Congress adjourned on 18 May 1852 for Louisa Catherine Adams's funeral, according her an honor never before offered a first lady. But her life and influence merited this extraordinary tribute. She had been first the daughter-in-law and then the wife of a president. She had assisted her husband as a diplomat at three of the major capitals of Europe. She had served as a leading hostess and significant figure in Washington for three decades. And yet, a century and a half later, she is barely remembered. A Traveled First Lady: Writings of Louisa Catherine Adams seeks to correct that oversight by sharing Adams's remarkable experiences in her own words. These excerpts from diaries and memoirs recount her early years in London and Paris (to this day she is the only foreign-born first lady), her courtship and marriage to John Quincy Adams, her time in the lavish courts of Berlin and St. Petersburg as a diplomat's wife, and her years aiding John Quincy's political career in Washington. Emotional, critical, witty, and, in the Adams tradition, always frank, her writings draw sharp portraits of people from every station, both servants and members of the imperial court, and deliver clear, well-informed opinions about the major issues of her day. Telling the story of her own life, juxtaposed with rich descriptions of European courts, Washington political maneuvers, and the continuing Adams family drama, Louisa Catherine Adams demonstrates why she was once considered one of the preeminent women of the nineteenth century.

This book provides a practical approach for applying posthumanist insights to qualitative research inquiry. Adams and Thompson invite readers to embrace their inner - and outer - cyborg as they consider how today's professional practices and everyday ways of being are increasingly intertwined with digital technologies. Drawing on posthuman scholarship, the authors offer eight heuristics for "interviewing objects" in an effort to reveal the unique - and sometimes contradictory - contributions the digital is making to work, learning and living. The heuristics are drawn from Actor Network Theory, phenomenology, postphenomenology, critical media studies and related sociomaterial approaches. This text offers a theoretically informed yet practical approach for asking critical questions of digital and non-digital things in professional and personal spaces, and ultimately, for considering the ethical and political implications of a technology mediated world. A thought-provoking and innovative study, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of technology studies, digital learning, and sociology.

An appealing board book that helps young readers learn about bugs. A beautiful board book for babies and toddlers, featuring amazing photos of New Zealand bugs in the collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. With text in both English and te reo Maori, it is a perfect gift for any baby and its family.

In Welcome to Earth School, author, Catherine Adams reveals how the Earth is dedicated to the education of your soul. The moment you were born here, you began your Earth School curriculum. Every day of your life is a gift of time and opportunity to attend Classes such as Courage, Love or Patience, and gather wisdom for the growth of your soul. The actual purpose of life is to create with your thoughts, words and actions. Everything we encounter throughout the day is a spiritual opportunity. Every moment challenges us to rise to our highest, to choose strength over weakness, wisdom over ignorance, and love over fear. This book examines the source of life itself, how you came into Being and the purpose of your creation. This fresh perspective of your unique soul journey encourages you to live a life of greater meaning. It reveals what gifts and tools of Spirit are available to assist you in every moment and will open your mind to the reality that your life has a greater purpose. With the knowledge of who you are, why you are in School and what your soul hopes to attain, the reality of an eternity of purpose becomes part of your everyday life. Attending Earth School holds the promise of possibility. No one can take the journey to enlightenment for anyone else. It must be discovered and experienced individually. The path to Light and beauty is as important as the destination. As you pursue knowledge and wisdom, your education on the Earth Campus offers you the opportunity to add enlightenment to your spirit and illumination to your soul. This is why we go to Earth School-to create with your life, face your fears and perfect your soul. That is why your life is a journey. You start at the beginning and create your life, one-step at a time. You decide which paths take you forward, backward, sideways, or you can choose to remain stationary. Although we get many chances in one lifetime to learn, the Creator does not limit our possibilities to one life. We are loved too much to be told, "You are done, and you have no more chances." We also have the gift of Angelic support. Our Guardian Angel is a beam of Light, fully connected to the Creator, yet responding to us. Angels are not separate from the Creator, but are an extension of God. They are like a hand reaching down from the source of Light from which souls are created. These Beings of Grace are an expression of The Creator's energy. They stretch from Him to wherever they are needed. This is how God is in every place, in every moment, with every soul. Light Beings of Grace are present, yet non-intrusive, to allow our free will. They are always standing by us in Earth School as we discover our true self and explore our opportunities In discovering her gifts of spirit, Catherine began to embrace her Earth School education with her entire Being. It brought to her life limitless wealth in the experience of the Unity of Souls. In seeing the path of more than 5,000 souls that came to her for encouragement, she witnessed their personal stories and gained a deeper understanding of the Universe. In following her soul path, she became a strong Advocate for souls. To be a Soul Advocate is to choose to embrace the highest good for all souls. This book stems from her desire to help all of us live as fully as possible, to encourage the world to be a better, more compassionate place and to help each other live mindfully. This is the spiritual calling of her soul. Welcome to Earth School will help you to: Become what you wish to be - one thought, one intent, one act at a time. Aspire to become enlightened - one class, one lesson, one journey at a time. Better yourself - one action, one moment, one hour, one day at a time. As the days add up, your thoughts will take root and grow. Your intentions will come to fruition, and your moments will be profound and filled with purpose.