Young Murkuria discovers that the homeworld-bound Sunpyne harbors yet another stowaway. This time, it is the Human's lost pet cat, which is pregnant and dying from malnutrition. Murkuria succeeds in genetically altering the Earth cat's unborn zygotes so they can thrive on Aroriel's magnesium-rich foods. Seven kittens -- born to surrogate mother Iggie the Matissia -- bond to and communicate telepathically with Furlites of their own choosing. These exotic smart treasures which Murkuria dubs Felakoons, endear themselves to the proud Clan, proving to be far more than mere pets. However, as the Sunpyne and Sauri return from their first mission to the stars, anticipating awe, triumph, and glory, unexpected opposition to the new "alien" life throws the planet into strife and conflict such has not been seen in centuries. Will the Felakoons earn a place in Furlitian society, or be sterilized, and die out as a species before have barely begun to live? Some sexual content.

The cold distant world Aroriel -- where primate species never evolved -- has spawned a furry saurian race that now reaches for the stars. Commander Geupetus of Clan Darius, offered command of the first near-lightspeed Starship, hesitates to take the job, as Furlitian Law forbids his teen-aged twins Murkuria and Thorius from accompanying their Clan on this historic mission into interstellar space. Clan Darius, after careful deliberation as a family, driven by their rigid sense of military honor, discipline, and duty, decide they must squelch their emotions and accept the commission -- leaving the twins on Aroriel. Distraught, They conceives an outrageous plan to stow aboard the great Starship, and with their winged pet Matissia, become stowaways, causing the Sunpyne to crash land on an alien world, where saurian life like their own is long extinct, where primate beings that call themselves Human populate the planet. Will they ever see their beloved home again? Some sexual content

In the United States alone, burns are the third leading cause of death among children 0 to 14 years of age. In addition, each year greater than 125,000 children suffer serious burn injuries, with a disturbing percentage of those through abuse. Yet the number of specialized burn centers in the U.S. is not near enough to be in proximity or even accessible to the majority of these patients. The situation is even worse in most other regions of the world. Therefore, it is critical that the information in this book reaches as many caregivers as possible because treatment of burn injuries has undergone dramatic changes over time in every area, from surgical procedures to respiratory and fluid resuscitation and even nourishment and metabolic support. The ability to recognize and react appropriately to pediatric injury can greatly affect the outcome and prognosis, up to and including the patient's future quality of life. It is in this context that this comprehensive guide for the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of the burned child from Time Zero through Long-term Rehabilitation was put together. This book is essential for the medical professional involved in attaining the most positive outcome possible for their patients and their families.

Visual Branding pulls together analyses of logos, typeface, color, and spokes-characters to give a comprehensive account of the visual devices used in branding and advertising. The book places each avenue for visual branding within a rhetorical framework that explains what that device can accomplish for the brand. It lays out the available possibilities for constructing logos and distinguishes basic types along with examples of their use and evolution over time. Authors Edward McQuarrie and Barbara Phillips place visual branding within its historical context, covering the 120-year period since brand advertising first took modern form in the United States. Using copious real-life examples to illustrate how branding has evolved with the introduction of new technologies and opportunities, the book also critiques purely psychological perspectives on branding and explains how historical and rhetorical analyses can contribute new insights. This exploration of rhetoric as an alternative to economic and psychological perspectives in marketing, advertising, and consumer scholarship will be essential reading for students and scholars in graduate programs in marketing, advertising, and consumer psychology.

"The best book ever written about small business" is the superlative written by Esquire in a feature article profiling this best selling how-to book, written by the CEO of ten successful businesses. The usefulness of this entrepreneurial business manual has propelled Success in Small Business Is a Laughing Matter through four printings over two decades, making it a must-own classic.

Character: The Ultimate Success Factor demonstrates how character, expressed through perspective, action, and resilience, determines success. Based on the personal, corporate and military experiences of Dr. J. Phillip ("Jack") London, a successful defense industry executive, as well as many other real-life examples, the book presents the time-tested lessons behind character-driven success. The book insightfully explains that while a variety of factors form our abilities and influence the events in our lives, character is the key to long-term success. Character is a unique set of moral and ethical qualities that define what you believe in, what you stand for, and what you expect of yourself and others. London asserts that how you act on these qualities - your statement of character - will determine how far you will go; if you succeed or fail. Success is also uniquely defined as acting with honesty and integrity, performing to the best of your ability, and appreciating the people who helped you achieve your goals. Enduring success is never gained by unethical or unlawful means, for dubious purposes, or at great moral cost. The development of character-driven success is unveiled in 17 lessons grouped into five progressive sections. Based on the architectural wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch that holds the other pieces in place, the first section is titled Keystone: Character. Expressions of character, from personal behavior to the role and influence of others', form perspectives about success. The second section called Blueprint: Vision, adds the next step of deciding what you want to achieve. While taking the strategic steps of setting out the big picture, character is also developed by using judgment, dealing with change and the unexpected, and identifying unique opportunities to be distinctive. Structure: Action, the third section, focuses on the frequent challenges in achieving goals, such as struggles with taking the first steps, decisiveness, self-expression, and taking the lead. The value of our efforts is examined in the fourth section called Appraise: Resolve. Every so often we need, or are forced, to stop and assess things. Sometimes, it's assessing a risk. Other times, it's assessing whether to go any further. The final section, Build: Momentum, discusses the most important lesson; that we are building ourselves and our future, because we are all a work in progress. This is success in its most genuine and most realistic form.

In this complimentary novel to THE FURLITES OF ARORIEL series, young Kutius and his parents move to the small town of Gabbruss in the State of Burtsal, a place very different from the open farmlands he grew up on. Upset and angry, the youngster hates his new hometown, and hates new classmate, Murkuria of Clan Darius. She stows aboard her Clan's starship, disappearing from his life. Kutius, despite the bias against who he is, improves his life, leaving the musty home he abhorred. He finds peace in the city of Astrolis, until the Starship, thought lost, returns, carrying back into his life the girl he despises. His hatred rules him, and he connives to hurt her, her Clan, and the Felakoon abominations she brought home. He leaves the city, angry and anguished, but as he travels to escape his old life, a new one opens to him, and, despite the trials, proves to be full of extraordinary surprises. His only thought, when will that Darius girl drop in and ruin his life again?

Conventional wisdom holds that the "Lochner" Court illegitimately used the Constitution's due process clauses to strike down Progressive legislation designed to protect the poor and powerless against big business. This book systematically examines all of the U.S. Supreme Court's substantive due process cases from 1897 through 1937 and finds that they do not support long-held beliefs about the "Lochner" Court. The Court was more Progressive than commonly imagined, striking down far fewer laws on substantive due process grounds than is generally believed. The laws it overturned were not invariably social legislation, and relatively few due process cases involved freedom of contract. Moreover, Holmes, despite his reputation as a Great Dissenter, joined many of the cases striking down government action.

The book attacks three familiar normative criticisms of the "Lochner" Court. It accerts that (1) the Court's substantive due process decisions almost certainly were not motivated by a conscious desire to assist business by suppressing social legislation; only sometimes did the justices' nostalgia for laissez-faire lead to this result; (2) the conservative justices' understanding of business and government often exceeded that found in the typical Brandeis Brief; and (3) most applications of "Lochner"-era substantive due process cannot readily be described as illegitimate assertions of judicial power lacking justification in the due process clauses.

This is an exploration of the cultural representations of transvestism and transsexuality in modern screen media against a historical background. Focussing on a dozen mainstream films and on shemale Internet pornography, this fascinating study demonstrates the interdependency of our perceptions of transgender and its culturally constructed images.

The Phillips ROI Methodology(TM) utilizes five levels of evaluation, which are essential in determining the return on investment.
At Level 1 - Reaction and Planned Action, attendee and stakeholder satisfaction from the meeting can be measured. Almost all organizations evaluate at Level 1, usually with a generic, end-of-meeting questionnaire. While this level of evaluation is important as a "stakeholder" satisfaction measure, a favorable reaction does not ensure that attendees have acquired new skills, knowledge, opinions or attitudes from the meeting.
At Level 2 - Learning, measurements focus on what participants learned during the meeting using tests, skill practices, role-plays, simulations, group evaluations, and other assessment tools. A learning check is helpful to ensure that attendees have absorbed the meeting material or messages and know how to use or apply it properly. It is also important at this level to determine the quantity and quality of new professional contacts acquired and whether existing professional contacts were strengthened due to the meeting. However, a positive measure at this level is no guarantee that what was learned or whether the professional contacts acquired will be used on the job.
At Level 3 - Job Applications, a variety of follow-up methods can be used to determine if attendees applied on the job what they learned or acquired at the meeting. The frequency and use of skills are important measures at Level 3. While Level 3 evaluations are important to gauge the success of the meeting, it still does not guarantee that there will be a positive business impact in the organization or for the attendee.
At Level 4 - Business Results, themeasurement focuses on the actual business results achieved by meeting participants as they successfully apply the meeting material or messages. Typical Level 4 measures include output, sales, quality, costs, time and customer satisfaction. Although the meeting may produce a measurable business impact, there is still a concern that the meeting may cost too much.
At Level 5 - Return on Investment, this ultimate level of measurement compares the monetary benefits from the meeting with the fully-loaded meeting costs as expressed in the ROI formula.
All levels of evaluation must be conducted in order to determine the ROI of a meeting or event. The data collected should show a chain of impact occurring through the levels as the skills and knowledge learned (Level 2) are applied on the job (Level 3) to produce business results (Level 4).
* Introduces and demonstrates Jack J. Phillips's well-established ROI measurement methodology
* Addresses the growing demands from stakeholders to prove the value of meetings through data
* Endorsed by MPI (Meeting Professionals International)

This is the first book focusing on the ROI for technology investments written by a technology executive for technology decision makers with the support and guidance of the foremost authority in the discipline of Return on Investment. This book leverages the talents of both authors to provide a framework and methodology that can ensure greater success in mobilizing technology initiatives. There is no other book on the market that specifically addresses the critical need to prove ROI on resource intensive technology projects with a time-tested and industry leading methodology. To date, most ROI books have focused in the areas of human performance, training, marketing, and other human capital related disciplines.
With increased scrutiny of technology spending by the most complex organizations in the world, technology leaders need a 'tool kit' to help them prepare for hard-hitting discussions with their organization's CFO, president, CEO, or chairman about the return they should expect from critical technology projects. Rather than focusing top managers' attention on cutting, challenging, and controlling expenditures (as many C-level accountants prefer to do), this approach guides technology managers in providing executives with more comprehensive, balanced information that helps all involved make better business decisions. Along the way, it helps technology managers communicate more effectively with the financial decision makers in their organizations. The book also shows executives how partnering with IT leaders can help top management understand the return these technology projects can provide to the organization in increased human efficiency, automation of manual processes, unifiedorganizational data, and other high-return results from complex and critical technology initiatives.
At the same time, executives and IT professionals need to have their projects measured with a balanced perspective. While the ROI itself is very important, it's also important to capture intangibles related to the project, as well as information about application and implementation of the project. Even earlier in the cycle, it's important to capture reaction to the technology and the extent to which individuals have learned the technology. Together, these data sets represent a balanced profile of success, with ROI at the pinnacle.
* Globally renowned ROI institute methodology applied to technology
* Unique author combination of a technology executive for technology decision makers and the foremost authority on ROI
* Source of basic research techniques, applications, experiences and resources available to expose the value of key technology initiatives