In this book, the authors, as policy analysts, examine the overall context and dynamics of modern medicine, focusing on the changing conditions of medical practice through the lens of corporatization of medicine, physician unionization, physician strikes, and current health policy directions. Conditions affecting the American medical profession have been dramatically altered by the continuing crises of cost increases, quality concerns, and lack of access facing our population, along with the ongoing corporatization toward bottom-line dictates. Pressures on practitioners have been intensifying with much greater scrutiny over their clinical decision-making. Topics explored among the chapters include: History of the Corporatization of American Medicine: The Market Paradigm Reigns Pharmaceuticals, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Drug Store Chains, and Pharmacy Benefit Manager/Insurer Integration Medical Practice: From Cottage Industry to Corporate Practice Medical Malpractice Crisis: Oversight of the Practice of Medicine Big Data: Information Technology as Control over the Profession of Medicine Physician Employment Status: Collective Bargaining and Strikes The Corporatization of American Health Care offers different perspectives with the hopes that physicians will unite in a new awareness and common cause to curtail excessive profit-making, renew professional altruism, restore the charitable impulse to health provider institutions, and unite with other professionals to truly raise levels of population health and the quality of health care. It is also a necessary resource for health policy analysts, healthcare administrators, health law attorneys, and other associated health professions.

Everybody complains about politics, but does anyone do anything about it? Stephen L. Thompson's attempt to do something about it is to collect forty of his short stories with a political element into his Political Pies anthology. His stories are either politically neutral or equally condemning of the national parties. Instead of trying to sway you to one ideology or another, his goal is to just get people thinking about politics in the hopes a rose might grow out of all the political manure.
Book excerpt - story "Is That How it Works?"
"Next question."
A middle-aged gentleman walked up to the microphone at the front of the auditorium. He cleared his throat, then said, "Senator, on the campaign trail you have often stated that the rich and powerful - both individual and corporate - should receive tax breaks because they are the job creators."
"That's correct."
The man took a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. "Sir, I've been unemployed for twenty months now." He held the piece of paper up so everyone could see it was a check. "This is the last of my life savings." He tossed the check up onto the stage about ten feet from the candidate. "I give it to you so that you - as the nearest I'll get to the rich and powerful - now have all of the money that matters to me. Now give me a goddamn job "

This book uniquely teaches and share profound and necessary lessons that lead to a loving, fulfilling marriage. How? By taking a side dish many serve weekly for dinner-a simple but delicious vegetable, potatoes and found a profound way to challenge each of us (married or single) to understand the importance of honoring what God created first as an institution: "marriage and the family."

The All-You-Can-Read Buffet is a collection of forty stories covering various genres and themes ranging from six to over 4,200 words in length. They also cover a wide time range. Some of these stories I began writing a decade ago, while others were written especially for this collection. All together, they are a buffet of my writing. As such, I encourage you to read as much as you want. Go back for seconds, thirds, fourths even. I won't even mind if you skip over the stuff you don't like, but, to quote your mother, "How do you know you don't like it? Have you tried it?"
Book excerpt - story "Dark Anniversary"
With a dozen roses in hand, the man dressed all in black walked towards the tombstone. The lettering had already begun to fade, but the words were drilled into his brain: Edith Robyn Sommers, April 4, 1956 - June 14, 1975.
After a few moments of reflection, the man knelt and set the roses on her grave.
"You are so maudlin, Eric," a voice said from the darkness.
Without turning, Eric said, "You never forget your first, Robert."
Robert stepped from the shadows. "My first was just some peasant."
"And after all these centuries you still remember that."
Robert stood for a few seconds, then turned and disappeared.
Eric chuckled, then stood. He nodded to the tombstone and said, "Until next year, Edith." He then spread his wings and flew into the night.