With about 70,000 domestic and international adoptions each year in the United States and Canada, adoption remains a major means of building families in both countries. Its continued success can be inferred not only from the yearly statistics, but from a report issued in 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau. To the surprise of many, the report announced the existence of 1.6 million adopted children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen. Written by a former social worker who has placed hundreds of children in foster and adoptive homes and a clinical psychologist who has counseled adopted children and parents, this book offers a comprehensive look at the adoption process by merging the best of social work with the best of psychology. Adoption can be a frustrating and intimidating undertaking for the unprepared. This guide provides prospective adoptive parents with the insider information that they need to navigate the process-and it provides students with the sort of expert opinion that they need to grasp the academic theory they receive in the classroom. Highlights include: An insider's look at the home study process Advice on single-parent adoptions Advice on gay parent adoptions Advice on parenting adopted children A look at adoption procedures in both the United States and Canada Information about international adoptions A directory of adoption agencies in the United States and Canada

Chips Moman's genius began in the studio, where he instituted technical innovations that forever changed the recording industry, but it expanded from there with an uncanny ability to recognize hit songs when he heard them as rough demos, and then blossomed with an unsurpassed string of hit records. He rescued Elvis Presley's career with his recordings of "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto," and he provided Willie Nelson with one of his most memorable signature songs, "Always on My Mind." Not bad for a Georgia country boy who dropped out of school in the eighth grade and hitchhiked to Memphis in search of the American Dream. "I think the Chips Moman story has provided me with the best book I have written since Colonel Tom Parker, which was purchased by Warner Bros. for its Elvis film starring Tom Hanks," says author James L. Dickerson. "I anticipate great interest in a movie based on Moman's story. Small wonder. He has been called the "Steve McQueen of the music business.'" By any measure-sales, multi-genre capability, number of hit records, technical innovation, artistry, etc.-Lincoln "Chips" Moman was the most important record producer in American history. With several hundred hits to his credit in pop, country, rhythm & blues, and rock, both from record production and songwriting, Chips Moman is legendary within the music industry. This biography is the story of his life. Early on, Chips Moman was a co-founder of Memphis's Stax Records, along with Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Moman found the location for the studio, organized the recording system, recruited the early talent and produced the legendary soul music record label's first two hits-"Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas and "Last Night," an instrumental by the Mar-Keys. As a record producer, he rescued Elvis Presley's career with hits such as "Suspicious Minds, "In the Ghetto," and "Kentucky Rain." He produced music icons such as Petula Clark and Dionne Warwick. In rock and pop he is associated with the Gentrys ("Keep on Dancing"), the Box Tops ("The Letter"), Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Sandy Posey ("Born a Woman" and "Single Girl" ), Paul Revere & The Raiders ("Goin' to Memphis"), Dusty Springfield ("Son of a Preacher Man"), Ringo Starr (an unreleased album which the author listened to and considers among Ringo's best; the album ended up in a celebrated court case); B.J. Thomas ("Hooked on a Feeling," "The Eyes of a New York Woman," and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." In country music, he produced Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" and numerous other albums; he originated the super group the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kristofferson) and produced two of their three albums; Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard (Pancho & Lefty), plus albums with Tammy Wynette, Gary Stewart, Brenda Lee and others. Moman also recorded a country album, as of now unreleased, with actor Robert Duvall, who got permission from Moman to use him as a model for the character he played in Tender Mercies, a role for which he was awarded an Oscar.

Although her mother, Naomi, and older sister, Wynonna, rose to fame as the country music duo the Judds, Ashley Judd took her own road to stardom, becoming one of Hollywood's most successful actresses. Discover the inside story of the actress who has starred in movies such as "Heat," "Kiss the Girls," "High Crimes" and "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Journey wilth her as she makes the transition from actress to social activist, addressing the General assembly of the United Nations on matters of the greatest importance. Learn the horror and disgust she felt when she learned her movie career had been crippled by a Hollywood mogul who orchestrated a smear campaign against her because she would not have sex with him.

When Dixie's Dirty Secret was first published in 1998, it was the first book to ever expose the super-secret Mississippi Sovereignty Commission and the involvement of the government, the right-wing news media, and organized crime in combating the civil rights movement. This newly published edition, with nearly 20 years of new information, is a revised, greatly expanded analysis of that era that demonstrates how white resistance to racial integration in the South transformed the Republican Party into a right-wing reflection of Old Confederacy values. In the United States, the Republican Party's "Southern Strategy" is now in full bloom, a reincarnation of Old Confederacy values that are based on states' rights, foreign isolation and the demonization of blacks. Dixie's Dirty Secret traces the moral and political disintegration of the Republican Party, beginning with a 1955 secret gathering in Memphis, Tennessee, and continuing to the present day transformation of the Republican Party into one that has adopted white identity as its major platform, in the process losing the respect of both the majority of Americans and the international community. Inspired by Mississippi's refusal to ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery until 1995, GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump opened campaign headquarters in Mississippi to learn how the state has "handled" its blacks. Was the idea to take the Mississippi Plan nationwide? In this book, learn how the state's white leadership, has blocked blacks from being elected to statewide offices for 138 years, how they have used the winner-take-all provision of the Electoral College to nullify black votes for president, and how through legal and social pressures they have created reservations for blacks similar to the ones created in another century for Native Americans. Mississippi has more black elected officials than any other state, but none of them are empowered to govern beyond their reservations. Dixie's Dirty Secret exposes the longest running political gambit in American history and paints a frightful picture of the future of the United States if the current trend in politics continues. How did the populist Democratic Party lose its blue collar and Southern base? How did the elitist, stiff-upper-lip Republican Party become a vehicle for racism and right-wing political anarchy?

The true life story of Elvis's original guitarist, the masterful Scotty Moore When Elvis Presley first showed up at Sam Phillips's Memphis-based Sun Records studio, he was a shy teenager in search of a sound. Phillips invited a local guitarist named Scotty Moore to stand in. Scotty listened carefully to the young singer and immediately realized that Elvis had something special. Along with bass player Bill Black, the trio recorded an old blues number called "That's All Right, Mama." It turned out to be Elvis's first single and the defining record of his early style, with a trilling guitar hook that swirled country and blues together and minted a sound with unforgettable appeal. Its success launched a whirlwind of touring, radio appearances, and Elvis's first break into movies. Scotty was there every step of the way as both guitarist and manager, until Elvis's new manager, Colonel Tom Parker, pushed him out. Scotty and Elvis would not perform together again until the classic 1968 "comeback" television special. Scotty never saw Elvis after that. With both Bill Black and Elvis gone, Scotty Moore is the only one left to tell the story of how Elvis and Scotty transformed popular music and how Scotty created the sound that became a prototype for so many rock guitarists to follow. Thoroughly updated, this edition delivers guitarist Scotty Moore's story as never before. Scotty Moore, Nashville, Tennessee, is the sole survivor of the Sun Records sessions of July 1954 during which he, Elvis Presley, and Bill Black, with Sam Phillips at the engineering sound board, blended country and blues into a new art form that would shake up American culture for decades to come. James L. Dickerson, Jackson, Mississippi, is a freelance author and journalist who has published dozens of books.

Screening applicants for adoption or foster homes has life-altering consequences for the children involved, yet there are incredibly few programs available to train screeners. The educational system that certifies thousands of social workers each year does not understand the specialized training required to screen adoptive and foster parents; social work schools provide minimal interview training and what training they do provide focuses on therapeutic interview techniques rather than screening skills. There is a clear need for a book like Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, one that can be incorporated into course requirements and used by working social workers and psychologists involved with adoption and foster parent screening. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, written by a former social worker, who has placed hundreds of children into adoptive and foster homes, and a clinical psychologist, meshes the best of psychology and social work experience into a definitive guide for screening adoption and foster home applicants. The book provides information on: evaluating aberrant behavior and unhealthy parenting attitudes interview techniques psychological testing. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening is based on case histories, research data, and interpretive analysis. The book is written in an accessible style free of technical language, thus making it appropriate for college-level students and professionals who don't have time to sift through empirical data to obtain accessible information that they can adapt to their profession.

A collection of stories shared by 25 country music stars in which they were embarrassed, often in the middle of a performance. Country music fans will enjoy this look at the occupational hazards of being an entertainer.

Chips Moman's genius began in the studio, where he instituted technical innovations that forever changed the recording industry, but it expanded from there with an uncanny ability to recognize hit songs when he heard them as rough demos, and then blossomed with an unsurpassed string of hit records. He rescued Elvis Presley's career with his recordings of "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto," and he provided Willie Nelson with one of his most memorable signature songs, "Always on My Mind." Not bad for a Georgia country boy who dropped out of school in the eighth grade and hitchhiked to Memphis in search of the American Dream. "I think the Chips Moman story has provided me with the best book I have written since Colonel Tom Parker, which was purchased by Warner Bros. for its Elvis film starring Tom Hanks," says author James L. Dickerson. "I anticipate great interest in a movie based on Moman's story. Small wonder. He has been called the "Steve McQueen of the music business.'" By any measure-sales, multi-genre capability, number of hit records, technical innovation, artistry, etc.-Lincoln "Chips" Moman was the most important record producer in American history. With several hundred hits to his credit in pop, country, rhythm & blues, and rock, both from record production and songwriting, Chips Moman is legendary within the music industry. This biography is the story of his life. Early on, Chips Moman was a co-founder of Memphis's Stax Records, along with Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Moman found the location for the studio, organized the recording system, recruited the early talent and produced the legendary soul music record label's first two hits-"Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas and "Last Night," an instrumental by the Mar-Keys. As a record producer, he rescued Elvis Presley's career with hits such as "Suspicious Minds, "In the Ghetto," and "Kentucky Rain." He produced music icons such as Petula Clark and Dionne Warwick. In rock and pop he is associated with the Gentrys ("Keep on Dancing"), the Box Tops ("The Letter"), Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Sandy Posey ("Born a Woman" and "Single Girl" ), Paul Revere & The Raiders ("Goin' to Memphis"), Dusty Springfield ("Son of a Preacher Man"), Ringo Starr (an unreleased album which the author listened to and considers among Ringo's best; the album ended up in a celebrated court case); B.J. Thomas ("Hooked on a Feeling," "The Eyes of a New York Woman," and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Someone Wrong Song." In country music, he produced Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" and numerous other albums; he originated the super group the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kristofferson) and produced two of their three albums; Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard (Pancho & Lefty), plus albums with Tammy Wynette, Gary Stewart, Brenda Lee and others. Moman also recorded a country album, as of now unreleased, with actor Robert Duvall, who got permission from Moman to use him as a model for the character he played in Tender Mercies, a role for which he was awarded an Oscar.

Katherine Summer had everything in life that she wanted--a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, an incredible island home in the Thousand Island region of the St. Lawrence River, an incredibly bright cocker spaniel named Bessie, and a wildly successful career as a landscape artist. All that changed in an instant, when a boating accident seemingly took the lives of her husband and daughter, leaving Katherine alone and heartbroken on the idyllic island that previously had provided her with so much joy and inspiration. Love on the Rocks takes place in the picturesque, castle-populated Thousand Islands region of Ontario/New York State. It follows Katherine through the process of sorting out her emotions as she overcomes her grief and seeks a meaningful new relationship, only to discover that the path to happiness requires her to choose between two men--an American psychologist who may lose his license because of his love for her, and a millionaire, "bad boy" Member of the Canadian Parliament being groomed for prime minister, who dazzles her with his charm. A focal point of the story occurs when Prince Harry and his wife make a cameo at a banquet and dazzle the guests with previously unknown talents. The choices that Katherine makes as she attempts to build a new life, while pursued by the police of both countries for failing to testify against the psychologist, will take the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions as she navigates the treacherous rocks of romance, unable to decide on a future that will not leave everyone involved shipwrecked by love lost. The surprise ending will take your breath away.

The winner of the 2006 IPPY Award for best non-fiction book from the South (presented by the Independent Publishers Association), the Mojo Triangle tells the true story--at long last--of the birth of the blues, rock 'n' roll, country and jazz! Draw a straight line from New Orleans to Nashville, then over to Memphis and back down to New Orleans, following the curves of the Mississippi River, and you have the Mojo Triangle, a phrase coined by the author in the early 2000's. "So much of what has been written about the music of the South is untrue," says Dickerson. "I wanted to set the record straight and put the development of the music in perspective. The Mojo Triangle is a land area in which all of America's original roots music was created: country, blues, jazz, and rock 'n' roll. How did this music come about? What is there about the Mojo Triangle that has contributed to the creation of so much original music?" The book points out that although the music itself was created in the geographical area defined by the Mojo Triangle, the two portals through which the various musical components entered and then morphed into the finished products were Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee, with the Natchez Trace serving as the main artery. Based on interviews with the recording artists, musicians, producers and songwriters who created and performed the music, it traces the development of the music from the early 1800s up to the present day. There is probably no author in history who has interviewed as many music legends and musicians as the author--and the reader benefits from that experience in a big way. Among the music legends who participate are: Al Green, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Chet Atkins, Ike Turner, Jack Clement, Marty Stuart, Mose Allison, Rita Coolidge, Roy Orbison, Scotty Moore, Tammy Wynette, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, Chips Moman, Billy Sherrill, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Jimme Vaughan, Willie Mitchell, Booker T. & the MGs, Bobby Womack, Estelle Axton, Dave Edmunds, Pinetop Perkins, Bobbie Gentry, and the list goes on and on. This incredible book, which contains rare photographs, some of which were taken by the author himself, not only allows the music greats themselves to express themselves about the music they made famous, it explains for the first time the development of America's music.

For over one hundred years, Memphis, Tennessee, has been the center of musical innovation for American popular music. From W. C. Handy to Alberta Hunter and Lil Hardin Armstrong, in the early years, to B. B. King in the late 1940s, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis in the 1950s, to Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs, and Al Green in the 1960s and early 1970s, Memphis music sizzled with a level of creativity unrivaled in the history of American music. For five decades of the city's marvelous music history, author James L. Dickerson was at ground zero, first as a high school rock musician and then as a student rhythm and blues musician at the University of Mississippi, where his band made history by becoming the first all-white musical group to perform at a black Memphis nightclub, and finally as a Memphis journalist, magazine publisher, and radio syndication owner, who had unparalleled access to many of the music greats of the latter half of the century. Memphis Going Down is told in the words of the record producers, performers, and songwriters themselves as they reflect on their lives and music and its impact on popular culture. You'll hear legendary record producers such as Chips Moman, Willie Mitchell, Sam Phillips, and Jim Stewart talk about the ups and downs of the industry. And you'll hear the artists themselves: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Bobby Womack, B. B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rufus Thomas, members of the Box Tops, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds go one-on-one with the author in an effort to understand the mysteries of Memphis music.