Development Sociology

After her brother died unexpectedly and her mother moved into a dementia-care facility, spiritual travel writer and Episcopal deacon Lori Erickson felt called to a new quest: to face death head-on, with the eye of a tourist and the heart of a pastor. Blending memoir, spirituality, and travel, Near the Exit examines how cultures confront and have confronted death by investigating Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Mayan temples, Colorado cremation pyres, Day of the Dead celebrations, Maori settlements, and tourist-destination graveyards.

The lifeblood of any free society is persuasion: changing other people's minds to enable real change. But America is suffering a crisis of faith in persuasion that is putting its democracy and the planet itself at risk. People increasingly write each other off instead of seeking to win each other over. In The Persuaders best-selling author Anand Giridharadas takes us inside these movements and battles, seeking out the dissenters who continue to champion persuasion in an age of polarisation.

There are plenty of self-help books for mourners, but nothing in the way of a modern, approachable and above all useful field guide for the living. And all of us - young, old, sick and well - could use the help. After all, pregnant couples have ample resources available to them as they prepare to bring a new life into the world: Lamaze courses, elaborate birth plans, tons of manuals. Why don't we have a What to Expect When You're Expecting to Die book?

After a near fatal stroke in 1995, Robert McCrum has gained an intimate understanding of his own mortality. Twenty-two years on, his friends have joined him in experiencing Prospero's 'every third thought' of death as a dominating theme of life. McCrum asks: can we make peace with what Freud calls 'the necessity of dying'? Searching for answers leads him to brain surgeons, psychologists, cancer patients and writers for advice and wisdom.

Elderly Parent Caregiver Guide is the ultimate guide for adult children who are or will become their parents’ caregivers. Filled with valuable information and ideas, this book offers hope, support, and plenty of practical advice for anyone caring for their elderly parents. As the author guides you through the maze of caregiving, she shares her knowledge as a nurse and examples from her own journey of caregiving for her elderly parents.

Renew your imagination for what family life can be. Many of us feel overwhelmed about the prospect of raising children in our high-performance, rapid-pace culture. Reflecting on difficulties from our own families of origin can increase our doubt and insecurity about being a good parent. Positive examples of family life can seem few and far between. Mark and Lisa Scandrette understand these challenges, and in Belonging and Becoming they cast a compelling vision of what the family can be.

Sieht man ein weißes Licht, wenn man stirbt? Kann mein Körper noch sprechen, wenn ich tot bin? Kann ich zusammen mit meinem Hamster bestattet werden? Kinder fragen klar, offen und ehrlich nach dem Tod. Und genauso muss man ihnen auch antworten. Das ist zumindest die Überzeugung von Caitlin Doughty. Die berühmteste Bestatterin der Welt beantwortet ganz ungeschminkt Fragen von Kindern, die Erwachsene nicht zu stellen wagen. In lustigem, aber immer respektvollem Ton gewährt die Bestatterin so nicht nur Kindern einen Blick hinter den schwarzen Vorhang aus Tabus rund um den Tod.

David Giffels grew up fascinated by his father's dusty, tool-strewn workshop and the countless creations - both practical and fantastical - it inspired. So when he enlisted his 81-year-old dad for the unusual project of building a casket, he thought of it mostly as a way to learn and to spend time together. Life had other plans. The unexpected death of his mother and, a year later, of his best friend, coupled with turning 50 and the growing realization that his father won't always be around for such offbeat adventures, leads to a harsh confrontation with mortality and loss.

In the American ideal, family life is a sacred and private sphere, distinct from the outside world. But in our hypercompetitive times, Feeney shows, parents have become increasingly willing to let the inner life of the family be colonized by outside forces that promise better futures for their kids: prestigious preschools, "educational" technologies, youth sports leagues, a multitude of enrichment activities, and - most of all - college. A provocative, eye-opening book for any parent who suspects their kids' stuffed schedules are not serving their best interests....

When Jilly Cooper was asked to write a book on marriage, she had been married to Leo Cooper for a mere seven years. Now they are celebrating their Golden Wedding, and although the institution of marriage has changed a great deal since this book was first written, much of Jilly's advice – frank, fearless, often hilarious, but always wise – still holds good. From the wedding and the honeymoon to life afterwards, including how to deal with the in-laws and how to tell if you spouse is having an affair....

The United States remains the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide paid family leave at the national level for either men or women. In the more than two decades since the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to expand family leave benefits nationally. However, in the United States, it is common for innovations in family policies to arise at the state level.

The premise of Advancing Relationship-Based Cultures is simple. Given that relationships permeate every atom of health care, it follows quite naturally that everything in health care will work better when relationships are healthy. This audiobook, while focusing most often on the people portion of the care equation, also addresses the processes and structures that can and must contribute to the ability of all people in health care to provide compassionate care through the four relational practices: attuning, wondering, following, and holding.

After her traditional engagement to her high school sweetheart falls apart, Liza Monroy faced the prospect of another devastating loss: the deportation of her best friend Emir. Desperate to stay in America, Emir tried every legal recourse to obtain a green card knowing that his return to the Middle East where gay men are often beaten and sometimes killed was too dangerous. So Liza proposes to Emir in efforts to keep him safe and by her side. After a fast wedding in Las Vegas, the couple faces new adventures and obstacles in both L.A. and New York City as they dodge the INS.

C. J. Schneider found herself in the middle of a perfect storm after giving birth to her third child and moving to a new neighborhood. Conditions for misery and postpartum depression were ideal: She was isolated, lonely, and exhausted with three young children at home. As she started talking with other mothers, she realized that she was not alone in her experience of feeling alone. In her unique voice, Schneider intelligently and compassionately offers practical advice on how to create the essential community that mothers need.

Striking the right balance between career and motherhood is one of the most stressful, heart-wrenching tasks facing women today. In Torn, 46 women examine the conflict between the need to nurture and the need to work, and reveal creative solutions for having the best of both worlds. The stories in the collection offer hope and inspiration, but they also reveal the messy realities of modern motherhood and life's inevitable crises, both small and large.

The End Is Near helps parents find exactly what they want to do with their life once their kids are grown. Amie Eyre Newhouse combines her 24 years as a registered nurse helping patients make extraordinarily difficult medical decisions with her personal experience of surviving breast cancer and childhood trauma, along with her own journey from full-time parent to empty nester together, in order to help parents find their life’s purpose beyond parenting.

Conventional wisdom would have us believe that it is the size of your network that matters: how many people do you know? We're told to mix, mingle and connect. But social science research suggests otherwise. The quality and structure of our relationships have far greater impact on our personal and professional lives. Our relationships with friends, family, co-workers, neighbours and collaborators are by far our greatest asset. Yet, most people leave them to chance.

Now in The Broken Hearth, William Bennett, America's foremost conservative spokesperson on matters of family values, presents a strong, well-reasoned, and informed defense of the traditional family.

Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads is essential listening for parents today. It offers us the tools to become wiser, more relaxed parents, and the inspiration to speak out, act according to our values, show humility, and set the kind of example that will make a real difference in our children's lives.

Zoë Colville spent years in a fancy hair salon with a long list of clients, living on cigarettes, croissants, and a shoestring. It was everything she'd ever wanted. But when an unexpected and overwhelming loss caused her life to shift unexpectedly, she found herself on a different path. One where the only use for a hairdryer is warming new-born lambs; where the cycle of life on a farm gives new meaning on purpose, and where nature is both a strict teacher and a balm to soothe the pressures of everyday life.