From Policy Advocates to Whips to Ministers, the many roles within the British Parliament are shaped not only by institutional rules but also by the individuals who fill them, yet few observers have fully appreciated this vital aspect of governing in one of the world's oldest representative systems. Applying a new motivational role theory to materials from extensive first-hand interviews conducted during the eventful 1970s, Donald Searing deepens our understanding of how Members of Parliament understand their goals, their careers, and their impact on domestic and global issues. He explores how Westminster's world both controls and is created by individuals, illuminating the interplay of institutional constraints and individual choice in shaping roles within the political arena. No other book tells us so much about political life at Westminster. Searing has interviewed 521 Members of Parliament--including Conservative Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Peter Walker, and James Prior; Labour Ministers Harold Wilson, Barbara Castle, and Denis Healey; rising stars Michael Heseltine, Norman Tebbitt, David Owen, and Roy Hattersley; habitual outsiders, like Michael Foot, who eventually joined the inner circle; and former insiders, like Enoch Powell, who were shut out. Searing also gives voice to the vast number of Westminster's backbenchers, who play a key part in shaping political roles in Parliament but are less likely to be heard in the media: trade unionists, knights of the shires, owners of small businesses, and others. In this segment of his study, women, senior backbenchers, and newcomers are well represented. Searing adroitly blends quantitative with qualitative analysis and integrates social and economic theories about political behavior. He addresses concerns about power, duty, ambition, and representation, and skillfully joins these concerns with his critical discoveries about the desires, beliefs, and behaviors associated with roles in Parliament. Westminster's World offers political scientists, historians, anthropologists, political commentators, and the public rich new material about the House of Commons as well as a convincing model for understanding the structure and dynamics of political roles.
Donald T. Blume rejects the view that In the Midst of Life, the second volume of Bierce's collected works, is his most important literary work. Instead, he posits that Bierce's original 1892 collection is his most definitive and authoritative opus.
We've always measured the world around us, from how big things are, to how fast they go, how much they're worth and practically everything in between. But who decided how we do it, and why?
Lies. Charlatans. Greed. War. In the name of God, 200,000 Avarican civilians are savagely massacred. Therefore, the neighboring Gzadin homeworld is overrun by Avarican forces in the name of God. So the Gzadin enlist the aid of Crilen, the fiery interstellar champion of the living Lord, to liberate their planet in Gods name. Only he quickly discerns that the purported faiths of both worlds have been subverted by ungodly ulterior motives. The sincerest soul Crilen encounters amidst a chaotic war mired in ruthless treachery is Captain Vicara Riks, an intrepid field officer whose thirst for righteousness runs concurrent with her struggle to trust Heaven. Her fearless leadership symbolizes the conundrum of the soldier who finds her sworn allegiance to duty opposed by the abandoned virtues of honor and truth. Every willing sacrifice Vicara makes painfully diminishes her odds for a loving reunion with her son. Crilen desperately wishes to save her, but war is fraught with crueltyand death. To deliver interplanetary peace, sacrifices must be made. What price for the atonement of two lost worlds shall ultimately be paid?
Rugby is a sport that means different things to different people around the world. So when award-winning writer Donald McRae set off to take the pulse of the sport soon after the dawn of the professional era, he began to build a portrait of the game that highlighted the contrasts between nations, who may have been united in their love for rugby, but who saw it in very different ways. Featuring in-depth interviews with a range of great players from around the world, including Sean Fitzpatrick, Francois Pienaar and Lawrence Dallaglio among others, Winter Coloursis a compelling account of the culture of rugby as seen by its biggest stars - men who also hold dear the sport's very traditions that make it so special. This is a remarkable piece of writing and is sure to be of interest to all who follow the sport at any level.
Efficient public administration requires a delicate balance between politics, accountability, and performance--bureaucracy must be powerful enough to be effective but also accountable to elected officials and citizens. Author Don Kettl understands that the push and pull of political forces in a democracy make the functions of bureaucracy both contentious and crucial. In The Politics of the Administrative Process, he gives students a realistic, relevant, and well-researched view of the field featuring engaging vignettes and rich examples from current events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ninth Edition has been thoroughly updated with an additional chapter, as well as new scholarship, data, and case studies, giving students multiple opportunities to apply ideas and analysis as they read.
The Folly of War is a hard-hitting, critical analysis of American wars in the 20th century that set a pattern for the early 21st century. Drawing on a wide rage of sources and rigorously marshaling the facts, the book concludes that these wars have been futile, unnecessary and foolish. Rejecting the Left's contention that American foreign policy has been driven by greedy corporate interests, the author starts from the premise that average Americans have supported these wars out of a will to do good" but have failed in that aim, and in the process done much harm. This is a disturbing book that raises questions about how we go to war, how we fight wars, and how we eventually lose wars. Many Americans viewed the military defeat in Vietnam as an aberration, interrupting a string of foreign military successes. This book sees that tragedy as part of a line of politically reckless engagements. Driven by a proud self assurance that is often termed American exceptionalism, the nation arms itself to the teeth and intrudes into every region, pacing on a treadmill of perpetual war to achieve perpetual peace. Writing Chapter 13, "The War on Terror - The Contrived War" in 2003, just as the Bush administration was making its fateful decision to invade Iraq, Schmidt concluded at that time that the discussion among the principals (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell, etc.) was stacked with faulty information and the decision was made on an emotional level rather than a rational one. Further, he predicted that nothing good would come of the Iraq venture -- unfortunately that assessment was correct. One of the officials in the Bush White House who participated in the pre-war discussions, admitted the attack was irrational: "The only reason we went into Iraq is we were looking for somebody's ass to kick ... Afghanistan was too easy." (Days of Fire - Bush and Cheney in the White House, by Peter Baker, p 191, Doubleday, 2013). At the end of seven major wars and after one million American soldiers have been killed, we are no closer to the perfect security we seek.
Niumi, a small, little-known territory located on the bank of the Gambia River in West Africa, is seemingly far from the reaches of world historical events. And yet the outside world has long had a significant - and increasingly profound - impact on Niumi. This fascinating work shows how global events have affected people's lives over the past eight centuries in this small region in Africa's smallest country. Drawing on written and oral testimony, and writing in a clear and personal style, Donald R. Wright connects 'globalization' with real people in a real place. This new edition updates discussions of global history and African history based on current studies and new developments that have been factored into the interpretive framework. Reflecting on recent visits to Niumi, Wright extends the story into 2009, to consider the impact of global recession and domestic political repression under a regime in power for the past fifteen years. Punctuating the narrative are photographs, maps, and 'Perspectives' boxes on selected topics such as the sale of slaves five centuries ago, colonial sexism, the fate of press freedom, and how popular culture affects growing up in a traditional society. Throughout, the author deals with African history seriously, global trends critically, and human lives sensitively.
If the word "hero" still belonged in the historian's lexicon, it would certainly be applied to John Wesley Powell. Intrepid explorer, careful scientist, talented writer, and dedicated conservationist, Powell led the expedition that put the Colorado River on American maps and revealed the Grand Canyon to the world. Now comes the first biography of this towering figure in almost fifty years--a book that captures his life in all its heroism, idealism, and ambivalent, ambiguous humanity. In A River Running West, Donald Worster, one of our leading Western historians, tells the story of Powell's great adventures and describes his historical significance with compelling clarity and skill. Worster paints a vivid portrait of how this man emerged from the early nineteenth-century world of immigrants, fervent religion, and rough-and-tumble rural culture, and barely survived the Civil War battle at Shiloh. The heart of Worster's biography is Powell's epic journey down the Colorado in 1869, a tale of harrowing experiences, lethal accidents, and breathtaking discoveries. After years in the region collecting rocks and fossils and learning to speak the local Native American languages, Powell returned to Washington as an eloquent advocate for the West, one of America's first and most influential conservationists. But in the end, he fell victim to a clique of Western politicians who pushed for unfettered economic development, relegating the aging explorer to a quiet life of anthropological contemplation. John Wesley Powell embodied the energy, optimism, and westward impulse of the young United States. A River Running West is a gorgeously written, magisterial account of this great American explorer and environmental pioneer, a true story of undaunted courage in the American West.
Visit www.rumsfeld.com for more. Discover Known and Unknown Deluxe offering an unprecedented reading experience for a memoir by a major public figure. For web-connected readers, it features more than 500 links to never-before-available original documents from Donald Rumsfeld's extensive personal archive. It includes State Department cables, correspondence, and memoranda on topics such as Vietnam, Watergate, the days following 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and much more. Available in ePub and Adobe Reader. Like Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown pulls no punches. With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld's memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld's unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in the Nixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration; and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector. Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay. Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world's best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger to Colin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush. Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website. Known and Unknown delivers both a fascinating narrative for today's readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow's historians. Proceeds from the sales of Known and Unknown will go to the veterans charities supported by the Rumsfeld Foundation.
Hakeem Jinnah enjoys an ordinary life of working the Vancouver Tribune’s crime beat, flirting with women, seeking interested investors in a mail-order-bride scheme, and driving around in his satellite-guided Love Machine. But when he and another Tribune reporter begin competing to cover the story of a shady stock promoter’s death, he finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation. This entertaining and suspenseful debut introduces us to an unforgettable lead character. Mr. Jinnah, a politically incorrect but resourceful reporter, proves to be a wily and relentless investigator. Hindered in his pursuits by the police department, Mr. Jinnah searches out the truth in an increasingly bizarre investigation. Meanwhile, he and his cousin seek their fortune in a scheme to marry Russian peasant women to wealthy Chinese men.
By Scalpel and Cross: A Missionary Doctor in Old Korea is the story of a Presbyterian medical missionary told against the background of Korea in the first half of the twentieth century, decades before the astounding rise of South Korea. Young Dr. Archibald G. Fletcher arrives in 1909, just before Japan annexes Korea. The dramatic, little-read history of early Christian missions is part of the story, as Arch, assigned to Taegu, confronts appalling diseases, poverty, and the scourge of leprosy. The reader gets to know Arch and his wife, Jessie, through their relentless effort to provide healing, in body and also in spirit, and the artful blend of practical entrepreneurship and compassion in Arch's pioneering treatment of leprosy. The book overflows with the sights and sounds of old Korea, and the experiences of a Westerner pressing the advance of medicine under Japanese rule. Arch and Jessie's story includes setbacks and disappointments--destruction by fire of their home and the medical dispensary, Arch's bout with tuberculosis, internment during WWII--yet the narrative is inspiring and uplifting. The reader shares a sense of God's providence, and of esteem for the Korean people--their generous spirit, and their extraordinary response to the Christian message.
Winner of the 2023 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology Winner of the 2023 Locus Award for Best Anthology A 2023 NAACP Image Award Nominee A 2023 British Fantasy Award Nominee A NPR Best of the Year pick A Book Riot Best SFF of the Year pick "[A] magnificent and wide-ranging anthology . . . A must-read for all genre fans."—Publishers Weekly, starred review From award-winning editorial team Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight comes an anthology of thirty-two original stories showcasing the breadth of fantasy and science fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora. A group of cabinet ministers query a supercomputer containing the minds of the country’s ancestors. A child robot on a dying planet uncovers signs of fragile new life. A descendent of a rain goddess inherits her grandmother’s ability to change her appearance—and perhaps the world. Created in the legacy of the seminal, award-winning anthology series Dark Matter, Africa Risen celebrates the vibrancy, diversity, and reach of African and Afro-Diasporic SFF and reaffirms that Africa is not rising—it’s already here. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
What do we know about angels? Probably not as much as we think. And from the other side, what do angels know about us? They, too, are created, and work out of the Home Office, if you will. But when one of them decides he needs to know about being a child of God in a sinful world, he uses some R and R to talk to a totally surprised and skeptical human (his life-long assignment) with some surprising and imaginative results. Actually, they may talk about things we too wonder about. Remo, a Roman solider, is caught up in the crucifixion of Christ, and then witnesses His resurrection. Through his adventurous life, he seeks the reality and the meaning of the event, not sure of his experience nor its significance. His travels and battles and observations bring him to an ultimate confrontation with the truth, its eternity, and the cost.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political and Legal History brings together an unparalleled wealth of information about the laws, institutions, and actors that have governed America throughout its history. Entries key political figures, important legislation and governmental institutions, broad political trends relating to elections, voting behavior, and party development, as well as key court cases, legal theories, constitutional interpretations, Supreme Court justices, and other major legal figures. Emphasizing the interconnectedness of politics and law, the more than 430 expertly written entries in the Encyclopedia provide an invaluable and in-depth overview of the development of America's political and legal frameworks.
Great description shakes us. It fills our lungs with the life of its author." Painted Paragraphs, the second in a series of inspirational guides for writers and readers, is author Donald Newlove's witty, insightful, and very personal selection of the best descriptive passages in literature. Beginning with Ernest Hemingway's dinner of oysters and wine in A Moveable Feast, Newlove moves on to give us the contents of Mildred's cupboard in Terry McMillan's Mama, Robert Stone's description of a rat-infested tug dump in Outerbridge Reach, Richard Selzer's brilliant anatomy lesson in his memoir Down from Troy, and John Edgar Wideman's mood painting of a tree by his mother's house in the black section of Pittsburgh in "All Stories Are True." Also included are selections from Tolstoy, Proust, Shakespeare, Anais Nin, lots and lots of gorgeous Whitman, and dozens more. This idiosyncratic collection not only celebrates great authors, it explains how they use strokes of moral force and courage to paint the landscapes of their work.
Like all human colonists born into the crushing gravity of Jupiter, Jarls Anders commands tremendous physical strength and survival ability. And, like his fellow Jovians, Jarls has grown up innocent, easy to exploit. Shipped between Jupiter, Venus, and Earth in indentured servitude, Jarls finds his life in constant danger--not just from the harsh landscapes of distant planets, but also from the treacherous politics of human aristocracy. Navigating the solar system proves much easier than navigating political conspiracy and a government coup. Jarls’s only chance for survival is if he can leave behind his rustic innocence and build a strength of character to match the strength of his body. In JOVIAN, author Donald Moffitt creates a fast-moving SF adventure packed with grand themes and big ideas sure to please fans of his other titles and of brand-new and classic SF adventure alike.
Pete's desperate quest to win the heart of his former caretaker, whom he felt embodied everything he desired in a soulmate had failed; however, all was not in vain. There were moments when he able to render his tender care and comfort when she was in need; and also, a small but precious capsule in time when he was able to love her with all his being. In the final analysis, he chose to not continue living without her, and that wish he was undeniably successful in making come true.
Certainly no singer has been more mythologized and more misunderstood than Billie Holiday, who helped to create much of the mystique herself with her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues. "Now, finally, we have a definitive biography," said Booklist of Donald Clarke's Billie Holiday, "by a deeply compassionate, respectful, and open-minded biographer [whose] portrait embraces every facet of Holiday's paradoxical nature, from her fierceness to her vulnerability, her childlikeness to her innate elegance and amazing strength." Clarke was given unrivaled access to a treasure trove of interviews from the 1970s—interviews with those who knew Lady Day from her childhood in the streets and good-time houses of Baltimore through the early days of success in New York and into the years of fame, right up to her tragic decline and death at the age of forty-four. Clarke uses these interviews to separate fact from fiction and, in the words of the Seattle Times, "finally sets us straight. . .evoking her world in all its anguish, triumph, force and irony." Newsday called this "a thoroughly riveting account of Holiday and her milieu." The New York Times raved that it "may be the most thoroughly valuable of the many books on Holiday," and Helen Oakley Dance in JazzTimes said, "We should probably have to wait a long time for another life of Billie Holiday to supersede Donald Clarke's achievement.
The dramatic and revealing account of five generations of the Redgrave family, one of the greatest theatrical and Hollywood movie dynasties of all time, includes Lynn Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave, and Natasha Richardson.
Sea Trial brings the reader along on a very detailed odyssey ranging from the authors days as a merchant marine cadet at a state maritime academy in the early sixties to his more-than-a-quarter century of service with the US Coast Guard both on board the ship and in the marine safety program. Written by a licensed merchant marine engineer, the point of view of this book is one that is rarely seen: someone speaking from the deck plates in the boiler room rather than the traditional view from the bridge. The book details various voyages, safety inspections, casualties, fires, repairs, oil spills, and sea trials that occurred during that time. It is a look at the work of hundreds of Coast Guard sailors and Marine Inspection personnel whose story rarely, if ever, gets told.
Living Dangerously: In Sweet Delusions And Datelines From Shrieking Hell is a history-driven story casting a wide net over the Vietnam War, called the most important event of the second half of the twentieth century. It is a story with flashbacks and live action, from the battlefield to the bedroom, politics and the military, to a his-her war of sweet, bitter, and brave love.
The first book in a new series by the multimillion-copy bestselling author of Conversations with God. Neale Donald Walsch has changed the way millions of Americans think about God. His Conversations with God series, book 1, book 2, and book 3, have all been New York Times bestsellers- book 1 for over two years. The essence of Neale Donald Walsch's message lies at the heart of faith- the sacred place in every person, where he stands alone with his God. Walsch urges each of us to forge our own unique relationship with God, a God who is everywhere and speaks to us in all we do. It is up to us to stop and listen. It is up to us to respond...to begin the conversation. And a conversation is the first step, just as in any relationship, in establishing trust, in building friendship, in creating communion. In Friendship with God, Neale Donald Walsch shares the next part of his journey, and leads us to deepen and strengthen our own bonds with God. He honors our heart's desire: a closer connection, richer and fuller. A friendship with God.
Beyond the Secret... Beyond the Power of Now... is the Science of Spirit...a Deeper look at life. Why are we here alive on planet earth trapped in a life of 9 to 5 wage slavery? "Science of Spirit: Lost Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth" shows that all life on planet earth and in the universe is based on an evolution of consciousness from the beginning of timethe Big Bang. It clarifies the connectedness of all life with Science and to Spirit through the understanding of world-old Hermetic Teachings in a balance of Reason and Faith. Consciousness is the very fabric that all form is made out of and is the ground of all beingness of life Consciousness and the energy that makes up matter are inextricably combined or linked, emerging in a sequence of events called occasions of experience that ultimately create our experiences in life and our reality. The universe isnt made of things or particles. Its a process. Its made up of events. The result of this evolution of consciousness is an Analogical Awareness of life living in the now moment of unlimited potentials for the growth of a new super-conscious species of humanity moving through an Omega Point in time between 2011-- 2013. These Hermetic Teachings were clarified for me through the teaching of Ramtha and his Ancient Gnostic School much of what I have learned in 20 years my philosophy of life has its foundation in Ramthas philosophy. Our accelerating consciousness is moving to a quantum existence of Spirit-in-Mass God Man realized alive with all the lower species of life specifically the Sheeple of Economic Western Society. The Science of Spirit is based on my personal experience... my research... and my understanding of the ancient philosophy that this work comes from... It uses from research the philosophy and experience of other very credible people that have studied different aspects of a Science of Spirit as a philosophy to live by... I use this eclectic approach to build an accurate model of reality based in consciousness that allows us to create our own reality once we rid ourselves of the illusions of society. This approach gives credibility to my overall viewpoint a modern interpretation of a very old philosophy and way of life... A Science of Spirit that is inherent in Mother Nature... It goes in-depth about understanding What Consciousness Is! - An Analogical State of Awareness that is continuously evolving faster and faster to the eternal Now Moment It uses the discovery of a new perspective of the Mayan Calendar that is supposed to end in a religious "Apocalypse at "The Omega Point" in time around 2012 as its foundational understanding of an "Evolution of Consciousness" on earth. This philosophy and research show an Evolution of Consciousness a rising of an Analogical Awareness of life revealing a Science to the nature of Spirit It explains from a new perspective, this battle between the "Forces of Good and Evil" at "The End of Time". This Ancient Science of Spirit philosophy explains how the primeval forces of life [Spirit] that are inherent in Mother Earth growing for 16.4 billion years are pitted against the "dogmatic, stagnant, god-fearing personalities," that runs the Engines of Commerce of our Global Society with their focus on monetary control of the people and the planet. This is a real life battle between evolving evolutionary beings against the "Anti-Christ Social Consciousness of The Multi-National Corporations. Religious dogmas talk about an "Apocalypse at the end of time" to help warn us of our impending doom the remarkable thing is that the word "Apocalypse" means the "lifting of a veil" or a disclosure to certain privileged persons of something hidden from the majority of humankind. I will show in this book that the "lifting of a veil" is a rising of consciousness that knows no fear of the unknown and clarifies ancient predictions of the end days and the real battle of Armageddon. This ancient "Science
The author of this text examines how former enemies learn to live together in peaceful political association despite their suffering at each other's hands. He seeks to reclaim the concept of forgiveness from personal and religious realms and restate its significance in political life.
The renewal of medical curricula generally arises from emerging pedagogies (e.g. problem-based learning), new technologies (e.g. high fidelity simulation), or prevailing sociocultural forces (e.g. complexity of health care delivery and team-based care). Approximately 15 years ago, a team of physicians and administrators sought to take this further: by considering the very nature of medical practice and the patient-physician relationship that is the context and conduit of caring and care, they restructured the composition and function of medical education. This book, Physicianship and the Rebirth of Medical Education, is the authoritative publication on the philosophy, design, and implementation of this new curriculum. From first year to graduation, this book reimagines the education of medical students in its entire scope. It discusses the epistemology of clinical practice and pedagogical methods and addresses pragmatic issues of curricular implementation. The educational blueprint presented in the book rests on a new definition of sickness, one focused on impairments of function as the primary issue of concern for both patients and their care givers. This perspective avoids the common shift of medical attention from persons to diseases, and thus provides the basis for an authentic and robust patient-centered mindset. The title of the book refers to a "rebirth." This implies that there was a previous "birth." Indeed, the critical ingredients of medical education were articulated historically and many features emanate from a time-honored apprenticeship model. This book recognizes in William Osler and his "natural method of teaching the subject of medicine" the foundational elements for teaching physicianship. The practice of medicine is indelibly relational and, in turn, medical education is an intellectual and an emotional journey that is rooted in clinical relationships. As this book shows, medicine must unfold in the context of patient care; patients, not diseases, should be the center of attention.
This book is called 100 First Pages because that's what it is. Each page in the book is 'supposed' to be the first page of a novel. Next to that page, on the left, are my comments about how the novel might go, along with some of my personal thoughts on the 'subject'. That's the best part, because it is a mini-encyclopedia, almanac, journal and, to some extent, a blog. The book covers a large array of topics and genres. When you buy the book and read it, you can go to my website listed in the back and vote for your favorite BEGINNING. You can also suggest a title for the book. I promise that I will write the novel which receives the most votes for publication AND if you are the person who suggests the Best Title, i.e. the one I will use, you will get a cover credit, an entire page inside to write anything you like and one dollar for every copy sold! Check out the preview and give it a try.
In The Last Things Donald G. Bloesch takes up difficult and sometimes controversial themes such as the coming of the kingdom of God, the return of Jesus Christ, the life hereafter, the millennial hope, the final judgment, hell, heaven, purgatory and paradise. Wrestling with biblical texts that often take metaphorical form, Bloesch avoids rationalistic reductionism as well as timid agnosticism. While he acknowledges mystery and even paradox, Bloesch finds biblical revelation much more than sufficient to illuminate the central truths of a Christian hope articulated throughout the history of the church. The Last Things is not just a review of past Christian eschatology but a fresh articulation of the grace and glory of God yet to be consummated. The triumph of the grace of Jesus Christ and the dawning of hope beckon us to reach out in the power of the Spirit to receive that blessed future and the promise to renew the life of the church universal today.
The scarcity of surface water which has so marked the Great Plains is even more characteristic of its subdivision, the Texas High Plains. Settlers on the plateau were forced to use pump technology to tap the vast ground water resources—the underground rain—beneath its flat surface. The evolution from windmills to the modern high-speed irrigation pumps took place over several decades. Three phases characterized the movement toward irrigation. In the period from 1910 to 1920, large-volume pumping plants first appeared in the region, but, due to national and regional circumstances, these premature efforts were largely abortive. The second phase began as a response to the drouth of the Dust Bowl and continued into the 1950s. By 1959, irrigation had become an important aspect of the flourishing High Plains economy. The decade of the 1960s was characterized chiefly by a growing alarm over the declining ground water table caused by massive pumping, and by investigations of other water sources. Land of the Underground Rain is a study in human use and threatened exhaustion of the High Plains' most valuable natural resource. Ground water was so plentiful that settlers believed it flowed inexhaustibly from some faraway place or mysteriously from a giant underground river. Whatever the source, they believed that it was being constantly replenished, and until the 1950s they generally opposed effective conservation of ground water. A growing number of weak and dry wells then made it apparent that Plains residents were "mining" an exhaustible resource. The Texas High Plains region has been far more successful in exploiting its resource than in conserving it. The very success of its pump technology has produced its environmental crisis. The problem brought about by the threatened exhaustion of this resource still awaits a solution. This study is the first comprehensive history of irrigation on the Texas High Plains, and it is the first comprehensive treatment of the development of twentieth-century pump irrigation in any area of the United States.
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