Ultimate Insiders

Virtually unknown to the public or historians, White House photographers have developed amazing access to the presidents of the United States over the past half-century. In this book, long-time White House correspondent Kenneth T. Walsh tells their stories, emphasizing observations about the presidents the photographers got to know so well along with other key figures close to those presidents—including the first ladies, members of Congress, and important world leaders. This book shows how official White House photographers have morphed into ultimate insiders within the American presidency, allowed to observe and take pictures of nearly everything Chief Executives do related to their job. The "photogs" have often become close friends with the presidents they have served. Using these bonds of trust and their own powers of observation, they created fundamental impressions and public images of the presidents through the art of photography. Acting not only as image makers but as visual historians, they have built pictorial chronicles of the presidency—intimate narratives of America’s leaders in public and private, showing how they dealt with everyday life as well as moments of great crisis and opportunity. From children playing in the Oval Office to decisions to send troops into harm’s way, images created by White House photographers can make or break a presidential administration as well as define an era.

The Insider's Guide to Key Committee Staff of the U.S. Congress contains in-depth profiles on key congressional staff members that you will not find elsewhere. The information provided on these personnel gives you not only the contact information and other pertinent data but also the inside track to those people. These are the staffers who work with and support the representatives and senators in various important roles that help to enact change or refine existing laws and codes that govern our nation.

Defining the Chief Executive via flash powder and selfie sticks Lincoln’s somber portraits. Lyndon Johnson’s swearing in. George W. Bush’s reaction to learning about the 9/11 attacks. Photography plays an indelible role in how we remember and define American presidents. Throughout history, presidents have actively participated in all aspects of photography, not only by sitting for photos but by taking and consuming them. Cara A. Finnegan ventures from a newly-discovered daguerreotype of John Quincy Adams to Barack Obama’s selfies to tell the stories of how presidents have participated in the medium’s transformative moments. As she shows, technological developments not only changed photography, but introduced new visual values that influence how we judge an image. At the same time, presidential photographs—as representations of leaders who symbolized the nation—sparked public debate on these values and their implications. An original journey through political history, Photographic Presidents reveals the intertwined evolution of an American institution and a medium that continues to define it.

An accessible reference to where to find top-recommended international venues for adventure and learning shares informative facts, industry secrets and expert travel advice for everything from scenic hot-air balloon rides and shark diving to cooking classes and truffle-hunting. Original.

The Second Edition of Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences continues to identify and evaluate the major competing theories used to guide the goals, policies, and practices of the correctional system. Authors Francis T. Cullen and Cheryl Lero Jonson demonstrate that changes in theories can legitimize new ways of treating and punishing offenders, and they help readers understand how transformations in the social and political context of U.S. society impact correctional theory and policy. Designed to motivate readers to become sophisticated consumers of correctional information, the book emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based information to guide decisions, rather than relying on nonscientific commonsense or ideology-based beliefs.

Covering over a century's worth of debate, thinking and writing about literature, this is a unique guide to the lives and works of fifty theorists who have left an indelible mark on literary studies. Featuring theorists such as Judith Butler, Jacques Derrida, Sigmund Freud and Edward Said, this accessible guide includes: a glossary of terms full cross-referencing for maximum ease of use authoritative guides to further reading on and by each theorist. An essential resource for all students of literature, Fifty Key Literary Theorists explores the gamut of critical debate, from the New Critics to the Deconstructionists, and from post-colonialism to post-Marxism and more.

"Deep inside many pacified, integration loving, defense-expenditure-cutting Europeans is the memory of what Europe once was and could become again: realpolitik, mechanized for war; and horrifically efficient at killing en masse." American Power: Still the Best Hope for Peace takes readers on a 100 year journey that explains how the United States has prevented major nations from going to war with each other for nearly 70 years. From Europe to the Middle East and most importantly, in East Aisa, American power has kept the peace. Unfortunately, through poor policy choices the United States will soon be unable to continue this role. Will the current generation of Americans shrug this responsibility or rise to meet the challenge?