This set of varied and stimulating papers, by an international group of younger as well as senior scholars, examines the manner in which peoplehood was understood by the Jewish communities of the Second Temple period and by the religious traditions that emerged from those communities and later flourished in Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. The Hebrew and Greek terms for "people" and "nation" and the name "Israel" are closely analyzed, especially in forays into wisdom literature, Jewish apologetic and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and their uses are related to geographical, political and theological developments, as well as statehood, authority and rulership in the Persian world, Hasmonean times and Ptolemaic Egypt. Especially interesting are the carefully argued and documented suggestions about how Jewish peoplehood expressed itself with regard to charitable behavior, pagan deities, and marital regulations. Those interested in the history of cultural and theological tensions will be intrigued by the studies centered on how the opponents of Jews behaved towards "the people of God", how Hellenistic Jewish culture located the Jews on the Roman rather than on the Greek side, and how early Christian discourse saw the mission among the peoples and interpreted earlier sources accordingly. The idea of the Jewish "way of life" is seen to have influenced the writer of the longer Greek version of Esther and works of fiction are shown to have had important historical data within them. Modern social theory also has its say here in a careful consideration of Cognitive theory of ethnicity and the dynamic of ethnic boundary-making.

ESCAPE?FROM?PLAUEN tells the story of war's depravation but also tells the story of faith and the will to triumph against all odds. "An artist as well as a writer, Renate Stoever has an artist's sensibility that lends beauty to her writing. As a result, the reader is not just an observer, but also a participant in her experience. This memoir of a remarkable life is a polished gem. It will keep you turning pages until the last word." -Christine Royer, retired Vice-President of Public Affairs, Barnard College, N.Y. "I've been a professional editor for more than thirty years, and Escape From Plauen is better writing than the work of most professional writers I've edited. This is an amazing story, and it is incredibly well written." -Mike Slizewski, professional editor "Parts of this book moved me to tears...creating powerful images of destruction...great choice of words describing the emotion, terror, and horror of war...as seen first hand through the eyes of a child. What a great read...riveting...." -Carol Kreit, author of First Wives' Tool Kit. This is a true story about the ravages of war seen through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl in Plauen, Germany. The political and economic causes of what are considered by many to be the greatest armed struggle since the Great War have been widely coined into books and movies. In more ways then we would like to admit, we still live with the results of that victory, but other than "Slaughterhouse-Five," Kurt Vonnegut's fictionalized account of the fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany in 1945, few works have been written about the actual events in the fire-storm of that devastation. None are seen through the eyes of an innocent child caught within the terror caused by events beyond comprehension. ESCAPE?FROM?PLAUEN is a first-hand account of life in the German city of Plauen before Hitler's defeat, the end of Nazi Germany and through the destruction caused by the wrath of the Soviet Army. Caught between Stalin's advancing Communist Army in the East and the Allies march from the West, the women, children, and elderly of Germany had no place to hide long after the collapse of the Wehrmacht. What was there left to bomb in late 1944 and 1945 but women and children? Renate was born in the German city of Plauen before the start of the Second World War. Enduring the daily hardships of the War, Renate and her family escaped to the West from Communist East Germany in 1947. Within a week of her 1953 arrival in the United States, Renate started to work in a small shop sewing beads on moccasins. A year later she used her artistic ability to become a top designer in the Lace and Embroidery industry. Renate married in 1962, and helped her husband establish a successful Wall Street firm. After winning a writing competition in the New Yorker Staats Zeitung, a German-American weekly newspaper, friends encouraged her to spend more time writing. Renate and her husband live in New Jersey.

Institutional theory has become one of the dominant organizational approaches in recent decades. Its roots can be traced to Europe and an important intellectual objective of this book is to examine North American theory strands and to reconnect them with European research traditions in order to explore new perspectives. For that purpose, this book focuses on how organizations and individuals handle heterogeneous and challenging social conditions which are subsequently reflected in various forms of change. In particular, the book: sheds light on neo-institutionalism from a European perspective examines neo-institutionalism in North American sociological and organizational theories and (re-)connects them with European research traditions explores novel and innovative methodologies to analyse institutions analyzes institutional and organizational change links micro- and macro-approaches to institutions reconnects organizational institutionalism with sociological theories. Finally, the book includes an afterword by John Meyer which is intended to stimulate further discussion. New Themes in Institutional Analysis will appeal to students and academics in organization, management and institutionalism. Contributors include: J.L. Alvarez, N. Arnold, C. Berg Johansen, S. Boch Waldorff, S. Bohn, M. Bottura, R. Corrado, G. Delmestri, G.S. Drori, B. Forgues, R.O. Friedland, M.A. Hoellerer, T. Klatetzki, K. Kloos, V.P. Korff, G. Krucken, M. Lounsbury, C. Mazza, J.W. Meyer, R.E. Meyer, A. Mica, A. Oberg, V. Odorici, C.R. Oelberger, M. Pawlak, W.W. Powell, B. Soppe, J. Strandgaard Pedersen, S. Svejenova, P. Walgenbach, E. Weik, A. Westenholz

This volume contains essays by some of the leading scholars in the study of the Jewish religious ideas in the Second Temple period, that led up to the development of early forms of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity. Close attention is paid to the cosmological ideas to be found in the Ancient Near East and in the Hebrew Bible and to the manner in which the translators of the Hebrew Bible into Greek reflected the creativity with which Judaism engaged Hellenistic ideas about the cosmos and the creation. The concepts of heaven and divine power, human mortality, the forces of nature, combat myths, and the philosophy of wisdom, as they occur in 2 Maccabees, Ben Sira, Wisdom of Solomon and Tobit, are carefully analysed and compared with Greek and Roman world-views. There are also critical examinations of Dead Sea scroll texts, early Jewish prayers and Hebrew liturgical poetry and how they these adopt, adapt and alter earlier ideas. The editors have included appreciations of two major figures who played important roles in the study of the Second Temple period and in the history and development of the ISDCL, namely, Otto Kaiser and Alexander Di Lella, who died recently and are greatly missed by those in the field.

The purpose of this book is to celebrate a unique generation, ther multitude of 70+ seniors of the 21st century, who lead purposeful, rewarding and independent lives in specially designed retirement communities.The authors, in their early 80's, "live it up" each and every day in their chosen community. With humor, wistfulness, seriousness and common sense, they introduce some of their neighbors and provide a bird's eye view of active life after retirement. With its congenial anecdotes and pithy insights, this volume can give enjoyment to readers of all ages, but will be of most interest to the 70+ folks and their families, who have been wondering how mom and dad will spend their later years. It will answer questions, such as why, when, where and how to choose a community, and give an overview of varied activities in the residents' daily lives. Topics include extending one's perspective, a typical day, pet care, exercise, semi-retirement, coping with illness, forming relationships, and many others.The whimsical illustrations, created by resident, Shirley Walters, depict everyday retirement activities.We invite you to visit our community by leafing at random through the pages of this book. Enjoy Renate Donovan and Patricia Haenslye-mail: [email protected]

This book combines studies on referential as well as relational coherence and includes approaches to written and to spoken language, to production and to comprehension, to language specific and to cross-linguistic issues, to monolingual, bilingual and L2-acquisition. The theoretical issues and empirical findings discussed are of importance not only for theoretical linguistics, but also have a broad potential of practical implication.

Biofuels have been represented by some as a silver bullet to the climate change threat, and by others as a fatal mistake set to destroy forests and increase hunger; they are neither. Sane and sensibly developed they offer a chance to reduce emissions, generate employment and diversify rural livelihoods. But widespread commercialisation without proper sustainability standards could prove a disaster, causing more environmental and human harm than good. This new WBGU report shows that a sustainable use of bioenergy is possible and outlines how opportunities can be exploited while at the same time minimizing risks. This large and detailed report examines the issues surrounding bioenergy from a global perspective and demonstrates how the sustainable use of bioenergy can help minimize risks to food security, nature conservation and climate change. .

This accessible, highly interactive book presents a transformative approach to communication in leadership to meet workplace challenges at both local and global levels. Informed by neuroscience, psychology, as well as leadership science, it explains how integrating and properly balancing two key focal points of management-the tasks at hand and the concerns of others and self-can facilitate decision-making, partnering with diverse colleagues, and handling of crises and conflicts. Case examples, a self-test, friendly calls for reflection, and practical exercises provide readers with varied opportunities to assess, support, and evoke their readiness to apply these real-world concepts to their own style and preferences. Together, these chapters demonstrate the best outcomes of collaborative communication: greater effectiveness, deeper empathy with improved emotional fulfillment, and lasting positive change. Included in the coverage: * As a manager, can I be human? Using the two-agenda approach for more effective-and humane-management. * Being and becoming a person-centered leader and manager in a crisis environment. * Methods for transforming communication: dialogue. * Open Case: A new setting for problem-solving in teams. * Integrating the two agendas in agile management. * Tasks and people: what neuroscience reveals about managing both more effectively. * Transforming communication in multicultural contexts for better understanding across cultures. As a skill-building resource, Transforming Communication in Leadership and Teamwork offers particular value: * to diverse business professionals, including managers, leaders, and team members seeking to become more effective * business consultants and coaches working with people in executive positions and/or teams * leaders and members of multi-national teams * executives, decision makers and organizational developers * instructors and students of courses on effective communication, social and professional skills, human resources, communication and digital media, leadership, teamwork, and related subjects.

Higher-order skills such as critical thinking, planning, decision-making and persistence are the key to success for today's students. With its novel approach to teaching and learning, 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles in Action has been the go-to resource for thousands of teachers in leading their students to greater confidence and achievement. Now in an expanded third edition, Caine et al. offer three practical approaches to instruction-direct, problem or project-based learning, and the guided experience approach-while providing common-sense strategies to turn theory into effective classroom teaching. Features of the new edition include More strategies to deeply engage students and build foundational learning skills Guidance on peer-based professional development through Process Learning Circles Reflective questions and checklists for assessing progress Updated, real-life examples that illustrate brain-compatible learning in action Bridge research to practice through these innovative strategies to create a school environment where students and faculty learn and thrive.

The use of fossil fuels results in rising CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, causing global temperature rise and climate change that will negatively impact human health, the food supply, and eventually worsen hunger and misery. Presently, fossil fuels meet 88% of the energy demand, resulting in rising CO2/GHG emissions at alarming rates. The increased use of biofuels would help to mitigate climate change. Efficiently designing methods for the production of biofuels and plant-derived high-value products requires a deeper understanding of photosynthetic processes as a prerequisite for applying novel biotechnologies. Accordingly, this book provides ample information and a wealth of illustrative examples. The book's eighteen richly illustrated chapters are divided into three thematic parts. I: Photosynthesis and Biomass Production under Changing Conditions, II: Microalgae and Engineered Crops for Production of Biofuels and High-value Products, and III: Genetic Resources and Engineering Methods to Improve Crop Plants. Readers will find the latest information on the molecular basis of photosynthetic processes in plants (including the regulatory principles that allow plants to maintain homeostasis under changing conditions), stress resistance and synthetic pathways. In addition, the basic principles of important biotechnologies, as well as examples of specially designed crops capable of growing under stress conditions with improved productivity, are presented. The book sets the course for future research in the field of biofuel development and production and provides both general and specific information for students, teachers, academic researchers, industrial teams, and general readers who are interested in new developments concerning the production of biofuels with value-added properties.

Beowulf and Beyond is a collection of papers mainly on Medieval English (i.e. Old and Middle English) language, literature and culture, often using comparative and interdisciplinary approaches. It features major authors and texts such as Beowulf, Chaucer, the Wyclif Bible, Margery Kempe, and Malory, but also the poem Judgement Day II, the Epinal-Erfurt glossary (ca. 680), and the Assize of bread (1256), a legal document. The more linguistically oriented studies deal with the language of Old English and Old Norse runic inscriptions, with OE word-formation (verbs with prefixed adverbs such as oferfaran; words for people), the loss of final plosive consonants in late Middle English rhyme-words, the use of hyphens in ME, and a comparison between Medieval English and German. Some contributions are specifically concerned with teaching Medieval texts to today's students (Beowulf, Malory). The volume is also a document of the activities of IAUPE, the International Association of University Professors of English. It contains a selection of the papers that were originally presented at the IAUPE Medieval Symposia at Munich/Germany and Vancouver/Canada.