Development Sociology

This book is for everyone who has a father. And for all those who know what it's like to long for a father's blessing: his approval, affection, and attention. It's for anyone who's ever longed to hear your dad say, "I love you. I'm so proud of you." You may already know what it's like to live in the rays of such a blessing, to flourish in the marvelous light of a father's love. Yet, in this "fatherless generation", it's also likely you've never known the blessing of your earthly dad.

Imagine you are dying with a secret. Something you've never had the courage to tell your friends and family. Or a last wish - a task you need carried out before you can rest in peace. Now imagine there's a man who can take care of all that, who has no respect for the living, who will do anything for the dead. Bill Edgar is the coffin confessor - a one-of-a-kind professional, a man on a mission to make good on these last requests on behalf of his soon-to-be-deceased clients. And this is the extraordinary story of how he became that man.

Every year, some two million parents in the US suffer the death of a son or daughter. The unnatural sequence of the child's preceding the parent in death creates a wrenching loss and overwhelming emotional and spiritual disorientation. Most of these bereaved parents find relief from their isolation only in the company of others like themselves. The Grieving Garden offers support, understanding, and, ultimately, comfort and hope from those who have sowed the same tears over the death of a child.

While patriarchy and misogyny are problems everywhere, they take on a particularly pernicious form in Christian churches, where those with power have been insisting, since many decades before #MeToo, that this sexually dysfunctional environment is, in fact, exactly how God wants it to be. #ChurchToo turns over the rocks of the church's sexual dysfunction, revealing just what makes sexualized violence in religious contexts both ubiquitous and uniquely traumatizing.

The Child Catchers is a shocking exposé of what the adoption industry has become and how it got there, told through deep investigative reporting and the heartbreaking stories of individuals who became collateral damage in a market driven by profit and, now, pulpit command. Anyone who seeks to adopt - of whatever faith or no faith, and however well-meaning - is affected by the evangelical adoption movement, whether they know it or not. Joyce reveals with great sensitivity and empathy why, if we truly care for children, we need to see more clearly.

More than a decade after the New York Times best-selling anthology The Bitch in the House spoke up loud and clear for a generation of young women, nine of the original contributors are back - along with 16 captivating new voices - sharing their ruminations from an older, stronger, and wiser perspective about love, sex, work, family, independence, body image, health, and aging: the critical flash points of women's lives today.

In the age of Tinder, Hinge, or any other dating app that matches you with randos, the dating game has grown complex and confusing. Cue the Betches. First we helped you win at basically everything, and now we're going to help you win the most important battle a betch can face. Maybe you're a Delusional Dater who needs to get in touch with reality (seriously, he's just not that f***ing into you), or perhaps you're a TGF who needs to stop being so desperate and start playing the game.

In our increasingly polarised society, having productive discussions about social justice issues has never been more challenging, or more crucial. From the persistent ('not all men,' 'I don't see colour') to the insidious ('to play devil's advocate...', 'climate change is coming'), too often, antagonistic or problematic responses threaten to distract and derail our most urgent conversations. Tackling twenty of the most enduring conversation-stoppers, No Offence, But... equips listeners with the knowledge, tools and context to respond with confidence.

La médecine d'urgence n'est pas un travail sans histoires, le docteur Alain Vadeboncoeur en sait quelque chose. Exerçant ce métier depuis près de 25 ans, il a été le témoin de fins violentes, il a vu des personnes revenir de la mort, il a sauvé des vies in extrémis, il a été confronté à de coriaces malades imaginaires, mais surtout, il a accompagné la douleur de ceux qui perdaient un proche et la joie de ceux qui l'échappaient belle.

Drawing on his highly successful sales background and decades of research, he lays out a simple, repeatable, predictable, and ethical process that will enable you to lead others to discover for themselves what and why they need to change. Whether you hope to make a sale or improve a relationship, Jolles’ wise advice will help you ensure that changing someone’s mind is never an act of coercion but rather one of caring and compassion.

Would you like to know how to communicate with the people around you without trouble or misconception and to avoid future arguments? Then keep reading! Communication is a subject that you’ve likely touched on if you’ve attempted to mediate conflicts or if you’ve looked into improving any of the personal relationships around you. It’s true that communication is the gateway to understanding and that you can’t fully reach a resolution with someone if you can’t effectively communicate with them.

In our fast-paced, tech-obsessed lives, rarely do we pay genuine, close attention to one another. With all that's going on in the world, and the never-ending demands of our daily lives, most of us are too stressed and preoccupied with our own thoughts and worries to be able to really listen to each other for long. Often, we seem to somehow "miss" each other, misunderstand each other, or talk past each other.

Even the smartest women play dumb when it comes to relationships. They make the same mistakes over and over again; they fall for the same kind of guys; and they cry to the same friends when, inevitably, the relationship goes sour. Best-selling authors Steven Carter and Julia Sokol have written the book for every woman who would like to be smarter when it comes to affairs of the heart - Men Like Women Who Like Themselves.

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.

For millenniums, the elites have had access to knowledge that was out of bounds from the common folk. The knowledge was only known by those at the top of ruling hierarchy and was passed down to the next generation only. This knowledge enabled them to continue being at the top of hierarchy and rule those who are beneath them, establishing their stronghold over positions of power and influence. Ninety percent did not know anything about them and speculated about their lives and ideologies. They pondered and thought of conspiracy theories.

Of the many critical conversations we will all have throughout our lifetime, few are as important as the ones discussing death—yet few of these conversations are actually happening. Let's Talk About Death (over Dinner) offers keen, practical advice on how to have these conversations—not just at the dinner table, but anywhere. There's no one right way to talk about death, but Hebb shares time- and dinner-tested prompts to use as conversation starters, ranging from the spiritual to the practical, from analytical to downright funny and surprising.

The desire for dignity is universal and powerful. It is a motivating force behind all human interaction - in families, in communities, in the business world, and in relationships at the international level. When dignity is violated, the response is likely to involve aggression, even violence, hatred, and vengeance. On the other hand, when people treat one another with dignity, they become more connected and are able to create more meaningful relationships.

"Wer sich nicht öffnet, fühlt auch nichts" oder "Die Gesellschaft braucht eine Therapie, nicht wir" – in kurzen Videos teilt Michael Nast seine Überlegungen zum Leben und der Liebe und erreicht damit mehrere hunderttausend Follower:innen. Nun gibt es sie in Buchform, seine klugen und gesellschaftskritischen Denkanstöße, die er für das Hörbuch selbst eingelesen hat. Stets mit persönlichen Erlebnissen verknüpft, sprechen sie die Hörer:innen auf Augenhöhe an, denn Michael Nast ist kein Coach, sondern hadert selbst mit sich und seinen Entscheidungen.

Effective business communication is a skill that anyone can develop. From interview strategies to high-stakes negotiation tactics, 10 Skills for Effective Business Communication offers practical strategies to improve communication skills and help you succeed in your career. Equal parts research and actionable advice, this book applies effective strategies from the world’s most successful professionals to common workplace scenarios.

A funny and touching story about how to deal with the struggles of adulthood, how to live a good life, and how money can complicate it all. Money Sucks is the culmination of those discussions, rumination on the haves and the have-nots and a frank, thought-provoking look at some of the toughest questions life throws our way: What makes us happy? How much is enough? Funny and inspiring in equal measures, it’s a must-listen for anyone who cares about the future of their children, grandchildren, and the friends and family they love.