Maska and Taima are two Native American boys who enjoy playing with sticks. When one special stick causes an argument between them, they learn about a different stick that is even more special. This new stick can actually solve arguments!

Peace Stick is set in East Germany during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. It's a story about hope and innocence during a nuclear showdown between the superpowers. It was inspired by an Erfurt schoolgirl who wanted to survive the confrontation to finish her studies, start a career, raise a family and enjoy a life that was being threatened by angry old men. She created a peace stick as a lucky charm. It was hidden in a school wall to be a symbol of hope during a traumatic week. Peace Stick is a snapshot of life behind the Iron Curtain as the world teetered on the edge of a nuclear abyss. It is representative of many kinder throughout the world who were endangered by political folly. It's a story that resonates to the present day.

When Nathan, a Native American boy, moves to a new town the other children make fun of his long hair. With the help of his talking stick, Nathan teaches his classmates about his tribe and his way of life. Will the talking stick also help him make friends in his new home? Based on a true story, The Talking Stick is a tale for all ages and cultures. Includes tips for caregivers and instructions for making your very own talking stick.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" Theodore Roosevelt famously said in 1901, when the United States was emerging as a great power. It was the right sentiment, perhaps, in an age of imperial rivalry but today many Americans doubt the utility of their global military presence, thinking it outdated, unnecessary or even dangerous. In The Big Stick, Eliot A. Cohen-a scholar and practitioner of international relations-disagrees. He argues that hard power remains essential for American foreign policy. While acknowledging that the US must be careful about why, when, and how it uses force, he insists that its international role is as critical as ever, and armed force is vital to that role. Cohen explains that American leaders must learn to use hard power in new ways and for new circumstances. The rise of a well-armed China, Russia's conquest of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran, and the spread of radical Islamist movements like ISIS are some of the key threats to global peace. If the United States relinquishes its position as a strong but prudent military power, and fails to accept its role as the guardian of a stable world order we run the risk of unleashing disorder, violence and tyranny on a scale not seen since the 1930s. The US is still, as Madeleine Albright once dubbed it, "the indispensable nation."

From the Norman Invasion in 1066 to the eve of the First World War, Stick a Flag in It is a thousand-year jocular journey through the history of Britain and its global empire. The British people have always been eccentric, occasionally ingenious and, sure, sometimes unhinged – from mad monarchs to mass-murdering lepers. Here, Arran Lomas shows us how they harnessed those traits to forge the British nation, and indeed the world, we know today. Follow history’s greatest adventurers from the swashbuckling waters of the Caribbean to the vast white wasteland of the Antarctic wilderness, like the British spy who infiltrated a top-secret Indian brothel and the priest who hid inside a wall but forgot to bring a packed lunch. At the very least you’ll discover Henry VIII’s favourite arse-wipe, whether the flying alchemist ever made it from Scotland to France, and the connection between Victorian coffee houses and dildos. Forget what you were taught in school – this is history like you’ve never heard it before, full of captivating historical quirks that will make you laugh out loud and scratch your head in disbelief.

A touching and timeless story about finding friendship in unlikely places from the award-winning creator of Extraordinary Jane Rupert is a rhinoceros of refined sensibilities. Levi, the new tickbird in class, is not. He burps the alphabet, tells corny jokes, and does really embarrassing air guitar solos. Worse, he lands right on Rupert and is determined to be Rupert's symbiotic best pal! Rupert wants him gone. But when Levi finally does bug off, Rupert finds the peace and quiet a little boring. It turns out, Rupert could really use a friend like Levi. This sweet and moving friendship story shares an important message of acceptance for every reader--whether they're a Rupert or a Levi.

A member of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change examines the fossil-fuel industry's public relations campaign to discredit the science of climate change and deny the reality of global warming.

Love it or hate it, we are all teachers. Whether walking clients through a new program, guiding an audience through a novel proposition, or helping our children to kick a soccer ball, nearly every day we work to disseminate knowledge and wisdom to others. The problem is that very few of us have ever been taught how to teach! Drawing on Jared Cooney Horvath’s nearly 15 years of experience conducting brain research at prominent universities, teaching students from 10 to 80 years of age, and working closely with organizations and schools across 4 continents, Stop Talking, Start Influencing outlines 12 scientific principles of how people learn. The result is a book that shows readers how to impart their knowledge to others in a manner that sticks with and truly influences them — regardless of the situation or circumstance. For every business leader sick of repeating themselves ad nauseam to colleagues and clients, for every coach tired of endlessly drilling athletes without seeing meaningful improvement, for every entrepreneur who’s had enough of pouring their heart into presentations only to see no lasting impact among the audience … it’s time to stop talking and start influencing!

The Power of the Talking Stick makes the case that, reaching back to the beginning of the nation-state and all through the current period of corporate-led globalisation, our governments and social institutions have been engaged in activities that will ultimately extinguish the world's ecological life support systems. This book offers an alternative, listening to indigenous leaders and others whose voices often go unheard in the din of contemporary culture. Sharon Ridgeway and Peter Jacques offer a stark warning, but their insights are firmly grounded in traditional knowledge and provide a way to see past the politics and rescue the earth. An important resource for climate activists, students and academics.

Practices for openhearted speaking and devout listening to restore harmony in families, relationships, schools, workplaces, and communities • Details how to approach life with a listening heart and create a sacred space for communication • Offers exercises for new peacemaking circles, ceremonial ways to begin each circle, and peacemaker tools to unmask the needs and feelings behind conflict • Explains how to apply this practice in multiple ways, with groups large and small People are afraid of conflict: it is something “bad” that must be managed and resolved. In the face of conflict we focus only on facts--who’s at fault and who should be punished--rather than seeking to restore harmony. But conflict is inevitable and presents an opportunity to establish deeper connections with others. By learning to speak honestly and listen devoutly, we can overcome our culture’s hierarchical and punitive approach to conflict. We can learn to relate to each other in a sacred manner and create relationships and communities that are egalitarian, liberating, and transformational. Revealing that we are all peacemakers at heart, Steve Beyer details how to approach life with a listening heart and create a safe and sacred space for communication: the peacemaking circle, centered on the talking stick. Whoever holds the talking stick gets to speak. There are no interruptions, no questions, no challenges, no comments. People speak one at a time, honestly from their hearts, and they listen devoutly with their hearts to each person who speaks. And, as Beyer shows, the effect can be miraculous. The author explains how to apply this practice with groups large and small to deepen relationships, heal old wounds, and restore harmony among families, spouses, classmates, coworkers, and communities. Sharing stories from his work as a peacemaker, he offers exercises for new talking stick circles, ceremonial ways to begin each circle, and tools to ensure the telling of complete stories in cases of conflict. He addresses the nature of apology, forgiveness, and the urge for revenge, and he explores the spiritual challenges faced by those who walk the peace path. Exploring the shamanic roots of the talking stick practice, the author extends the lessons of the healing circle and the listening heart from our homes, schools, and communities into our relationship to spirit and the Earth.