Steady Hands

In this monograph, five former secretaries of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) reflect on their experiences and the challenges of their times. A far cry from the pukka fantasies of 'Yes Minister', their recollections reveal the realpolitik of the policy front line where the secretary must stay ahead of emerging themes and issues in Australia's international relations while simultaneously exercising governance oversight and providing leadership to a large, professional, diverse and dispersed organisation. From the Cold War to the War on Terror; from the floating of the dollar to GATT and the WTO; managing relations big and small, within our region and without; through relentless administrative reforms, technological change and changes of government; steering DFAT requires 'steady hands'. This collection of public lectures presented in 2006 to the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) offers an invaluable resource for those with an interest in recent Australian history, foreign policy and public sector administration.

'Mike Doyle's collection A Steady Hand takes shape in dialogue with the texts of other poets and artists (for example, Anna Akhmatova, Max Ernst, Cesar Vellejo, W.S. Merwin), with diaries, journals, biographies, and pieces by and about painters -- particularly Klee. A Steady Hand tends to converse internationally. If that sounds very general, the particularity of this poet's community is that it is so literary/artistic; it is not easy to assign it any other sense (e.g., geographic) of community. One gets the strong sense of language itself being his home and native land.' -- Laurel Boone, Canadian Literature

In this collection of free-verse poems, inspired by Walt Whitman's I Hear America Singing, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer celebrates workers and the doing of work. The poems are short and direct, with strong, fresh images, and readers can easily imagine themselves in the roles she portrays: welder, librarian, surgeon, retail clerk, camp counselor. The illustrations are as original as the text---amazing multilayered collages made of paper, found objects, ephemera, photographs, dried flowers, and archival images. Steady Hands is sure to inspire discussion, creative writing, art projects, and new answers to the old question: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Placing the Mother Neff State Park in its historical, cultural, and political milieu, Dan Utley and Jim Steely tell a compelling story of how people decided a particular tract of rural farmland was worthy of preservation as a place of refuge and recreation for the public. In doing so, the authors provide a microcosmic look at the Civilian Conservation Corps and its work in Texas. Central to the story is Pat Neff, Texas governor and university president, who guided the park's development, significance, and history with a steady hand reminiscent of the one who had carefully led him from childhood to manhood. The story of Mother Neff State Park is one of chautauquas, weekend dances, Mother's Day celebrations, and religious revivals. Yet it is also one of the Great Depression, the young men and leaders of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and of war and its impact on even a simple little park in Central Texas. In telling this story, however, the authors do not lose sight of the fact that the park has served as a place of rest and rejuvenation, as well as a source of inspiration, both spiritual and natural, for generations of visitors. Drawing from oral histories, and extensive archival records including correspondence, CCC camp newspapers, historical photographs, vintage drawings, and archaeological surveys, Utley and Steely tell the unique story of a New Deal-era park and the grand vision of a governor who was also the park's donor, benefactor, and promoter. --Barry W. Hutcheson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Provides basic information on different styles of riding, such as Western, English, and trail; and discusses caring for horses, staying mentally and physically fit, and entering competitions.