This volume establishes a foundation for a uniform code of professional ethics for public administrators in the United States. Public Administration Ethics for the 21st Century lays the ethical foundations for a uniform professional code of ethics for public administrators, civil servants, and non-profit administrators in the US. Martinez synthesizes five disparate schools of ethical thought as to how public administrators can come to know the good and behave in ways that advance the values of citizenship, equity, and public interest within their respective organizations. Using case studies, he teaches American administrators how to combine the approaches of all five schools to evaluate and resolve complex ethical dilemmas within the constraints of the U.S. democratic values set. Martinez enunciates the common ethical principles that guide public administrators in their practice within the specific ethical parameters and organizational cultures of a myriad entities at the federal, state, and local levels of government in the United States, as well as in non-profit organizations. Along the way, Martinez addresses a number of crucial issues, including personal gain, conflict of interest, transparency, democratic impartiality, hiring, hierarchical discipline, media relations, partisan pressure, appointments by elected officials, and whistle-blowing. The striking, high-profile case studies—Nathan Bedford Forrest, Adolph Eichmann, Lieutenant William Calley, and Mary Ann Wright—illustrate ethical dilemmas where, for better or worse, the individual was at odds with the organization.

Getting married should be one of the pinnacles of our lives, and developing a lasting relationship should be the main goal. Marriage is more than merely living together--it is living as one. But to live as one, every marriage needs the necessary tools such as: having the right person, being in the right position, using the right language, and developing the right relationship in order for us to stay together for a lifetime.

Marriage: Until Death Do Us Part begins with the story of a marriage in crisis and a wife who has reached her breaking point. De'Borah Sarrmon should have celebrated fifteen years of marital bliss, but instead, she found herself saying the one thing she vowed never to say, "Isaia I want a divorce."

This fascinating book recounts the compelling stories behind 14 of the most important criminal procedure cases in American legal history. Many constitutional protections that Americans take for granted today-the right to exclude illegally obtained evidence, the right to government-financed counsel, and the right to remain silent, among others-were not part of the original Bill of Rights, but were the result of criminal trials and judicial interpretations. The untold stories behind these cases reveal circumstances far more interesting than any legal dossier can evoke. Author J. Michael Martinez provides a brief introduction to the drama and intrigue behind 14 leading court cases in American law. This engaging text presents a short summary of high-profile legal proceedings from the late 19th century through recent times and includes key landmark cases in which the court established the parameters of probable cause for searches, the features of due process, and the legality of electronic surveillance. The work offers concise explanations and analysis of the facts as well as the lasting significance of the cases to criminal procedure. Includes 20 photographs of key participants and scenes Explains legal principles through engaging, jargon-free prose Connects the importance of the cases to constitutional criminal procedure Explores the impact of Supreme Court decisions

In a small North Texas town a family is devastated when their son is diagnosed with a life-threatening heart disease. In the lowest time of their lives, God works through Michael Jordan, Derek Harper, Coach Grant Teaff, Dino, Joe Montana, J. D. Hill, a camel, and the local community to give strength and support to the Martin family. Dancing with Death illustrates the power of faith, hope, love, Christian friends, and family. The authors' details are gripping. Readers will feel a bond with the authors through reading about their inner feelings. The Martin's bravely make themselves vulnerable to their audience, even including such questions as, "God, don't you think we've been through enough?" It's a question we all ask in our minds but are usually too intimidated to say aloud. Things like this make the book unique, touching and very valuable reading for everyone. The authors give God credit, glory and praise throughout the book, terrifically conveying how God was with them every step of the way. Michael and Donna Martin have 3 children, 2 daughters-in-law and 6 grandchildren. Donna has a BS in Elementary Education and taught for 32 years. She is a freelance writer and has written pre-school curriculum for LifeWay. Michael has a BA in Psychology, M.Ed. in College Counseling, and M.Ed. in Secondary Counseling. He counseled high school and college students for 32 years. Michael is an ordained minister and has served in youth, music and education ministry. They traveled with their family group, "The Joyful Sound" presenting concerts. They are members of The Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX. The Martin's present "Happy Together" Seminars sharing information they have learned during 14610 days of marriage. The sessions include stories and activities that help couples build stronger marriages. For information, contact Michael at [email protected] or their website: www.happytogethermarriage.com.

A gritty collection of 35 stories, written with raw emotion and cool melancholy, told in a compelling narrative voice that will make you smile as it breaks your heart, FUNERALS FOR FRIENDS explores the extraordinary details of ordinary lives. A sobering downhill ride through love and loss, these exciting stories take place in the home, in the office, on the street corner, and within the often disturbing relationships between men and women. But more important, these stories come from a place within the heart that is familiar to all.

Libertines seeks to understand why public figures sometimes take extraordinary risks, sullying their good names, humiliating their families, placing themselves in legal jeopardy, and potentially destroying their political careers as they seek to gratify their sexual desires. From Hamilton to Trump and the many in between, each case of sexual misconduct in this book shows the seamy side of political lives, with calculations about covering discretions or portraying them favorably occurring only after the fact.

This book is a collection of 366 serious and humorous tidbits about relationships that the Martins have learned in 14610 days of marriage. The information is intended to help couples build stronger marriages. The book is a "must read" for couples of all ages married or soon to be married. As former educators, they believe that this book should be "assigned reading" for all couples. Michael and Donna have been married 40 years. They have 1 daughter, 2 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 6 grandchildren. Donna has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and taught for 32 years. She is a freelance writer and has written pre-school curriculum for LifeWay. Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Education in College Counseling, and Master of Education degree in Secondary Counseling. He counseled high school and college students for 32 years. Michael is also a licensed, ordained minister and has served in youth, music and education ministry. In the early days of their marriage, they traveled throughout the country with their family in a group called The Joyful Sound presenting concerts. After retiring from education, they started their own company and developed their "Happy Together" Marriage Seminar. They present "Happy Together" Seminars that include sessions filled with information that they have learned during 14610 days (40 years) of marriage and counting. The fun filled sessions include stories, and activities that help couples build a stronger relationship with their spouse. They are members of The Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Tx For more information about "Happy Together" Seminars, contact Michael at [email protected] or 940-735-1515 or visit their website: www.happytogethermarriage.com.

Climate change is recognised as agriculture’s biggest challenge to date.* With increasing temperatures and an escalation in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, agricultural productivity remains at risk of being compromised. With the food security of millions threatened, there remains a need to develop alternative, sustainable production models which can thrive in the face of climate change. Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farming reviews the wealth of research on optimising plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) as one potential solution to achieving a more sustainable agriculture. The book addresses developments in process monitoring, optimizing energy use, as well as adjusting lighting conditions to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of a range of horticultural crops. It also includes case studies of successful plant factory operations. Through its exploration of the development and application of PFALs in agriculture, the book highlights the growing importance of controlled environment agriculture technologies as a solution to maintaining global crop production in a time where our climate remains as unpredictable as ever.

In late nineteenth-century German academic circles, the term verstehen (literally, understanding, or comprehension) came to be associated with the view that social phenomena must be understood from the point of view of the social actor. Advocates of this approach were opposed by positivists who stressed the unity of method between the social and natural sciences and an external, experimental, and quantitative knowledge. Although modified over time, the dispute between positivists and antipositivists--nowadays called naturalists and antinaturalists--has persisted and still defines many debates in the field of philosophy of social sciences. In this volume, Michael Martin offers a critical appraisal of verstehen as a method of verification and discovery as well as a necessary condition for understanding. In its strongest forms, verstehen entails subjectively reliving the experience of the social actor or at least rethinking his or her thoughts, while in its weaker forms it only involves reconstructing the rationale for acting. Martin's opening chapter offers a reconsideration of the debate between the classical verstehen theorists--Wilhelm Dilthey, Max Weber, R.G. Collingwood--and the positivists. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with positivist critiques of verstehen as a method of social scientific verification and understanding. In the subsequent chapters Martin considers contemporary varieties of the verstehen position and argues that they like the classical positions, they conflict with the pluralistic nature of social science. Chapter 4 discusses Peter Winch's and William Dray's variants of verstehen, while chapters 5 through 9 consider recent theorists--Karl Popper, Charles Taylor, Clifford Geertz--whose work can be characterized in verstehenist terms: In his conclusion Martin defines the limitations of the classical and recent verstehen positions and proposes a methodological pluralism in which verstehen is justified pragmatically in terms of the purposes and contexts of inquiry. This volume is the only comprehensive and sustained critique of verstehen theory currently available. It will be of interest to sociologists, philosophers, political scientists, and anthropologists.

Each of the figures examined in this study"John Dee, John Donne, Sir Kenelm Digby, Henry and Thomas Vaughan, and Jane Lead"is concerned with the ways in which God can be approached or experienced. Michael Martin analyzes the ways in which the encounter with God is figured among these early modern writers who inhabit the shared cultural space of poets and preachers, mystics and scientists. The three main themes that inform this study are Cura animarum, the care of souls, and the diminished role of spiritual direction in post-Reformation religious life; the rise of scientific rationality; and the struggle against the disappearance of the Holy. Arising from the methods and commitments of phenomenology, the primary mode of inquiry of this study resides in contemplation, not in a religious sense, but in the realm of perception, attendance, and acceptance. Martin portrays figures such as Dee, Digby, and Thomas Vaughan not as the eccentrics they are often depicted to have been, but rather as participating in a religious mainstream that had been radically altered by the disappearance of any kind of mandatory or regular spiritual direction, a problem which was further complicated and exacerbated by the rise of science. Thus this study contributes to a reconfiguration of our notion of what 'religious orthodoxy' really meant during the period, and calls into question our own assumptions about what is (or was) 'orthodox' and 'heterodox.'

Each of the figures examined in this study"John Dee, John Donne, Sir Kenelm Digby, Henry and Thomas Vaughan, and Jane Lead"is concerned with the ways in which God can be approached or experienced. Michael Martin analyzes the ways in which the encounter with God is figured among these early modern writers who inhabit the shared cultural space of poets and preachers, mystics and scientists. The three main themes that inform this study are Cura animarum, the care of souls, and the diminished role of spiritual direction in post-Reformation religious life; the rise of scientific rationality; and the struggle against the disappearance of the Holy. Arising from the methods and commitments of phenomenology, the primary mode of inquiry of this study resides in contemplation, not in a religious sense, but in the realm of perception, attendance, and acceptance. Martin portrays figures such as Dee, Digby, and Thomas Vaughan not as the eccentrics they are often depicted to have been, but rather as participating in a religious mainstream that had been radically altered by the disappearance of any kind of mandatory or regular spiritual direction, a problem which was further complicated and exacerbated by the rise of science. Thus this study contributes to a reconfiguration of our notion of what 'religious orthodoxy' really meant during the period, and calls into question our own assumptions about what is (or was) 'orthodox' and 'heterodox.'

Protecting the natural environment and promoting sustainability have become important objectives, but achieving such goals presents myriad challenges for even the most committed environmentalist. American Environmentalism: Philosophy, History, and Public Policy examines whether competing interests can be reconciled while developing consistent, coherent, effective public policy to regulate uses and protection of the natural environment without destroying the national economy. It then reviews a range of possible solutions. The book delves into key normative concepts that undergird American perspectives on nature by providing an overview of philosophical concepts found in the western intellectual tradition, the presuppositions inherent in neoclassical economics, and anthropocentric (human-centered) and biocentric (earth-centered) positions on sustainability. It traces the evolution of attitudes about nature from the time of the Ancient Greeks through Europeans in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the American Founders, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and up to the present. Building on this foundation, the author examines the political landscape as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry leaders, and government officials struggle to balance industrial development with environmental concerns. Outrageous claims, silly misrepresentations, bogus arguments, absurd contentions, and overblown prophesies of impending calamities are bandied about by many parties on all sides of the debate-industry spokespeople, elected representatives, unelected regulators, concerned citizens, and environmental NGOs alike. In lieu of descending into this morass, the author circumvents the silliness to explore the crucial issues through a more focused, disciplined approach. Rather than engage in acrimonious debate over minutiae, as so often occurs in the context of "green" claims, he recasts the issue in a way that provides a cohesive look at all sides. This effort may be quixotic, but how else to cut the Gordian knot?

Brown Gold is a compelling history and analysis of African-American children's picturebooks from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. At the turn of the nineteenth century, good children's books about black life were hard to find - if, indeed, young black readers and their parents could even gain entry into the bookstores and libraries. But today, in the "Golden Age" of African-American children's picturebooks, one can find a wealth of titles ranging from Happy to be Nappy to Black is Brown is Tan. In this book, Michelle Martin explores how the genre has evolved from problematic early works such as Epaminondas that were rooted in minstrelsy and stereotype, through the civil rights movement, and onward to contemporary celebrations of blackness. She demonstrates the cultural importance of contemporary favorites through keen historical analysis - scrutinizing the longevity and proliferation of the Coontown series and Ten Little Niggers books, for example - that makes clear how few picturebooks existed in which black children could see themselves and their people positively represented even up until the 1960s. Martin also explores how children's authors and illustrators have addressed major issues in black life and history including racism, the civil rights movement, black feminism, major historical figures, religion, and slavery. Brown Gold adds new depth to the reader's understanding of African-American literature and culture, and illuminates how the round, dynamic characters in these children's novels, novellas, and picturebooks can put a face on the past, a face with which many contemporary readers can identify.