Books published by publisher Praeger

Thirty years ago, Alfred Crosby published a small work that illuminated a simple point, that the most important changes brought on by the voyages of Columbus were not social or political, but biological in nature. The book told the story of how 1492 sparked the movement of organisms, both large and small, in both directions across the Atlantic. This Columbian exchange, between the Old World and the New, changed the history of our planet drastically and forever.The book The Columbian Exchange changed the field of history drastically and forever as well. It has become one of the foundational works in the burgeoning field of environmental history, and it remains one of the canonical texts for the study of world history. This 30th anniversary edition of The Columbian Exchange includes a new preface from the author, reflecting on the book and its creation, and a new foreword by J. R. McNeill that demonstrates how Crosby established a brand new perspective for understanding ecological and social events. As the foreword indicates, The Columbian Exchange remains a vital book, a small work that contains within the inspiration for future examinations into what happens when two peoples, separated by time and space, finally meet.

An enlightening history of 19th-century technology, focusing on the connections between invention and cultural values.• A chronology marking dates of important inventions and innovations, the passage of laws relating to finance and working conditions, workers' organizations, and transformations in warfare.• Detailed drawings and photographs of inventions and structures, such as the locomotive, steam engine, iron bridges and railways stations, the Crystal Palace, and the Victorian computer

This classic, with a new introduction by Madeleine L'Engle, is by turns an entrancing mediation on language; a piercing commentary on the nature of art and why so much of what we read, hear, and see falls short; and a brilliant examination of the fundamental tenets of Christianity. The Mind of the Maker will be relished by those already in love with Dorothy L. Sayers and those who have not yet met her. A mystery writer, a witty and perceptive theologian, culture critic, and playwright, Dorothy Sayers sheds new, unexpected light on a specific set of statements made in the Christian creeds. She examines anew such ideas as the image of God, the Trinity, free will, and evil, and in these pages a wholly revitalized understanding of them emerges. The author finds the key in the parallels between the creation of God and the human creative process. She continually refers to each in a way that illuminates both.

This intriguing book is a study of the rise and fall of an American genre of entertainment and communication whose symbols and rhetoric helped define American society for decades. Flourishing in the 1950s and 1960s, the television Western has deteriorated to the point where it is now irrelevant and meaningless. Tracing the evolution of the Western from the late 1940s to the 1980s, the author ties the genre to the political innocence and confidence of the Cold War years and suggests that the social reevaluations that began in the 1960s undermined the believability of Westerns and their entertainment value. Seeking to understand the demise of the TV Western, the book offers an analysis of the interrelationships between popular culture, television, and sociopolitical development in the United States during the past four decades.

This indispensable resource explains principles of financial planning and financial psychology to help teens and young adults make good financial decisions now and achieve their financial goals.Financial literacy for savvy teens and young adults means meeting them where they are, which is in high school and college. It also means understanding how they differ from their Gen X and elder millennial parents. For example, they tend to be debt-averse, thrifty, and responsible but may err on the side of taking too little risk, such as not investing early enough. This book uses economics and psychology to help Generation Z students make better decisions throughout their lives and especially in their formative years.Financial Literacy for Generation Z addresses decisions students have to make while still in school, after graduation, and later, with the greatest emphasis on the decisions closest at hand to them. It encompasses not just money talk―for example, how much to contribute to your 401(k)―but also decisions that are directly connected to money, such as choosing a major and a career, building a credit record, and managing your first real income.• Honors the range of financial goals from simply being comfortable through becoming rich• Provides case illustrations of how young people of different personality types engage the financial world• Offers references to information on modern and reputable websites including NerdWallet.com and CreditKarma.com• Includes plenty of "street smart" advice

Osgood examines the history of the school lives of children placed in formal or informal special education settings in American public schools during the last 120 years. As the public school system in the United States grew throughout the 20th century, special education became a recognized and dependable, but marginalized, arm of public schooling. Throughout the 1900s special education emerged as its own world in many ways, developing policies, practices, structures, and an identity that became more diverse and inclusive.This work describes and interprets the nature and characteristics of special education. It examines carefully the human aspects of identification and placement; the nature of work and play in the classroom; the relationship among students, teachers, administrators, and parents involved in the process; the status and relation of children with disabilities to their non-disabled peers in various school settings; and the impact of school experiences on the lives of these children beyond school.

This book spotlights the 25 most important sitcoms to ever air on American television—shows that made generations laugh, challenged our ideas regarding gender, family, race, marital roles, and sexual identity, and now serve as time capsules of U.S. history.• Identifies the reason each show was a turning point in American television and provides analysis of the issues and themes present in each sitcom, how the content was received by the American public, and the lasting effects of the program• Covers a time period of more than half a century, from I Love Lucy to Modern Family• Clearly demonstrates how television as well as American ideals and values have changed dramatically over a fairly short period of time

This unique study argues that the draft dodgers who went to Canada during the Vietnam War were not always the anti-war radicals portrayed in popular culture. Many were the products of stable, conservative, middle class homes who were more interested in furthering their education and careers than in fighting in Southeast Asia. The conflict in Vietnam was just one cause among many for their deep sense of disaffection from the land of their birth. These expatriates remained quintessentially American, because evading the draft was in their opinion consistant with the very best American traditions of individualism and resistance to undue authority or state servitude.Although the war was not the only or even the primary reason for their immigration to Canada, it was the final action in response to an increasing sense of alientation from America that many had felt since childhood. Kusch's work also raises questions about what it means to be an American. Intriguingly, it suggests the actions of these expatriates should be seen not merely as a drastic response to the Vietnam war, but as a commitment to the core ideals of American and European thought since the Enlightenment.

Discover the leadership strengths of world-class mountain guides and see how developing and applying these principles can help you reach for the highest summits in work—and in life.• Teaches key leadership lessons gained from a decade spent traveling with world-class mountain guides and more than 200 top business school participants• Shares insights drawn from challenging experiences that will be inspiring and meaningful to readers• Includes contributions from participants who tell, in their own words, how they applied lessons learned in organizations from American Express to Microsoft to a Silicon Valley startup• Provides action steps for readers drawn from current research in the fields of management and positive psychology

A project management expert identifies methods for running any project successfully based on lessons learned from the exploits of two storied explorers.What could be more intriguing than a management book built around a gripping story of exploration? The 1911–12 race between British explorer Robert Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen to be first to the South Pole provides the rarest of case studies. Two teams carry out the same project. One is spectacularly successful; the other fails miserably. Just about everything about good—and bad—planning, management expert Fergus O'Connell maintains, can be learned from these leaders.The results of poor planning are not always as dire as they were for Scott. But in business, poor planning can have serious consequences, often because the same mistakes are repeated. Starting with an introduction that details their exploits, the book goes on to use Scott and Amundsen as examples of good and not-so-good leadership. It contrasts the difference in how the two men planned and executed their projects and how they led their teams, highlighting things that must be in place for success. What can happen when those things are ignored is also spelled out. Readers will come away from this book entertained and with a in-depth understanding of a new method for assessing the health of any project—and running it successfully.• Analyzes a familiar story from a unique point of view, using the endeavors of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott to illustrate project management concepts• Offers a practical guide to running any project successfully • Motivates and encourages behavior change by demonstrating how a little planning beats a lot of firefighting• Shows that we can learn as much from others' failures as we can from their successes• Emphasizes the importance of taking the time to plan, even when operating in crisis mode

Through engaging case studies and clear explanations of the underlying science, this book makes the social impacts and ethical consequences of recent advances in biomedicine understandable for general readers.Recent biomedical discoveries promise considerable improvement in the quality of human life, but they also hold the potential to permanently alter society. Are the anticipated benefits worth the price we would have to pay for them? In Where Science and Ethics Meet: Dilemmas at the Frontiers of Medicine and Biology, a biochemist and a biomedical researcher who are highly experienced in explaining ethics for lay audiences present the most innovative advances in biomedicine and enable readers to develop their own opinions about the ethical and social consequences these technologies will bring. Each controversial topic in modern medicine and ethics is introduced through a hypothetical case study that highlights thorny ethical issues before explaining the key aspects of the science and technology involved and addressing the associated ethical considerations in detail. The interdisciplinary treatment of the topics makes the book relevant to students of science, medicine, ethics, law, and sociology as well as health care professionals.• Provides clear, easily understandable information for nonspecialist readers with sufficient detail to enable an understanding of the science behind the discoveries and the range of ethical problems they generate• Presents a dynamic mix of present or near-future case studies (fictional), scientific explanations, and discussions of ethics• Addresses topics that are frequently in the media, such as cloning, organ transplantation, and genetic modification, and clarifies concepts that people have heard about but may not fully understand• Summarizes arguments in favor and against to allow readers to form their own opinions on important ethical debates