"This is a rich, stimulating work, written in clear and compelling prose, that will appeal to scholars in a variety of disciplines."--Angelique Haugerud, author of The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya "Among the numerous contributions made by this book are its discussion of the politics of pseudo-traditionalism, its tracing of the emergence of a Christian leadership, and indeed its whole reconsideration of the significance of missions and Christianity."--James L. Giblin, author of Environmental Control in Northeastern Tanzania, 1840-1940

Kaylie's Mountain Farm Adventures By: Reneé Halay Written by a grandmother about her children and granddaughter, Kaylie's Mountain Farm Adventures will capture your child's imagination and place a smile on their face. Positive and uplifting, both parents and children alike will enjoy reading about Kaylie and her adventures!

Each year, thousands of tourists visit Mount Mitchell, the most prominent feature of North Carolina's Black Mountain range and the highest peak in the eastern United States. From Native Americans and early explorers to land speculators and conservationists, people have long been drawn to this rugged region. Timothy Silver explores the long and complicated history of the Black Mountains, drawing on both the historical record and his experience as a backpacker and fly fisherman. He chronicles the geological and environmental forces that created this intriguing landscape, then traces its history of environmental change and human intervention from the days of Indian-European contact to today. Among the many tales Silver recounts is that of Elisha Mitchell, the renowned geologist and University of North Carolina professor for whom Mount Mitchell is named, who fell to his death there in 1857. But nature's stories--of forest fires, chestnut blight, competition among plants and animals, insect invasions, and, most recently, airborne toxins and acid rain--are also part of Silver's narrative, making it the first history of the Appalachians in which the natural world gets equal time with human history. It is only by understanding the dynamic between these two forces, Silver says, that we can begin to protect the Black Mountains for future generations.

Despite almost four decades and billions of dollars in development activities, we are barely in a position to track the changing dynamics of poverty or to define with conviction the processes that entrap the poor in their misery. Accounting for about 90% of global poverty, rural poverty, through transmigration, is also a main contributor to urban poverty. It is in the rural areas of the world where poverty is most severe in human terms, where the hunger, hopelessness, hardship, and despair commonly associated with entrenched poverty are most pronounced, where basic health services, sanitation, educational opportunities, and other common amenities are most lacking. The alleviation of rural poverty is therefore tantamount to the alleviation of global poverty in its entirety. The State of World Rural Poverty offers the first comprehensive look at the economic conditions and prospects of the world's rural poor.