Jane Austen’s six complete novels and her juvenilia are examined in the context of civil society and gender. Steiner’s study uses a variety of contexts to appraise Austen’s work: Scottish Enlightenment theories of societal development, early-Romantic discourses on gender roles, modern sociological theories on the civilizing process.

Previously published under title: Authoritative guide to self-help resources in mental health.

“So this is my life? What happened to the person I thought I might be at this stage of the game? Where did that person go? Why am I feeling like I’m just treading water, trying to stay one step ahead of my bills and obligations. Anyway, I’m just too tired at this point to try to figure out where that other person went. But I sure expected to be living a different life than this one.” Most people in their forties, fifties, and beyond catch themselves saying something similar to this. Everyone has a mental image of the person they want to be, but few of us actually fulfill these wishes. Once people realize they are living a completely different life than they’d envisioned, they often think it is too late to change and carry on with the same old habits. Too many people settle for a half-lived life. Best-selling author John Lee has long been addressing the fallacy of this attitude in talks and workshops—and now he sets this program into book form. In The Half-Lived Life, he introduces and explains how passivity holds us hostage to old ways of doing things—and provides solutions on escaping this paralyzing state of mind, body, and spirit while increasing our emotional intelligence (EQ). He also shows the freedom to be gained via compassionate assertiveness—an outgrowth of setting boundaries and enforcing limits. Just as Lee’s seminars have successfully led many to find their authentic self in the second half of their life, so too will this book.

If you feel that your voice is not being heard, you may feel stressed, angry, and resentful. For some, assertiveness comes easy, but for countless others, it is a skill that must be learned. In this New Harbinger Self-Help Essential, you will learn how to evaluate your current patterns of communication, differentiate between aggressive, passive, and assertive styles of communication, and avoid anxiety by effectively asserting yourself. In addition, you will gain the skills needed to help you express your feelings and opinions, set limits, and initiate change. By using non-verbal assertive communication, you can learn to listen to others while staying assertive, and avoid manipulation. New Harbinger Self-Help Essentials provide simple, effective exercises that you can use now to make lasting changes. This Essential is drawn from The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, which details easy, step-by-step techniques for calming the body and mind in an increasingly overstimulated world. Now in its sixth edition, this workbook, highly regarded by therapists and their clients, remains the go-to source for stress reduction strategies that can be incorporated into even the busiest lives. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

The Peer Power Program is a peer training program designed for middle, high school, and higher education students, focusing on 8 core skills: Attending, Empathizing, Summarizing, Questioning, Genuineness, Assertiveness, Confrontation, and Problem Solving. Through a series of exercises, games, and self-awareness techniques, youth and adults involved in the program can gain the basic communication and mediation skills necessary to effectively help their peers. An overview of peer helping, Peer Programs explains the value of and techniques for helping non-professionals learn to help others one-on-one, in small groups and in groups of classroom size. Intended to be of use to those responsible for planning, implementing and/or administering peer programs, this text should also convince those who are not directly involved that peer helping is a worthwhile undertaking – reducing drug and alcohol abuse, dropouts, violence and conflict, HIV and AIDS, pregnancy, stress and negative peer pressure. New features of this edition include: updated rationale for peer programs updated highlights from current evaluation added professionalism- CPPE. Certified Program, Programmatic Standards, Rubric and others downloadable resources of forms to customize for all phases of the Peer Program step-by-step guide of new and current programs This book is an indispensable guide for learning important aspects of training peer helpers and as a resource book for a wide range of professional peer helpers, such as: administrators; managers; teachers; counselors; ministers; religious educators; social workers; psychologists; human resource personnel and others in the helping professions.