The reign of the Tokugawa shoguns was a time of statebuilding and cultural transformation, but it was also a period of ikki: peasant rebellion. James W. White reconstructs the pattern of social conflict in early modern Japan, both among common people and between the populace and the government. Ikki is the first book to cover popular protest in all regions of Japan and to encompass nearly three centuries of history, from the beginnings of the Tokugawa shogunate in the 1590s to the Meiji restoration. White applies contemporary sociological theory to evidence previously unavailable in English. He draws on the long historical record of peasant uprisings, using narrative interpretation and sophisticated quantitative analysis. By linking the texture of conflict to the political and economic regime the shoguns created, he casts doubt on competing interpretations of a contained, orderly society.

MASTER LEADERS (THE ART OF INFLUENCE) This book is for courageous people who have the passion and vision to lead others to success, and have the ability to influence and inspire those around them to be the very best they can be. Within these pages the reader will discover new and just published information on how to start up a company, lead a company or resurrect a company that has fallen on hard times. The international business world craves for a person of boldness and understanding. A person that not only overcomes daily challenges and adversity, but one that utilizes wisdom, integrity and character to take any enterprise to profitability. This manual takes the reader through each step that's required in becoming a master leader. Master leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary dreams, deep determination, resolve and great self confidence. They are people who teach and encourage others to be successful, year after year, and deliver results regardless of the climates they encounter. Inside the cover of this book, the reader will discover: The Master Leader (the true ruler of professional business) How the Master Leader sets up the office What to look for when hiring employees and salespeople Giving meetings to motivate and inspire The Master Leader ensures a team win How the Master Leader "closes" when needed Keeping the company successful and on track The Master Leaders' "Guide for Continued Success" Let this book help direct you into the command centers of international business, and allow you to take positive control as a self-made sovereign. A true leader who is fair, understanding, respected and clothed in compassion.

Description: How do we undergird Christian enthusiasm with Christian substance? Brief Christian Histories combines biblical and ecclesial history in a single volume, taking readers through 4000 years of our religion's history using four themes of interest: WHO has led us? HOW have we been guided ethically? WHAT have been our faith practices and pieties? WHERE have we interacted with culture, and to what effect? Reading any one chapter will give readers a feel for the Christian narrative as a whole. Reading two or more narratives will broaden readers' understanding of where we have come from--all to help understand this big religion of ours, deepen ourselves in it, and keep our faith fresh and moving forward. We move for God's New Order (basileia)--about which Jesus taught, for which he taught us to pray, and into which he invites our enthusiastic, substantive sojourning.

This compact book for laity introduces the major concepts of the Christian faith in a quick, easy-to-read fashion. The author begins with a brief overview of Christian history from biblical times to the present, with references to key people and events that shaped the faith. He follows this with sections on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. For each of these topics, he sketches the basic ideas of the Bible and then shows how Christians in different centuries and contexts have applied these ideas to their own lives and circumstances. Author James White shows us the variety of Christian ideas about God but puts it all in order so that laypeople can understand how it all fits together. The end result is an inspiring overview of Christianity in its theological diversity and its continuing relevance for today, showing believers just how rich this deep tradition of faith can be. The book includes discussion questions and a glossary and is ideal for use in adult study groups.