Is NATO still in the best interest of the United States? This provocative work argues that the focus on NATO distracts the U.S. from the vital foreign policy challenges of the 21st century, most notably China's rise in power. Since its beginning in 1949, NATO-the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-has been at the center of U.S. foreign policy. The alliance was crucial during the decades of the Cold War, and the United States collaborated closely with NATO during crises in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya. But does the NATO alliance still serve the best interests of the U.S.? The NATO of today-one that has expanded to 30 member countries-risks involving the U.S. in unwanted military activities of the future, actions that were not intended in the original Atlantic alliance. In addition, the real challenges for foreign policy of 21st century are not in Europe, but in the expanding economic powerhouses in Asia, especially China. NATO Reconsidered argues that the changes in world politics in recent decades requires that the more than 70-year-old alliance should no longer be the principal focus of U.S. foreign policy. Makes an original and contrarian argument openly questioning U.S. participation in NATO in the 21st century Takes account of NATO's full history, putting today's international reality into context Analyzes surprising data on Germany's growing economic and political ties to Russia, questioning Germany's reliability as a NATO ally Reflects the author's unique perspective on NATO stemming from experience in the State Department, in international business, and as a professor teaching world politics with a focus on Europe Openly eschews the globalists' "party line" and offers solid analysis and conclusions needed to ensure the U.S.' future security

This practical guide to the entire business planning process from start to finish provides a framework for:

conceiving the vision of the firm

defining the purpose of the firm, its overall business mission

setting business goals and strategies for achieving them

understanding the external environment and competitive setting outside the firm

establishing operating plans for major functions

implementing control and review processes and

executing the plan, providing signposts when changes in strategy will be needed

This comprehensive approach to planning is presented in a concise, easy-to-read manner by a seasoned planning professional to help you achieve success. Entrepreneurs undertaking a start-up, owners of small businesses seeking to grow, corporate planners interested in refocusing their strategy and mission, and not-for-profit organizations or government agencies looking to improve performance will find this book useful. More than that, it provides the theoretical underpinnings for business planning, the rationale, as well as the road map.

The author has extensive experience writing and reviewing actual business plans for his clients as well as those of his students, many of whom bring their experiences as midcareer professionals to bear. This book provides the practitioner and the business student with an understanding of the importance of business planning, suggestions for how to approach the planning process and where to find resources, and a framework for business plan preparation and implementation. The three core purposes of the business plan--to identify various possible courses of action, to provide a frame of reference for making decisions that will work toward the company's goals, and to establish both short-term and long-term objectives--are useful for firms of any size or age: entrepreneurial start-ups, small businesses, major corporations, global firms, nonprofits, and government agencies.

Why is the beginning life story of a southern African-American evangelist so captivating? Perhaps it is because like Melchedik in the Bible, there are no known records that reflect her birth, only her death. Lillie, the title of the novel, switches back and forth from third person omniscient to first person for each character. The true and somewhat fictionalized story, better coined as "faction," spins a tale of three siblings and their lives. Fayetteville, North Carolina as the backdrop in the late 1800's provides historical latitude. This novel is one about family and the bond that exists, not unfamiliar to many stories about all families. Yet, this novel stands alone for two reasons. First, it is a factual story. It portrays free blacks during the Reconstruction Period in America and how they lived. Second, the story depicts a universal thought of Blacks and religion, an important piece in most blacks' lives. Experience the lives of those whose tales are revealed on the pages. Stories of strife, love and triumph surrender themselves as messages of eternal faith and hope become the foundation deeply rooted in family.

A qualified expert provides leaders in government and business a much-needed primer for accomplishing their most vital task: transforming a purpose into policy through the appropriate acquisition and use of power. At a time when corporations are reeling from mismanagement, a large proportion of homeowners are being forced to default on mortgages and the federal government is rapidly extending its formidable reach into the private sector, it is understandable that many Americans no longer trust big business and government institutions. To get the United States back on track and to preclude the same kinds of disasters in the future, it is imperative for corporate and government leaders as well as private citizens to understand the commonality in all of these events-the use and abuse of power. This text examines these critical events within a framework of power to explain what motivated our leaders in business and government to make the policies that resulted in these outcomes, providing valuable insights on the nature and use of power. It then draws lessons today's leaders can use to improve their use of power. Examples from current affairs and modern business are discussed in a lively, compelling way. Cites examples and case studies from current affairs, modern business, and recent history Explains how and why some corporate leaders abused their power and erased the wealth of their companies and the savings of private individuals Provides tables, charts, and other figures for supporting documentation

A beautiful new edition of the cult classic that counts Zadie Smith and Rachel Kushner among its fans – with a new introduction by Celia Paul.   ‘I am an artist. Even to write it makes me feel deeply uneasy.’ Renowned American artist Anne Truitt kept this illuminating and inspiring journal between 1974-8, determined to come to terms with the forces that shaped her art and life. She recalls her childhood on the eastern shore of Maryland, her career change from psychology to art, and her path to a sculptural practice that would ‘set colour free in three dimensions’. She reflects on the generous advice of other artists, watches her own daughters’ journey into motherhood, meditates on criticism and solitude, and struggles to find the way to express her vision. Resonant and true, encouraging and revelatory, Anne Truitt guides herself – and her readers – through a life in which domestic activities and the needs of children and friends are constantly juxtaposed against the world of colour and abstract geometry to which she is drawn in her art. Beautifully written and a rare window on the workings of a creative mind, Daybook showcases an extraordinary artist whose insights generously and succinctly illuminate the artistic process.   'Truitt wrote as she sculpted, returning to the past again and again to find fresh truths.' The New Yorker ‘This miracle of a book will inspire artists for generations to come.’ Celia Paul  

'You will do this.' blind-sided, and his mouth felt as dry as a freshly ironed T-shirt. chair, and left his cigar to go out by itself. at a time and place of my choice.' his collar... Philippides has a bomb-like secret in his life which is about to explode. Katerina Makarios's life is an open book. Stephanos Philippides is in danger of losing his hotels. Katerina Makarios doesn't have much money in the first place, and could care less. Stephanos Philippides' father was hard, pushy, and greedy. Katerina Makarios' father is the soul of kindness and self-sacrifice. Stephanos Philippides hasn't talked to his mother in two decades. Katerina Makarios' mother is Katerina's best friend. Katerina Makarios is in secretarial school. Stephanos Philippides is looking for an office assistant. Katerina is about to learn Stephanos' secret. Stephanos wonders if that's such a good thing.

Renowned American artist Anne Truitt kept this illuminating and inspiring journal over a period of seven years, determined to come to terms with the forces that shaped her art and life. Within its beautifully written pages, you will come to know a woman whose range of sensitivity-moral, intellectual, sensual, emotional, and spiritual-is remarkably broad. She recalls her childhood on the eastern shore of Maryland, her career change from psychology to art, and her path to making sculptures so finely painted that they would "set colour free in three dimensions." She reflects on the generous advice of other artists, watches her own daughter's journey into motherhood, meditates on criticism and solitude, and struggles to express her vision. Resonant and true, encouraging and revelatory, Anne Truitt guides herself-and us-through a life in which domestic activities and the needs of children and friends are constantly juxtaposed against the world of colour and abstract geometry to which she is drawn in her art. A rare window on the workings of a creative mind, Daybookshowcases an extraordinary artist whose insights generously and succinctly illuminate the artistic process.

Since the 1970s, tens of thousands of Vietnamese immigrants have settled in Louisiana, Florida, and other Gulf Coast states, rebuilding lives that were upended by the wars in Indochina. For many, their faith has been an essential source of community and hope. But how have their experiences as migrants influenced their religious practices and interpretations of Buddhist tenets? And how has organized religion shaped their understanding of what it means to be Vietnamese in the United States? This ethnographic study follows the monks and lay members of temples in the Gulf Coast region who practice Pure Land Buddhism, which is prevalent in East Asia but in the United States is less familiar than forms such as Zen. By treating the temple as a site to be made and remade, Vietnamese Americans have developed approaches that sometimes contradict fundamental Buddhist principles of nonattachment. This book considers the adaptation of Buddhist practices to fit American cultural contexts, from temple fundraising drives to the rebranding of the Vu Lan festival as Vietnamese Mother's Day. It also reveals the vital role these faith communities have played in helping Vietnamese Americans navigate challenges from racial discrimination to Hurricane Katrina.

The year is 1912, and Francisco Madero is president of Mexico. Just last year he and his top general ousted the long-standing president (some say dictator) Porfirio Diaz, who is now in exile. But the country is far from stable. A basic cultural rift between elite and the poor portends a sequence of tumbling revolts. Students are assigned to play characters that are charged with stabilizing their country and preventing further civil war. The goal is to reform Mexico and make it a better nation for all of its inhabitants-but Mexicans and foreigners worry that without a firm hand, Mexico's governance might spiral out of control. At what cost will progress come? Reacting to the Past is an award-winning series of immersive role-playing games that actively engage students in their own learning. Students assume the roles of historical characters to practice critical thinking, primary source analysis, and both written and spoken argument. Adopted by thousands of instructors at all types of institutions, Reacting to the Past games are flexible enough to be used across the curriculum, from first-year general education classes and discussion sections of lecture classes to capstone experiences and honors programs.

Today's culture is increasingly influenced-even dominated-by business; The Corporation provides readers with a basic understanding of how a corporation works and how it contributes to the wealth of its shareholders, employees, communities, and nations in which it is active. Part I addresses how and why the corporation developed historically (in legal, political, economic, and social context) and how it become the most dominant business form in the U.S. Part II covers the laws and regulations that influence the corporation's daily operations and compares it with other business entities (such as partnerships) in the U.S. and around the world. Part III explores issues related to ethical conduct and accountability, and considers the future of the corporation in an era of economic anxiety. Featuring many company examples, illustrations, charts, a glossary, timeline, and listings of resources and references, The Corporation is an essential introduction to business and its role in society. Today's culture is increasingly influenced-even dominated-by business, and the corporation is the quintessential enterprise, representing everything that is popularly considered both good and evil about business. The Corporation provides readers with a basic understanding of how a corporation works, generating wealth for its shareholders, employees, communities, and the nations in which it is active. The first part addresses the importance of the corporation in the United States-how and why this business form developed historically (in legal, political, economic, and social context), how it became the country's most dominant business form, and its vital role in the economy today, including its contributions to Gross Domestic Product and employment. The next section focuses on the nature of a corporation as a business entity, including the process of incorporating, laws and regulations that influence its daily operations, and a comparison with other business entities (such as partnerships) in the U.S. and around the world. The final chapters explore issues related to ethical conduct and accountability-governance, auditing and financial reporting, business-government relations, social responsibility, and compensation of directors and executives-and considers the future of the corporation in an era of economic anxiety. Featuring many company examples, illustrations, charts, a glossary, timeline, and listings of resources and references, The Corporation is an essential introduction to business and its role in society.

In Money: Ethnographic Encounters, anthropologists tell stories of their experiences with money in the field. Through vivid fieldwork accounts, they explore the ways money has influenced their perceptions and understandings of culture. These accounts raise critical questions. How do anthropologists come to know another culture through ordinary yet unexpected experiences with money? How is anthropological knowledge produced through these interactions? Money: Ethnographic Encounters offers students, teachers, and researchers the opportunity to consider the work of anthropology through vigorous narrative. It also includes a guide to further reading for students. With stories of fieldwork in such varied sites as Vietnam, Ghana, China, and Malawi, Money: Ethnographic Encounters is ideal for all students of anthropology.

An expansive collection of texts providing insight into the inner life, creativity, and practice of the innovative American artist Anne Truitt   Spanning more than fifty years, this comprehensive volume collects the letters, journal entries, interviews, lectures, reviews, and remembrances of the groundbreaking twentieth-century artist Anne Truitt (1921–2004). Alexandra Truitt, the artist’s daughter and a leading expert on her work, has carefully selected these writings, most of which are previously unpublished, from the artist’s papers at Bryn Mawr College as well as private holdings.   Revelations about the artist’s life abound. Among Truitt’s earliest writings are excerpts from journals written more than a decade before her first artistic breakthrough, in which she establishes themes that would occupy her for decades. In later texts she shares uncommon insights into the practices of other artists and writers, both predecessors and peers. Like Truitt’s published journals, these writings offer a compelling narrative of her development as an artist and efforts to find her voice as a writer. They show that Truitt’s creative impulse to translate the inner workings of her mind into a symbolic language, so important to understanding her sculpture, predates her art.

Read about Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus, and the angels telling the shepherds.

The expanding use of money in contemporary Vietnam has been propelled by the rise of new markets, digital telecommunications, and an ideological emphasis on money's autonomy from the state. People in Vietnam use the metaphor of "open doors" to describe their everyday experiences of market liberalization and to designate the end of Vietnam's postwar social isolation and return to a consumer- oriented environment. "Dreaming of Money in Ho Chi Minh City" examines how money is redefining social identities, moral economies, and economic citizenship in Vietnam. It shows how people use money as a standard of value to measure social and moral worth, how money is used to create new hierarchies of privilege and to limit freedom, and how both domestic and global monetary politics affect the cultural politics of identity in Vietnam.

Drawing on interviews with shopkeepers, bankers, vendors, and foreign investors, Allison Truitt explores the function of money in everyday life. From counterfeit currencies to streetside lotteries, from gold shops to crowded temples, she relates money's restructuring to performances of identity. By locating money in domains often relegated to the margins of the economy-households, religion, and gender- she demonstrates how money is shaping ordinary people's sense of belonging and citizenship in Vietnam.

Allison J. Truitt is assistant professor of anthropology at Tulane University.

Since the 1970s, tens of thousands of Vietnamese immigrants have settled in Louisiana, Florida, and other Gulf Coast states, rebuilding lives that were upended by the wars in Indochina. For many, their faith has been an essential source of community and hope. But how have their experiences as migrants influenced their religious practices and interpretations of Buddhist tenets? And how has organized religion shaped their understanding of what it means to be Vietnamese in the United States? This ethnographic study follows the monks and lay members of temples in the Gulf Coast region who practice Pure Land Buddhism, which is prevalent in East Asia but in the United States is less familiar than forms such as Zen. By treating the temple as a site to be made and remade, Vietnamese Americans have developed approaches that sometimes contradict fundamental Buddhist principles of nonattachment. This book considers the adaptation of Buddhist practices to fit American cultural contexts, from temple fundraising drives to the rebranding of the Vu Lan festival as Vietnamese Mother's Day. It also reveals the vital role these faith communities have played in helping Vietnamese Americans navigate challenges from racial discrimination to Hurricane Katrina.