Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

America has steadily regressed from a Republic under the Sign of the Cross towards a mobacracy under the Sign of the Scorpion. Social responsibility and the ethics of conscience have vacated the Field of Dreams like a Baroid tater -- an "all about me" cult of celebrity has evolved. Reclaiming the Strike Zone traces the metaphorical cleat marks through "forbidden" history. The Inside Baseball version of the Soviet Socialist Paradise and Nazi Germany is pitched "shekel free." Sub-systems of the American superstructure featuring education, entertainment, youth activities and family are explored in-depth. The search for something that has been lost -- the secret of the American Dream and American Exceptionalism -- is pursued. All base paths lead to the Christian Church and Jewish Nation. Wise Christian philosophy has been Billy-Goated off the playing field -- secular humanism has taken The Hill. Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud have taken a turn at-bat and gone long. Red tide has been harnessed into Economic Determinism by the F&F Boys. The hidden ball trick has been pulled on the sheeple. Disciples of General Zod lack American patriotism. Time is of the essence to restore what has been taken -- it's the bottom of the 9th with two away. DO IT AMERICAN and "don't give up the ship" are battle cries. Intellectual Millenials must step up to the plate and reclaim what their baby booming Spock baby parents baptized in Dewey waters booted. Identifying the proton pseudos and resetting is the task. Restoring sub-systems especially education] while playing small ball is the answer. Truth and patriotic leadership are catalysts. A burning desire to be an American -- free and independent -- without getting JFK'd is the secret. There is a happy ending -- it is certain. The Good News delivers that promise.

America's Pastime with its foreign taproot origination evolved into the game as we know it. Baseball is traced from its European roots plus much deeper sources including Adam and Eve (ballplayers) and the Olympic Games (competitive sport). Baseball beats to the rhythm of the American culture, sometimes as its direction and other times, its reflection. The goodness of the game is reflected in both the players serving as role models for America's youth, with the Yankee Clipper leading the charge, plus inducing positive progressive change, including breaking the color barrier in 1947 with Jackie as a Brooklyn Dodger. The shear ugliness of the game bore its soul to the American public during the Synthetic Era as characterized by serpentine type Congressional hearings involving performance-enhancing-drug use. Cultural issues featuring an intellectual history of PEDs, their effects on performance, leakage into the tributaries and evolution of the Promethean Project are well documented.

BASEBALL IS AMERICA explores America's Pastime through a trilogy of books: "A Child of Baseball" bats leadoff. Baseball, the bellybutton of society is a metaphor for America, acting both as its direction and reflection. Baseball is America, America is baseball. American history, embracing its religious past as a Christian nation, and baseball history, including its synthetic enhancement precedent, is traced through a tapestry of time in a life story format. Born into the Glory Days of New York baseball in 1955, baseball provides the author both identity and meaning. Narrative backdrops track both Reds and Yankee baseball, making historic stops over a 100+ year timeline. A 40+ year playing career is traced from 1962 Edison Little League through 2005 Roy Hobbs World Series in Edison's winter home (Fort Myers). Symbolism, baseball-speak, numerology, simile, nickname, euphemism and metaphor applications create a thought provoking and intriguing word sleuth effect exploring topics deep down in places we don't talk about at parties. Satire and cynical humor stragically integrated buffers acid discussion of controversial issues. Sixties youth ball is viewed and described through a Garden State lens. Seventies ball scenery drastically switches to the Sooner State while the 80's, 90's and new millenium take on a Lone Star State flavor with Space City the focal point. Pop culture, American history (including its Christian nation history) is tactically incorporated into the read. Baseball remains the only venue in America where religion can be pitched into public square casual conversation without being debased as a "nut-job" or being shown the door. The read displays no reservations of informally discussing topics from both Creator-based and man-based religious perspectives. The events surrounding the 1919 World Series, that the Reds accidentally won, are retold through the lens of a Cincinnati native who actually voted present, the author's grandpa.

Praxiology deals with working and doing from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of modes of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommendations for increasing human efficiency. This seventh volume of the Praxiology series focuses on the roots of the discipline. It brings together a selection of writings that illustrate various stages of French thought concerning this philosophy and methodology of action. It is also conceived as a tribute to the writings of Louis Bourdeau and V. Alfred Espinas, key figures in the origin of praxiology. In the first part, "The Origin of Praxiology" examines these origins in the work of Bourdeau and Espinas. Bourdeau's essay demonstrates the influence of contemporary theories, in particular those of evolution and Comte's positivism, but also shows the critical sense and originality of his thought. With reference to Greek philosophy, Espinas's contribution underlines the complex relations between acts and laws; it enables him to follow the slow progression of individuals as they endeavor to shape their destiny according to the circumstances and the direction of their attitudes. In the second part, "Science of Human Action," Maurice Blondel opposes radical rationalism and warns against the positive sciences. Abraham Moles and Elisabeth Rohmer offer an original approach inspired by phenomenology. In the third part, "Action Theory and Its Applications," the texts of Roland Caude and Arnold Kaufmann focus on humanist preoccupations, setting action in the economic context of the firm and the city. Victor Alexandre deals with the structural analysis of real and fictitious actions applied to a large number of elementary acts. Robert Vallee's concluding essay proposes a model consisting of operators for observation, decision, and effectiveness in order to formalize the link between knowledge and action. What emerges from this volume is the constant idea that an individual's destiny is linked to the efficiency of his acts, but also that efficiency as a concept itself has multiple aspects, none of which should be underestimated.

Praxiology deals with working and doing from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of modes of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommendations for increasing human efficiency. This seventh volume of the Praxiology series focuses on the roots of the discipline. It brings together a selection of writings that illustrate various stages of French thought concerning this philosophy and methodology of action. It is also conceived as a tribute to the writings of Louis Bourdeau and V. Alfred Espinas, key figures in the origin of praxiology.In the first part, "The Origin of Praxiology" examines these origins in the work of Bourdeau and Espinas. Bourdeau's essay demonstrates the influence of contemporary theories, in particular those of evolution and Comte's positivism, but also shows the critical sense and originality of his thought. With reference to Greek philosophy, Espinas's contribution underlines the complex relations between acts and laws; it enables him to follow the slow progression of individuals as they endeavor to shape their destiny according to the circumstances and the direction of their attitudes. In the second part, "Science of Human Action," Maurice Blondel opposes radical rationalism and warns against the positive sciences. Abraham Moles and Elisabeth Rohmer offer an original approach inspired by phenomenology. In the third part, "Action Theory and Its Applications," the texts of Roland Caude and Arnold Kaufmann focus on humanist preoccupations, setting action in the economic context of the firm and the city. Victor Alexandre deals with the structural analysis of real and fictitious actions applied to a large number of elementary acts. Robert Vallee's concluding essay proposes a model consisting of operators for observation, decision, and effectiveness in order to formalize the link between knowledge and action.What emerges from this volume is the constant idea that an individual's destiny is linked to the efficiency of his acts, but also that efficiency as a concept itself has multiple aspects, none of which should be underestimated.

Networks are omnipresent in our natural and social world, and they are at the heart of politics. Relationships of many types drive political institutions, processes, and decision-making. Therefore, it is imperative for the study of politics to include network approaches. Already, these approaches have advanced our understanding of critical questions, such as: Why do people vote? How can people build problem-solving coalitions? How can governments and organizations foster innovations? How can countries build ties that promote peace? What are the most fruitful strategies for disrupting arms or terrorist networks? This volume is designed as a foundational statement and resource. The contributions offer instruction on network theory and methods at both beginner and advanced levels, as well as an assessment of the state-of-the-discipline on a variety of applied network topics in politics. Through this dynamic collection of essays, The Oxford Handbook of Political Networks elucidates how the field is transforming and what that means for the future of political science.