Best Selling Books by Michael Johnston

Recipes drawn from The Age''s food and wine section, Epicure.

A fascinating and thought-provoking book, "The Good Bad Mother," explores the complicated responsibilities and expectations that mothers in contemporary society must live up to. The author questions the simplistic ideas of "good" and "bad" parenting in this perceptive examination of motherhood, illuminating the complex experiences, feelings, and choices that mold a mother''s path. This book presents a surprisingly compassionate and honest assessment of the difficulties faced by mothers in the contemporary world, drawing on first-hand accounts, in-depth research, and interviews with moms from a range of backgrounds. To handle the often-conflicting demands of parenthood, the author urges moms to embrace their own talents, imperfections, and personal values rather than succumbing to society expectations or stereotypes. The Good Bad Mother dispels common misconceptions about motherhood and poses pertinent concerns. It talks on how moms are often judged by society, pressured to meet impossible ideals of perfection, and the shame that comes with having to make tough choices. With a thoughtful examination of subjects including discipline, self-care, work-life balance, and the challenging balancing act of parenting, this book offers mothers direction and encouragement to get over self-doubt and discover their own true path. The fundamental argument made by "The Good Bad Mother" is that there isn''t just one "right" way to be a mother. Rather, it highlights the value of resilience, self-compassion, and the capacity to adjust to the always shifting dynamics of parenthood. The book is a helpful resource for mothers who want to make sense of their own issues, negotiate the complex web of expectations, and provide themselves and their kids a meaningful and fulfilling experience. It offers helpful guidance, relevant anecdotes, and uplifting truths. This book is for everyone who wants to learn about the various viewpoints that define what it means to be a mother and the intricacies of contemporary parenthood-not just mothers. Whether you are a seasoned parent, a first-time mother, or just interested in learning more about the nuances of motherhood, "The Good Bad Mother" provides insightful advice, empathy, and understanding that will connect with readers and give them a sense of empowerment and support.

A collection of beautifully simple yet profound meditation exercises to challenge, calm, and inspire.

This dissertation explores common ideas about the weather throughout German-speaking lands during the long sixteenth-century (ca. 1480-1620). Weather offers a particularly revealing window into society because of its ubiquity. The weather touched everyone''s daily life and was significant enough to also warrant the creation of a broad body of sources that preserve a record of contemporary perspectives on the subject. In particular, this study examines the interplay between naturalistic and theological outlooks on the weather. Part I of the dissertation shows that Aristotelian naturalism permeated society with the aid of vernacular meteorological publications including annual practicas and weather books. Part II traces how naturalistic understandings of weather shaped the cultural context in which the first generations of Lutheran theologians and pastors attempted to promote a theological significance of the weather. An affirmation of God''s sovereignty over natural secondary causes of the weather created space for naturalistic explanations in Christian society, but did not prevent tensions from arising as well, especially in the aftermath of notable weather-related events. Lutheran pastors, including Martin Luther himself, had concern that natural knowledge of the weather would conceal the hand of God. The popular naturalism at the root of their concern is detailed throughout this study from multiple vantage points. The very possibility of popular naturalism in sixteenth-century Germany is one of the innovative historiographical contributions of the dissertation. I argue that common men and women, along with elites, shared a basic understanding of the natural workings behind the weather within an Aristotelian cosmological outlook. That naturalistic perspective--and a sense of why it was compatible with Christian doctrine--was established by the late fifteenth century and had great continuity through the early decades of the seventeenth century. Such continuity over time and the harmony of a shared knowledge of the weather throughout society offer illuminating cultural perspectives for re-examining the impact of the Protestant Reformation and the Little Ice Age in the context of the sixteenth century. Finally, the study concludes with a reflection on modernization narratives and suggests why some of the features of society highlighted in this study have been largely overlooked. The very possibility of popular naturalism in sixteenth-century Germany is one of the innovative historiographical contributions of the dissertation. I argue that common men and women, along with elites, shared a basic understanding of the natural workings behind the weather within an Aristotelian cosmological outlook. That naturalistic perspective--and a sense of why it was compatible with Christian doctrine--was established by the late fifteenth century and had great continuity through the early decades of the seventeenth century. Such continuity over time and the harmony of a shared knowledge of the weather throughout society offer illuminating cultural perspectives for reexamining the impact of the Protestant Reformation and the Little Ice Age in the context of the sixteenth century. Finally, the study concludes with a reflection on modernization narratives and suggests why some of the features of society highlighted in this study had been largely overlooked.

Relates Philippine corruption to expanding political and economic opportunities in a setting of very weak institutions, limiting the state''s ability to perform basic functions and putting strain on the national economy.

Learn how to create cakes for any occasion In this Daisy Cakes Bakes: Learn the fundamentals of cake construction and decoration, from filling and stacking layers to working with fondant and piping. Recipes are organized by main flavors, occasion, and dietary requirements, to help you satisfy your craving quickly and easily. Become an ace of cakes with this cake cookbook using easy instructions for measuring, mixing, and more.

The Wnt/Beta-catenin pathway controls the differentiation and growth of tissues by regulating the stability of the transcription factor Beta-catenin. In the absence of a Wnt growth factor, Beta-catenin is destroyed in a multiprotein complex that contains the protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Over two-thirds of colorectal cancers bear mutations in APC, which leads to inappropriate stabilization of Beta-catenin. Despite its importance, the precise role of APC in Beta-catenin destruction has not been defined. Here I present studies showing the identification of cyclin-dependent kinases as critical for APC''s interactions with the Beta-catenin destruction complex. Phosphorylated APC binds directly to the ubiquitin E3 ligase Beta-TrCP and facilitates ubiquitination of Beta-catenin, which is required for its destruction. These findings establish a new link between the cell division cycle and the Wnt growth factor pathway.

The conceptual divide between "hard power" and "soft power," and the resources that constitute the basis of each, remain hotly debated topics among International Relations theorists as well as foreign policy advisors and analysts. Two developments in the last decade that have greatly influenced the study of the hard-power/soft-power dichotomy are: (1) the pursuit by many single-state actors of foreign policy strategies identifying and actively incorporating soft-power instruments, and (2) the realization by political theorists that individual policy instruments often exhibit unexpected hard and soft-power characteristics and effects, sometimes resulting in hard power acting soft and soft power acting hard. Exploring this dichotomy further, I examine the Russian Federation''s use of its hard and soft power with respect to the de facto independent Georgian separatist region of Abkhazia from 1999-2009 by identifying specific Russian foreign policy instruments employed in the bilateral relationship and analyzing how these instruments draw upon and project Russian hard and soft power. My findings support research addressing instances when traditionally defined hard-power instruments display soft-power effects, and vice versa, and highlight examples of individual policy instruments producing both hard and soft-power effects simultaneously; coercing a subject while they co-opt its interests. In addition, I find that the Russian Federation is actively employing soft-power methods of engagement in its contemporary foreign policy strategy, having substantially increased this employment between 1999-2009 -- particularly with respect to Abkhazia. Concerning the Russia-Abkhazia relationship specifically, I conclude that, based on Russia''s engagement of the region from 1999- 2009, ties between the country and the de facto state will continue to strengthen, however, with Abkhazia in an increasingly supplicant position.