Civic Gifts


Book Description

In Civic Gifts, Elisabeth S. Clemens takes a singular approach to probing the puzzle that is the United States. How, she asks, did a powerful state develop within an anti-statist political culture? How did a sense of shared nationhood develop despite the linguistic, religious, and ethnic differences among settlers and, eventually, citizens? Clemens reveals that an important piece of the answer to these questions can be found in the unexpected political uses of benevolence and philanthropy, practices of gift-giving and reciprocity that coexisted uneasily with the self-sufficient independence expected of liberal citizens Civic Gifts focuses on the power of gifts not only to mobilize communities throughout US history, but also to create new forms of solidarity among strangers. Clemens makes clear how, from the early Republic through the Second World War, reciprocity was an important tool for eliciting both the commitments and the capacities needed to face natural disasters, economic crises, and unprecedented national challenges. Encompassing a range of endeavors from the mobilized voluntarism of the Civil War, through Community Chests and the Red Cross to the FDR-driven rise of the March of Dimes, Clemens shows how voluntary efforts were repeatedly articulated with government projects. The legacy of these efforts is a state co-constituted with, as much as constrained by, civil society.




Civic Gifts


Book Description

In Civic Gifts, Elisabeth S. Clemens takes a singular approach to probing the puzzle that is the United States. How, she asks, did a powerful state develop within an anti-statist political culture? How did a sense of shared nationhood develop despite the linguistic, religious, and ethnic differences among settlers and, eventually, citizens? Clemens reveals that an important piece of the answer to these questions can be found in the unexpected political uses of benevolence and philanthropy, practices of gift-giving and reciprocity that coexisted uneasily with the self-sufficient independence expected of liberal citizens Civic Gifts focuses on the power of gifts not only to mobilize communities throughout US history, but also to create new forms of solidarity among strangers. Clemens makes clear how, from the early Republic through the Second World War, reciprocity was an important tool for eliciting both the commitments and the capacities needed to face natural disasters, economic crises, and unprecedented national challenges. Encompassing a range of endeavors from the mobilized voluntarism of the Civil War, through Community Chests and the Red Cross to the FDR-driven rise of the March of Dimes, Clemens shows how voluntary efforts were repeatedly articulated with government projects. The legacy of these efforts is a state co-constituted with, as much as constrained by, civil society.




Discover Your Gifts


Book Description

Each of us has gifts to offer to the world around us, but we have not always identified or deployed them effectively. Incorporating new research on the impact that our gifts can make, Don Everts explores the many kinds of gifts God gives, whether spiritual, civic, artistic, or entrepreneurial. Discover how our gifts can pave a way for reconnecting with our communities.




The Gift in Antiquity


Book Description

The Gift in Antiquity presents a collection of 14 original essays that apply French sociologist Marcel Mauss’s notion of gift-giving to the study of antiquity. Features a collection of original essays that cover such wide-ranging topics as vows in the Hebrew Bible; ancient Greek wedding gifts; Hellenistic civic practices; Latin literature; Roman and Jewish burial practices; and Jewish and Christian religious gifts Organizes essays around theoretical concerns rather than chronologically Generates unique insights into gift-giving and reciprocity in antiquity Takes an explicitly cross-cultural approach to the study of ancient history




Discover Your Gifts Workbook


Book Description

Discover your gifts with this practical guide that describes twelve different kinds of gifts and gives examples of how each can be used in church, family, work, and society. By using this workbook alongside the Discover Your Gifts book, you can grow in your understanding and use of your own gifts and become better equipped to recognize and unleash the gifts of others.




The Gift in Sixteenth-century France


Book Description

Must a gift be given freely? How can we tell a gift from a bribe? Are gifts always a part of human relations--or do they lose their power and importance once the market takes hold and puts a price on every exchange? These questions are central to our sense of social relations past and present, and they are at the heart of this book by one of our most intersting and renowned historians.




Indelible Ann


Book Description

A folksy, larger-than-life picture book biography about Ann Richards, the late governor of Texas who has inspired countless women in politics today. Dorothy Ann Willis hailed from a small Texas town, but early on she found her voice and the guts to use it. During her childhood in San Diego and her high school years back in Texas (when she dropped the "Dorothy"), Ann discovered a spark and passion for civic duty. It led her all the way to Washington, DC, where she, along with other girls from around the country, learned about the business of politics. Fast forward to Ann taking on the political boys' club: she became county commissioner, then state treasurer, and finally governor of Texas. In this stunning picture book biography, full of vim, vigor, and folksy charm, two Texan creators take us through the life of the legendary "big mouth, big hair" governor of Texas, a woman who was inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt, and in turn became an inspiration to Hillary Clinton and countless others.




Model Code of Judicial Conduct


Book Description




Civic Communion


Book Description

How does community arise in and exist through communication? Blending theory and case studies, Civic Communion looks at community-building in rural America and how civic-minded people come together through a variety of ways, such as hosting and attending festivals, addressing conflict, planning the community, and maintaining heritage museums. David E. Procter's insightful work reveals a specific and significant form of community 'talk' that serves to build and sustain community.




The Twelve Gifts of Life


Book Description

The truth is that most of us never get a chance to make our mark of greatness on the world—which doesn’t negate our basic human desire to find meaning in our story. We all want our lives to matter and for the world to be marked in some small way by our journey. And then there are the questions: how do we hold onto hope when all indicators point to floundering financial futures? How do we feel joy in a society of failing families and facebook-limited friendships? How do we find purpose when just paying the bills has to be our priority? How do we believe when God is silent? How do we know that our lives matter? If you’ve ever asked any of these questions, The Twelve Gift of Life will change your perspective. A collection of powerful, poignant narratives with a punch of humor, these true-life vignettes will help you discover meaning in the midst of the mundane. Buried within even the most challenging circumstances are the gifts of life for those discerning enough to discover and embrace them. Life is not meant to be survival of the fittest. Life is not meant to defeat us. Life is not meant to beat us down. The gifts of life restore us. They give us hope. They give our life meaning. They are meant to be savored. The gifts belong to all of us. Discover them through this inspirational, soon-to-be bestseller.