The arrival of Anglo settlers in the 1870s marked the beginning of major vegetation changes in southeastern Arizona, including an increase in woody plants in rangelands, the degradation of riparian wetlands, and the spread of non-native plants. While many of these changes have already been linked to human land-use through comparative photographs and historic descriptions, it has long been presumed that changes in the region's climate have also contributed to vegetation change. Geographer Conrad Bahre now challenges the view that these vegetation changes are due to climatic change. Correlating his own field research with archival records and photographs, Bahre demonstrates that most of the changes follow some type of human disturbance, such as cattle grazing, fuelwood cutting, wildfire suppression, agriculture, and road construction. Indeed, all available evidence suggests that Anglo settlement brought unprecedented changes to the land. Vegetation change in the American West has long been an issue of concern. This careful scrutiny of one corner of that region—one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the United States—shows how poorly understood is the relationship between human activities and vegetation. More important, it introduces new techniques for differentiating between natural and anthropogenic factors effecting vegetation change that can be used to help ecologists understand vegetation dynamics worldwide.

Legacy cities, also commonly referred to as shrinking, or post-industrial cities, are places that have experienced sustained population loss and economic contraction. In the United States, legacy cities are those that are largely within the Rust Belt that thrived during the first half of the 20th century. In the second half of the century, these cities declined in economic power and population leaving a legacy of housing stock, warehouse districts, and infrastructure that is ripe for revitalization. This volume explores not only the commonalities across legacy cities in terms of industrial heritage and population decline, but also their differences. Legacy Cities poses the questions: What are the legacies of legacy cities? How do these legacies drive contemporary urban policy, planning and decision-making? And, what are the prospects for the future of these cities? Contributors primarily focus on Cleveland, Ohio, but all Rust Belt cities are discussed.

Facing the Spears of Change takes a close look at the extraordinary life of John Papa `Ī`ī. Over the years, `Ī`ī faced many personal and political changes and challenges in rapid succession, which he skillfully parried or seized, then used to fend off other attacks. He began serving in the household of Kamehameha I as an attendant in 1810, at the age of ten, and became highly familiar with the inner workings of the royal household. His early service took place in a time when ali`i nui (the highest-ranking Hawaiians) were considered divine and surrounded with strict kapu (sacred prohibitions); breaking a kapu pertaining to an ali`i meant death for the transgressor. He went on to become an influential statesman, privy to the shifting modes of governance adopted by the Hawaiian kingdom. `Ī`ī’s intelligence and his good standing with those he served resulted in a great degree of influence within the Hawaiian government, with his fellow Hawaiians, and with the missionaries residing in the Hawaiian Islands. As a privileged spectator and key participant, his published accounts of ali`i and his insights into early nineteenth-century Hawaiian cultural-religious practices are unsurpassed. In this groundbreaking work, Marie Alohalani Brown offers an elegantly written and compelling portrait of an important historical figure in nineteenth-century Hawai`i. Brown’s extensive archival research using Hawaiian and English language primary sources from the 1800s allows access to information which would be otherwise unknown but to a very small circle of researchers.

In a world where racism, violence, illness, and poverty can feel so overwhelming that we often close our eyesand our heartsto the suffering around us, we may not believe we have the power to change things. As Barbara Greenspan Shaiman shows us in Live Your Legacy Now!, this simply isnt so. This part memoir and part how-to guide provides the tools and strategies to help you create meaningful change in your own life as well as in the lives of others. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Shaiman shares stories from her family history and over thirty years of her own life experience as a successful educator, business woman, and social entrepreneur to inspire and guide you to create a vision and plan for initiating a personal legacy. Shaiman details her effective ten-step approach by helping you: Identify your core values, interests, and skills Reflect on how you can use these assets to create meaningful projects that make a difference locally or globally Share these experiences with family, colleagues, and friends to create cultures of caring at home, at work, and in your community Live Your Legacy Now! provides a simple formula to help people of all ages and backgrounds live richer, more meaningful lives by creating projects for personal growth and social change.

Communities in rural America are a complex mixture of peoples and cultures, ranging from miners who have been laid off in West Virginia, to Laotian immigrants relocating in Kansas to work at a beef processing plant, to entrepreneurs drawing up plans for a world-class ski resort in California's Sierra Nevada. Rural Communities: Legacy and Change uses its unique Community Capitals framework to examine how America's diverse rural communities use their various capitals (natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built) to address the modern challenges that face them. Each chapter opens with a case study of a community facing a particular challenge, and is followed by a comprehensive discussion of sociological concepts to be applied to understanding the case. This narrative, topical approach makes the book accessible and engaging for undergraduate students, while its integrative approach provides them with a framework for understanding rural society based on the concepts and explanations of social science. This fifth edition is updated throughout with 2013 census data and features new and expanded coverage of health and health care, food systems and alternatives, the effects of neoliberalism and globalization on rural communities, as well as an expanded resource and activity section at the end of each chapter.

Since the demise of Communism, Albanians have been extremely exposed to the forces of the liberal market economy and the turbulence of globalization. No other country in this region of Europe has experienced such tremendous social and economic transformations. The contributions in this book tackle important areas of change in Albania, from both contemporary and historical perspectives. The book focuses on the political, legal, and administrative dimensions; on various effects of migration; on changing family and kinship relations; and on the transformation of gender positions. (Series: Studies on South East Europe - Vol. 15) [Subject: Sociology, European Studies, Albania Studies, Politics]

The 44th President of the United States of America. A look back at the most memorable moments of Barack Obama's extraordinary life, beloved family and historic political career. It’s been a over a decade since Barack Obama made history when he was elected America's first black president. During his eight years in the White House, he brought about incredible change: He reformed health care, legalized same-sex marriage and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of September 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. This book takes a close look at Obama's life: From his lonely childhood in Hawaii and formative college years to how the relatively unknown Illinois Senator beat veteran Senator John McCain in the 2008 election. It also reveals how Michelle Obama sacrificed her career and family life in order for her husband to achieve his dream of becoming president. Plus, what the Obamas have been up to since they left the White House, and what’s next for them.