The relationship between socioeconomic inequality and democratic politics has been one of the central questions in the social sciences from Aristotle on. Recent waves of democratization, combined with deepened global inequalities, have made understanding this relationship ever more crucial. In The Great Gap, Merike Blofield seeks to contribute to this understanding by analyzing inequality and politics in the region with the highest socioeconomic inequalities in the world: Latin America. The chapters, written by prominent scholars in their fields, address the socioeconomic context and inequality of opportunities; elite culture, public opinion, and media framing; capital mobility, campaign financing, representation, and gender equality policies; and taxation and social policies. Aside from the editor, the contributors are Pablo Alegre, Maurício Bugarin, Daniela Campello, Anna Crespo, Francisco H. G. Ferreira, Fernando Filgueira, Liesl Haas, Sallie Hughes, Juan Pablo Luna, James E. Mahon Jr., Juliana Martínez Franzoni, Adriana Cuoco Portugal, Paola Prado, Elisa P. Reis, Luis Reygadas, Sergio Naruhiko Sakurai, and Koen Voorend.

An extraordinary confluence of forces stemming from automation and digital technologies is transforming both the world of work and the ways we educate current and future employees to contribute productively to the workplace. The Great Skills Gap opens with the premise that the exploding scope and pace of technological innovation in the digital age is fast transforming the fundamental nature of work. Due to these developments, the skills and preparation that employers need from their talent pool are shifting. The accelerated pace of evolution and disruption in the competitive business landscape demands that workers be not only technically proficient, but also exceptionally agile in their capacity to think and act creatively and quickly learn new skills. This book explores how these transformative forces are—or should be—driving innovations in how colleges and universities prepare students for their careers. Focused on the impact of this confluence of forces at the nexus of work and higher education, the book's contributors—an illustrious group of leading educators, prominent employers, and other thought leaders—answer profound questions about how business and higher education can best collaborate in support of the twenty-first century workforce.

Features a new “where are they now” section, updating readers on lives of expedition’s original climbers Fully updated and detailed resources based on the "Anti-Racism in the Outdoors" (ARITO) guide Readers’ Guide explores additional context and questions for further consideration Outdoor journalist James Edward Mills’s book, The Adventure Gap, is a groundbreaking volume that is equal parts adventure story, history, and inspiration as it chronicles the first American all-Black summit attempt on Denali in 2013. Mills uses this momentous expedition as a jumping-off point to explore diversity in the outdoors, from Mathew Henson who stood at the North Pole in 1909 to contemporary adventurers such as polar explorer Barbara Hillary and rock climber Kai Lightner. This tenth anniversary edition once again shares the compelling events that unfolded during Expedition Denali’s summit bid. But it also provides fresh context: A new thought-provoking afterword by Mills examines what has evolved in and around the outdoor community since that effort. He highlights progress and inspiring stories, such as Full Circle Everest, an expedition led by Phillip Henderson that put an all-Black team on top of the world’s highest peak. And he points to places where we can and should all strive for higher achievement. The Adventure Gap has become an essential text in outdoor education and inspiration--a story of our times, now more relevant than ever.

CLOSING THE EXECUTION GAP Once upon a time strategy was king. Leaders immersed themselves in the matter of planning how best to achieve their company's goals. The subject dominated the attention of senior executives and the writings of consultants and management gurus. Experts of various stripes weighed in on how to put strategic planning processes in place and transform employees at all levels into strategic thinkers. Naturally, leaders assumed all this strategizing would pay off. And yet, for too many organizations the promised results never came to pass. Quite simply, they couldn't execute. Now, the business world has shifted its focus to the consistent delivery of results. If an organization can't execute its plans and initiatives, nothing else matters: not the most solid, well thought-out strategy, not the most innovative business model, not even technological breakthroughs that could transform an industry. As it turns out, the "conventional wisdom" about what it takes to implement strategy and deliver results isn't all that wise. So what really differentiates the companies that are able to get things done day-to-day and deliver consistent results? The answer is found in the pages of Richard Lepsinger's ground-breaking book, Closing the Execution Gap. Based on extensive research and years of practical experience, the book outlines five prerequisites for effective execution and five "Bridges" that differentiate companies that do it best. It also describes six "Bridge Builders" leaders at all levels can use to close the execution gap in their company or team and help people get things done. Specifically, it addresses: What really gets in the way of getting things done—for individuals, teams and entire companies What leaders can do to enhance their organization's ability to close the execution gap and achieve solid business results What it takes to consistently execute plans and initiatives at a day-to-day operational level The book features many case studies of companies that have a track record of effective execution (Hewlett-Packard, Costco, Procter & Gamble) and those who have struggled with closing the gap between creating a vision and delivering results (Dell, American Airlines, GM). As the business world becomes more competitive and less forgiving, execution matters more than ever. This is a book for the times we live in—and one that for many companies could mean the difference between success and failure.

The first edition of The Great Allegheny Passage Companion told stories of the trail's first 100 miles from McKeesport to Meyersdale. Now author Bill Metzger takes you on a journey along the completed GAP Trail from MP 0 in Cumberland, Maryland to its terminus at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. www.greatalleghenypassagecompanion.com The history and heritage of the trail come alive in Bill's inimitable style - humor blends with serious scholarship in this look at the railroads and other industries that preceded the trail's development. No matter when your trail adventure and the book come together you'll understand: What will I see when I get there? This is gonna be great! What am I looking at right now? What did this big concrete thingie used to be? Why did this happen here? Why indeed? What’s on the other side of those trees? Maybe I’ll come back when the leaves are gone. What did I see when I was there? Sorry I missed that. Guess I’ll have to come back again. You'll learn something about the trail and the people of southwestern Pennsylvania - how they lived in Days Gone By and how they made the Passage the wonderful experience it is today.

There exists an undeniable chasm between the capacities of humans and those of animals. Our minds have spawned civilizations and technologies that have changed the face of the Earth, whereas even our closest animal relatives sit unobtrusively in their dwindling habitats. Yet despite longstanding debates, the nature of this apparent gap has remained unclear. What exactly is the difference between our minds and theirs? In The Gap, psychologist Thomas Suddendorf provides a definitive account of the mental qualities that separate humans from other animals, as well as how these differences arose. Drawing on two decades of research on apes, children, and human evolution, he surveys the abilities most often cited as uniquely human -- language, intelligence, morality, culture, theory of mind, and mental time travel -- and finds that two traits account for most of the ways in which our minds appear so distinct: Namely, our open-ended ability to imagine and reflect on scenarios, and our insatiable drive to link our minds together. These two traits explain how our species was able to amplify qualities that we inherited in parallel with our animal counterparts; transforming animal communication into language, memory into mental time travel, sociality into mind reading, problem solving into abstract reasoning, traditions into culture, and empathy into morality. Suddendorf concludes with the provocative suggestion that our unrivalled status may be our own creation -- and that the gap is growing wider not so much because we are becoming smarter but because we are killing off our closest intelligent animal relatives. Weaving together the latest findings in animal behavior, child development, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience, this book will change the way we think about our place in nature. A major argument for reconsidering what makes us human, The Gap is essential reading for anyone interested in our evolutionary origins and our relationship with the rest of the animal kingdom.

Fancy a year out between school and further studies? Thinking of letting the rat-race wait? You need The Gap Year Book - a definitive, practical guide to planning and taking a year out. Packed with essential advice on pre-trip preparation and planning, the inside track on when and where to go, and numerous ideas on what to do, this book is a one-stop gap year shop. conservation project? We'll tell you how to organise all this and more, all you need now is your plane ticket! - full-colour world map showing gap year routes - tried and tested itineraries from real gappers - contact details for all the gap year placement companies and organisations - access to dedicated gap year discussion forum on lonelyplanet.com's Thorn Tree - Impressive breadth and depth of information supplied in a readable and entertaining way - information on the best courses to take and how to apply for jobs - quotes and tales from real gappers who've been there and done it - how to stay healthy away from home - 28,195 accepted university applicants deferred entry to take a gap year in 2002 (UCAS) - There are currently over 1,800,000 students following higher education programmes (NUSSL) - Average age of students is 16-25 (nusonline.co.uk) - Individual student spend is approximately [pound]5,535 pa - Average student spends [pound]524 p.a on travel (NUSSL) - Nearly a quarter do not buy holiday insurance (National Express) - 93 percent of higher education students in the UK have internet access (NOP