constant connectedness and conversation becomes standard in our everyday lives, so too grows the importance of leveraging it. Participation Marketing will convince business leaders to think hard about employee advocacy as a channel that has many positive business outcomes. Internally, it will engage employees and make them feel part of something bigger, which will naturally result in employee satisfaction, retention and an increase in productivity. Externally, it will help brands reach new audiences with trusted and relevant stories.

The football star made famous in the hit film (and book) The Blind Side reflects on how far he has come from the circumstances of his youth. Michael Oher shares his personal account of his story, in this inspirational New York Times bestseller. Looking back on how he went from being a homeless child in Memphis to playing in the NFL, Michael talks about the goals he had to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family. Eventually he grasped onto football as his ticket out and worked hard to make his dream into a reality. With his adoptive family, the Touhys, and other influential people in mind, he describes the absolute necessity of seeking out positive role models and good friends who share the same values to achieve one''s dreams. Sharing untold stories of heartache, determination, courage, and love, I Beat the Odds is an incredibly rousing tale of one young man''s quest to achieve the American dream.

Arrested for a robbery he did not commit, 13-year-old Freddy is sent to a detention center.

In this new and expanded edition of The Art Direction Handbook, author Michael Rizzo now covers art direction for television, in addition to updated coverage of film design. This comprehensive, professional manual details the set-up of the art department and the day-to-day job duties: scouting for locations, research, executing the design concept, supervising scenery construction, and surviving production. Beyond that, there is an emphasis on not just how to do the job, but how to succeed and secure other jobs. Rounding out the text is an extensive collection of useful forms and checklists, as well as interviews with prominent art directors.