Development Sociology

Thousands of women have stepped inside Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Michigan, to try on their dream dresses in the Magic Room, a special space with soft lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that carry a bride’s reflections into infinity. The women bring with them their most precious expectations about romance, love, fidelity, permanence, and tradition. Each bride who passes through has a story to tell - one that carried her there, to that dress, that room, that moment.

Glen Walsh and Steven Alward were childhood friends in their tight-knit working-class community in Shortland, on the outskirts of Newcastle, New South Wales. Both proud altar boys at the local Catholic church, they went on to attend the city's Catholic boys' highs schools: Glen to Marist Brothers and Steven to St Pius X. Both did well: Steven became a journalist, Glen a priest. But when Glen discovered another priest was sexually abusing boys, he reported the offending to police, breaking Canon Law and his vows to the Catholic 'brotherhood' in the process.

Sociologist Albert Amao analyzes the accuracy of self-help and positive-thinking claims in this groundbreaking - and wholly unexpected - exploration of what works, what doesn't, and why. Contrary to the critics who blithely dismiss self-help methods, or the New Age gurus who sell them as miracles, Amao - writing with sobriety and scholarship and drawing on deep personal experience - explores the conditions under which self-help is authentic.

Twins Talk is an ethnographic study of identical twins in the United States, a study unique in that it considers what twins have to say about themselves, instead of what researchers have written about them. It presents, in the first person, the grounded and practical experiences of twins as they engage, both individually and together, the "who am I" and "who are we" questions of life. Here, the twins themselves are the stars.

A compulsively listenable behind-the-scenes memoir that takes listeners inside the weddings section of The New York Times - the good, bad, and just plain weird - through the eyes of a young reporter just as she's falling in love herself.

Lisa Belkin penetrates the prejudices, myths, and heated emotions stirred by the most recent trend in public housing as she re-creates a landmark case in riveting detail, showing how a proposal to build scattered-site public housing in middle-class neighborhoods nearly destroyed an entire city and forever changed the lives of many of its citizens.

Often overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger and more glamorous twin, Oakland has a fascinating history of its own. From serving as a major transportation hub to forging a dynamic manufacturing sector, by the mid-twentieth century Oakland had become the urban center of the East Bay. Hella Town focuses on how political deals, economic schemes, and technological innovations fueled this emergence but also seeded the city's postwar struggles.

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.

What if there are actually answers to some of the biggest questions in life? From a natural-born storyteller, a gorgeous collection of lessons and inspirations from life's most perfect teachers: our children.

What happens to you when someone you love dies? Who was that person or animal companion in your life? Loss comes along. First it breaks your heart, then it stays. How do you live with loss without losing yourself? While loss comes along with you for life, grief doesn’t have to be forever. This book is about learning to live with loss and with joy every day.

Crazy Little Thing is a look at why we want to be in love and the burbling, boiling soup of endorphins, hormones, and neurotransmitters that spill from our brain to make us do things that would otherwise be viewed as insane. Investigative journalist Liz Langley traveled the country to research and interview singularly love-mad folks who maimed, murdered, and married.

Losing a parent is a traumatic blow, and the grief can seem unbearable. But you are not alone, and you can get through this. In this first book dedicated to the experience of adults who have lost a parent, expert on grief Katherine Fair Donnelly shares intimate, telling interviews with surviving sons and daughters and presents practical ways in which surviving family members can take steps toward recovering from their devastating loss.

National Book Critics Circle Award finalist David R. Dow confronts the reality of his work on death row when his father-in-law is diagnosed with lethal melanoma, his beloved Doberman becomes fatally ill, and his young son begins to comprehend the implications of mortality. "Every life is different, but every death is the same. We live with others. We die alone".

In 21st-century India, tradition is colliding with Western culture, a clash that touches the lives of everyday Indians from the wealthiest to the poorest. While ethnicity, class, and religion are influencing the nation's development, so too are pop culture and technology - an uneasy fusion whose impact is most evident in the institution of marriage. The Heart Is a Shifting Sea introduces three couples whose relationships illuminate these sweeping cultural shifts in dramatic ways.

For a mother who’s accustomed to having been number one in her son’s life, the arrival of a girlfriend, fiancé, or wife can be a complicated, confusing, and emotionally challenging event. Likewise, coexisting harmoniously with the mother of her partner can be an overwhelming challenge for any woman. Sons, often caught in the middle, are sometimes understandably reluctant to take sides.

Nation’s Metropolis describes how the national capital region functions as a metropolitan political economy. Its authors distinguish aspects of the Washington region that reflect its characteristics as a national capital from those common to most other metropolitan regions and to other capitals. To do so, they employ an interdisciplinary approach that draws from economics, political science, sociology, geography, and history.

This amusing and thought-provoking book contains a huge collection of marriage quotes from Ann Landers, Dr. Suess, Zig Ziglar, Jerry Seinfeld, Mark Twain, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. It is intended for anyone looking for laughs or words of wisdom regarding their engagement, wedding, anniversary, or divorce. Words from comedians, religious leaders, celebrities, politicians, and the Bible make up this diverse assortment of 519 memorable, bite-sized quotations about weddings, divorce, and happily ever after.

While our civilization continues to advance, our capacity to live civilly - to appreciate our common humanity with empathy and humility - ironically dwindles daily. Even as we become more technologically connected, many of us feel increasingly disconnected and disengaged from each other. Civility Rules! offers an opportunity to learn about the history, substance, and significance of civility through the lens of George Washington’s “Rules of Civility”.

Eine gute Bildung ist entscheidend für die Zukunft unserer Kinder und Jugendlichen. Aber was genau ist gute Bildung, vor allem in einer Zeit der globalen Umbrüche, in der die Definition von Arbeit sich massiv wandelt? Was brauchen unsere Jüngsten von uns, damit sie sich Wissen und Können aneignen und gleichzeitig Orientierung im Leben finden? Wie lernen sie, wie Leben und Zusammenleben im 21. Jahrhundert wirklich gelingt? Unsere Bildungseinrichtungen kriegen das nicht allein hin, verhindern es oft sogar.

Was passiert mit deinem Körper, wenn du stirbst? Was fühlst du - Trauer, Schmerz? Und dann, wenn dein Herzschlag verstummt ist? Was geschieht mit deinem Leichnam, bis du bestattet wirst? Wie wird man um dich trauern? Sterben, Tod und Trauer sind unumgänglich, für jeden von uns. Und doch wissen wir kaum etwas darüber. Wer diese Frage stellt, nähert sich einem Tabu - aber auch einer Wissenslücke. Minutiös und eindringlich beschreibt Roland Schulz, was wir während unserer letzten Tage und Stunden erleben.