Cold Wars tells the story of the common cold, the most widespread disease of all. From ancient Egypt to the space age, colds have plagued mankind, and many attempts have been made to find a cure. Today, we spend millions of pounds on remedies and businesses lose millions of pounds through employee sickness- but are we any closer to conquering the cold? In the aftermath of the Second World War, a concerted effort was made in the UK to resolve the scientific conundrum of the common cold. A Common Cold Unit was established near Salisbury, making use of some rather primitive facilities provided by the American Red Cross, and for nearly 50 years was part of the British medical establishment. Much of the research was done on volunteers, who came in large numbers to the CCU to spend days in isolation while scientists attempted to give them a cold. Many eminent scientists, including James Lovelock, were part of the attempt to understand the common cold. This book begins with a brief history of colds through the centuries, describing what earlier generations believed and the strange treatments they tried. That the cold was caused by a virus was only uncovered at the beginning of the last century. The authors vividly describe the establishment of the Common Cold Unit, and its work in uncovering the causes and transmission of the cold and analysing possible treatments. Finally, they assess the progress made in recent years in understanding the psychological aspects of colds, and the latest research on prevention and cures. Cold Wars offers a fascinating account of an eccentric, but effective, attempt to unravel the mysteries of the common cold.

As seen in previous pandemics, girls and young women are particularly vulnerable as social issues such as homelessness, mental healthcare, access to education, and child labor are often exacerbated. The Girl in the Pandemic considers what academics, community activists, and those working in local, national, and global NGOs are learning about the lives of girls and young women during pandemics. Drawing from a range of responses during the pandemic including first person narratives, community ethnographies, and participatory action research, this collection offers a picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic played out in eight different countries.

Teen Innovators tells the stories of discovery and the inventions of nine young students. For example, twelve-year-old Gitanjali Rao, appalled by the tragedy in Flint, Michigan, found a cheaper, more effective way to test for lead in drinking water. Four undocumented teenagers from an underfunded high school in Phoenix built an underwater robot from spare and found parts. Substituting hard work and creative thinking for money and expensive equipment, they won a national robotics competition, beating a well-funded team from MIT. At fifteen, William Kamkwamba used materials from junkyards near his home in Malawai to build a windmill to generate electricity and pump water for his village. While each profile tells a different story, the reader soon sees the common threads of determination and ingenuity. Stories include: Jack Andraka: improved pancreatic cancer test Gitanjali Rao: device to detect lead in drinking water William Kamkwamba: improvised electrical generator using windmill in Malawi Austen Veseliza: digital display glove to aid people with speech impairment Deepika Kurup: easier, cheaper method to remove toxins from drinking water Cristian Arcega, Lorenzo Santillan, Oscar Vasquez, Luis Aranda: underwater robot Science educator and professor Fred Estes explores the motivation, challenges, and lives of these teen scientists and explains the science behind each invention simply and clearly. Readers will see how the science they study today in school relates to these important discoveries.

Struggle is a real-world phenomenon, particularly if we want to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. The struggles we face can be as routine as dealing with the traffic to get to our place of work on time. We may also struggle with physical or mental illness, a family dynamic that is not improving, or a difficult job. In extreme cases, some must live through oppression and life-threatening events brought on by an oppressive regime. Struggle is an effort to gain freedom from constraints, to withstand or overcome obstacles, or to work against competing forces in order to make a meaningful change or difference. Whether we encounter frequent struggles or only a few, we all must face them, not necessarily by choice. We are aware of the pain and difficulties associated with struggles as well as the feeling of gratification and relief when we withstand, outlast, or overcome them. We learn from struggles, together with building strength of character and resilience the next time we encounter similar challenges. How we engage and overcome struggles shapes our attitudes and perspectives regarding our lives and our ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

In this near-future dystopia, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. And the few are slaves to the system. Fourteen-year-old Queenie is a gubmint girl, a welfare baby born to a single mother living in the projects. She's also one of the few fertile females of her generation, or any. When Mister and Missuz take her home from juvie, Queenie thinks everything's going to be just fine. She'll stay with them for a while, have her baby, then move back to the projects and get enough gubmint money for her and Junior to live on. But the rules changed when she wasn't looking, rules developed and implemented by Missuz and others like her. And what Missuz plans for Queenie isn't a life of government-funded freedom at all.

About the Book I chose Dodging the 60's Bullet as the title because it expresses how I feel about living through that era without taking a direct hit! I believe I was blessed by the timing of my birth as well as the influence from my immigrant grandparents who helped to raise me. I was almost an adult when this unarmed ‘insurrection’ began, but those who were only in their early teens were not as lucky. The ‘60s attack on America’s culture alarmed my elderly grandfather who came to this country before 1900, and he shared his profound (and prophetic) concerns with me in 1962. It seemed that almost overnight social norms were being overturned by this generation composed of mostly college students who had been influenced by left-leaning professors who taught that our traditional values were unjust and had to be radically changed. God was soon declared ‘dead’, drug use was celebrated and sex was considered just a form of ‘Free Love’ with any partner! The effect of all this is magnified now, because those who suffered a direct hit (and the children they spawned) are currently in charge of our government, education, media and entertainment. If you are not over 60 years old, you likely have no idea of how or why we are seeing such a downturn of civility, lawlessness and immorality in our culture now. My life’s journey, combined with a renewed faith in Judeo-Christianity, prompted me to share my experiences and opinions in this book. As a passionate current events and cultural news-addict, I am fascinated with how these issues are addressed in this ancient book we call the Bible! I am hoping what I have written will be relatable and interesting enough to provide some food for thought and even some encouragement for those who are facing difficult times. We were all created with unique abilities for a purpose; and those abilities can be used to replace discouragement with faith and hope for the future! About the Author I am a first-time author but have always loved to write, including ‘letters to the editor’ and commenting on news sites! I have worked in many different jobs in both public and private sectors, including several years owning and operating a Childcare Center of fifty three children in partnership with my sister-in-law. I have also dabbled in artwork with several paintings and other items many people liked enough to even pay me for! I now live in Olympia, Washington where I am blessed with three wonderful grandchildren (one in California), plus two great grandbabies and one more on the way! I share my home with a long-haired cat named Ollie who I think would be better suited to living on a farm; but he seems attached to me...(sigh). I am also a member of the Board of Directors in a small Messianic Congregation called Lion of Judah where I enjoy learning more about the faith that makes me a happy warrior in this crazy world!