Pando is an inspiring tribute to a grove of quaking Aspen trees in Utah in the United States which are connected by their roots to form one of the world's oldest and largest living things. Author Kate Allen Fox engages readers’ senses to help convey the vastness of Pando, the challenges it faces, and how we all can be part of the solution. With lyrical poetry, Fox summarizes the science, action and compassion needed to save this wonder of nature.

At the very start of South Africa's constitutional democracy, openness and transparency had a special place. Reacting against the secrecy of apartheid, the veils would be lifted in a newly open society. And indeed South Africa's access to information law - the Promotion of Access to Information Act, a direct result of the constitutional negotiations - is without parallel in the world. But bureaucracies and their cultures don't change easily. Habits of secrecy die hard and perhaps hardest where institutional capacity is low and organisational resources are scarce. Working against such obstacles, a few valiant organisations including the South African History Archive (SAHA) have been working to push back the entrenched modes of secrecy and instantiate the realm of open democracy. Drawing on the experience of SAHA, the chapters of Paper Wars will be the place to start for any serious scholar or dedicated activist seeking to understand the experience and place of South Africa in the global diffusion of freedom of information regimes. Despite having the law on their side, this book details the difficulties the information activists and requesters have encountered as they have attempted to put South Africa's constitutional right of access to information into practice. Containing essays and case studies, the volume will stand as the record of the initial implementation (or lack thereof) of South Africa's right to know law.

Stepping Up to the Cold War Challenge: The Norwegian-American Lutheran Experience in 1950s Japan describes the events that led to the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC), an American Christian denomination, to respond to General MacArthur's call for missionaries. This Church did not initially respond, but did so in 1949 only after their missionaries had been expelled from China due to the victory of communist forces on the mainland. Because they feared Japan would also succumb to communism in less than ten years, the missionaries evaded ecumenical cooperation and social welfare projects to focus on evangelism and establishing congregations. Many of the ELC missionaries were children and grandchildren of Norwegian immigrants who had settled as farmers on the North American Great Plains. Based on interview transcripts and other primary sources, this book intimately describes the personal struggles of individuals responding to the call to be a missionary, adjusting to life in Japan, learning Japanese, raising a family, and engaging in mission work. As the Cold War threat diminished and independence movements elsewhere were ending colonialism, missionaries were compelled to change methods and attitudes. The 1950s was a time when missionaries went out much in the same manner that they did in the nineteenth century. Through the voices of the missionaries and their Japanese coworkers, the book documents how many of the traditional missionary assumptions begin to be questioned.

Japanese animation, video games, and manga have attracted fans around the world. The characters, the stories, and the sensibilities that come out of these cultural products are together called Japan Cool. This is not a sudden fad, but is rooted in manga--Japanese comics--which since the mid-1940s have developed in an exponential way. In spite of a gradual decline in readership, manga still commands over a third of the publishing output. The volume of manga works that is being produced and has been through history is enormous. There are manga publications that attract readers of all ages and genders. The diversity in content attracts readers well into adulthood. Surveys on reading practices have found that almost all Japanese people read manga or have done so at some point in their lives. The skills of reading manga are learned by readers themselves, but learned in the context of other readers and in tandem with school learning. Manga reading practices are sustained by the practices of other readers, and manga content therefore serves as a topic of conversation for both families and friends. Moreover, manga is one of the largest sources of content for media production in film, television, and video games. Manga literacy, the practices of the readers, the diversity of titles, and the sheer number of works provide the basis for the movement recognized as Japan Cool. Reading Japan Cool is directed at an audience of students of Japanese studies, discourse analysts, educators, parents, and manga readers.

Japanese animation, video games, and manga have attracted fans around the world. The characters, the stories, and the sensibilities that come out of these cultural products are together called Japan Cool. This is not a sudden fad, but is rooted in manga-Japanese comics-which since the mid-1940s have developed in an exponential way. In spite of a gradual decline in readership, manga still commands over a third of the publishing output. The volume of manga works that is being produced and has been through history is enormous. There are manga publications that attract readers of all ages and genders. The diversity in content attracts readers well into adulthood. Surveys on reading practices have found that almost all Japanese people read manga or have done so at some point in their lives. The skills of reading manga are learned by readers themselves, but learned in the context of other readers and in tandem with school learning. Manga reading practices are sustained by the practices of other readers, and manga content therefore serves as a topic of conversation for both families and friends. Moreover, manga is one of the largest sources of content for media production in film, television, and video games. Manga literacy, the practices of the readers, the diversity of titles, and the sheer number of works provide the basis for the movement recognized as Japan Cool. Reading Japan Cool is directed at an audience of students of Japanese studies, discourse analysts, educators, parents, and manga readers.

A poetic and exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse and the magic of togetherness, seen through the eyes of a child. What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they're doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes. Celebrating a favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse, and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.

Whimsical Illustrations with a Powerful Message #1 Bestseller in Women Artists Broaching the subject of mental health. It's not easy to discuss mental health, even though it affects everyone. We want to believe we can handle anything that comes at us, but the reality is we all have good days and bad days. Because of this, it is important to check in with our mental health. Through guided illustrations, author Kate Allan opens the door to discussion about mental health in an approachable and unassuming manner. Pep talks for any occasion. Whether you deal with social anxiety, depression, or are simply going through a rough patch, Allan is here with her friendly animals to help. Negative thoughts can keep us from reaching our full potential, not to mention hold us back from attaining happiness. This book is a source of validation and encouragement for those moments when we need a reminder of our worth. A journey to wellness. The focus of this book is personal growth, both the reader's and the author's. With her beautiful illustrations, Allan guides us through how she went from rock bottom to managing her mental health quite well. By zooming in on mindfulness and prioritizing self-care, Allan expresses how we can get through the hardships we face and come out stronger. Read Kate Allan's new book, You're Strong, Smart, and You Got This, and find... Tips for when you're feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, or down on yourself An emotional first-aid kit in the form of whimsical colors and friendly, smiling animals that heal invisible wounds and make heavy subjects easier to face Messages of hope for all ages, coming from a place of understanding and empathy If you've enjoyed reading titles such as The Happiness Trap, Mind Over Mood, and You Can Do All Things, then you'll love the expressions of encouragement found in You're Strong, Smart, and You Got This.

Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart's marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, collecting shark data when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven. Since then Lucy and her father have kept their heads above water - thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbours. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a great white - and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was "meaningful" but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother's unfinished research on the Great White's return to Cape Cod. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she'll finally be able to look beyond what she's lost and toward what's left to be discovered. Funny, poignant, and deeply moving, The Line Tender is a story of nature's enduring mystery and the people willing to seek meaning and connection within it.

A collection of unconventional short stories and poetry exploring sounds, touches, and morsels of God in quotidian life.