Finally back in print, with a new Preface by the author, this lively, authoritative, and pathbreaking study considers the history of material advances and domestic service, the "women's separate sphere," and the respective influences of advertising, home economics, and women's entry into the workforce. Never Done begins by describing the household chores of nineteenth-century America: cooking at fireplaces and on cast-iron stoves, laundry done with boilers and flatirons, endless water-hauling and fire-tending, and so on. Strasser goes on to explain and explore how industrialization transformed the nature of women's work. Easing some tasks and eliminating others, new commercial processes inexorably altered women's daily lives and relationships—with each other and with those they served.

The author traces the transformation of American housework from the eighteen century chores to the present with attention to the impact of the industrial revolution, domestic service, women's entry into the workforce and the influences of commercial processes and advertising.

Histories of women in Hollywood usually recount the contributions of female directors, screenwriters, designers, actresses, and other creative personnel whose names loom large in the credits. Yet, from its inception, the American film industry relied on the labor of thousands more women, workers whose vital contributions often went unrecognized. Never Done introduces generations of women who worked behind the scenes in the film industry—from the employees’ wives who hand-colored the Edison Company’s films frame-by-frame, to the female immigrants who toiled in MGM’s backrooms to produce beautifully beaded and embroidered costumes. Challenging the dismissive characterization of these women as merely menial workers, media historian Erin Hill shows how their labor was essential to the industry and required considerable technical and interpersonal skills. Sketching a history of how Hollywood came to define certain occupations as lower-paid “women’s work,” or “feminized labor,” Hill also reveals how enterprising women eventually gained a foothold in more prestigious divisions like casting and publicity. Poring through rare archives and integrating the firsthand accounts of women employed in the film industry, the book gives a voice to women whose work was indispensable yet largely invisible. As it traces this long history of women in Hollywood, Never Done reveals the persistence of sexist assumptions that, even today, leave women in the media industry underpraised and underpaid. For more information: http://erinhill.squarespace.com

Not to be confused with Alice's famous remark on a memorable episode of the Honeymooners, "Men work from sun to sun, but women's work is never done," Women's Work Is Never Done by BJ Gallagher celebrates the fact that women's work is never done because it's never meant to be done. Women are meant to nourish and grow themselves and others, throughout their lives, and Gallagher's book acknowledges and affirms it.

Clergy and laity will discover ways to lead the church that just may be more effective than the "top-down" leadership model we're all so familiar with. Woods takes a clever and very effective approach by presenting educational material in a fictional context--you're drawn into the stories of church members struggling with leadership or motivational dilemmas which you will recognize immediately (such as the boring Sunday School teacher, the adversarial church member, the nostalgia for "the good old days"). Ten chapters explore ten different theories of organizational behaviour and management, and each chapter provides guidelines for small group training.

Son, a Soldier's Work Is Never Done By Kathy Barnes, Ph.D. and Smith McGarr Helps children and parents talk about feelings when a military dad or mom goes to war. "Sealing feelings harms, not helps" War is scary. It can swallow up soldiers like monsters in books or bad dreams do. Seven-year-old Jackie knows because he heard it on the news. "The U.S. Military has lost 2,050 men in Iraq and the number is rising daily." This worries him because his dad is fighting in the Third Brigade in Iraq. When he and his dad hug good-bye at the army base, each promises to be brave and carry out his duty. Jackie's duty is to help his mom at home for ten long months. He finds this hard when taking care of his two younger sisters. "I've broken Dad's rules. I've called Sarah 'stupid' when she won't leave me alone. I've pinched little Allie when she chewed Samson's bone." He also shares his triumphs. "...I've worked pretty hard. I've washed the car and raked the yard." Jackie shares that he feels sad a lot. He hesitates telling his mom, because he doesn't want to be a coward. When he finally tells her, she says it is okay to feel sad. She does too. Our readers will quickly finish the book to see if Jackie's dad comes home. They will re-read it again and again because it's their story too. Praise for Son, a Soldier's Work Is Never Done. "This book is a great tool for helping children understand war. Whether they are military or not, all kids hear about war on the news, radio, television, and from neighborhood and school friends. War scares them and they need to talk about it." - Maria Edwards, executive vice president of the military writer's Society of America