Bachelors Abounding

Standing up for gentlemen who prefer to avoid matrimony, Terry Reed explores, explains and defends the unsteady reputation of wondrous bachelordom against its traditionally soiled reputation, its questionable eccentricities, its ill-comprehended motivations and its ostensibly nefarious ends.

How can youthful talent become world-class talent? Talent Abounds tells the stories of master teachers and their students who raise performance to peak levels in classical music and conducting, jazz, opera, modern dance, chess, mathematics, swimming and diving, and the culinary arts. The book is unique in its scope and depth of exploration of different fields of endeavor and the individuals who have shaped them. Readers hear the voices of famous performers, from Leonard Bernstein to Joshua Bell and Mark Spitz, as they describe their early family experiences and formative years, the progression of teachers and coaches they had, their performance careers, educational philosophy and teaching practices, and their legacies. Important questions are explored throughout: Is exceptional talent an innate quality? Even so, does its fulfillment depend on the intervention of expert teachers? How do social class, gender, and ethnicity influence access to instructional and performance opportunities? Can lessons learned in one particular national and cultural context or in one performance field be extended to other societies and fields? How does public policy shape the recognition and development of talent? The concluding chapter offers insights into how public education can nurture the talent of all individuals.

Las Vegas has long been characterized as "Sin City." It is a common assumption of many outsiders that Las Vegas is a spiritual wasteland, devoid of any significant religious community and bereft of traditional values. This is most certainly not the case! In fact, Las Vegas has a strong, healthy, and growing religious dimension. Within this milieu is a strong and rapidly expanding Pentecostal dimension to the city's profile of faith. The Pentecostals in Las Vegas are a microcosm of Pentecostalism both nationally and globally. On the whole, this expression of Christian faith is certainly among the fastest growing religions in the world. Some sociologists and demographics experts identify Evangelicals and Pentecostals as the emerging religious majority in America's future. Most mainstream denominations are in decline, but Pentecostals continue to grow both in numbers and influence. This book will explore and analyze several local Pentecostal congregations and the dynamic relationship between the church and the "Strip." It will focus on the interplay between one of America's most devout religious subcultures and one its most secular cities.