Larry Gerber – författare

Today’s students can feel lost in the abundance of information that is made available to them through the Internet. This crucial book arms students with the right tools to determine which online sources are credible and which aren’t. Engaging and informative, it allows them to identify valid, factual information from unsourced statements, misinformation, and outright falsehoods. The skills that students take away from this book will serve them well in their academic life beyond junior high and high school.

The Taliban are one of the most feared organizations in the world. A radical Islamic group that seeks to spread its hard line interpretation of Islamic law across the world, the Taliban is based in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan. This enthralling book chronicles how the Taliban came to be what it is today, and explains how different the Taliban’s radical convictions are from the more moderate Islamic society. The complicated history of Afghanistan is made accessible for the reader, including the struggle for independence, the Soviet-allied government that ruled the country from 1978 to 1992, and the rise of the mujahideen.

The United States has the most guns per capita of any country in the world. Many Americans value the right to bear arms, which they believe is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Others believe that the Second Amendment only guarantees the right for organized militias to own guns. This book surveys the history of the Second Amendment and gun ownership in the United States, and explores how the amendment continues to affect us today.

Despite the fact that it is condemned all around the world, the practice of torture persists to this day. This book examines the arguments put forth both for and against torture, its history, and the international laws that prohibit it. Readers will learn how the first international laws protecting human beings from torture took shape. The book explains the crusade to end torture around the world and the emergence of modern instances of torture. This is a fascinating look at one of the most contentious issues in the 21st century.

Tattoos have served many purposes, from displaying tribal art to identifying military, gang, and biker associations. Today, they seem nearly ubiquitous and part of socially-acceptable, mainstream body modification. Any young person considering a tattoo needs to read this book to examine and evaluate his or her reasons for wanting one and to ensure that, if he or she decides to get a tattoo, it’s done in the proper way, with safety, health, and future needs all given top priority. This book poses the hard questions that must be answered when deciding whether or not to get a tattoo, where that tattoo should go, and what it should be. The book reveals exactly what should be expected from the tattooing process and how to go about it in the safest smartest way—from considering how the tattoo will be viewed in future.

Water supplies are being drastically reduced and are suddenly not reliable. Millions of human beings have no regular water supply, and thousands—most of them children—die every day. The western parts of North America as well as huge areas of Asia, Australia, Africa, and parts of southern Europe are all especially prone to drought. This problem has plagued human communities since the beginning of history. But scientists say human activities—mostly the burning of fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere—have caused climate changes that make droughts more likely, more severe, and more frequent. This book explores the cutting-edge research and innovative projects, and simple, everyday water conservation measures available to all.

Readers are encouraged to think about money as a tool, like a Swiss Army knife that can be used for many different tasks to create things we want in our lives. Money is like a tool, in more ways than one. It is an all-purpose survival kit, because life gets tough without it. If we handle money carelessly, it can do serious damage. Just like any tool, sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn''t. The ten tips found in this book are ideas shared by many people, from billionaires to working-class moms, dads, and kids. Readers will learn about spending, saving, investing, setting financial goals, budgeting, borrowing, and seeking financial advice. Some tips involve doing specific things: writing, adding, and subtracting. Others suggest ways of thinking about money and what we do with it. This volume is intended to help readers get the most out of this tool we call money, whether dealing with a lot of it, or just a little. Readers are encouraged to think further with 10 Great Questions to Ask an Economics or Finance Teacher and Myths and Facts sections.

Disinformation is as old as lying. Today, the Internet is moving toxic information faster than ever, to more people than ever, making it potentially more harmful than ever. Fortunately, the Internet can also furnish the antidote: facts. In this compelling volume, readers discover what the scope of disinformation is, why people distort facts, who the masters of disinformation are and how their methods work, the difference between fact and opinion, and how to develop skills to deal with the distortion of facts online. Whether people are doing research work, making everyday decisions, shopping, or just browsing, it pays to recognize digital dishonesty. There are many tools that help people separate fact from deception, and new ones are appearing every day. This cogent book aids readers in finding and using these tools.

Landscaping and gardening are great careers for people who like to work primarily outdoors. Landscapers are mostly concerned with the places where plants grow and how the land is used, whereas gardeners pay most of their attention to the plants themselves. Some of these occupations are the same as they have been for thousands of years, and some are new, made possible by computers and other scientific advances. In this insightful volume, readers investigate a wide range of jobs and responsibilities, including landscape architects and designers concentrating on community planning, environmental restoration, or therapeutic gardens; landscapers working at nurseries and greenhouses, golf courses, sports complexes (as turf specialists), and gardening TV shows; and arborists earning their living as tree surgeons at arboreta and botanical gardens. Such practical details as job preparation and training, professional certification, networking, compiling a résumé, and the pros and cons of being your own boss are considered.

Readers determine what cloud computing looks like and how it is revolutionizing their education today. They evaluate its use in social collaboration, data storage and utility computing, Google Apps, Docs, and Maps, email, banking and shopping, pictures, movies, and music, mobile apps and services, and how the cloud is used in everyday life. The text explains the basics in this rapidly evolving technology along with its use in business applications. Drawbacks of cloud computing are also addressed, including issues of security, privacy, and ethics, and access, control, and stability concerns. Sidebars such as “Myths and Facts” and “10 Great Questions to Ask an Information Specialist” and other cool tech facts provide supplementary details.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has estimated that half a million American teenagers use steroids--325,000 boys and 175,000 girls. In this absorbing volume, readers get the facts about performance-enhancing drugs and their physical and mental effects. The early use of Dianabol in weightlifting and the spread of steroids in athletics, and players who have been affected by steroids, including Lyle Alzado, Lance Armstrong, Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco, are covered. Other important topics include how steroid testing works, black market steroids and unsanitary manufacturing conditions, and depression and severe mood swings during withdrawal.

Being an athlete is not the only way to experience the thrills of a sports game first-hand. Referees and sports officials usually spend more time in the field or in the arena than athletes themselves and are often just as instrumental to the outcome—and enjoyment—of a game. Pursuing a career in sports officiating requires a love of the sport, an eye for detail, and patience, among a host of other qualities. This exciting volume details the keys to ensuring fairness, safety, and sportsmanship on the field and the skills required to become a successful sports official.

The mastery of certain skills can only help students succeed in all areas of life, no matter what they do or where they do it. Problem solving is among the most important of these life skills. This book is a comprehensive examination of problem-solving hurdles students may encounter, both in the classroom and on the job site. More than an examination of various problem areas, this book offers the tools and techniques that will help readers overcome such obstacles and thrive.

In an online world where the amount of information seems to increase exponentially even week to week, student researchers can find it an ever-greater challenge to distinguish credible, vetted content from hearsay and misinformation. This volume on citing internet sources will help them determine which online sources are trustworthy and which are not. Its lively and engaging instructional tips will help readers successfully negotiate the vast landscape of information out there. They will produce quality research for papers now and beyond in their academic careers with skill and confidence.

In an online world where the amount of information seems to increase exponentially even week to week, student researchers can find it an ever-greater challenge to distinguish credible, vetted content from hearsay and misinformation. This book on citing internet sources will help them determine which online sources are trustworthy and which are not. Its lively and engaging instructional tips will help readers successfully negotiate the vast landscape of information out there. They will produce quality research for papers now and beyond in their academic careers with skill and confidence.

This riveting book teaches readers about the importance of careful consideration before getting a tattoo. It addresses the decision-making process in an honest way, asking readers to consider what a lifetime with a tattoo will be like and what the true reasons behind it are: peer pressure, aesthetics, or something else. From there, it covers more practical considerations, such as age restrictions, where on the body they want the tattoo, size, overall design, proper care, and the removal process if necessary down the road. It truly helps readers think before they ink.