What do the traditional plain-living Amish have to teach twenty-first-century Americans in our hyper-everything world? As it turns out, quite a lot! It sounds audacious, but it's true: the Amish have much to teach us. It may seem surreal to turn to one of America's most traditional groups for lessons about living in a hyper-tech world-especially a horse-driving people who resist "progress" by snubbing cars, public grid power, and high school education. Still, their wisdom confirms that even when they seem so far behind, they're out ahead of the rest of us. Having spent four decades researching Amish communities, Donald B. Kraybill is in a unique position to share important lessons from these fascinating Plain people. In this inspiring book, we learn intriguing truths about community, family, education, faith, forgiveness, aging, and death from real Amish men and women. The Amish are ahead of us, for example, in relying on apprenticeship education. They have also out-Ubered Uber for nearly a century, hiring cars owned and operated by their neighbors. Kraybill also explains how the Amish function in modern society by rejecting new developments that harm their community, accepting those that enhance it, and adapting others to fit their values. Pairing storytelling with informative and reflective passages, these twenty-two essays offer a critique of modern culture that is provocative yet practical. In a time when civil discourse is raw and coarse and our social fabric seems torn asunder, What the Amish Teach Us uproots our assumptions about progress and prods us to question why we do what we do. Essays include: 1. Riddles: Negotiating with Modernity 2. Villages: Webs of Well-Being 3. Community: Taming the Big "I" 4. Smallness: Bigness Ruins Everything 5. Tolerance: A Light on a Hill 6. Spirituality: A Back Road to Heaven 7. Family: A Deep and Durable Bond 8. Children: At Worship, Work, and Play 9. Parenting: Raising Sturdy Children 10. Education: The Way It Should Be 11. Apprenticeship: An Old New Idea 12. Technology: Taming the Beast 13. Hacking: Creative Bypasses 14. Entrepreneurs: Starting Stuff 15. Patience: Slow Down and Listen 16. Limits: Less Choice, More Joy 17. Rituals: A Natural Detox 18. Retirement: Aging in Place 19. Forgiveness: Pathway to Healing 20. Suffering: A Higher Plan 21. Nonresistance: No Pushback 22. Death: A Good Farewell

Do you remember Pathe News? Taking the train to the seaside? The purple stains of iodine on the knees of boys in short trousers? Knitted bathing costumes? Then the chances are you were born in or around 1950. To the young people of today, the 1950s seem like another age. But for those born around then, this era of childhood feels like yesterday. This delightful collection of photographic memories will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade; they include pictures of children enjoying life out on the streets and bombsites, at home and at school, on holiday and at events. These wonderful period pictures and descriptive captions will bring back this decade of childhood, and jog memories about all aspects of life as it was in post-war Britain. Paul Feeney is the author of several bestselling nostalgia books including A 1950s Childhood and A 1960s Childhood (The History Press). He has also written the bestselling From Ration Book to Ebook (The History Press), which takes a nostalgic look back over the life and times of the post-war baby boomer generation.

Essays by the foremost labor historian of the Black experience in the Appalachian coalfields.This collection brings together nearly three decades of research on the African American experience, class, and race relations in the Appalachian coal industry. It shows how, with deep roots in the antebellum era of chattel slavery, West Virginia's Black working class gradually picked up steam during the emancipation years following the Civil War and dramatically expanded during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From there, African American Workers and the Appalachian Coal Industry highlights the decline of the region's Black industrial proletariat under the impact of rapid technological, social, and political changes following World War II. It underscores how all miners suffered unemployment and outmigration from the region as global transformations took their toll on the coal industry, but emphasizes the disproportionately painful impact of declining bituminous coal production on African American workers, their families, and their communities. Joe Trotter not only reiterates the contributions of proletarianization to our knowledge of US labor and working-class history but also draws attention to the gender limits of studies of Black life that focus on class formation, while calling for new transnational perspectives on the subject. Equally important, this volume illuminates the intellectual journey of a noted labor historian with deep family roots in the southern Appalachian coalfields.

The familiar image of Cheltenham, a large and prosperous former spa town, world-famous on account of its Georgian and Regency architecture, its festivals and educational establishments, masks an earlier history. While numerous descriptions of the town have been published over the years, most say little about the many centuries of its existence before the 1740s, when it began to develop as a fashionable resort. This is the fullest account ever attempted to chronicle those centuries, from the late Saxon period until the 18th century. In this period, Cheltenham developed into a successful small town, ranged along a single main street, with the market and trades serving not only its own needs but also those of the surrounding countryside. It draws on a range of documentary sources preserved in local and national archives, many of them never examined in detail before. It therefore helps to explain the foundations upon which present-day Cheltenham was constructed.

Golden Mummies of Egypt presents new insights and a rich perspective on beliefs about the afterlife during an era when Egypt was part of the Greek and Roman worlds (c. 300 BCE-200 CE). This beautifully illustrated book, featuring photography by Julia Thorne, accompanies Manchester Museum's first-ever international touring exhibition. Golden Mummies of Egypt is a visually spectacular exhibition that offers visitors unparalleled access to the museum's outstanding collection of Egyptian and Sudanese objects - one of the largest in the UK. -- .

A well researched and intuitive study into the rise of a Yorkshire mining town, the effects of subsequent events and crucially, the responses of the community during the "Great Strike."

Enjoy a nostalgic look back at Allentown, Pennsylvania, during its "Golden Age," from the late 1890s through the 1950s. During this period, Allentown's citizens left behind their frugal Pennsylvania German traditions to take on the social and cultural trappings of the twentieth century. Capitalizing on a labor force swelled by an influx of immigrants, local entrepreneurs created many new businesses and factories. As their fortunes and aspirations grew, these men built large mansions, hotels, and public parks. Amusement parks sprang up, theaters were built on Hamilton Street, and Allentown became an All-American city with an upscale future. Over 360 images of vintage postcards and memorabilia bring this exciting time in Allentown's history to life.

Discover hidden gems around Bristol and Bath with 20 walking routes. Featuring 20 walks, including lesser-known circuits and details on popular walks. Accompanied by guided walking instructions and written by a local expert, A-Z Bristol & Bath Hidden Walks is the perfect way to explore the city in a new light. Small enough to fit in a bag or pocket, this handy guidebook is ideal for tourists or locals looking to discover more about the city. Each route varies in length from 1 to 6 miles (1.6 to 9.6 km), and is clearly outlined on detailed A-Z street mapping. * 20 walking routes with instructions and maps * Full-colour photographs of hidden gems and city attractions * Key sights and locations clearly marked on map * Information such as start/finish points, nearest postcodes, distance and terrain included More from the A-Z Hidden Walks series: A-Z Birmingham Hidden Walks A-Z Bristol & Bath Hidden Walks A-Z Edinburgh Hidden Walks A-Z London Hidden Walks A-Z Oxford Hidden Walks A-Z York Hidden Walks A-Z Brighton Hidden Walks A-Z Cambridge Hidden Walks A-Z Manchester Hidden Walks A-Z Liverpool Hidden Walks

In 1830, the little Hebridean island of Lismore was one of the granaries of the West Highlands, with every possible scrap of land producing bere barley or oats. The population had reached its peak of 1500, but by 1910, numbers had dwindled to 400 and were still falling. The agricultural economy had been almost completely transformed to support sheep and cattle, with ploughland replaced by the now familiar green grassy landscape. With reference to documentary sources, including Poor Law reports, the report of the Napier Commission into the condition crofters in the Highlands and Islands, as well as local documents and letters, this book documents a century of emigration, migration and clearance and paints an intimate portrait of the island community during a period of profound change. At the same time, it also celebrates the achievements of the many tenants who grasped the opportunities involved in agricultural improvement.

A historical overview of Mexican Americans' social and economic experiences in Texas For hundreds of years, Mexican Americans in Texas have fought against political oppression and exclusion--in courtrooms, in schools, at the ballot box, and beyond. Through a detailed exploration of this long battle for equality, this book illuminates critical moments of both struggle and triumph in the Mexican American experience. Martha Menchaca begins with the Spanish settlement of Texas, exploring how Mexican Americans' racial heritage limited their incorporation into society after the territory's annexation. She then illustrates their political struggles in the nineteenth century as they tried to assert their legal rights of citizenship and retain possession of their land, and goes on to explore their fight, in the twentieth century, against educational segregation, jury exclusion, and housing covenants. It was only in 1967, she shows, that the collective pressure placed on the state government by Mexican American and African American activists led to the beginning of desegregation. Menchaca concludes with a look at the crucial roles that Mexican Americans have played in national politics, education, philanthropy, and culture, while acknowledging the important work remaining to be done in the struggle for equality.

This isn't a history of Forfar. Instead it gives readers an excerpt, a sample, of what life was like on any given day of the year in a community that has been both a traditional market town and a major manufacturing centre for linen and jute. There is no hierarchy in what has been chosen - World Wars are interspersed with Church socials and cycling events, the affairs of Forfar Athletic and Strathmore Cricket club, tennis and golf. The facts and stories all have something to do with the town, and often its place in national history. Along the way, the reader will probably guess that the author is particularly interested in football, cricket, politics and the Great War. The photographs are augmented by period advertisements from local traders and tradesmen, illustrating the development of the businesses - and the demands of their customers - created by the rise of the major industries.

The University Archives was established in 1634. Based in the Bodleian Library, it is the institutional archive of Oxford University, holding records which span just over 800 years, documenting the University's activities and decisions throughout that time. Fifty-two documents and objects from the University Archives are showcased here, telling a wide range of intriguing stories about the University. Arranged chronologically, they deal with the University's relations with governments and monarchs; the effects of war; teaching and student behaviour; the University's buildings and institutions; widening access to university education; and the impact it has had on the city of Oxford and its people. Also documented here are fascinating insights into the University's erstwhile police force, a hidden time capsule, brewing licences, brawls and illicit steeplechasing. The items - all illustrated - also often unlock human stories to which we can relate today, opening a window on the individuals (from University, city, or even further afield) whose lives the University has touched, including people who would perhaps not be expected to feature in a history of Oxford University, but whose stories are preserved forever in its magnificent archives.

In "Guildford Life: Past and Present" Stan Newman delves into the fascinating history of what is arguably Surrey's most beautiful town. Building on the work of previous historians, Newman presents a compendium of life in Guildford, from the dark mystery of Agatha Christie's 1926 disappearance, to the jubilant arrival of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006.This is a celebration of the Guildford community - be it the bravery of its soldiers or the enthusiasm of Carnival Week performers - and a record of its change. Discover here the demise of once-loved pubs, or the transformation of quiet streets into bustling thoroughfares. As he moves through countless tales and anecdotes, Newman invites you to relive the joys of days gone by and explore the charms of today. With over 370 photographs detailing life from 1865 onwards, this is an invitation not to be missed. This is a collection of over 370 carefully chosen images. It offers a wonderful mix of moving stories and comic anecdotes.

The Radcliffe Camera is one of the most celebrated buildings in Oxford. Instantly recognizable, its great dome rises amid the Gothic spires of the University. Through early maps, plans and drawings, portraits, engravings and photographs this book tells the fascinating story of its creation, which took more than thirty years, and describes its subsequent place within Oxford University. Dr John Radcliffe was the most successful physician of his day. On his death in 1713 he directed that part of his large fortune should be used to build a library on a site at the heart of Oxford, between the University Church of St Mary's and the Bodleian. Early designs were made by the brilliant architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, who outlined the shape so familiar today: a great rotunda surmounted by Oxford's only dome. It would take decades to acquire and clear the site, and after Hawksmoor's death in 1736 the project was taken over by the Scottish architect James Gibbs, who refined the designs and supervised the construction of 'Dr Radcliffe's Library', creating, in the process, an architectural masterpiece and Britain's first circular library.

Where else but in America could a Jewish kid from Kansas, son of self-made, entrepreneurial parents and a grandson of Russian and Eastern European immigrants, end up as a congressman, secretary of agriculture, and chief lobbyist for Hollywood? In Laughing at Myself: My Education in Congress, on the Farm, and at the Movies Dan Glickman tells his story of a classical family background, religious heritage, and 'Midwestern-nice' roots, and how it led to a long and successful career in public service. Dan combines a steady sense of humor with serious reflection on his rise from the middle of nowhere to becoming a successful US politician and the first Jewish secretary of agriculture since Joseph served pharaoh in biblical times. Dan defines success as a willingness to listen, an ability to communicate ideas, and a yen for compromise. Dan has successfully navigated the worlds of congressional politics, cabinet-level administration, and the entertainment industry and offers readers the many tricks of the trade he has learned over the years, which will inform the understanding of citizens and help aspiring politicians seeking alternatives to the current crisis of partisanship. Dan is convinced that the toxicity seen in our current political culture and public discourse can be mitigated by the principles that have guided his life-a strong sense of humor (specifically an ability to laugh at himself), respect and civility for those who have different points of view, a belief system founded on values based on the Golden Rule, and a steadfast commitment to solve problems rather than create irreconcilable conflicts. While these values form the backbone of Dan Glickman's personal life and professional career, the real key to his success has been resiliency-learning from adversity and creating opportunities where none may have originally existed. Even though you never know what's around the corner, in Laughing at Myself Dan offers a bold affirmation that America is still a nation built on opportunity and optimism. Laughing at Myself affirms readers in their desire to move beyond just surviving to living life with purpose, passion, and optimism.

This book explores the recreation and subsequent development of the British Monarchy during the twentieth century. Contributors examine the phenomenon of modern monarchy through an exploration of the establishment and the continuing impact of the Windsor dynasty both within Britain and the wider world, to interrogate the reasons for its survival into the twenty-first century. The successes (and failures) of the dynasty and the implications of these for its long-term survival are assessed from the perspectives of constitutional, political, diplomatic and socio-cultural history. Emphasis is placed on the use of symbols and tradition, and their reinvention, and public reactions to their employment by the Windsors, including the evidence provided by opinion polls. Starting with George V, and including darker times such as the challenge of the abdication of Edward VIII, this collection considers how far this reign was a key transition in how the British royal family has perceived itself and its role through examination of the repackaging for mass consumption via the media of a range of state occasions from coronations to funerals, as well as modernization of its relations with the military.

In the early twentieth century so many dead bodies surfaced in the rivers around Aberdeen, Washington, that they were nicknamed the "floater fleet." When Billy Gohl (1873-1927), a powerful union official, was arrested for murder, local newspapers were quick to suggest that he was responsible for many of those deaths, perhaps even dozens-thus launching the legend of the Ghoul of Grays Harbor. More than a true-crime tale, The Port of Missing Men sheds light on the lives of workers who died tragically, illuminating the dehumanizing treatment of sailors and lumber workers and the heated clashes between pro- and anti-union forces. Goings investigates the creation of the myth, exploring how so many people were willing to believe such extraordinary stories about Gohl. He shares the story of a charismatic labor leader-the one man who could shut down the highly profitable Grays Harbor lumber trade-and provides an equally intriguing analysis of the human costs of the Pacific Northwest's early extraction economy.

" Among the darkest corners of Kentucky's past are the grisly feuds that tore apart the hills of Eastern Kentucky from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth. Now, from the tangled threads of conflicting testimony, John Ed Pearce, Kentucky's best known journalist, weaves engrossing accounts of six of the most notorior accounts to uncover what really happened and why. His story of those days of darkness brings to light new evidence, questions commonly held beliefs about the feuds, and us and long-running feuds -- those in Breathitt, Clay Harlan, Perry, Pike, and Rowan counties. What caused the feuds that left Kentucky with its lingering reputation for violence? Who were the feudists, and what forces -- social, political, financial -- hurled them at each other? Did Big Jim Howard really kill Governor William Goebel? Did Joe Eversole die trying to protect small mountain landowners from ruthless Eastern mineral exploiters? Did the Hatfield-McCoy fight start over a hog? For years, Pearce has interviewed descendants of feuding families and examined skimpy court records and often fictional newspapeputs to rest some of the more popular legends.