Serving The Amish

The first comprehensive cultural guide for professionals who interact with Amish individuals and communities. Serving the Amish is a targeted guide for professionals who care for or interact with Plain people: doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, judges, social workers, psychotherapists, and addiction counselors, among others. For these professionals, knowing the “what” of Amish life is not enough. They must go deeper, understanding the “why”—the ideologies that both drive and bind this community in a system of beliefs that seems alien to those who embrace the technological and social turbulence of the twenty-first century. James A. Cates draws heavily on his experiences as a clinical psychologist in private practice in northeastern Indiana, a region that is home to more than 35,000 Amish people. He combines anecdotal evidence and first-person narrative to shed light on the social, emotional, and psychological foundations of Amish life to help professionals interact competently and build rapport with Amish clients. He also explains the unique challenges outsiders face in offering aid to a people whose lifestyle and rules dictate a distance from all things worldly. This practical book balances evidence-based principles of care with an emphasis on reducing anxiety and establishing warm relationships. From the police officer dispersing a party full of Amish Youngie to the social worker staffing a child protective services hotline, professionals who work with the Amish will benefit from this one-of-a-kind guide.

Beautiful, often surprising photographs capture the Amish way of life today.

This practical book for professionals who care for or interact with Plain people balances evidence-based principles of care with an emphasis on reducing anxiety and establishing warm relationships.

The first book to examine the complexity of sexual identity, philosophy, and behavior in Amish culture. The Amish offer a startling contrast to the postmodern view of sexuality and gender roles. After the sexual revolution of the 1960s, mainstream American culture never looked back. Meanwhile, the Amish never looked forward. In twenty-first-century Amish communities, heteronormative sexuality is still based on a unifying principle: an understanding of sexuality as emerging from a divine plan. In the eyes of the Amish, sex is squandered by those who embrace it as hedonistic or who carve out a sexual identity that moves them away from that singular, God-given purpose. But this communal emphasis on sex for procreation does not mean that the Amish do not possess a complex range of sexual identities and opinions. In Serpent in the Garden, clinical psychologist James A. Cates breaks new ground in the study of Amish sexuality by examining this shrouded, rarely discussed subject. The first book to bring Amish sexuality into primary focus, this volume argues that, because the Amish are a sexual minority, queer theory is the ideal framework from which to observe their views on sex, sexuality, and gender. The book offers a broad view of sexuality in Amish culture that includes the challenges that gays and lesbians face in the community, as well as an exploration of Amish gender roles, their views toward intimacy, their responses to cases of child sexual abuse, and the role of fetishes among the Amish. Cates draws from multiple perspectives and years of research on the Amish themselves. He also looks at pushback against alternative behaviors or identities, as well as Amish success in keeping mainstream values at bay. With this book, Cates establishes Amish sexuality as a topic worthy of professional attention. Offering readers a more sophisticated understanding of the Amish and of sexual expression among cultures, Serpent in the Garden will appeal to scholars working on gender and sexuality, the Amish, and social service professionals who serve the Amish community.

The author looks to Amish lifestyle and values as a model on which to base calmer, more focused, more faithful lives.

Revised edition of this classic work brings the story of the Amish into the 21st century. Since its publication in 1989, The Riddle of Amish Culture has become recognized as a classic work on one of America's most distinctive religious communities. But many changes have occurred within Amish society over the past decade, from westward migrations and a greater familiarity with technology to the dramatic shift away from farming into small business which is transforming Amish culture. For this revised edition, Donald B. Kraybill has taken these recent changes into account, incorporating new demographic research and new interviews he has conducted among the Amish. In addition, he includes a new chapter describing Amish recreation and social gatherings, and he applies the concept of "social capital" to his sensitive and penetrating interpretation of how the Amish have preserved their social networks and the solidarity of their community.

Are you ready to take control of your finances, no matter where the market goes? Join Lorilee Craker as she shares the time-tested Amish secrets to enjoying true abundance on a practical budget. When writer Lorilee Craker learned that Amish communities are thriving (not just surviving) during periods of economic downturn, she decided she had to find out why. Along the way, she found a treasure trove of tried-and-true financial habits the Amish have employed for generations that will forever change how you think about money. In Money Secrets of the Amish, Craker gives you the tools you need to: Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without Repurpose, recycle, and reuse what you already have Find the value in delayed gratification and self-control Praise for Money Secrets of the Amish: "Money Secrets of the Amish is a practical, doable guide, and it's such fun to read. Lorilee's voice is as engaging and lively as ever, and the wisdom she shares from the Amish community is both inspiring and instructive. I just finished the last page, and my mind is buzzing with all sorts of ways to waste less, want less, and spend less." --Shauna Niequist, bestselling author of I Guess I Haven't Learned that Yet and Present Over Perfect

Become a pro at living and thriving off the land. Survival Skills of the Native Americans is a fascinating, practical guide to the techniques that have made the indigenous people of North America revered for their mastery of the wilderness. Readers can replicate outdoor living by trying a hand at making rafts and canoes, constructing tools, and living off the land. Learn key skills like: Building a strong campfire Learning to hunt and butcher your meats Creating a safe and solid shelter And much more! Whether you’re an avid outdoorsman or a novice hiker, Survival Skills of the Native Americans is your handbook to not simply surviving the outdoors, but flourishing. The know-how of the Native Americans is unique and popular, admired by young people, historians, and those with a special interest in living off the land. Native Americans have lived outdoors for ages, and now you can be successful, too, with the skills, tips, and tricks included in this handy manual. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.