It's 1950 in rural southwestern Ontario, five years after the 2nd world war, and five children, all touched by the war their fathers fought in, meet by accident and decide to design and build a bridge over the river between their farms.  Three of the children have lost their fathers in the war, and two more are the offspring of an army medic,  An older boy threatens to destroy the bridge, and inspired by JJR Tolkien's The Fellowship Of The Ring, they form a Fellowship to fight, l...

American culture is changing, a sentiment echoed in phrases such as “the new normal,” and “in these uncertain times,” that regularly introduce all forms of public discourse now, signally a national sense of vulnerability and transformation. Cultural shifts generally involve multiple catalysts, but in this collection the contributors focus on the role changing discourse norms play in cancel culture, corporatism, the counter-sexual revolution, racialism, and a radically divided political cli...

Forty-one enthralling stories from the most talented new science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers.MetaStellar is an online publication focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and horror launched in September 2020, founded by a dozen speculative fiction writers, editors, and artists from around the world.Since then, it's published hundreds of short stories by hundreds of writers, both original fiction, reprints, and excerpts. The proceeds from this antholo...

In 2003, Methodists celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of their founder, John Wesley. Today, there are more than 300 Methodist denominations in 140 nations. Covering the activities of this group that plays an important role in the ecumenical movement through its many social and charitable activities in world affairs, this book offers more than 400 entries that describe important events, doctrines, and the church founders, leaders, and other prominent figures who have made notabl...

Java has quickly become one of the most important languages in programming, particularly for professional and enterprise-level projects. From its infancy as a language primarily used for web applets to its maturity through servlets, Enterprise JavaBeans, and database access, Java has become a complex and robust tool for today's developer.Hardcore Java takes this language and breaks it apart, piece by piece, revealing the important secrets and tricks that will take you from a junio...

When evil wears a suit and tie, who will stand against it?In 1886, the Supreme Court declared corporations to be legal persons-immortal entities with rights but no soul. For the shadowy syndicate known as the Despicables, it became the perfect weapon.Malik Andrew Madison is a young lawyer who thought he married for love. But when his wife's powerful family reveals their true nature, he discovers he's entered a world where corporate law shields ancient evil,...

When evil wears a suit and tie, who will stand against it?In 1886, the Supreme Court declared corporations to be legal persons—immortal entities with rights but no soul. For the shadowy syndicate known as the Despicables, it became the perfect weapon.Malik Andrew Madison is a young lawyer who thought he married for love. But when his wife's powerful family reveals their true nature, he discovers he's entered a world where corporate law shields ancient evil,...

The design of an organization--the accountability system that defines roles, rights, and responsibilities throughout the firm--has a direct impact on the performance of every employee. Yet, few leaders devote focused attention to how this design is chosen, implemented, and adjusted over time. Robert Simons argues that by viewing design as a powerful and proactive management lever--rather than an inevitable outcome of corporate evolution--leaders can maximize productivity across every level...

In Control in an Age of Empowerment, Robert Simons explains how to give employees the freedom to innovate while protecting your firm from loose cannons. Using powerful examples, Simons shows how to apply four powerful management "levers" to balance autonomy with control: Traditional diagnostic control systems, Belief systems, Boundary systems, and Interactive control systems. Used in concert, these four levers give you the control you need--without sacrificing the creative thinkin...

Based on a ten-year examination of control systems in over 50 U.S. businesses, this book broadens the definition of control and establishes a critical bridge between the disciplines of strategy and accounting and control. In addition to the more traditional diagnostic control systems, Simons identifies three new control systems that allow strategic change: belief systems that communicate core values and provide inspiration and direction, boundary systems that frame the strategic domain and...

To stay ahead of the pack, you must translate your organization's competitive strategy into the day-to-day actions carried out in your company. That means channeling resources into the right efforts, achieving the right balance between innovation and control, and getting everyone pulling in the same direction. How to keep all this on track?Identify critical gaps in your strategy execution processes, focus on the most important choices you must make, and understand what's at stake i...

What makes a demagogue? A much more friendly touch, or more importantly, a perception of a friendly touch, than has previously been explored. Demagogues, Power and Friendship in Classical Athens examines the ways in which a demagogic leadership style based on personal connection became ingrained in this period, drawing on close study of several genres of literature of the late 5th and early-to-mid 4th centuries BCE. Such connection was particularly effective with lower classes of ...