The Power Of Their Will

A valuable narrative of the often paradoxical and conflicting human bonds between female owners and the enslaved in nineteenth-century Cuba In the early nineteenth century, while abolitionism was rising and the slave trade was declining in the Atlantic world, Spain used this opportunity to massively expand plantation slavery in Cuba. Between 1501 and 1866, more than 778,000 Africans were torn from their homelands and brought to work for the Cuban slaveholding class. An understudied aspect of Cuban slaveholding society is the role of the white Cuban slave mistress (amas). The Power of Their Will: Slaveholding Women in Nineteenth-Century Cuba illuminates the interaction of female slaveholders and the enslaved during this time. Teresa Prados-Torreira shows, despite the lack of political power in a highly patriarchal society, Cuban women as property owners were instrumental in supporting the long duration of slavery, whether by enforcing the disciplining of the enslaved in the domestic sphere or helping to create the illusion of slavery as a humane institution. Thousands of Creole slaveholding women relied on slaves to lead a comfortable life. Even the subsistence of many poor women depended on the income derived from the hiring out of their enslaved. In this accessible cultural history, culled from government documents, fiction, newspaper articles, traveler’s accounts, women’s wills, and archival research, Prados-Torreira coalesces a valuable narrative out of the often paradoxical and conflicting stories of the human bonds between the female owner and the enslaved. Narrative chapters, enlivened by vignettes, describe the daily life of slave mistresses in the main cities of Havana and Santiago and other towns, workings of sugar mills and coffee plantations, how slaveholding women coping with slave rebellions and wartime during the Ten Years’ War, and how personal relationships could occasionally affect the balance of power.

Parenting isn’t easy. Showing up is. Your greatest impact begins right where you are. Now the bestselling authors of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline explain what this means over the course of childhood. “There is parenting magic in this book.”—Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the New York Times bestselling classic Raising Cain One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out—in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships—is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as bestselling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence. And it’s simple to provide once you understand the four building blocks of a child’s healthy development. Every child needs to feel what Siegel and Bryson call the Four S’s: • Safe: We can’t always insulate a child from injury or avoid doing something that leads to hurt feelings. But when we give a child a sense of safe harbor, she will be able to take the needed risks for growth and change. • Seen: Truly seeing a child means we pay attention to his emotions—both positive and negative—and strive to attune to what’s happening in his mind beneath his behavior. • Soothed: Soothing isn’t about providing a life of ease; it’s about teaching your child how to cope when life gets hard, and showing him that you’ll be there with him along the way. A soothed child knows that he’ll never have to suffer alone. • Secure: When a child knows she can count on you, time and again, to show up—when you reliably provide safety, focus on seeing her, and soothe her in times of need, she will trust in a feeling of secure attachment. And thrive! Based on the latest brain and attachment research, The Power of Showing Up shares stories, scripts, simple strategies, illustrations, and tips for honoring the Four S’s effectively in all kinds of situations—when our kids are struggling or when they are enjoying success; when we are consoling, disciplining, or arguing with them; and even when we are apologizing for the times we don’t show up for them. Demonstrating that mistakes and missteps are repairable and that it’s never too late to mend broken trust, this book is a powerful guide to cultivating your child’s healthy emotional landscape.

An inspiring look at how ideas form, grow, and connect us all

In Driven by the Divine you will • Meet Guru-preceptor and mystic, Shivalinga Swamy • Witness miraculous healings, miracles and interventions • Discover the world of Jyotish and Vedic Astrology • Learn about the planetary deities/Navagrahas • Step into the world of supernatural powers and siddhis • Journey to Arunachala, Lord Shiva's mountain in the South • Climb Mount Sabarimala and learn about Lord Ayyappan/Dharma Shasta • Learn Shivalinga Swamy's recipe for “Happy Tea” • Dance with Vinnuacharya at a Coorgi wedding in Mysore

In Leading at a Higher Level , Updated Edition, Blanchard and his colleagues bring together everything they've learned about world-class leadership. You'll discover how to create targets and visions based on the "triple bottom line"...and make sure people know who you are, where you're going, and the values that will guide your journey. From start to finish, this book extends Blanchard's breakthrough work on delivering legendary customer service, creating "raving fans," and building "Partnerships for Performance" that empower everyone who works for and with you. Updated throughout, this new edition contains two powerful, important new chapters: one on coaching to create higher-level leaders, and another on creating a higher-level culture throughout your organization. It also offers the definitive, most up-to-date techniques for leading yourself, individuals, teams, and entire organizations. Most importantly, it will help you dig deep within, discover the personal "leadership point of view" all great leaders possess-and apply it throughout your entire life. In Helping People Win at Work , WD-40 Company President/CEO Garry Ridge reveals how his company has used Blanchard's techniques to "Partner for Performance" with every employee, and achieve unprecedented levels of employee engagement and commitment. Ridge introduces WD-40's performance review system, explaining its goals, its features, and the cultural changes it required. Next, Ridge shares his "leadership point of view": what he expects of people, what they can expect of him, and where his beliefs about leadership and motivation came from. Finally, in Part IV, Ken Blanchard explains why WD-40's Partnering for Performance program works so well and how it can work for you, too. This book isn't about cheerleading: it's about transforming performance review one step at a time and reaping record-breaking results!