An increasing number of parents are refusing vaccines, believing vaccines pose greater risks than benefits to their children. Given the certainty of the medical community that vaccines are safe and effective, many wonder how such parents, who are most likely to be white, have high levels of education, and have the greatest access to healthcare services and resources, could hold such beliefs? Reich has been following the issue of vaccine refusal for over a decade, and examines how parents who opt out of vaccinations see their decision: what they fear, what they hope to control, and what they believe is in their child's best interest. -- adapted from back cover

Since his girlfriend broke up with him last summer, Sean's been on a starvation diet where girls are concerned. However, he's got other things on his mind. Like how to stop the soon-to-be-born family addition from stealing his room and making him share with his evil twin sister. When Coop suggests making a cheap-ass horror film to bring in the bucks he's a bit sceptical, but Coop is nothing if not persuasive . . . 'Zonkey!' (a tale of 'half-man, half-monkey drones that mutate into hairy uncontrollable zombie-monsters with a thirst for human blood') is born. Join Coop, Sean and Matt in this hilarious sequel to SWIM THE FLY and BEAT THE BAND.

If you want to fix your rebellious and disrespectful child, you need to start by fixing yourself. Are your kids pummeling you with demands and bossing you around with impunity? Have your once-precious preschoolers become rebellious, entitled, and disrespectful to authority? While there are plenty of so-called experts who might try to validate your convictions that you have done all you can to “fix” your “difficult” children, the hard truth is, they’re not doing you any favors by placing the responsibility solely on your children. Parenting struggles rarely originate from just one side. Instead, they erupt at the volatile intersection of a child's personality with a parent's own insecurities and behaviors. In When Kids Call the Shots, therapist and parenting expert Sean Grover untangles the forces driving family dysfunction, and helps parents assume their leadership roles once again. Parents will discover: Three common bullying styles used by kids Parenting styles that contribute to power balances Critical testing periods in a child’s development Coping mechanisms that backfire Personalized plans for calmly exerting authority in any scenario The solution to any problem begins with learning to control what you can control. In parenting, you’ve already learned how impossible it is to control your kids. Begin by controlling you!

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, e, p, i, t.

Modern presidents are CEOs with broad powers over the federal government. The United States Constitution lays out three hypothetically equal branches of government--the executive, the legislative, and the judicial--but over the years, the president, as head of the executive branch, has emerged as the usually dominant political and administrative force at the federal level. In fact, Daniel Gitterman tells us, the president is, effectively, the CEO of an enormous federal bureaucracy. Using the unique legal authority delegated by thousands of laws, the ability to issue executive orders, and the capacity to shape how federal agencies write and enforce rules, the president calls the shots as to how the government is run on a daily basis. Modern presidents have, for example, used the power of the purchaser to require federal contractors to pay a minimum wage and to prohibit contracting with companies and contractors that knowingly employ unauthorized alien workers. Presidents and their staffs use specific tools, including executive orders and memoranda to agency heads, as instruments of control and influence over the government and the private sector. For more than a century, they have used these tools without violating the separation of powers. Calling the Shots demonstrates how each of these executive powers is a powerful weapon of coercion and redistribution in the president's political and policymaking arsenal.

In addition to the pact he made with his two best friends to see a naked girl by the end of summer, 15-year-old Matt Gratton is even more determined to impress the star of the swim team, Kelly West, with his athletic abilities and so makes a personal goal to swim the 100-yard butterfly in order to catch her eye.

Lately, our nation's strategy for improving our schools is mostly limited to "getting tough" with teachers. Blaming teachers for poor outcomes, we spend almost all of our energy trying to control teachers' behavior and school operations. But what if all of this is exactly the opposite of what is needed? What if teachers are the answer and not the problem? What if trusting teachers, and not controlling them, is the key to school success? Examining the experiences of teachers who are already trusted to call the shots, this book answers: What would teachers do if they had the autonomy not just to make classroom decisions, but to collectively--with their colleagues--make the decisions influencing whole school success? Decisions such as school curriculum, how to allocate the school budget, and whom to hire. Teachers with decision-making authority create the schools that many of us profess to want. They individualize learning. Their students are active (not passive) learners who gain academic and life skills. The teachers create school cultures that are the same as those in high-performing organizations. They accept accountability and innovate, and make efficient use of resources. These promising results suggest: it's time to trust teachers.

Interviews with powerful women in television and film, including Sherry Lansing, Dawn Steel, and Marlo Thomas, comment upon the influence of women in the entertainment industry

From "the guru" of her generation (U.S. News & World Report) comes the first practical book for achieving extraordinary success regardless of your age or experienceWhat does it take to go for the gold - and get it - before you've gone gray? Secrets of the Young & Successful explains how youth and inexperience can actually work for you even if you don't have a dazzling resume or major league connections. Jennifer Kushell and Scott Kaufman, founders of Young & Successful Media Corp., reveal the steps and strategies for charting a nonconventional path to success, including how to: Make important connections that will lead to access and power * Position your offbeat skills and interests as irresistible talents and strengths * Gain critical insight on how to survive and thrive in any career * Weather life's storms with safety nets that mitigate mistakes * Balance work and the rest of your lifePacked with profiles, anecdotes, and key ideas for strategizing, Secrets of the Young & Successful is an express ticket for anyone seeking an edge in getting ahead.