A Bloc Of One

This is the first full-length study of one of the major political figures of twentieth-century America, Hiram Johnson (1866-1945). Elected governor of California in 1910, reelected in 1914, and elevated to the United States Senate in 1916, he characteristically cut his own political path, bringing an apocalyptic intensety to the many battles he waged. Armed with a sharp wit, a talent for invective, and a capacity for self-righteousness, he invigorated the political order around him with the passion he invested in it. Stubbornly independent, he pursued his goals with a fighter's determination. For Johnson, politics was an art not of compromise but of confrontation. As he himself put it, he preferred to be a "bloc of one." Johnson began his political career as an insurgent, a progressive in the stamp of Robert La Follette and Theodore Roosevelt. As governor he thoroughly revamped California's political and social order, creating a legacy that can still be felt today. He helped shape a progressive movement on the national level as well, and was Theodore Roosevelt's running mate on the Progressive party ticket in 1912. Johnson left the governorship in 1917, midway through his second term, to enter the United States Senate, where he served until his death in 1945. Arriving on the eve of America's entry into World War I, he continued to define himself as a reformer but quickly embraced a second cause as well, becoming one of the nation's most adamant proponents of American isolationism. He opposed American entry into the League of Nations in 1919, fought persistently against U.S. entanglement abroad throughout the inter-war years, and from his deathbed voted in 1945 against American entry into the United Nations. Although today he is best remembered as a fierce and uncompromising isolationist, his accomplishments in the Senate as a progressive - such as his decade-long fight for Hoover Dam - were significant and lasting. Johnson's public career encompasses and illuminates almost all the significant political issues, both domestic and international, in American life during the first half of the twentieth century.

With thick pages cut into the shape of each letter, children and parents will enjoy this peek-through guessing game around the letterform itself. Sprinkles, hot fudge, and cherries hint at I's ice cream sundae, while aquarium accessories hint at F's fish. As readers interact with the pages, they will familiarize themselves not only with the 26 letters and associated words, but also with each letter's physicality--angles, holes, and curves, both front and back. With Peskimo's animated, stylish visuals, this fresh ABC book encourages readers to manipulate the alphabet in a whole new way. Note: illustrations have a retro feel, with imperfect variations in color and texture. Also available: A BOX OF BLOCKS, featuring Alphablock, Countablock, and Dinoblock. Praise for Alphablock STARRED REVIEW "All the parts together make an appealing and fun way for youngsters to interact with the alphabet, and for slightly older children to enjoy the clever artwork." --School Library Journal, starred review "The straightforward vocabulary, cheery vintage-style graphics, and neat incorporation of cut-out letters make for a sharply designed package." --Publishers Weekly "With a pleasing, retro feel, Peskimo's art uses bold colors in a slightly muted hue and the weathered look of woodblock prints... A visually captivating delight for careful little ones." --Kirkus Reviews "While it's graphically sophisticated enough to please adults, little children can happily flip through this book on their own." --The New York Times "The baby, toddler or nursery-schooler who tears the gift wrapping off Christopher Franceschelli's Alphablock may think that she has just opened a toy, for how lively and tactile the thing in her hands will be." --The Wall Street Journal Awards Parents 10 Best Children's Books of 2013 Notable Children's Books from ALSC 2014

This volume brings together contributions on the major economic policy issues which have opened up as a result of the immanent process of European Union Enlargement. The issues analyzed range from modelling and analyzing the costs and benefits of enlargement, to challenges for macroeconomic policy both at the EU level and in the new member countries to the state of affairs in the new member countries with respect to sectoral policy reforms such as those undertaken in the financial sector and in competition policy, and the impact of enlargement on Europe's trade policy agenda.