Noble Intentions

The award-winning, laugh-out-loud Regency romance that launched the career of New York Times bestselling author Katie MacAlister. Take one infamous earl... Noble Britton, Lord Weston, has come to London intending to revisit old friends, enjoy a modicum of society, and-oh, yes-find a mild, biddable wife. Add an irrepressible American Gillian Leigh's Unfortunate Habit of speaking her mind and Shocking Susceptibility to Accidents have left her on the shelf at five-and-twenty. So why can't Noble resist her? And good intentions are bound to fail When Gillian meets the infamous Black Earl, she knows that at last she's found a man who can match her zest for life, even if that entails the occasional arson...or kidnapping. Not to mention the encounters with his former mistresses... Although life with Gillian involves as much chaos as laughter, Noble fully intends to claim her for his own-if she doesn't accidentally kill him first. "Delightful and charming! A wonderful romp through Regency England." -Lynsay Sands, bestselling author of The Switch "Sexy, sassy fun!" -Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of How to Pursue a Princess

The relationships between governments and the voluntary sector in Canada are long-standing and complex. Beginning with an historical overview of developments in voluntary sector-government relations from 1600 to 1930, High Ideals and Noble Intentions goes on to explore more recent events and to bring present day policy and practice into focus. Peter R. Elson examines critical historical events in the relationship between the federal government and the voluntary sector which continue to exert their influence. He demonstrates through in-depth case studies that these events are critical to understanding contemporary voluntary sector-government relations. Elson explores the impact of the regulation of charities based on amendments to the 1930 Income War Tax Act; the shift from citizen-based program funding to service-based contract funding in the mid-1990s; and advocacy regulation changes in the 1980s. Elson's case is strengthened by an important and timely comparison between voluntary sector and central government relations in Canada and England. This historically informed comparative analysis provides the basis for practical recommendations meant to improve the future of voluntary sector-government relations across Canada.

One steamy night with my best friend becomes the ultimate test of my noble intentions. I’m one of the biggest rock stars in the world and the lead singer of the chart-topping rock band, Rapturous Intent. Everyone thinks I have it all, but something’s missing. Then I run into my childhood friend Becka—literally—who I haven’t talked to in years and suddenly everything I’m looking for is right in front of me. She knew me when I was a nobody and instead of having to put on a show all the time, I can finally be myself with someone. Except, now there’s a tension between us that wasn’t there when we were kids. As much as I ache to have more with her, I’m not willing to sacrifice the solace that her friendship brings to my life. When one moment of weakness leads to the best night of my life, I’m forced to choose between my best friend who’s become my lifeline, and the possibility that she could be so much more. In my attempt to be noble, I end up making the biggest mistake of my life. Now I need to prove to Becka that her friendship isn’t enough for me. I want all of her, and this time, I’m not giving her up for anything. Noble Intent is a steamy friends to lovers romance and the first book in the completed Rapturous Intent Rockstar Series.

Tony Blair has often said that he wishes history to judge the great political controversies of the early twenty-first century--above all, the actions he has undertaken in alliance with George W. Bush. This book is the first attempt to fulfill that wish, using the long history of the modern state to put the events of recent years--the war on terror, the war in Iraq, the falling out between Europe and the United States--in their proper perspective. It also dissects the way that politicians like Blair and Bush have used and abused history to justify the new world order they are creating. Many books about international politics since 9/11 contend that either everything changed or nothing changed on that fateful day. This book identifies what is new about contemporary politics but also how what is new has been exploited in ways that are all too familiar. It compares recent political events with other crises in the history of modern politics--political and intellectual, ranging from seventeenth-century England to Weimar Germany--to argue that the risks of the present crisis have been exaggerated, manipulated, and misunderstood. David Runciman argues that there are three kinds of time at work in contemporary politics: news time, election time, and historical time. It is all too easy to get caught up in news time and election time, he writes. This book is about viewing the threats and challenges we face in real historical time.

From the New York Times–bestselling author Stephen M. Walt, The Hell of Good Intentions dissects the faults and foibles of recent American foreign policy—explaining why it has been plagued by disasters like the “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan and outlining what can be done to fix it. In 1992, the United States stood at the pinnacle of world power and Americans were confident that a new era of peace and prosperity was at hand. Twenty-five years later, those hopes have been dashed. Relations with Russia and China have soured, the European Union is wobbling, nationalism and populism are on the rise, and the United States is stuck in costly and pointless wars that have squandered trillions of dollars and undermined its influence around the world. The root of this dismal record, Walt argues, is the American foreign policy establishment’s stubborn commitment to a strategy of “liberal hegemony.” Since the end of the Cold War, Republicans and Democrats alike have tried to use U.S. power to spread democracy, open markets, and other liberal values into every nook and cranny of the planet. This strategy was doomed to fail, but its proponents in the foreign policy elite were never held accountable and kept repeating the same mistakes. Donald Trump won the presidency promising to end the misguided policies of the foreign policy “Blob” and to pursue a wiser approach. But his erratic and impulsive style of governing, combined with a deeply flawed understanding of world politics, are making a bad situation worse. The best alternative, Walt argues, is a return to the realist strategy of “offshore balancing,” which eschews regime change, nation-building, and other forms of global social engineering. The American people would surely welcome a more restrained foreign policy, one that allowed greater attention to problems here at home. This long-overdue shift will require abandoning the futile quest for liberal hegemony and building a foreign policy establishment with a more realistic view of American power. Clear-eyed, candid, and elegantly written, Stephen M. Walt’s The Hell of Good Intentions offers both a compelling diagnosis of America’s recent foreign policy follies and a proven formula for renewed success.

Reading Scripture with a view to hearing its significance and challenge within its original, foreign context is the essence of exegesis and an anchor point for responsible hermeneutics. Reading Scripture alongside others from a significantly different social location also helps us see fresh aspects of the meaning of the text itself, as well as fresh angles on its challenge to Christian discipleship. This innovative commentary by respected New Testament scholar David deSilva is grounded in both approaches: a careful exegesis of Galatians as a basis for discerning the challenge of Scripture in any social location; and a reading of Galatians from the viewpoint of the challenges to living out its message among the churches in Sri Lanka, the result of extensive interaction with Christian leaders in Sri Lanka. Seeing the text afresh from within its ancient context and a different, modern social location will challenge readers in the West to consider once more Paul's message of transformation through the Spirit, with implications for Western Christians in their own context and in the larger global matrix of the Church universal.

Conduct problems, particularly oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), are the most common mental health problems affecting children and adolescents. The consequences to individuals, families, and schools may be severe and long-lasting. To ameliorate negative outcomes and ensure the most effective treatment for aggressive and antisocial youth, early diagnosis and evidence-based interventions are essential. Clinical Handbook of Assessing and Treating Conduct Problems in Youth provides readers with both a solid grounding in theory and a comprehensive examination of the evidence-based assessment strategies and therapeutic practices that can be used to treat a highly diverse population with a wide range of conduct problems. It provides professional readers with an array of evidence-based interventions, both universal and targeted, that can be implemented to improve behavioral and social outcomes in children and adolescents. This expertly written resource: Lays the foundation for understanding conduct problems in youth, including epidemiology, etiology, and biological, familial, and contextual risk factors. Details the assessment process, with in-depth attention to tools, strategies, and differential diagnosis. Reviews nine major treatment protocols, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), multisystemic therapy (MST) for adolescents, school-based group approaches, residential treatment, and pharmacotherapy. Critiques the current generation of prevention programs for at-risk youth. Explores salient issues in working effectively with minority youth. Offers methods for evaluating intervention programs, starting with cost analysis. This volume serves as a one-stop reference for all professionals who seek a solid grounding in theory as well as those who need access to evidence-based assessment and therapies for conduct problems. It is a must-have volume for anyone working with at-risk children, including clinical child, school, and developmental psychologists; forensic psychologists; social workers; school counselors and allied professionals; and medical and psychiatric practitioners.

The award-winning guide to developing ethics, trust, and authenticity in business and life—and achieving results that matter. Being trusted is the foundation of our greatest personal freedoms. In a time of deepening divisions and “alternative facts,” trust and authenticity grow more precious by the hour. The Noble Edge: Reclaiming an Ethical World One Choice at a Time provides an inspirational conversation spiced with personal stories, humorous anecdotes, and invaluable guidance about making consistently good choices. Based on three research-proven steps and nine principles for leading an ethically driven life, The Noble Edge brings a fresh approach to personal growth and inspires real change to empower a brighter future. As useful in the boardroom as the family room, this easy-to-follow book contains a powerful model that sharpens the ethical lens and empowers readers to examine their own standards and values and resist pressures to ignore what is right in favor of what passes for “success.” For those who want truth in their decisions, authenticity in their relationships, and solid ground for making tough choices in business and in life, this is an encouraging guide to achieving moral progress individually and collectively, and bringing better ethics into organizations, families, communities, and the world. Winner of the Paris Book Festival Award, NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, International Impact Book Award, Literary Titan Book Award, Firebird Book Awards in three categories, NYC Big Book Award, Canadian Book Club Award and Hollywood Book Festival Runner-up “Offers the wisdom of the ages in a style that is deep yet easy to understand.” —Trip Barthel, author of Transforming Conflict into Consensus