Superlubricity - the state between sliding systems where friction is reduced to almost immeasurable amounts - holds great potential for improving both the economic and environmental credentials of moving mechanical systems. Research in this field has progressed tremendously in recent years, and there now exist several theoretical models, recognised techniques for computational simulations and interesting experimental evidence of superlubricity in practise. Superlubricity, Second Edition, presents an extensively revised and updated overview of these important developments, providing a comprehensive guide to the physical chemistry underpinning molecular mechanisms of friction and lubrication, current theoretical models used to explore and assess superlubricity, examples of its achievement in experimental systems, and discussion of potential future applications. Drawing on the extensive knowledge of its expert editors and global team of authors from across academia and industry, Superlubricity, Second Edition, is a great resource for all those with a need to understand, model or manipulate surface interactions for improved performance.

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."

Spiritual Entrepreneurialism is a story of how one small church, aging and in decline, experienced renewal and transformation by bridging the power of the Holy Spirit with business development tools from the small business sector. This book briefly explores the entrepreneurial drive of the early pioneers of the American Methodist movement and how recapturing the passion of their entrepreneurial spirit and using proven small business development principles a congregation can be changed for Jesus sake. As the Church continues its march through the twenty-first century it is wise to explore new ways in which we can transition aging and declining small churches into growing centers of vital, life-changing ministry. The approach to small church renewal offered in Spiritual Entrepreneurialism is but one possibility of how small church renewal can take place. Wade Martin is pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Emmitsburg, Maryland. As a second career pastor he has served in the U.S. Navy, had leadership roles in small private and public companies, and has served as chair of the board of a nonprofit organization. He received his undergraduate degree from Excelsior College in New York, received his Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC, and will receive his Doctor of Ministry degree in May of 2008 from Wesley Theological Seminary with a concentration in Church Leadership Excellence.

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

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.

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.

Despite the pluralism of contemporary American culture, the Judaeo-Christian legacy still has a great deal of influence on the popular imagination. Thus it is not surprising that in this context atheism has a slightly scandalous ring, and unbelief is often associated with lack of morality and a meaningless existence. Distinguished philosopher and committed atheist Michael Martin sets out to refute this notion in this thorough defense of atheism as a both moral and meaningful philosophy of life. Martin shows not only that objective morality and a meaningful life are possible without belief in God but that the predominantly Christian world view of American society is seriously flawed as the basis of morality and meaning.

Divided into four parts, this cogent and tightly argued treatise begins with a refutation of well-known criticisms of nonreligious ethics and then develops an atheistic meta-ethics. In Part 2, Martin criticizes the Christian foundation of ethics, specifically the Divine Command Theory and the idea of imitating the life of Jesus as the basis of Christian morality. Part 3 demonstrates that life can be meaningful in the absence of religious belief. Part 4 criticizes the theistic point of view in general terms as well as the specific Christian doctrines of the Atonement, Salvation, and the Resurrection.

This highly informed and sophisticated defense of atheism is a stimulating challenge to religious believers and a serious contribution to ethical theory.

Demonstrating that important, well-reasoned positions don't have to be presented in dry, philosophical prose, this collection is the only defense of atheism written in the form of engaging short stories that will arouse, provoke, and inspire.
The Big Domino in the Sky and Other Atheistic Tales contains works of science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy. Open-minded readers will find the tales entertaining and enlightening. Martin's unforgettable cast of characters includes the unique: a Catholic detective-priest, an android professor, a fideistic Harvard student, polytheistic aliens, and the more familiar: con men, a sadistic Marine Corps drill instructor, and Satan.

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.

“Scandal,” defined as an action or event causing public outrage and regarded as morally or legally reprehensible by the standards and mores of the time, has been a part of the US political landscape since the founding of the republic. Americans prefer to think that their public officials’ misbehavior as the exception rather than the rule, but the record of political corruption and coverups, spanning the entire history of the United States, is too lengthy to suggest that these actions are uncommon occurrences, merely freakish outliers to be discounted as “black swan” events. Strongly associated with the concept of scandal is a “scoundrel,” defined as a dishonest or disreputable person. According to this definition, a scoundrel is someone who engages in dishonest behavior, eventually leading to the loss of a good reputation. Scoundrels: Political Scandals in American History is about scoundrels who were caught in scandals, specifically political scandals. Often the original behavior was outrageous, but the subsequent cover-up is worse. The 1972 Watergate break-in, for example, may have been a “third-rate burglary”—although that point is debatable—but the Nixon administration’s attempted coverup led to impeachment proceedings and the president’s resignation. Political corruption almost always stems from calculations of self-interest before, during, and after the fact. The calculations may be legally and ethically misguided, factually inaccurate, and/or blind to political realities, but nonetheless they are almost always deliberate and premeditated. Political corruption can involve lone individuals acting on their own accord or they can implicate systemic corruption with a large group, sometimes within a presidential administration. Scoundrels: Political Scandals in American History examines 13 of the most famous (or infamous) and not-so-famous scandals in American history, including the Teapot Dome case from the 1920s, the Watergate break-in and cover-up in the 1970s, the Iran-Contra affair of the 1980s, and Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

Specially commissioned essays offer revisionary readings of canonical poets and bring into focus rediscovered writers. The specially commissioned essays in Victorian Women Poets, written by scholars from Britain and North America, offer revisionary readings of canonical poets and bring into focus re-discovered writers. The volume both engages critically with the political and aesthetic agenda behind the project of recovery, and also presents a pioneering approach to reading poets who have slipped out of the canon. The work of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and ChristinaRossetti is re-assessed and given surprising and innovative literary, political and intellectual contexts that will change the way we interpret their poetry. Writers of emerging significance, such as Theodosia Garrow Trollope, Augusta Webster, Mathilde Blind, Michael Field and Margaret Veley, are given prominence in groundbreaking analysis that situates their writing within the wider debates of the period. The themes interwoven throughout the essays - literary history and canonicity, political poetics, nationhood, print culture, and genre - provide a radically new understanding of Victorian women's poetry that maps an agenda for future research. JOSEPH BRISTOW, SUSAN BROWN, GLENNIS BYRON, ALISON CHAPMAN, NATALIE M. HOUSTON, MICHELE MARTINEZ, PATRICIA PULHAM, MARJORIE STONE. ALISON CHAPMAN lectures in English literature at the University of Glasgow.

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.