Many books and essays have addressed the broad sweep of Texas music—its multicultural aspects, its wide array and blending of musical genres, its historical transformations, and its love/hate relationship with Nashville and other established music business centers. This book, however, focuses on an essential thread in this tapestry: the Texas singer-songwriters to whom the contributors refer as “ruthlessly poetic.” All songs require good lyrics, but for these songwriters, the poetic qualit...

More than 50% of America's schools today exist in rural settings. This book addresses the distinctiveness of rural school leaders, identifies issues encountered by administrators, faculty, and students, and concludes by proposing new standards for rural schools in general and their leaders. This book will be of special interest to everyone involved in the operation of a rural school district.

An illustrated examination of laboratory architecture and the work that it does to engage the public, recruit scientists, and attract funding.The laboratory building is as significant to the twenty-first century as the cathedral was to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The contemporary science laboratory is built at the grand scales of cathedrals and constitutes as significant an architectural statement. The laboratory is a serious investment in architectura...

Communicating Mental Health: History, Contexts, and Perspectives explores mental health through the lens of the communication discipline. In the first section, contributors describe the major contributions of the communication discipline as it pertains to a broader perspective and stigma of mental health. In the second section, contributors investigate mental health through various narrative perspectives. In the third and fourth sections, contributors consider many applied contexts such as...

What we sing together has the power to change us.What music do you hope will be sung in churches generations from now? What music helps you become the follower of Christ you hope to be?This Lenten devotional explores how the power of music can deepen our connection to God and form us as disciples of Christ. For many, music is a ubiquitous presence in our lives that affects us, sometimes despite us. The music we resonate with speaks to who we are, what we believe, and what w...

Fourteen stories. Fourteen terrifying journeys.† A suicidal man waits on a high building for the perfect moment †† A young woman discovers that the past is a different place †† A victim searches for her killer in the most unexpected location †† A serial killer seeks retribution for his press nickname †† A young man explores noir and sex in Paris †† A woman scorned tries to rebuild her life with deadly results †† An abused wife is faced with...

This book represents an international gathering of friends who happen to be highly qualified martial art scholars and practitioners. We have come together in celebration of the more than twenty years the Journal of Asian Martial Arts inspired scholarship in this field to higher academic standards while encouraging all aspects of responsible practice. Each article was written specifically for this banquet, with topics representing the rich variety found in the Asian martial traditi...

A generously illustrated examination of the boom in luxurious, resort-style scientific laboratories and how this affects scientists' work.The past decade has seen an extraordinary laboratory-building boom. This new crop of laboratories features spectacular architecture and resort-like amenities. The buildings sprawl luxuriously on verdant campuses or sit sleekly in expensive urban neighborhoods. Designed to attract venture capital, generous philanthropy, and star s...

The hilarious and action-packed middle grade adventure from beloved comedian and bestselling author Paul O’Grady.Unbeknownst to anyone, somewhat-unhappy and never-quite-fitting in 10-year-old Eddie Albert can speak to animals, including his pet dog Butch, his hamster and his two goldfish (who claim they were once pirates). But when Eddie is sent to stay with his eccentric aunt in Amsterdam, he discovers that she too has this gift…So begins a breathless cosmopolitan comic cr...

The Worldwide Number One Bestseller Wilbur Smith returns to Ancient Egypt in a captivating new novel that will transport you to extraordinary times.EGYPT IS UNDER ATTACK.Pharaoh Tamose lies mortally wounded. The ancient city of Luxor is surrounded, All seems lost.Taita prepares for the enemy’s final, fatal push. The ex-slave, now general of Tamose’s armies, is never more ingenious than when all hope is dashed. And this is Egypt’s most desperate hour.With the...

New York Times bestselling author Wilbur Smith—hailed by Stephen King as the “best historical novelist” and one of the world’s biggest-selling authors—returns to Ancient Egypt in this breathtaking epic that conjures the magic, mystery, romance, and bloody intrigue of a fascinating lost world.Game of Thrones meets Ancient Egypt in this magnificent, action-packed epic. On the gleaming banks of the Nile, the brilliant Taita—slave and advisor to the Pharaoh—finds hims...

'One eye closed, the other locked on my target.' Monologues are a crucial element of theatre, for actors and students alike. From high school study to professional auditions and performances, the monologue exposes the heart of a play and the capacities of the performer. The monologue should be relevant to the performer, and a revelation to the audience. This new collection brings together 30 monologues from contemporary Australian plays. These voices - from ages 14 to 84, from the 1880s to...