Successful survivors speak for themselves in this exhaustive study of the lives, attitudes, and lifestyles of more than 500 centenarians. A product of the late pioneer gerontological researcher Belle Boone Beard's over forty years of teaching, study, research, and writing in the field of aging, the book extends the author's belief that centenarians have a grasp of the essence of life itself. The volume, not a statistical research report, is based on the largest collection of data on centenarians to date. The centenarians describe their characteristics, lifestyles, and personal philosophies in response to questions such as: What characteristics and daily living patterns aided their longevity? and Do centenarians have answers about survival and successful living? Separate sections address the areas of health, education, socioeconomic status, work, social life, philosophy, romance, and individuality. Beard's insights regarding the personal characteristics and principles by which centenarians live contain some unexpected findings in the areas of social relationships and social environments. This posthumously edited volume is faithful to Beard's goals, writing style, and content themes. The five-part volume begins with an introduction that contains an overview of centenarians from the point of view of the author's forty years of study. Part II describes some of the personal characteristics of centenarians' daily lives and points up important commonalities in actions, thought, and goals. Centenarians' contributions in the areas of work, family, and community are presented in Part III, which highlights their imagination, work ethic, and persistent romantic feeling about all of life. The focus of Part IV is on the relationship between personal growth achievements and national history. The last part reports on the study's findings and suggests further research implications. The appendices contribute documentation, fifteen short stories by or about centenarians, and a form for contacting the Belle Boone Beard Gerontology Center. Excellent supplemental reading for courses in Interdisciplinary Gerontology, Sociology of Aging, Psychology of Aging, and Demographics, this volume will also be of interest to any reader who wishes to learn about the correlates of extreme longevity.

With the onset of World War II, African Americans found themselves in a struggle just to be allowed to fight for their country. Individuals like Lt. General Leslie McNair and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt fought against the military's discrimination, arguing that the nation could little afford to overlook such an important source of strength. Their eventual success took the form of a military experiment designed to determine whether African Americans were as capable as white soldiers. The 784th was one tank battalion formed as a result. Part of an effort to chronicle the history of the first African Americans to serve in armored units, this history recounts the service of the 784th Tank Battalion. Replete with observations and comments from veterans of the battalion, it paints a vivid picture of World War II as seen through the eyes of soldiers who had to confront second-class treatment by their army and fellow soldiers while enduring the horrors of war. It details the day-to-day activities of the 784th Tank Battalion, describing basic training, actual combat, occupation and, finally, the deactivation of the unit. Special emphasis is placed on the ways in which these war experiences contributed to the American civil rights movements of the 1960s.

A collection of three wonderfully festive stories from Eva Ibbotson, the bestselling author of Journey to the River Sea. With a beautiful cover by Joe Wilson and inside illustrations, The Christmas Star is a wonderful gift to treasure at Christmas and all year round. In the first story, Vicky and the Christmas Angel, a young Viennese girl discovers, to her horror, who really brings the children's presents at Christmas. In The Christmas Star a family encounters a fortune teller at the local Christmas market who changes their lives. The Great Carp Ferdinand is a story about a hero with a difference as it follows the impact that Ferdinand - the carp intended for the Mannhaus family's Christmas dinner - has on the household in the lead-up to Christmas.

This is a comprehensive record of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first African American armored unit to enter combat. Assigned at various times to the Third, Seventh and Ninth armies, the ""Black Panthers"" fought major engagements in six European countries and participated in four major Allied campaigns, inflicting 130,000 casualties on the German army and capturing or destroying thousands of weapons, despite severe weather, difficult terrain, heavily fortified enemy positions, extreme shortages of replacement personnel and equipment, and an overall casualty rate approaching 50 percent. Richly illustrated and containing many interviews with surviving members of the 761st, this work gives long overdue recognition to the unit whose motto was ""Come Out Fighting."" It recounts the events that in 1978-33 years after the end of World War II - led to the 761st Tank Battalion's receiving a Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive. Also described are the efforts that resulted, in 1997-53 years after giving his life on the battlefield - in the Medal of Honor being posthumously awarded to Sergeant Ruben Rivers.

In 1941, the U.S. Army activated the 758th Tank Battalion, the first all-black tank battalion. This took years of protests and a lot of political clout because African Americans had to fight for the right to fight. Segregation and discrimination had reached critical levels and the Pittsburgh Courier called for the "Double V Campaign." It appealed for victory abroad against the forces of global domination and victory at home against racism. Two other all-black tank battalions joined the 5th Tank Group, the 761st in 1942 and the 784th in 1943. The 758th fought the Nazis and the Fascists in Northern Italy from the beautiful beaches of the Liguria Sea through the Po Valley and up into the rugged Apennine Mountains. They breached the Gothic Line with the 92nd "Buffalo" Infantry Division. Victorious over history's most racist regimes, many black service members returned home with hopes of a more tolerant nation. Most were bitterly disappointed. Segregation was still the law of the land; racism was alive and well. For many black veterans, disappointment became determination to fight discrimination with the same sense of purpose that had defeated the Axis. After the war they deactivated but unlike their sister battalions, the 761st and 784th, they were reborn in the 64th Tank Battalion keeping their distinguished unit insignia, a black rampant elephant head with white tusks and the scrolled motto - "We Pierce." And reborn again as the 64th Armored Regiment comprised of four separate battalions, the 1/64th, 2/64th, 3/64th, and 4/64th. The ancestral 758th Tank Battalion established in 1941 began with the rudimentary Stuart light tank, advanced to the Sherman medium tank, the Pershing medium/heavy tank, the Patton main battle tank, and now to the ultra-modern Abrams main battle tank. They went from the meek 37 millimeter cannon to a technically advanced 120 millimeter main gun augmented by a thermal viewer, an inter-vehicle tracker, a guided missile system, and other high-tech devices. This unit fought racial discrimination up until it became integrated in 1953, although discrimination continued at the individual level, the unit overcame it. They entered the Korean War to fight for Democracy ironically a segregated unit but returned to the United States fully integrated.

An Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Academy Award-contending short film. In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing. As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today. With illuminating words and stunning illustrations by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.

When twelve-year-old Rixon's great-uncle leaves him an island in his will, Rixon can't quite believe it. Things get even more confusing when the mysterious island can only be located on a very ancient map, and only then by using a big magnifying glass. Does the island actually exist? And if so, does it really belong to him? There's only one thing for it. Rixon is going to have to go there and find it for himself. And what he finds when he gets there might just hold the key to the future of the planet: four children hidden away from society with an altogether different set of values. But soon Rixon is fighting for his own life, left in a cave with a rising tide, floating out to sea on a leaky inflatable and fending off the attacks of a multimillionaire tech giant and his super yacht. Can Rixon keep the island's secrets? And will he even want to. . .?

Unlike any other resource on the market, AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO HEALTH SCIENCES, 2E takes an all-in-one approach to preparing learners for careers in the health care industry. The book identifies the four basic building blocks of Health Sciences: anatomy and physiology, math, chemistry, and medical microbiology and then presents them in the context of health professions. Medical terminology and physics concepts are also covered. Rich illustrations, theory, practical applications, and humorous anecdotes all join together to help learners connect with the material as they learn it, fostering increased retention and comprehension. As a result, learners will gain valuable knowledge while also getting access to an insider look at health careers through the book's professional profiles. Exercises and case studies complement the comprehensive coverage and sharpen critical thinking skills, making this a complete package for anyone aiming to develop a foundational knowledge in the health sciences. Benefits: NEW Expands content with new chapters on Medical Microbiology and Infection Control and additional clinical related math concepts. NEW Reinforces concepts with StudyWARE? CD-ROM that contains interactive animations and videos that are integrated with the text. NEW Brings material to life with an exciting new text design and vivid, updated color illustrations, photos, and tables. NEW Offers deeper insights and anecdotes with new "Quotes and Notes" sections containing unique health and science-related facts and stories. Engages learners with user-friendly, conversational writing style rich with analogies and real-world stories. Enhances learning with strong pedagogical features, including objectives, key terms, and chapter reviews. Integrates major academic subjects and applies them to the "real world" of health sciences to create a total learning package. NEW Reinforces concepts with StudyWARE? CD-ROM that contains interactive anim