How a team of researchers, led by the author, discovered our home galaxy's location in the universe. You are here: on Earth, which is part of the solar system, which is in the Milky Way galaxy, which itself is within the extragalactic supercluster Laniakea. And how can we pinpoint our location so precisely? For twenty years, astrophysicist Hélène Courtois surfed the cosmos with international teams of researchers, working to map our local universe. In this book, Courtois describes this quest and the discovery of our home supercluster. Courtois explains that Laniakea (which means “immense heaven” in Hawaiian) is the largest galaxy structure known to which we belong; it is huge, almost too large to comprehend—about five hundred million light-years in diameter. It contains about 100,000 large galaxies like our own, and a million smaller ones. Writing accessibly for nonspecialists, Courtois describes the visualization and analysis that allowed her team to map such large structures of the universe. She highlights the work of individual researchers, including portraits of several exceptional women astrophysicists—presenting another side of astronomy. Key ideas are highlighted in text insets; illustrations accompany the main text. The French edition of this book was named the Best Astronomy Book of 2017 by the astronomy magazine Ciel et espace. For this MIT Press English-language edition, Courtois has added descriptions of discoveries made after Laniakea: the cosmic velocity web and the Dipole and Cold Spot repellers. An engaging account of one of the most important discoveries in astrophysics in recent years, her story is a tribute to teamwork and international collaboration.

After moving to an affluent suburb of Denver in 1975, ninth-grader Tiphanie, the only Black girl in her new high school, feels out of place until she befriends another outsider--Jackie Sue, whose "trailer trash" home life makes Tiphanie's problems seem like a walk in the park. In October 1975, while most teens are worried about their Happy Days Halloween costumes, Tiphanie Jayne Baker has bigger problems. Her parents have just decided to uproot the family to the ritzy suburb of Brent Hills, Colorado, and now she's the only Black girl at a high school full of Barbies. But the longer Tiphanie stays in her new neighborhood, the more her ties to her old community start to fray. Now that nowhere feels like home, exactly where does she belong?

Introducing readers to a wide range of maps from different time periods and a variety of cultures, this book confirms the vital roles of maps throughout history in commerce, art, literature, and national identity.

Details the science behind the Copernican Revolution, the transition from the Earth-centered cosmos to a modern understanding of planetary orbits.

What does it mean to be white? In our culture, whites have not always used their power and privilege responsibly. As a result, those from other racial and ethnic backgrounds may respond to you differently or suspiciously simply because of your whiteness. You may feel ambivalent about your own identity as a white person. Perhaps you have been frustrated when a friend of another ethnicity shakes his head and tells you, ''You just don't get it because you're white.'' How can whites overcome the mistakes of the past? How can they build authentic relationships with people from other backgrounds? In this groundbreaking book, Paula Harris and Doug Schaupp present a Christian model of what it means to be white. They wrestle through the history of how those in the majority have oppressed minority cultures, but they also show that whites have their own cultural and ethnic identity with its own distinctive traits and contributions. They demonstrate that white people have a key role to play in the work of racial reconciliation and the forging of a more just society. Filled with real-life stories, life-transforming insights and practical guidance, this book is for any white who is aware of racial inequality but has wondered, So what do I do? Discover here a vision for just communities where whites can use their influence to empower those of other ethnicities.

A splendid piece of work, charting a new direction for the evangelical church...written with a dazzling combination of intelligence and passion. At the close of the 20th century Fischer's work will be hailed as a linchpin of evangelical reform and renewal."Brennan ManningJohn Fischer at his best! Lively, insightful, wise-solid biblical guidance for pilgrims making their way in a world that, for all its brokenness, God still loves."Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological SeminaryWhether or not America's Christian subculture" will be able to understand Fischer's effective blend of fresh experience, unexpected insight, and gospel realities is a real question. But, thank goodness, here it is."Mark A. Noll, McMannis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College Many of us have been encouraged to have a shrink wrapped" Christian experience that has kept us pure - but unused. This book is a testimony to the power of the Christian life that engages with ideas, culture, inner cities, politics and economics and makes a difference."Fred Smith, President, Fourth Partner FoundationLike his apostolic namesake, John Fischer knows that love, not resentment, is the hallmark of Christian peoplehood. His book comes at a time when, because of the way the world is changing, the Church must reassess what it means to be in the world and not of it."Ken Meyers,host and producer of the 'Mars Hill Tapes', author of 'All God's Children' and 'Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture'

This unique one-volume reference guide provides positive and empowering biographical sketches of 100 famous and well-known adoptees throughout time, serving to counter the many negative stereotypes that exist that exist about people who were adopted, fostered, or lived in orphanages. This work looks at the lives of people who, despite circumstances in their childhood, were able to succeed in making important contributions to art, music, science, literature, politics, and entrepreneurship. This work answers the call to obtaining difficult-to-find information about well-known adoptees. High school students and general readers who are interested in learning more about positive role models in adoption and children's issues will find this book invaluable. McCaslin outlines the parameters she used for inclusion in the book, and then discusses the history of adoption from ancient civilization to today's society. Each entry focuses on the early life of the subject, as well as his or her career and achievements. Entries include Aristotle, Edward Albee, Ingrid Bergman, Oksana Baiul, Ella Fitzgerald, Faith Hill, Marilyn Monroe, Dave Thomas, Orson Welles and many more.