In a century marked by two devastating world wars, the fractious fundamentalist-modernist debate, and growing diversity in the church, Orie O. Miller helped to lead Mennonites from rural isolation to global engagement. In this engaging narrative, My Calling to Fulfill describes how Miller led Mennonite work in education, missions, peacemaking, postwar reconstruction, and mental health, and how he helped to mold every major Mennonite agency from Mennonite Central Committee to Mennonite Economic Development Agency. Filled with previously untold stories of Miller’s personal life—his childhood, college years, marriage, and internal conflict between his commitment to his family and commitment to his beloved church—this inspiring and comprehensive biography traces the contours of twentieth-century Anabaptism through the theology and vocation of one of its most influential leaders. Free downloadable study guide available here.

Captain Mayne Reid "Gaspar the Gaucho" tells an exciting story set in the Argentine pampas. The story introduces readers to Gaspar, a charismatic and skillful gaucho whose existence is linked together with journey, romance, and the pursuit of justice. As the tale progresses, readers are immersed in the beautiful landscapes of the Pampas, experiencing the cultural diversity and troubles that the gauchos stumble upon. Gaspar, with his charming personality and steadfast feel of honor, emerges as a pivotal figure navigating Argentina's turbulent past. The novel is full of adventure, offering bold excursions, conferences with outlaws, and moments of companionship inside the extensive and unpredictable desert. Captain Mayne Reid's vibrant descriptions convey the characters and places to life, resulting in a tale that captures the essence of the Argentine border. "Gaspar the Gaucho" isn't always simply a journey tale, but it additionally gives perception into the cultural nuances and historical dynamics of 19th-century Argentina. Reid's writing prowess transports readers on a first rate experience that mixes romance, heroism, and the wild spirit of the South American plains.

Sir John Graham Kerr (1869-1957) was a Scottish zoologist and politician, well known for his work in relation to the embryology of lungfishes. Originally published in 1950, this book provides an account of Kerr's travels and discoveries within the Gran Chaco region of South America. The text is divided into two main parts: the first discusses the Pilcomayo Expedition of 1889-91, providing detailed information on the 'Natokoi or Toba Indians', together with their natural environment; the second gives an account of the 1896-7 Lepidosiren Expedition, mainly focusing on Kerr's observations of the South American lungfish. Numerous illustrative figures are also incorporated, including photographs, drawings and maps. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Gran Chaco region, anthropology, zoology and the history of science.

For most of us the word "desert" conjures up images of barren wasteland, vast, dry stretches inimical to life. But for a great array of creatures, perhaps even more plentiful than those who inhabit tropical rainforests, the desert is a haven and a home. Travel with Michael Mares into the deserts of Argentina, Iran, Egypt, and the American Southwest and you will encounter a rich and memorable variety of these small, tenacious animals, many of them first discovered by Mares in areas never before studied. Accompanying Mares on his forays into these hostile habitats, we observe the remarkable behavioral, physiological, and ecological adaptations that have allowed such little-known species of rodents, bats, and other small mammals to persist in an arid world. At the same time, we see firsthand the perils and pitfalls that await biologists who venture into the field to investigate new habitats, discover new species, and add to our knowledge of the diversity of life. Filled with the seductions and trials that such adventures entail, A Desert Calling affords an intimate understanding of the biologist's vocation. As he astonishes us with the range and variety of knowledge to be acquired through the determined investigation of little-known habitats, Mares opens a window on his own uncommon life, as well as on the uncommon life of the remote and mysterious corners of our planet.

This volume traces the socioeconomic and environmental changes taking place in the Gran Chaco, a vast and richly biodiverse ecoregion at the intersection of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Representing a wide range of contemporary anthropological scholarship that has not been available in English until now, Reimagining the Gran Chaco illuminates how the region’s many Indigenous groups are negotiating these transformations in their own terms.  The essays in this volume explore how the region has become a complex arena of political, cultural, and economic contestation between actors that include the state, environmental groups and NGOs, and private businesses and how local actors are reconfiguring their subjectivities and political agency in response. With its multinational perspective, and its examination of major themes including missionization, millenarian movements, the Chaco war, industrial enclaves, extractivism, political mobilization, and the struggle for rights, this volume brings greater visibility to an underrepresented, complex region.  Contributors: Nancy Postero | César Ceriani Cernadas | Hannes Kalisch | Rodrigo Villagra | Federico Bossert | Paola Canova | Joel Correia | Bret Gustafson | Mercedes Biocca | Silvia Hirsch | Denise Bebbington | Gastón Gordillo | Guido Cortez