Batman is one of the most recognized and popular pop culture icons. Appearing on the page of Detective Comics #27 in 1939, the character has inspired numerous characters, franchises, and spin-offs over his 80+ year history. The character has displayed versatility, appearing in stories from multiple genres, including science fiction, noir, and fantasy and mediums far beyond his comic book origins. While there are volumes analyzing Batman through literary, philosophical, and psychological lenses, this volume is one of the first academic monographs to examine Batman through a theological and religious lens. Theology and Batman analyzes Batman and his world, specifically exploring the themes of theodicy and evil, ethics and morality, justice and vengeance, and the Divine Nature. Scholars will appreciate the breadth of material covered while Batman fans will appreciate the love for the character expressed through each chapter.

This book will explain the procedures in which leaders should use to develop their ministry while offering instructions in how this is done. The process will be different for each individual, and this is presented in the chapters of this book. Each chapter has its own issues expressed by way suggestions in how to concentrate on them. It presents the mode and characteristics of leaders and what appear to be their motives and concerns. The book displays leaders in many different ways, good and bad. It reveals that darkness is not always a see-less disposition, but, a self made category that place excuses and self made reasons for failure. You will love the descriptions given along with the circumstances incurred in these chapters, and may feel at some point in the book it is speaking about you...that's when you will realize how energizing it will be to the ones who have read this book

This book will lower your excitement about religion but will intensify your pursuit to establish the kingdom here on earth. I never cease to be amazed at how so many who say they are followers of Jesus Christ can believe that Jesus has stopped forgiving, healing, and calling leaders into His vineyards when there is so much to do. This book is here to let everyone know that He (Jesus) has not returned yet, but His power still generates in those who have accepted Him as their Lord and savior and are willing to hold on to the faith. Leadership style does not mean that the agenda is different. Many leaders today are uncomfortable with the presence of another approach to ministry. It calls for us to observe that all the apostles had different styles in approaching situations and difficulties; yet, the ministry of Jesus was their priority alone. Leadership, just as everyone else, will have to make adjustments as long as leading is on the agenda and in process.

As 300 million Americans squeeze into our country, and as single-person households outnumber parents with children, it's time to rethink our land use laws that favor the single-family house. This provocative book visits sites of recent controversies--from an immigration dispute in a Virginia suburb, to eminent domain in New York City, to illegal apartments in the backyards of California. Boudreaux explores how we could scrap the old housing bias in favor of affluent homeowners, and in its place harness the free market to provide for a greater variety of residences--apartments, townhouses, and mobile homes - for the twenty-first century.

The contemporary era of globalization demonstrates that the local and global aspects of business and government are increasingly intertwined. Over the past fifty years, international business has evolved from the realm of the largest multinational corporations to the base scenario; every business and every citizen who participates in economic activity--by creating, buying, and selling products and services--is now a member of the global economy. But moving our thinking and actions beyond the local sphere is both challenging and problematic; the international domain is more complex, and introduces a new dimension of risks and uncertainties. Yet it it also ripe for business opportunity and wealth creation for those who learn how to navigate in it. Globalization defines and makes sense of the workings of the global economy--and how it influences businesses and individuals on a local scale. Each chapter identifies common questions and issues that have gained exposure in the popular media--such as outsourcing, the high cost of international travel, and the impact of a fast-growing China--to illustrate underlying drivers and mechanisms at work. Covering international trade, national wealth disparities (the haves vs. the have-nots), foreign investment, and geographical and cultural issues, and supported with illustrations, maps, charts, a glossary and timeline of key events, this volume illuminates the dynamics of the global economy and informs readers of its profound impact on our daily lives.

Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and their Followers argues that the brands that find the most success on social media are the ones that acknowledge the real key to social media marketing-it's all about the followers. This collection, edited by Brandi Watkins, explores how social media has shifted power dynamics away from brands and to the consumers themselves, the social media users who choose to like, share, and engage with brands online. This dynamic has paved the way for the rise of the social media influencer (SMI)-while the influencers have the platform, the products, and the content, the followers are what keep them relevant and appealing to brands as a marketing strategy. Contributors discuss emerging trends in research related to the SMI and their followers; as the influencer marketing industry continues to grow and evolve, they argue, so too should our understanding of the influencer-follower relationship that makes this marketing strategy successful. Each chapter of this collection presents a variety of research perspectives, questions, and methodologies that can be used to analyze this trend. Scholars of media studies, communication, technology studies, celebrity studies, marketing, and economics will find this book particularly useful.

Blake Hudson just wants to serve his country well as a lawyer for the United States Justice Department-but when an unknown threat begins plotting his downfall, he must find who is setting him up before it costs him his life. Scavenger Hunt is a suspense novel chronicling the plight of Blake Hudson, a Justice Department lawyer assigned to a clandestine counterterrorist group created to bypass onerous legal requirements. After the group mysteriously disbands, Hudson becomes the scapegoat and is transformed from hunter to hunted. As he searches for answers and attempts to piece the puzzle together, people are following him, trying to kill him. Written for fans of fast-paced thrillers, dry humor, political gamesmanship, and Clue-like twists and turns, Scavenger Hunt carves out a distinct niche best described as a hybrid of the Robert Ludlum classics and works by Brad Meltzer. Blake Hudson's story addresses issues that have shaped recent elections and continue to frustrate interest groups and government leaders, while featuring the inner workings of the U.S. Department of Justice Building-arguably the most important and misunderstood agency in the federal government. Author Chad Boudreaux's unique voice and page-turning storytelling packs a plot-driven punch that readers won't be able to put down.

The political process focuses on the ways that people come together to engage in collective decision making in a variety of contexts. The central elements of the political process include: the formation of rules, the subsequent interactions that take place within those rules, and the evolution of rules over time. Scholars working in the area of Virginia political economy-e.g., James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock-emphasize the importance of applying the tools of economics to non-market settings, including politics. Scholars in this tradition focus on both politics and economics to understand the formation of political rules-constitutional political economy-as well as the subsequent play within those rules-public choice. Scholars in the Bloomington School-most notably, Elinor and Vincent Ostrom-have emphasized three important aspects of the political process and political order. The first is the distinction between "rules in form" and "rules in use." The rules in form refer to codified rules while the rules in use refer to the rules that people actually follow in their daily lives. Together, these dynamics generate the political order. The chapters in this volume explore and engage the key thinkers and ideas of the Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy. The diversity in topics and approaches will make the volume of interest to readers in a variety of fields, including economics, entrepreneurship, history, political science, and public policy.

Intelligent Manufacturing is part of the Advanced Manufacturing Series edited by Professor D.T. Pham of the University of Wales, College of Cardiff. This publication exposes the major issues associated with programming environments for manufacturing and illustrates specific software systems developed for industrial application. Clear and concise statements are made on the state-of-the-art and recent trends in manufacturing languages and programming environments. The book discusses the diverse approaches that are currently under consideration in North America and Europe. It gives the reader an understanding of how manufacturing languages can be used to integrate computer controlled machines and intelligent sensors in automated manufacturing systems including machine tools, robots, inspection and material handling equipment.