In 1898, a two masted schooner, the Mildred E, departed Boston, Massachusetts, bound for Seattle and the gold fields of Alaska. On board were two brothers out to make their fortune by taking cargo from Seattle to Alaska. Only four of the eleven crew members had ever been to sea before. The crew included a captain who liked the bottle too much, a second mate with two wooden legs, and a cook with an obsession that would threatened the lives of the whole crew This voyage was a test of the shi...

Our world was turned upside down. Two months ago, my brother, Bob, was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a type of B-cell lymphoma, and bone cancer. Needless to say, it turned our world upside down. When we received his diagnosis, it literally knocked the wind out of me. Prior to that day, I did not even imagine that it could be cancer causing the lumps in his neck. I optimistically thought it could be benign, fatty tumors, but sadly, I was way off base on this one. To watch my brother c...

Jackson "Jacko" Smith is dyslexic, but like many people affected by the learning disability, he is highly intelligent. His best friend Sammy Collins helps him get through school and unlocks his potential. Jacko progresses through the ranks of local government until Mother Nature intervenes and the straight boy and the gay boy become a couple.As Jacko and Sammy start a family and challenge social mores, Jacko enters politics, horrified at the direction the Australian government is t...

This book provides a guide to research and teaching in an Australian Indigenous Studies that is oriented toward the diverse, contemporary world. Central to this perspective is a sensibility to the intercultural complexity of that world – particularly its Indigenous component – and an awareness of the interactional capabilities that the Indigenous (and others) need to successfully negotiate it. These capabilities are important for facilitating Indigenous peoples’ goal of equality as citizen...

Apart from his drug addiction, his homophobic father, and his denial of his sexuality, Ben O'Connor lives a charmed life. He has a wonderful son, a lucrative job as a Realtor, and a supportive mother and siblings. Then his boss promotes someone else over him and his life disintegrates. In his anger, he breaks the eleventh commandment—thou shalt not get caught.Kicking his ice habit while incarcerated, Ben realizes he has lost his ability to enjoy life. But he gets another chance at ...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. When we weren’t sheltering in place, we were advised to wear masks, wash our hands, and practice social distancing. We watched in horror as medical personnel worked around the clock to care for the sick and dying. Businesses were shuttered, travel stopped, workers were furloughed, and markets dropped. And people continued to die.Amid all this uncertainty, writers and artists from around the world continued to create com...

Australia is a nation in transition. Marriage equality looms but homophobia still rules. Depression and suicide are commonplace as Dean Prentice and his lover, Danny, grow up together in country Victoria. When Dean moves to a nearby regional center to study veterinary science, he finds acceptance and love when reunited with Danny. Profound tragedy visits Dean's life and he grieves, moving on through a series of lovers both male and female and struggling to focus on his studies and his drea...

As a young gay man growing up in southwest Victoria, Nick Williams leads a charmed life. Life on the family farm gives him a sense of purpose. His supportive parents are loving and affectionate. And his best friend Aaron is always around to help him get out of trouble. But when his father dies a few days before Nick's eighteenth birthday, it changes the course of Nick's life.From rural Australia to India, Nick builds a life as a successful businessman only to watch it crumble in a w...

With increasing population and its associated demand on our limited resources, we need to rethink our current strategies for construction of multifamily buildings in urban areas. Reinventing an Urban Vernacular addresses these new demands for smaller and more efficient housing units adapted to local climate.In order to find solutions and to promote better urban communities with an overall environmentally responsible lifestyle, this book examines a wide variety of vernacula...

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach that has the capacity to create vibrant and active learning environments in higher education. However, both experienced PBL practitioners and those new to PBL often find themselves looking for guidance on how to engage and energise a PBL curriculum. New Approaches to Problem-based Learning: Revitalising your Practice in Higher Education provides that guidance from a range of different, complementary perspectives.Leadin...

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union's most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union's citizenry.Being a Peacemaker isn't easy. They're charged with setting the terms and doing anything which needs to be done - even if it personally costs them everything. They must learn to honor the threat to all life, and, in the end, they must stand or fall, based on their own convictions.Welcome back to the Four Horsem...

Often ignored, misunderstood, or compared with Christian belief in a haphazard or inconsistent manner, the Mysteries of the Graeco-Roman world, when handled carefully and consistently, can aid in elucidating the context of New Testament texts. By closely examining the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Mysteries of Isis, and particularly their promises of a pleasant afterlife in Hades for those initiated into the cults, this work offers insight into difficult interpretational issues in First Cor...