William Martin - Böcker

Even as symbols of Africa permeate Western culture in the 1990s, centers for the academic study of Africa suffer from a steady erosion of institutional support and intellectual legitimacy. Out of One, Many Africas assesses the rising tide of discontent that has destabilized the conceptions, institutions, and communities dedicated to African studies.   In vibrant detail, contributors from Africa, Europe, and North America lay out the multiple, contending histories and perspectives that inform African studies. They assess the reaction against the white-dominated consensus that has marked African studies since its inception in the 1950s and note the emergence of alternative approaches, energized in part by feminist and cultural studies. They examine African scholars' struggle against paradigms that have justified and covered up colonialism, militarism, and underdevelopment. They also consider such issues as how to bring black scholars on the continent and in the diaspora closer together on questions of intellectual freedom, accountability, and the democratization of information and knowledge production. By surveying the present predicament and the current grassroots impulse toward reconsidering the meaning of the continent, Out of One, Many Africas gives shape and momentum to a crucial dialogue aimed at transforming the study of Africa

The Daily Tao is an invitation to choose peace over distraction, flexibility over fear, and wisdom over turmoil. Written in 400 BCE by the Chinese sage Laozi, the Tao Te Ching is a potent source of wisdom that speaks to spiritual seekers across faith traditions and secular lines.Inside the Daily Tao, you'll find a reading from the Tao Te Ching for every day of the year, along with a reflection to lead you to deeper understanding, and an intention for the day. Whether you begin your morning with the Tao or snatch a spare moment of calm in the hurry of the day, The Daily Tao will create a practice of reflection that will echo through your life. The word Tao literally translates to "the way" and the Daily Tao is the perfect companion on that journey, step by step and day by day. Author William Martin's extensive work on the Tao has been embraced by countless readers and praised by the likes of Oprah and Alice Walker. Drawing on work first shared in his beloved book A Path and a Practice, this original translation of the Tao maintains the lyrical poeticism of the text while making its wisdom accessible for all. The Daily Tao is part of The Day by Day series, a collection of books designed to help readers infuse the rhythms of their lives with meaning and intention. Our lives are built by small choices, tiny moments, and quiet thoughts-The Day by Day series is a gentle way to choose those moments and begin to build a life you love.

William G. Martin's Semiperipheral States in the World-Economy diverges sharply from past international labor division interpretations of semiperipheral development. Martin emphasizes the importance of each country's individual conditions. Linking each example, however, is the theory that there is a relatively rare set of conditions that make economic, political, and social advancement of the semiperipheral states successful or even possible.Martin and the contributing writers present the thesis that mobility of semiperipheral states to the core world-economy is a very rare phenomenon. Indeed, they even go so far as to suggest that it is the very set of social and institutional ruptures that were necessary to achieve semiperipheral status which often create the social and political forces that prevent any further advance. Economic pressure from core nations and intense competition within the semiperiphery are cited as being foremost among these factors. Such general topics occupy the first few chapters of the book, while the later chapters examine specific semiperipheral countries in depth. The final interpretation provides a better understanding of this segment of the world-economy and of the transformational possibilities of the capitalist world itself. Students of both world-economy and the social and political conditions of the semiperiphery will find this an invaluable study.

Public sector human service organizations have unique problems of employee motivation and productivity, both on the professional and direct service levels. Martin examines these problems in detail and offers practical solutions based on his own extensive personal experience in the field. Written for professional, supervisory, and administrative practitioners in the human services field, the book offers thorough, straightforward coverage of motivation to work, job satisfaction and commitment, work attitudes and barriers to productivity, motivational problems associated with decertification, reward and incentive systems, human factors and performance, and a realistic discussion of recruitment problems peculiar to public sector human service organizations.

An important contribution to the human resources literature, this book is written for personnel and training managers who need specific information on how to recognize and deal effectively with problem employees. Based on Martin's experience with hundreds of employees in a variety of work settings over a 22-year period, the volume describes a number of employee types and the overt/covert behaviors they manifest, explains the personality dynamics involved, and offers practical advice regarding intervention strategies that can be effectively used in dealing with these employees. Throughout, case studies are used to illustrate typical behaviors and possible solutions.Today's employment climate generally precludes the use of personality tests on prospective employees, and problems often surface after the fact when termination may be difficult. Thus, Martin focuses particularly on how to work with such employees to help them understand the counterproductive nature of their work behavior and how to place them within the most productive organizational setting possible. Following several introductory chapters, each subsequent chapter is devoted to a particular type of problem employee--primadonna, rebel, backstabber, that's not my job, etc. The individual chapters combine case examples with a collective discussion of behaviors, dynamics, and intervention strategies offering the busy practitioner both a better understanding of certain employee behaviors and a framework by which to deal with these individuals within the job and organizational realm. The book also offers suggestions for recognizing disruptive personality types at the interview stage.