The follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Phoenix Island," which reads like ""Lord of the Flies" meets Wolverine and "Cool Hand Luke"" (F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack) and inspired the CBS TV show "Intelligence."
With a chip in his head and hundreds more throughout his body, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman was turned from an orphan with impulse control issues into a super-soldier. Forced into the mercenary Phoenix Force group, he begins to fear he'll never escape. Sent to a volcanic island to fight for them, he'll compete in a combat tournament that awards teens with survival for merciless brutality. But just when all looks lost, he spies a friendly face...and possibly a way out.

With the end of the 20th century, Dixon and Scheurell decided it was an opportune time to critically assess what governments have achieved with their plethora of public social welfare policies. While Marxist socialists, democratic socialists, social democrats, and reluctant collectivists were all eager, at various times, to construct their vision of the ideal society, the idea of state welfare was slow to take root. As Dixon and Scheurell point out, at the turn of the century, only a handful of industrializing countries were willing to grapple with the problems of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. Two world wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s, however, sensitized many societies to the human, social, and even political costs of un-met social welfare needs. Thus, the milieu needed for the birth of state welfare came into existence, first in Western Europe, then in Australasia, followed by North and South America and, finally, in parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

The state welfare dream was that citizenship would guarantee every individual a secure lifestyle, with a minimum degree of insecurity, and the wherewithal to develop to the greatest possible extent as individuals and as members of society. It is, Dixon and Scheurell argue, the most significant set of social institutions developed in the 20th century. Admittedly, it is one that had within it the seeds of its own potential destruction--the vicious circle of growing welfare dependency, increasing state control, deepening poverty, and the emergence of an intractable underclass--that has legitimized calls for the individualization of the social. Undoubtedly, this collection of essays on key states, charting the rise and fall of state welfare, examines a monumental 20th century event and will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and students involved with social welfare issues, as well as policy makers and concerned citizens.

Dixon and his colleagues provide a behaviorist perspective on governance. Their concern is with the governed's responses to those who seek to govern them-their governors-and the counter responses that they induce from the governors. They take as axiomatic that the governed are not a homogenized and amorphus them in the them-us dichotomy, reduced to what Carlyle called a dead logic formula, thereby, for the purpose of this analysis, leave begging all the relevant questions.

The governed are not a disembodied abstraction; they are an aggregate of men and women of flesh and blood. In a corporation, they are corporate directors (whose governors are those who own or, perhaps, have a stake in that corporation), corporate managers (whose governors are the corporate directors), corporate employees (whose governors are the corporate managers). In a society, they are individuals or groups of individuals, perhaps in corporations, located within its jurisdiction (whose governors are the members of societal politial and administrative elites). At the global level, they are individuals or groups of individuals in countries and corporations within the jurisdiction of international governmental organizations and international regimes (whose governors are those who seek to control those global governance mechanisms). Whether the governed's response to their governors' processs is one of compliance or antagonism, and how the governors response to any antagoism, has implications for governance capacity, good governance, and governability. A provocative study that will be of interest to students and scholars of political theory, international relations, and management and organizational theory as well as those who are concerned with issues of goverance at all levels, corporate, societal, and global.

WINNER OF THE BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL John Dixon's critically acclaimed Phoenix Island reads like "Lord of the Flies meets Wolverine and Cool Hand Luke" (F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack). For fans of The Bourne Identity, Alex Rider, and Melissa Marr. The judge told Carl that one day he'd have to decide exactly what kind of person he would become. But on Phoenix Island, the choice will be made for him. A champion boxer with a sharp hook and a short temper, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman has been shuffled from foster home to foster home. He can't seem to stay out of trouble--using his fists to defend weaker classmates from bullies. His latest incident sends his opponent to the emergency room, and now the court is sending Carl to the worst place on earth: Phoenix Island. Classified as a "terminal facility," it's the end of the line for delinquents who have no home, no family, and no future. Located somewhere far off the coast of the United States--and immune to its laws--the island is a grueling Spartan-style boot camp run by sadistic drill sergeants who show no mercy to their young, orphan trainees. Sentenced to stay until his eighteenth birthday, Carl plans to play by the rules, so he makes friends with his wisecracking bunkmate, Ross, and a mysterious gray-eyed girl named Octavia. But he makes enemies, too, and after a few rough scrapes, he earns himself the nickname "Hollywood" as well as a string of punishments, including a brutal night in the "sweatbox." But that's nothing compared to what awaits him in the "Chop Shop"--a secret government lab where Carl is given something he never dreamed of. A new life...A new body. A new brain. Gifts from the fatherly Old Man, who wants to transform Carl into something he's not sure he wants to become. For this is no ordinary government project. Phoenix Island is ground zero for the future of combat intelligence. And for Carl, it's just the beginning...

This volume examines current trends in social security programs around the world. An international group of contributors provide (1) historical perspectives on the development of social security programs (looking at the U.S., Japan, and South Korea); (2) national overviews of programs as adapted to specific populations (in Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Zimbabwe, Yugoslavia, and Malaysia); and (3) specific program analyses (long term care in Britain, health care in Sweden, and industrial accident benefits as developed in Brazil). The discussions highlight the need to evaluate the impact of social security programs on the general population, as well as on specific population groups. This work will be of interest to scholars and policy-makers in social welfare and public policy.

In this book, internationally renowned scholars and practitioners elaborate on political as well as managerial questions, e.g. how to make overriding Public Governance changes the 'guiding model' for a now needed stronger strategic approach. More specifically, their focus is on how moves towards a re-positioning as an enabling authority are to be made drivers for adapting management systems across all levels. In accordance with present developments, the authors explain how changes in the overall governance structure have to be used to adapt leadership practices in a more output-oriented or even entrepreneurial fashion. Overall, the underlying idea is to provide some further basics for a public sector type of a design-oriented management science.

Before entering the seemingly lucrative Chinese market, investors should be aware of the darkside of the current business environment. The risk of rampant corruption, economic, social and political problems, and threat to personal safety go along with the potential benefits of a thriving economy, rapid growth and swelling consumer demand. Dixon and Newman describe the Chinese business environment and its major players--the People's Liberation Army, the 'princelings'--and 'guanxi' (connections). In addition, they describe the plight of foreign business people who have recently found themselves in ugly personal situations because of China's lack of internationally accepted business practices and ethics, lack of institutionalized rule of law, and lack of an impartial law enforcement system. They conclude that any prospective business rewards must be discounted by the personal and personnel risks foreign businesses face when dealing with China.

Agricultural development research aims to generate new knowledge or to retrieve and apply existing forms of knowledge in ways that can be used to improve the welfare of people who are living in poverty or are otherwise excluded, for instance by gender-based discrimination. Its effective application therefore requires ongoing dialogue with and the strong engagement of men and women from poor marginal farming communities.

This book discusses opportunities afforded by effective knowledge pathways linking researchers and farmers, underpinned by participatory research and gender analysis. It sets out practices and debates in gender-sensitive participatory research and technology development, concentrating on the empirical issues of implementation, impact assessment, and institutionalisation of approaches for the wider development and research community. It includes six full-length chapters and eight brief practical notes and is enhanced by an annotated resources list of relevant publications, organisations, and websites adding to the portfolio of approaches and tools discussed by the contributors. Most of the 33 contributing authors work in the specialised agencies that form part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

This book was published as a special issue of Development in Practice.

Much could be gained from the privatization of social security--but can the gains actually be delivered? Dixon, Hyde, and their contributing authors take a balanced look at where we are now, and where we seem to be moving, on the issues of social security privatization and come up skeptical. There will be tradeoffs, but will the benefits outweigh the costs? Their volume examines a variety of settings in Latin America, Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa, where the marketization of social security appears most hotly contested. As a contribution to this new, energetic gobal policy discourse, the book will be of special interest to policymakers in the public and private sectors, and particularly in organizations where concerns about the growing cost of employee benefits have become critical.

Dixon, Hyde, and the others start by showing how the concept of social security has changed dramatically over the last 20 years--not just in the United States but throughout the world. The collectivist ideology that has long underpinned social security policy has been challenged by the emergence of an ideology of individualism. But can one presume that the desires of government to privatize are driven purely by the need to achieve neoliberal policy goals by that means? Too simplistic, say the contributors. Marketization offers the promise of reduced dependency on the state, reduced public expenditure and thus lower taxes, enhanced competitiveness internationally, more efficient delivery of social security services, and other advantages--but whether these promises would be kept seems to depend on a variety of factors. Among them, explored in this volume, are the level of development and sophistication of the capital markets, the degree of market competition that can be achieved and sustained, and the capacity of the state to develop and implement governance mechanisms to ensure that private providers act in the public interest. The volume also examines two daunting challenges to governments: how to design a set of regulations that can protect the public interest in perpetuity, and how to resist the calls for government subsidies to support the economic rent expectations of privatized providers. The contributors and editors develop these and other points concisely and readably, and in doing so offer important lessons from the experiences of others worldwide.

This revised and updated guide to the environmental economics of development projects demonstrates how the environmental impacts of projects can be translated into monetary values. The theoretical bases are examined, and the techniques themselves given detailed exposition, supported by extensive case studies illustrating a wide range of applications. The text should become a useful complement to all standard forms of project analysis.

In the twelfth century, a French poet wrote a verse romance about a young knight who witnesses a mysterious procession centered on a radiant vessel, a "grail." Left unfinished, the poem inspired other writers of prose and verse, until the story was completely rewritten into the Arthurian romances, in which the vessel becomes a relic of the Last Supper, the Holy Grail. For hundreds of years, the Grail story has haunted the western imagination. But the original medieval texts are full of inconsistencies, as different writers attempted to complete the story in varied ways. This dictionary illuminates a path through the Perilous Forest of literature and legend. Entries summarize the stories of the principal characters, sacred objects and places associated with the Grail. An Afterword shows how mysteries of the grail continue to enchant the scholars and creative writers who have transformed the medieval legend into modern mythology.

Dixon examines the social security systems of 172 countries. Focusing on the diverse array of approaches existing today, he explores global social security patterns, recent developments, and future issues, and he assesses and ranks social security programs and systems. By providing a global perspective on social security, Dixon enables scholars, students, and social security administrators to place national and perhaps regional social security policy debates into their larger, regional and global settings. The volume is intended for scholars and graduate students in the broad fields of social work, social welfare, and social security.

Getting published is crucial for success in biomedicine. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced writer, you will find this book has fresh, practical tips on everyday issues. Based on the authors' successful training courses and extensive experience of healthcare communications, this book will answer your questions and help you to avoid the most frequent problems and pitfalls. The book is designed to be very practical, and to be used when you are actually writing. It does not need to be read straight through from beginning to end before you get started. Instead, just dip into any chapter and you will find a range of tips relevant to the material you are working on right now.

The political and legislative changes which took place in South Africa during the 1990s, with the dissolution of apartheid, created a unique set of social conditions. As official policies of segregation were abolished, people of both black and white racial groups began to experience new forms of social contact and intimacy. By examining these emerging processes of intergroup contact in South Africa, and evaluating related evidence from the US, Racial Encounter offers a social psychological account of desegregation. It begins with a critical analysis of the traditional theories and research models used to understand desegregation: the contact hypothesis and race attitude theory. It then analyzes every day discourse about desegregation in South Africa, showing how discourse shapes individuals' conception and management of their changing relationships and acts as a site of ideological resistance to social change. The connection between place, identity and re-creation of racial boundaries emerge as a central theme of this analysis. This book will be of interest to social psychologists, students of intergroup relations and all those interested in post-apartheid South Africa.

The political and legislative changes which took place in South Africa during the 1990s, with the dissolution of apartheid, created a unique set of social conditions. As official policies of segregation were abolished, people of both black and white racial groups began to experience new forms of social contact and intimacy. By examining these emerging processes of intergroup contact in South Africa, and evaluating related evidence from the US, Racial Encounter offers a social psychological account of desegregation. It begins with a critical analysis of the traditional theories and research models used to understand desegregation: the contact hypothesis and race attitude theory. It then analyzes every day discourse about desegregation in South Africa, showing how discourse shapes individuals' conception and management of their changing relationships and acts as a site of ideological resistance to social change. The connection between place, identity and re-creation of racial boundaries emerge as a central theme of this analysis. This book will be of interest to social psychologists, students of intergroup relations and all those interested in post-apartheid South Africa.

This book addresses the long-standing global issue of poverty. An introductory chapter explores concepts and definitions of poverty, the subsequent chapters providing detailed examinations of poverty in ten different countries: UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malta, The Netherlands, The Philippines and Zimbabwe.
Each chapter follows a consistent format, to facilitate comparison and focuses on the following issues:-
* the socio-economic and historical context within which poverty exists
* the extent and nature of poverty
its causes
* the measures that have been taken to mitigate it.
This book will be essential reading for students of social policy and administration as well as development studies and anthropology.

This revised and updated guide to the environmental economics of development projects demonstrates how the environmental impacts of projects can be translated into monetary values. The theoretical bases are examined, and the techniques themselves given detailed exposition, supported by extensive case studies illustrating a wide range of applications. The text should become a useful complement to all standard forms of project analysis.

First published in 1987, this book analyses social welfare in the major countries of Africa, at that time. For each country it considers the ideological framework underlying the social welfare system and describes the historical development of both the system and the political and socio-economic context. Each chapter looks at the structure and administration of the systems in place and how these are financed. Contributions examine the nature of the different parts of the welfare system, surveying social security, personal social services, and the treatment of the following key target groups: the aged; those with disabilities and handicaps; children and youth; disadvantaged families; the unemployed; and the sick and injured. Each chapter concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness of the system considered. In this book, particular attention is paid to the role of foreign aid agencies and to missionaries, and to the special problems of poverty and famine in Africa.

First published in 1985, this book analyses social welfare in the major countries of Asia, at that time. For each country it considers the ideological framework underlying the social welfare system and describes the historical development of both the system and the political and socio-economic context. Contributions examine the nature of the different parts of the welfare system, surveying social security, personal social services, and the treatment of the following key target groups: the aged; those with disabilities and handicaps; children and youth; disadvantaged families; the unemployed; and the sick and injured. Each chapter concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness of the system considered.

This book is designed to help scientists get their biomedical papers published. It is intended to answer the commonest questions about scientific writing, and to help scientists avoid the most frequent problems and pitfalls.

First published in 1992, this book analyses social welfare in eight socialist countries, at that time: Czechoslovakia, China, Cuba, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, North Korea and the Soviet Union. For each country it considers the ideological framework underlying the social welfare system and describes the historical development of both the system and the political and socio-economic context. Each chapter looks at the structure and administration of the systems in place and how these are financed. This is followed by a consideration of the nature of different parts of the welfare system, a survey of social security, personal social services and the treatment of the following key target groups: the aged; those with disabilities and handicaps; children and youth; disadvantaged families; the unemployed; and the sick and injured. Each chapter concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness of the system considered.

First published in 1989, this book analyses social welfare in countries with highly developed economies, at that time. For each country it considers the ideological framework underlying the social welfare system and describes the historical development of both the system and the political and socio-economic context. Each chapter looks at the structure and administration of the systems in place and how these are financed. This is followed by a consideration of the nature of different parts of the welfare system, a survey of social security, personal social services and the treatment of the following key target groups: the aged; those with disabilities and handicaps; children and youth; disadvantaged families; the unemployed; and the sick and injured. Each chapter concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness of the system considered.