"For the past thirty years, I have been teaching, studying, and researching social problems in the US. The topics have always been challenging and fascinating, while at the same time they have been frustrating and often disappointing. I always found examples of social programs that were effective at targeting a specific aspect of a complex problem, but too often these extraordinary ideas were applied beyond their capacity. Then, once the program failed to be a panacea, policymakers discounted the actual value of the program in its original design. I felt a similar frustration when enormous resources were dedicated to programs that, while politically popular, had little chance at succeeding because they were based on inaccurate assessments of the problem. It is easy to see why students might feel that a social problems course offers little encouragement to find solutions. When I had the opportunity to write a comprehensive social problems textbook for Oxford University Press, I was presented with a moment to frame the issues in an objective way: to explain clearly and effectively not only the nature and complexity of specific social problems, but how sociological theory is a useful lens through which these problems can be understood. I also had the chance to point out that there are, in fact, solutions that work. As I tell my students, the question is not really what caused the problem -- we know these are social problems and that means they have social causes. The interesting question is: what we are willing as a society to do about them?"--

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Does your organization find itself returning to the same problems again and again, never quite solving them? Action learning enables employees to think differently as they seek to solve problems. In “Breakthrough Solutions With Action Learning,” Bea Carson explores how action learning can help teams identify the root cause of problems and thus find more appropriate solutions. In addition to solving real problems in a timely manner, action learning teams also discover how to work together. With the support of a coach, team members deliberately identify and build skills that can transfer to other work throughout their careers. In this issue of TD at Work, you will find: · a definition of action learning and how it differs from traditional problem solving · the six components of action learning · an overview of the action learning process · barriers to problem solving · questions to ask when implementing action learning.

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

Nature-Based Solutions and Water Security: An Action Agenda for the 21st Century presents an action agenda for natural infrastructure on topics of standards and principles, technical evaluation and design tools, capacity building and innovative finance. Chapters introduce the topic and concepts of natural infrastructure, or nature-based solutions (NBS) and water security, with important background on the urgency of the global water crisis and the role that NBS can, and should play, in addressing this crisis. Sections also present the community of practice's collective thinking on a prioritized action agenda to guide more rapid progress in mainstreaming NBS. With contributions from global authors, including key individuals and organizations active in developing NBS solutions, users will also find important conclusions and recommendations, thus presenting a collaboratively developed, consensus roadmap to scaling NBS. Covers all issues of water security and natural infrastructures Presents a comprehensive state of synthesis, providing readers with a solid grounding in the field of natural infrastructures and water security Includes a fully workable and intuitive roadmap for action that is presented as a guide to the most important actions for practitioners, research questions for academics, and information on promising careers for students entering the field

Intuitive Solutions: A Tool for Inspired Action can be used to recognize the subtle dynamics underlying challenges, to release limiting beliefs, to feel motivated and inspired, to discover new ways of resolving difficult situations and to act with decisiveness. For one or more players, it contains an "insight" deck, a "setback" deck, an "angel" deck, and an instruction booklet. From the creators of the Angel Cards! Very popular. Box size: 6.25" x 6.25" x 1.5" "Insight" Cards each: 2" x 2.5" "Setback" Cards each: 2" x 2.5" "Angel" Cards each: 1.5" x 2.5"

Digital design is not only about creating visually appealing products and promotions; it needs to possess a practical aspect in addition to being aesthetically appealing. Digital Design in Action explores these pragmatic applications and the creative design aspects for various mediums, including the web, apps, ePub, visual presentations, and PDF. Using the latest digital publishing tools and a project-based pedagogy, this book includes projects ranging from real-world to experimental. Each chapter contains the perfect balance of vibrant figures, techniques and applications to help guide the reader into harnessing their inner potential. Key Features Presents methodologies used to deploy layouts for multiple digital output, using the latest tools and techniques Includes a supporting companion website containing digital examples, plus all exercise files and supporting art Contains end-of-chapter exercises and real-world and experimental projects Structured to help design students create dynamic content in class and on the job later down the line.

In his newest book, Robert G. Jones uses applied psychology to argue that unique human adaptive strategies can be leveraged to enable sustainable decisions and mitigate the current climate crisis.

A radically new understanding of and practical approach to climate change by noted environmentalist Paul Hawken, creator of the New York Times bestseller Drawdown Regeneration offers a visionary new approach to climate change, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, equity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. It is the first book to describe and define the burgeoning regeneration movement spreading rapidly throughout the world. Regeneration describes how an inclusive movement can engage the majority of humanity to save the world from the threat of global warming, with climate solutions that directly serve our children, the poor, and the excluded. This means we must address current human needs, not future existential threats, real as they are, with initiatives that include but go well beyond solar, electric vehicles, and tree planting to include such solutions as the fifteen-minute city, bioregions, azolla fern, food localization, fire ecology, decommodification, forests as farms, and the number one solution for the world: electrifying everything. Paul Hawken and the nonprofit Regeneration Organization are launching a series of initiatives to accompany the book, including a streaming video series, curriculum, podcasts, teaching videos, and climate action software. Regeneration is the inspiring and necessary guide to inform the rapidly spreading climate movement.