The Friends' Ambulance Unit (FAU) was created shortly after the outbreak of war. The idea of the unit's founder, Philip J. Baker, was that it would provide young Friends (Quakers) with the opportunity to serve their country without sacrificing their pacifist principles. The first volunteers went to Belgium on 31 October 1914, under the auspices of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The FAU made a sustained contribution to the military medical services of the Allied nations, establishing military hospitals, running ambulance convoys, and staffing hospital ships and ambulance trains, treating and transporting wounded men. Determined to bring succour to all those in need, the FAU also assisted civilians trapped in the war zone and living in desperate circumstances. Nowhere was this more acute than in the besieged and battered town of Ypres where thousands sheltered in the underground passage-ways of the towns ancient fortifications -- a subterranean population, 'hopeless, often lightless,' wrote Geoffrey Young, the Units young field commander, living on what they might and breeding disease. The Unit provided hospitals for the treatment of civilians, and worked intensively in the containment and treatment of the typhoid epidemic that swept the region, locating sufferers, providing them with medical care, and inoculating people against the disease. It played a major role in the purification of the town's contaminated drinking water, distributed milk for infants and food and clothing to the sick and needy. It helped found orphanages, made provision for schooling and organised gainful employment for refugees until, finally, it became responsible for the definitive evacuations of the civilian population.

Opt out of expectations and live a more intentional life with this refreshing guide from the national bestselling author of The Year of Less. We all follow our own path in life. At least, that's what we're told. In reality, many of us either do what is expected of us, or follow the invisible but well-worn paths that lead to what is culturally acceptable. For some, those paths are fine -- even great. But they leave some of us feeling disconnected from ourselves and what we really want. When that discomfort finally outweighs the fear of trying something new, we're ready to opt out. After going through this process many times, Cait Flanders found there is an incredible parallel between taking a different path in life and the psychological work it takes to summit a mountain -- especially when you decide to go solo. In Adventures in Opting Out, she offers a trail map to help you with both. As you'll see, reaching the first viewpoint can be easy -- and it offers a glimpse of what you're walking toward. Climbing to the summit for the full view is worth it. But in the space between those two peaks you will enter a world completely unknown to you, and that is the most difficult part of the path to navigate. With Flanders's guidance and advice, drawn from her own journey and stories of others, you'll have all the encouragement and insight you'll need to take the path less traveled and create the life you want. Just step up to the trailhead and expect it to be an adventure.

The Year of Less In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy—only keeping her from meeting her goals—she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year.The Year of Less documents Cait’s life for twelve months during which she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt.The challenge became a lifeline when, in the course of the year, Cait found herself in situations that turned her life upside down. In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food—and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices, she changed habits she’d spent years perfecting and discovered what truly mattered to her.Blending Cait’s compelling story with inspiring insight and practical guidance, The Year of Less will leave you questioning what you’re holding on to in your own life—and, quite possibly, lead you to find your own path of less.

Thought-provoking insights on the nexus of migration and integration beyond the national context Across the world, and due to ongoing globalisation, migration is increasingly becoming a part of daily life. But more than ever, migration can no longer be viewed as a simple linear trajectory from A to B. The emergence of transnational communities and intense interactions between regions of origin and of destination have led to new forms of social–cultural praxis and (sub)cultures which exert an important influence on the integration of immigrants. The case of Flanders, the northern part of Belgium and a reference point for the impact of these processes across Europe, is presented as a case study in this book. Migration and Integration in Flanders is structured in three thematic parts, opening with chapters on the imaginaries and perceptions of people in changing migration contexts. The book then proceeds with chapters which present theoretical and empiric data on changing integration dynamics in multicultural societies. The final chapter concludes with a discussion of social networks’ mediating role. The growing complexity of migration leads the contributing authors to look beyond borders, both of national frontiers – as migration by definition implies cross-border research – and of disciplines and research methods. In doing so, the present volume offers thought-provoking essays on topical issues that stir public and political debates across Europe, and contributes to fundamental discussions on changing societies. Contributors: Didier Boost (University of Antwerp), Noel Clycq (University of Antwerp), David De Coninck (KU Leuven), Godfried Engbersen (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Steven Groenez (KU Leuven), Kenneth Hemmerechts (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Dries Lens (University of Antwerp), François Levrau (University of Antwerp), Ive Marx (University of Antwerp), Joris Michielsen (University of Antwerp), Ward Nouwen (University of Antwerp), Edith Piqueray (University of Antwerp), Christiane Timmerman (University of Antwerp), Falke Tibax (University of Antwerp), Rut Van Caudenberg (University of Antwerp/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Anneloes Vandenbroucke (KU Leuven), Sanne Van de Pol (University of Antwerp), Dirk Vanheule (University of Antwerp), Gert Verschraegen (University of Antwerp), Sunčica Vujić (University of Antwerp) GPRC label:

In this amusing and informative appreciation of The Simpsons, sociologist Tim Delaney looks at the many ways America''s longest-running sitcom and animated TV program reflects American culture. For more than fifteen years, the Simpsons have touched upon nearly every aspect of the American social scene--from family dynamics and social mores to local customs and national institutions. With over four hundred episodes aired so far, Delaney finds a goldmine of insights couched in parody on any number of perennial topics: - On television''s influence on American culture, Krusty the Clown says, "Would it really be worth living in a world without television? I think the survivors would envy the dead." - On New Age religion, Homer says, "To think, I turned to a cult for mindless happiness when I had beer all along." - On the thorny issue of gun ownership and home security, Homer purchases a pistol at "Bloodbath and Beyond" and then tells Marge, "I don''t have to be careful, I got a gun." - On the theme of community spirit, Bart thoughtlessly signs up with a local Boy Scout troop while on a sugar rush from eating a "Super-Squishee." The next day he realizes what he has done: "Oh, no. I joined the Junior Campers!" To which his sister, Lisa, responds: "The few, the proud, the geeky." Delaney finds many more episodes relevant to major sociological issues such as environmentalism, feminism, romance and marriage, politics, education, health, aging, and more. Students of popular culture and laypersons alike will learn basic sociological concepts and theories in a refreshing, jargon-free work that offers plenty of entertainment.

This unique and meticulously edited collection of Warwick Deeping's complete works includes: Novels:_x000D_ Uther and Igraine_x000D_ Love Among the Ruins_x000D_ The Slanderers_x000D_ The Seven Streams_x000D_ Bess of the Woods_x000D_ A Woman's War_x000D_ Bertrand of Brittany_x000D_ Mad Barbara (These White Hands)_x000D_ The Red Saint_x000D_ The Pride of Eve_x000D_ King Behind The King (The Shield of Love)_x000D_ Apples of Gold_x000D_ The Secret Sanctuary (The Saving of John Stretton)_x000D_ Sorrell and Son_x000D_ Doomsday_x000D_ Kitty_x000D_ Old Pybus_x000D_ Roper's Row_x000D_ Exiles_x000D_ The Road (The Ten Commandments)_x000D_ Old Wine and New_x000D_ The Challenge of Love (Sincerity)_x000D_ Smith_x000D_ The Eyes of Love (Fox Farm)_x000D_ Two Black Sheep_x000D_ Seven Men Came Back_x000D_ The Man on the White Horse_x000D_ Valour_x000D_ Sackcloth into Silk (The Golden Cord)_x000D_ The White Gate_x000D_ No Hero—This_x000D_ Blind Man's Year_x000D_ The Woman at the Door_x000D_ The Malice of Men_x000D_ Shabby Summer (Folly Island)_x000D_ The Man Who Went Back_x000D_ The Dark House_x000D_ Mr Gurney and Mr Slade (The Cleric's Secret)_x000D_ The Impudence of Youth_x000D_ Laughing House_x000D_ Man in Chains_x000D_ Caroline Terrace_x000D_ Slade_x000D_ Short Stories:_x000D_ Countess Glika and Other Stories:_x000D_ Countess Glika_x000D_ The Red Shirt_x000D_ The Girl on the Mountain_x000D_ The Lady of the Terrace_x000D_ Bitter Silence_x000D_ The Short Stories of Warwick Deeping:_x000D_ Wilmer's Wife_x000D_ Two Men_x000D_ The Pool of the Satyr_x000D_ Old Fagus_x000D_ That Vulgar Person_x000D_ The Immortals_x000D_ The Harmless Satyr_x000D_ Silver's Bus_x000D_ Poet and Peasant_x000D_ Gustave_x000D_ Sand Dunes_x000D_ The First Wrinkle_x000D_ Shipwreck and a Shrew_x000D_ Caliban_x000D_ Noise_x000D_ Six Months to Live_x000D_ Sennen Climbs a Wall_x000D_ Rachel in Search of Reality_x000D_ Ridicule_x000D_ The Great Saaba Bridge_x000D_ The Blue Tulip_x000D_ A Red Blind_x000D_ The Three Trees_x000D_ The Red Van_x000D_ Stockings_x000D_ Sappho_x000D_ The Black Cat_x000D_ The Other Woman_x000D_ About It?_x000D_ Contraband_x000D_ Heritage_x000D_ Discord_x000D_ Restitution_x000D_ At "The Golden Palace" _x000D_ The Hesperides_x000D_ Elizabeth_x000D_ The Man Who Came Back_x000D_ The Child_x000D_ Paternity_x000D_ The Strange Case of Sybil Carberry_x000D_ The Cave_x000D_ Precious Stones_x000D_ Barron's Broken Head_x000D_ In the Snow_x000D_ Laughing Sickness_x000D_ The Man with the Red Tie_x000D_ Escape_x000D_ The Sand-pit_x000D_ The Liars_x000D_ The Broken Violin_x000D_ The Son_x000D_ Two in a Train and Other Stories:_x000D_ Two in a Train_x000D_ The Rainbow_x000D_ The Madness of Professor Pye_x000D_ Lucky Ship_x000D_ A Waxwork Sow_x000D_ Compassion_x000D_ Francois_x000D_ Jack and Andrew_x000D_ Out of the Sea...