The family is our haven, the place where we all start off on equal footing — or so we like to think. But if that’s the case, why do so many siblings often diverge widely in social status, wealth, and education? In this groundbreaking and meticulously researched book, acclaimed sociologist Dalton Conley shatters our notions of how our childhoods affect us, and why we become who we are. Economic and social inequality among adult siblings is not the exception, Conley asserts, but the norm: over half of all inequality is within families, not between them. And it is each family’s own “pecking order” that helps to foster such disparities. Moving beyond traditionally accepted theories such as birth order or genetics to explain family dynamics, Conley instead draws upon three major studies to explore the impact of larger social forces that shape each family and the individuals within it. From Bill and Roger Clinton to the stories of hundreds of average Americans, here we are introduced to an America where class identity is ever changing and where siblings cannot necessarily follow the same paths. This is a book that will forever alter our idea of family.

New York Times bestselling author Omar Tyree continues to write captivating novels with Pecking Order, the tale of an ambitious young accountant, Ivan Davis, who jumps into the high-stakes racket of industry promotions and celebrity parties in Southern California. Starting with a simple plan to promote business network events among the rich, famous, and frivolous clients he works with, Ivan begins to make a name for himself. He soon comes face-to-face with Lucina Gallo, the reigning diva of San Diego's nightlife culture. She needs a new partner she can trust, and one who knows everything about money. For this dollar-hungry entrepreneur, the timing couldn't be better. Who wouldn't want to be partners with the most glamorous girl in the city? Ivan quickly teams up with her for business -- and for possible pleasure. However, for Lucina, business is business and nothing extra. Or is it? After throwing a sizzling-hot birthday party for a popular San Diego Charger, Ivan finds himself babysitting Lucina's so-called girlfriends, some of the most spoiled and exotic women he has ever encountered. That's when the business deals begin to fall outside the bounds of simple promotion and parties. Ivan finds himself thrust into the limelight and lands at the doorstep of easy access to women, cash, cars, private jets, and multimillion-dollar real estate. But as the ridiculous amounts of money and power start to pile up, leaving a trail of broken hearts, fractured egos, and challenged loyalties, Ivan is forced to ask himself: How much money is enough? Pecking Order, with its perfect blend of money, plot, sex, and vulnerability, is another urban classic novel as only Omar Tyree can write them!

How do we justify our political convictions? Libertarians appeal to a love of freedom, liberals to a dedication to fairness. Niko Kolodny, however, argues that neither value actually makes sense of our avowed convictions. Instead, what drives much of our politics is an opposition to social hierarchy.

Nicole Homer's first full-length poetry collection, Pecking Order, is an unflinching look at how race and gender politics play out in the domestic sphere. Homer challenges the notion of family by forcing the reader to examine how race, race performance, and colorism impact motherhood immediately and from generation to generation. In a world where race and color often determine treatment, the home should be sanctuary, but often is not. Homer's poems question the construction of racial identity and how familial love can both challenge and bolster that construction. Her poems range from the intimate details of motherhood to the universal experiences of parenting; the dynamics of multiracial families to parenting black children; and the ingrained social hierarchy which places the black mother at the bottom. Homer forces us to reckon with the truth that no one–not even the mother–is unbiased.

Omar Tyree returns with the thrilling story of an ambitious young accountant who jumps into the high-stakes business of celebrity party promotions in Southern California. One of the most beloved storytellers, Omar Tyree has published a book a year since he exploded onto the scene in 1993, five of them New York Times bestsellers. Omar Tyree leads the pack of a new generation of African American male writers.' - E. Lynn Harris'

A practical, entertaining and amazingly wide-ranging reference book, offering guided access to hundreds of hierarchies, classifications, systems, and other structures. You'll find the 64 emperors of Byzantium, ranks in the British army, how a television dish is operated, the different layers of soil, coal sizes, the various ice iges, how your ear hears something, how all the languages in the world are organized - and much much more.

This book examines the establishment of international hierarchies in multilateral diplomacy. Vincent Pouliot observes that in any multilateral setting, some state representatives weigh much more heavily than others, and argues that the practice of diplomacy is structured by a largely unspoken hierarchy of standing, which practitioners refer to as the 'pecking order'.