The great minds of the human race, employing ever more fabulous technology have peered into the depths of space and discovered that we exist on a tiny speck in a universe that is vast beyond comprehension. But there is one thing we have yet to discover: a single scrap of extraterrestrial life. We have heard no signals, found no alien picnic trash. The aliens who allegedly abduct people in the middle of the night have a strange way of evaporating in the harsh glare of scientific scrutiny. And so at the turn of the millennium we are in an intellectual fix: we know the universe only through its structure, its physical properties, its chemistry. Of its biology we can only guess. Are there creatures out there like us, with big brains and restless spirits? Or are we, for all intents and purposes, alone? If aliens exist -- if there really are intelligent creatures zooming around the galaxy -- then where in tar-nation are they? Washington Post reporter Joel Achenbach -- the author of Why Things Are and a commentator for National Public Radio -- puts the ET debate into the context of the space program, discoveries in astronomy, and the hunger for meaning and spiritual nourishment in an era when science often doesn't provide the answers that people desire. He finds that the topic of extraterrestrial life is poisoned by wishful thinking, by the natural human yearning to make contact with our brothers and sisters in space. But ha also finds some fascinating, admirable, and maddening characters who have pursued the truth about extraterrestrial life: Cad Sagan, the brilliant astronomer who brought the cosmos to the masses; Dan Goldin the cantankerous head of NASA who still believes in the dream of the Space Age; Henry Harris, a former Las Vegas lounge singer who is assigned the job of figuring out how to get a spaceship to Alpha Centauri; and various and sundry ufologists, experiencers, spiritualists, and channelers for whom the aliens are an ever-present reality. In this fascinating, funny, and spirited book, Achenbach discovers that the search for life elsewhere leads us on a looping road back to the fundamental questions about life on Earth. To think coherently about extraterrestrial life, we first must come to terms with who we are, why we exist, and what it means to carry around in our cells an evolutionary history that took tour billion years to unfold Achenbach's message is that it is a wonderful and thrilling thing to be a sentient human being -- a creature capable of foolish romanticism -- in a universe that is mostly rocks and gas and dust and empty space.
Looking down upon the Potomac from his verandah at Mount Vernon, recently retired General George Washington imagined a route through the mountains to the vastness of the West. He was wrong about the river, but not about his country's destiny.
It Looks Like a President Only Smaller is the hilarious, eviscerating diary of one of the most amazing contests in American political history -- from the presidential primaries in New Hampshire, to the fat-cat convention parties in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, to the bizarre vote-counting debacle in Florida. The diarist is a veteran Washington Post reporter, satirist, and explainer of the inexplicable. This is his summary of the historic Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore: "In keeping with the Court's ambition to provide an unambiguous and unanimous decision in Bush v. Gore and thereby legitimate the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, we present herein a majority opinion signed by Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor, and Kennedy, with a partial dissent to the majority by Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas, a full dissent by Justices Stevens, Souter, Breyer, and Ginsburg, a partial dissent to the full dissent by Justices Breyer and Souter, a needling, invective-filled dissent to the partial dissent to the majority opinion from Scalia, and a spitwad [attached] from Justice Stevens...The Court will note that it did manage on Tuesday afternoon to assemble a respectable 6-3 majority in favor of the Chinese take-out." As Joel Achenbach trails Campaign 2000, he channels the unfocused rage of the street protesters, gleefully infiltrates celebrity-choked Hollywood bashes, and roams the remote highways of the battleground states. Whether ruminating on the Confederate flag controversy in South Carolina, rewriting breaking news in the form of a le Carré novel, or mimicking the dyspeptic voice of the editor of the (fictional) newsletter Chad Watch, Achenbach fashions a page-turning comedy that takes the measure of America at the millennium.
Washington Post reporter Joel Achenbach explores our relationship with technology—frequently beneficial, occasionally adversarial, and rapidly changing in a world growing more connected by the minute. In the second decade of this new millennium, we are more connected than we have ever been, and digital utopians speak of the new wonders ahead—artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence, a merger of humans and machines, and a coming era of transhumanism that we cannot possibly imagine. But there are dissenters. They see the rise of a surveillance state. They see personal data turned into a commodity. They see profits swirling to a few huge corporations. They see basic human interactions impaired by gadgetry. The most apocalyptic thinkers fear that machines will soon escape our control. They believe artificial intelligence will be our most catastrophic invention. These people do not form a coherent movement. But if they share a common message, it's that technology should serve humans and not the other way around. Joel Achenbach explores his own relationship with the digital revolution, as well as its future, in this eye-opening, intelligent, and entertaining look at how we connect today.
Presidential candidates are a breed apart, often propelled by traits that have shaped their careers and have deep roots in personal histories. Often their greatest strength can turn at supernova speed into their greatest weakness. The exact qualities that set them apart from the field trip them up eventually over the long haul of a presidential campaign. Rand Paul’s ability to sell himself as the most libertarian of the presidential candidates—defending civil liberties at home and opposing military adventurism and nation-building abroad—is what can set him apart. But those unconventional ideas could also box him in. Libertarians don’t win national elections, unless you count Thomas Jefferson in 1800 and 1804. In this series of eBooks, The Washington Post is exploring in-depth all these key characteristics of the leading presidential contenders, the very characteristics that could help make one of them the country’s next commander in chief—or forever sink their presidential ambitions.
Kefa (Peter) is one of those characters we both love to hate yet grudgingly admire. We are horrified at his weakness in denying Messiah when confronted by a mere servant girl … yet amazed at his boldness to jump out of the boat in the midst of a storm on the Sea of Galilee. In short, Kefa is just like us – filled with moments of seemingly endless faith; then days later crumbling in doubt and fear.Kefa's two pastoral letters reflect the wisdom gained over a lifetime of service as well as the passion of the transforming work of the Spirit in his life. As such, they are filled with important lessons for those of us who dare to believe and follow in his footsteps.Written by Messianic Rabbi Joel Liberman and coming from a series of messages teaching a mature and committed congregation, Letters from The Rock is at once both practical and deep. Its pages resonate with compassion and challenge. More than a book of theory and theology, however, it is intended as a guide for how to live in a world of temptation and trial, suffering and setbacks. It is encouraging and inspirational, designed to move the reader from knowledge into action.We might say it embodies with the same spirit which changed the world nearly 2,000 years ago …
Paul’s foundational letter to the Romans is placed within the commonly accepted scripture structure as the initial letter from one of the apostles to the churches in the first century, BC. Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, was by his own account one of the most prominent Jewish scholars, thoroughly versed in the history of his nation, as well as the particulars of the Law of Moses. In the early days of church history, immediately following the crucifixion and ascension of Jesus Christ, Saul of Tarsus was one of the fiercest opponents of the sect known as Christians, initially known by that name in the ancient city of Antioch. The Lord dramatically saved Saul as he approached Damascus in Syria with orders from the Jewish Sanhedrin to capture and return Christians for trial in Jerusalem. Knocked to the ground, and blinded, Jesus instructed him to continue on to Damascus to be prayed for by a Christian, Ananias, at which time he would recover his sight, receive his new name, and begin his new career as the apostle to the nations. Paul was perfectly suited to fulfill his new role. His letter to the Romans laid out the basic doctrines of faith for all believers. In Chapters 9-11, of which this manuscript describes, Paul provides a detailed status report on Israel, including their temporary fall from grace, followed by the wondrous time when they will return to God when All Israel Shall be Saved.
Looking down upon the Potomac from his verandah at Mount Vernon, recently retired General George Washington imagined a route through the mountains to the vastness of the West. He was wrong about the river, but not about his country's destiny.
Published by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and University of California Press on the occasion of the exhibition The Summer of Love Experience: Art, Fashion, and Rock and Roll at the de Young, San Francisco, April 8 through August 20, 2017"--Colophon.
Casebook of Clinical Neuropsychology features actual clinical neuropsychological cases drawn from leading experts' files. Each chapter represents a different case completed by a different expert. Cases cover the lifespan from child, to adult, to geriatric, and the types of cases will represent a broad spectrum of prototypical cases of well-known and well-documented disorders as well as some rarer disorders. Chapter authors were specifically chosen for their expertise with particular disorders. When a practitioner is going to see a child or an adult with "X" problem, they can turn to the "case" and find up to date critical information to help them understand the issues related to the diagnosis, a brief synopsis of the literature, the patient's symptom presentation, the evaluation including neuropsychological test results and other results from consultants, along with treatments and recommendations. Clinical cases represent a long-established tradition as a teaching vehicle in the clinical sciences, most prominently in medicine and psychology. Case studies provide the student with actual clinical material - data in the form of observations of the patient, examination/test data, relevant history, and related test results - all of which must be integrated into a diagnostic conclusion and ultimately provide the patient with appropriate recommendations. Critical to this educational/heuristic process is the opportunity for the reader to view the thought processes of the clinician that resulted in the conclusions and recommendations offered. With the science of the disorder as the foundation of this process, readers learn how the integration of multiple sources of data furthers critical thinking skills.
For well over two centuries the question of the composition of the Pentateuch has been among the most central and hotly debated issues in the field of biblical studies. In this book, Joel Baden presents a fresh and comprehensive argument for the Documentary Hypothesis. Critically engaging both older and more recent scholarship, he fundamentally revises and reorients the classical model of the formation of the Pentateuch. Interweaving historical and methodological chapters with detailed textual case studies, Baden provides a critical introduction to the history of Pentateuchal scholarship, discussions on the most pressing issues in the current debate, and a practical model for the study of the biblical text.
Treating personality disorders can be extremely frustrating for clinicians. As a result, many doctors get caught in a cycle of diagnosing and rediagnosing in an attempt to find an approach that works. In Personality Disorders Over Time: Precursors, Course, and Outcome, Joel Paris, M.D., proposes a better approach-one based on management rather than cure-that he developed while following a group of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) for over 25 years. Paris believes that the key to effective treatment of personality disorders lies in understanding their progression over a lifetime. In Personality Disorders Over Time, he outlines a sound framework for treatment that features A realistic long-term treatment approach that strives for gradual recovery with intermittent interventions An examination of the progression of these disorders over time, including childhood precursors, course and outcome, and treatment A general theory of personality disorders, including Axis I and Axis II cluster disorders Suggestions for a broader, more accurate DSM classification reflecting the personality trait dimensions that underlie disorders Written in the first person, studded with clinical anecdotes, and filled with up-to-date literature references, Personality Disorders Over Time provides fascinating insights into these complicated disorders. It is an excellent resource for any clinician who wants to understand and provide more effective treatment to patients with personality disorders.
The practice of psychiatry has undergone great changes in recent years. In this book, Joel Paris, MD, a veteran psychiatrist, provides a fluently written and accessible "state-of-the-field" assessment. Himself a clinician, researcher, and teacher, Paris focuses on the most striking change within the field - the diverging roles of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy in contemporary practice. Where once psychiatrists were trained in Freudian psychoanalysis - which involved, more than anything else, talking - current pressures in mental health practice, including those imposed by managed care, are leading psychiatrists to treat more and more of their patients exclusively with medication, which is cheaper and faster. At the same time, psychotherapy is increasingly not being taught to new psychiatrists-in-training, even though, as Paris reveals, there is scientific evidence that both talk therapies and medication can play an important role in the treatment of mental illness. These developments are occuring against a backdrop of exploding research in the genetics and neurobiology of mental illness that will continue to drive the field. Paris ends by contemplating how going forward psychiatry can best respond to all these forces and proposes a team-based approach to mental health care. The book will appeal both to specialists and nonspecialists, particularly psychiatric residents and fellows, medical students considering specialization in psychiatry, clinical psychologists, social workers, and general readers, especially consumers of mental health services.
The second edition of Half in Love with Death gives therapists new tools to help manage chronically suicidal patients. Clinicians will learn how to tolerate suicidality, understand the inner world of patients, avoid repeated hospitalizations, and focus on life situations that maintain suicidal ideas and behaviors. This new edition includes a number of major updates and a new chapter on the epidemiology of suicidality. Each chapter develops a theoretical perspective based on empirical data, and many are illustrated by clinical examples. Topics addressed throughout the text include: Distinctions among various types of suicidality The inner world of the chronically suicidal patient, with a particular focus on pain, emptiness, and hopelessness The relationship between chronic suicidality and personality disorders, especially the category of borderline personality The effectiveness of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for chronically suicidal patients The risks of litigation in managing this patient population This is a crucially important resource for clinicians who treat chronically suicidal patients, one that provides enlightened and evidence-based guidelines.
Acclaimed for its wisdom and no-nonsense style, this authoritative guide has now been revised and expanded with 50% new content reflecting a decade of advances in the field. Distinguished psychiatrist Joel Paris distills current knowledge about borderline personality disorder (BPD) and reviews what works in diagnosis and treatment. Rather than advocating a particular therapy, Paris guides therapists to flexibly interweave a range of evidence-based strategies, within a stepped-care framework. The book presents "dos and don'ts" for engaging patients with BPD, building emotion regulation and impulse control skills, working with family members, and managing suicidality and other crises. It is illustrated throughout with rich clinical vignettes. New to This Edition *Up-to-date findings on treatment effectiveness and outcomes. *Chapter on dimensional models of BPD, plus detailed discussion of DSM-5 diagnosis. *Chapter on stepped care, including new findings on the benefits of brief treatment. *Chapter on family psychoeducation and other ways to combat stigma. *New and expanded discussions of cutting-edge topics--BPD in adolescents, childhood risk factors, and neurobiology.
The Intelligent Clinician's Guide to the DSM-5® is the second edition of the widely-read book first published in 2013. This second edition is thoroughly revised, and has several new chapters describing the response to the publication of the new manual, as well as suggestions on its use in clinical practice. The Intelligent Clinician's Guide to the DSM-5®, Second Edition reviews the history of diagnosis in psychiatry, emphasizing the limitations for classification of our current lack of knowledge of the causes of most mental disorders. It emphasizes that, in the absence of biomarkers, current categories can only be considered provisional. It takes a critical look at schema for spectra and dimensionaliztion of diagnosis, examines the borders between normality and psychopathology, and discusses the problem of clinical utility. The book has chapters on all the major diagnoses in psychiatry, in which the main problems of diagnosis are addressed, and in which all changes in DSM-5 are described.
The fourth edition of this essential resource has dozens of new scales as well as updated information for existing instruments, expanding and cementing its utility for members of all the helping professions, including psychology, social work, psychiatry, counseling, nursing, and medicine. Each instrument is reproduced in its entirety and critiqued by the editors, who provide guidance on how to select and score them. This first volume covers measures for use with couples, families, and children; its companion focuses on adults. Alone or as a set, these classic compendiums are powerful tools that clinicians and researchers alike will find an invaluable addition to - or update of - their libraries. Giving clinicians the scales they need to measure their clients' problems and monitor their outcomes, these all-in-one sourcebooks bring effective, accountable practice within reach for today's busy professionals.
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