by Peter M. Jonas
This book explores the ways in which humor can enhance the learning environment. Drawing upon empirical research and brain-based concepts, Jonas presents a theoretical model of humor, along with practical examples for enhancing learning in schools and classrooms.
by Philip Dray
From the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, the first real factories in America, to the triumph of unions in the twentieth century and their waning influence today, the contest between labor and capital for their share of American bounty has shaped our national experience. Philip Dray’s ambition is to show us the vital accomplishments of organized labor in that time and illuminate its central role in our social, political, economic, and cultural evolution. There Is Power in a Union is an epic, character-driven narrative that locates this struggle for security and dignity in all its various settings: on picket lines and in union halls, jails, assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, the courts, the halls of Congress, and the White House. The author demonstrates, viscerally and dramatically, the urgency of the fight for fairness and economic democracy—a struggle that remains especially urgent today, when ordinary Americans are so anxious and beset by economic woes.
by Susan VanZanten
Joining the Mission is a helpful guide for new (and experienced) faculty at religious colleges and universities. Susan VanZanten here provides an orientation to the world of Christian higher education and an introduction to the academic profession of teaching, scholarship, and service, with a special emphasis on opportunities and challenges common to “mission-driven” institutions. From designing a syllabus to dealing with problem students, from working with committees to achieving a balanced life, VanZanten’s guidebook will help faculty across the disciplines — Art to Zoology and every subject between — understand better what it means to pursue faithfully a vocation as professor. “Susan VanZanten’s Joining the Mission is an exceptional resource for all faculty members at Christian colleges and universities. While it is a very practical guide to teaching at a university, the book also helps the reader understand and wrestle with the nuances of what it means to be a faculty member at a mission-driven institution. I appreciate VanZanten’s contribution to articulating why mission is important at our institutions, why we care about it so much, and how we can better accomplish it.” — Thomas Cedel President, Concordia University Texas
