All the information you need to choose, grow, and appreciate the beardless iris—from basic planting information to help beginners, to essential hybridizing details. Beardless irises are cousins of the more familiar bearded irises, but are much more variable, with plants ranging from four-inch-tall dwarfs with tiny flowers to five-foot stalks with dinner-plate-size flowers. In addition, beardless irises of at least one type will grow in virtually every gardening situation from dry shade to standing water in full sun. No other group of perennials offers such versatility. Here, all five major groups are covered in detail: Siberian, Japanese, Pacific Coast Native, spuria, and Louisiana. The garden uses, development of the modern hybrids, and recommended cultures are given for each of the diverse groups of beardless irises. In addition, a separate chapter covers the techniques for creating your own beardless hybrids.
Sempervivum have long fascinated gardeners and are useful plants for gardening situations in which other plants might fail. Many people are aware of only a single, rather uninteresting green cultivar, but selections from the wild and the work of hybridizers have resulted in over 7,000 cultivars with a range in size from 1/2 in. to over one foot in diameter and colors from gold to black. Clearly the gardener has never had a better choice. This book covers all aspects of their history, taxonomy, culture, propagation, hybridizing, people involved in the production of Sempervivum, and a long list of cultivars that are recommended for the gardener. Color illustrations show not only the cultivars, but garden uses and cultural practices.
This seminal work presents an effective design for processing information through five stages from data to actionable knowledge in order to influence behavior within organizations. The authors incorporate such concepts as evolution, semiotics, entropy, complexity, emergence, crisis, and chaos theory in an intriguing alternative to crisis management that can be applied to any organization. Their model shows how to evaluate and share information to enable the organization to avoid disaster rather than simply respond to it. Additionally, the text presents the first attempt at a multi-disciplinary view of information processing in organizations by tying associated disciplines to their respective impacts on the information process. Illustrations used in the text include an overlay that demonstrates how the non-use of information between agencies contributed to the 9/11 disaster, and an appendix addresses Organizing for Cyberterrorism.
This seminal work presents an effective design for processing information through five stages from data to actionable knowledge in order to influence behavior within organizations. The authors incorporate such concepts as evolution, semiotics, entropy, complexity, emergence, crisis, and chaos theory in an intriguing alternative to crisis management that can be applied to any organization. Their model shows how to evaluate and share information to enable the organization to avoid disaster rather than simply respond to it. Additionally, the text presents the first attempt at a multi-disciplinary view of information processing in organizations by tying associated disciplines to their respective impacts on the information process. Illustrations used in the text include an overlay that demonstrates how the non-use of information between agencies contributed to the 9/11 disaster, and an appendix addresses Organizing for Cyberterrorism.
The years between America's founding and the cusp of the Civil War are often overlooked in discussions of America's struggle over slavery. The conflagration that nearly destroyed the country did not ignite quickly, but was the culmination of a long-smoldering debate that saw significant developments in those intervening decades. In particular, the period from 1829 to 1838 witnessed the growth of the Abolitionist movement, begun by determined visionaries bent on bringing the evils of slavery to the forefront of America's consciousness and ending a glaring injustice. Attacked by their opponents, scorned by both sides for their missionary zeal, often relegated to a footnote in history, the Abolitionists were key in shaping the argument over slavery and bringing America's greatest internal struggle to its conclusion.This examination of the Abolitionist movement presents a year-by-year outline of the period from 1829 to 1838, chronicling the growth of the Abolitionists as a social and political group. By giving an overview of other important occurrences each year, it depicts the movement in a broader context, cementing relationships between seemingly disparate elements of American history and giving the movement its full due in the struggle to end slavery.
For two weeks during the spring of 1942, the Bataan Death March--one of the most widely condemned atrocities of World War II--unfolded. The prevailing interpretation of this event is simple: American prisoners of war suffered cruel treatment at the hands of their Japanese captors while Filipinos, sympathetic to the Americans, looked on. Most survivors of the march wrote about their experiences decades after the war and a number of factors distorted their accounts. The crucial aspect of memory is central to this study--how it is constructed, by whom and for what purpose. This book questions the prevailing interpretation, reconsiders the actions of all three groups in their cultural contexts and suggests a far greater complexity. Among the conclusions is that violence on the march was largely the result of a clash of cultures--undisciplined, individualistic Americans encountered Japanese who valued order and form, while Filipinos were active, even ambitious, participants in the drama.
SHOULD U.S. COMICS BE BANNED?"SATANIC" HARRY POTTER BOOKS BURNTPLAYGROUNDS POSE THREAT TO CHILDRENTEXT-MAD YOUTH LOSING WRITING ABILITIESCHILD SUSPENDED FOR BRANDISHING CHICKENSOCIAL WEBSITES HARM CHILDREN'S BRAINSSTUDENT ARRESTED FOR "PASSING GAS" AT SCHOOLThese are all real headlines screaming about the terrible stuff that's out there . . . stuff that's supposed to be BAD FOR YOU. But, honestly is it? "Bad for You" asks this question and many more and not just about the things that modern parents fear like violent video games, social media, and dirty hands. Stuff in this book goes back centuries all the way to Plato (yeah, that one) and his worries over the new "technology" of his time: the written word Kevin C. Pyle and Scott Cunningham cleverly expose the long-standing CAMPAIGN AGAINST FUN for what it really is: a bunch of anxious adults grasping at straws, ignoring scientific data, and blindly yearning for the good old days that never were. "Bad for You" presents the facts, figures, and a whole lot more in eye-grabbing graphics to debunk these myths and give kids the power to prove there's nothing wrong with having fun . . . or with being young."
The process of making decisions is integral to life. We make decisions every day, from what to have for breakfast to critical issues of life and business. When two or more people are involved in making those decisions, the process often involves "compromise" and can be complicated by the basic give-and-take and trade-offs that are associated with this approach. Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language defines compromise in this way: A settlement in which each side gives up some demands or makes concessions An adjustment of opposing principles, systems, etc., in which part of each is given up The result of such an adjustment or settlement Something midway between different things A laying open to danger, suspicion, or disrepute, as a compromise of one's good name, or; to surrender or give up (one's interest, principles, etc.) Compromise necessarily, then, leads to a result that has the great risk of being suboptimal because the concessions made can easily preclude consideration of alternatives and important viewpoints. One of the factors that those who promote compromise as a means of making decisions use as justification is that each side gives up something they want, and thus each side can "live with" the result. In reality, neither side will give up something critically important to them while expecting the other to do just that. The end result is often that either no decision or agreement can be reached or one or both of the parties is unhappy with the result. Too frequently, the ultimate result is failure because one or both parties do not fully support the agreement, which becomes more likely if one party feels it gave more than the other or had to give up something related to its principles or best interest. In an increasingly complex world, compromise is not the best way to reach decisions. An approach that fully and objectively examines all points of view and ideas is needed to arrive at workable solutions to problems and issues as diverse as those we see in the world today. Anyone who has worked inside any company, large or small, knows that it is often very challenging to make decisions. Different personalities, diverse interactions, company politics, and even social, political, and economic philosophies present barriers to agreement. Add to that the basic competitive nature of human beings and the result can be a bubbling stewpot of rancor, foxhole-digging, foot-dragging, backbiting, criticism, individual conflict, and an attitude of an "I win, you lose" zero-sum game that leads to, at best, nonoptimal decisions and at worst, paralysis and no decisions at all. This description applies to virtually any type of organization, not just the corporate setting. It can be seen in organizations, nonprofits, politics, families, churches, schools, and any other setting in which a group of people, whether it be two or many, must meet and make decisions on any topic. All of us have seen the results of committee deliberations aimed at making decisions in a number of these seemingly different settings. Quite often, when we watch the process, we understand the saying that "A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled." The three authors have worked in a variety of different companies and noncorporate settings, including small local companies (fewer than 10 employees) to very large multinational corporations; they have been a part of boards of directors and trustees of nonprofits, school and church groups, neighborhood organizations, and others. They have all had the (mis)fortune of serving on committees charged with making decisions ranging from purchasing equipment to basic corporate strategy for international product development.
This Element introduces the philosophical literature on values in science by examining four questions: (1) How do values influence science? (2) Should we actively incorporate values in science? (3) How can we manage values in science responsibly? (4) What are some next steps for those who want to help promote responsible roles for values in science? It explores arguments for and against the “value-free ideal” for science (i.e., the notion that values should be excluded from scientific reasoning) and concludes that it should be rejected. Nonetheless, this does not mean that value influences are always acceptable. The Element explores a range of strategies for distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate value influences. It concludes by proposing an approach for managing values in science that relies on justifying, prioritising, and implementing norms for scientific research practices and institutions.
The world of personal finance is too confusing, overwhelming, and jargon-filled to successfully navigate alone, and now you don't have to This easy-to-read book combines expert guidance with real-life experiences to produce a step-by-step roadmap for building wealth. Kevin C. Feig, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM), a Certified Public Accountant, and a Personal Financial Specialist, has created an honest, authentic, and simple approach to personal finance in this first book, Walk You To Wealth. Kevin will guide you through how to tackle debt, save, spend, and invest. Most importantly, Kevin provides you with practical, actionable, and SIMPLE steps that you can take towards a wealthier life This book is for anyone who wants to change their relationship with money and take control of their financial life. Order your copy today and start walking towards wealth
Oceanic islands are storehouses for unique creatures. Zoologists have long been fascinated by island animals because they break all the rules. Speedy, nervous, little birds repeatedly evolve to become plump, tame and flightless on islands. Equally strange and wonderful plants have evolved on islands. However, plants are very poorly understood relative to animals. Do plants repeatedly evolve similar patterns in dispersal ability, size and defence on islands? This volume answers this question for the first time using a modern quantitative approach. It not only reviews the literature on differences in defence, loss of dispersal, changes in size, alterations to breeding systems and the loss of fire adaptations, but also brings new data into focus to fill gaps in current understanding. By firmly establishing what is currently known about repeated patterns in the evolution of island plants, this book provides a roadmap for future research.
