Closing the Distance


Book Description

Closing The Distance is a memoir that reveals the trials and tribulations Jeff Bukantz encountered while following in his father's legendary footsteps. Throughout the book, the author provides insight about the highs and lows of competing in the Olympics, including inside stories about the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where he led the American Fencing Team to its first gold medal in 100 years. Besides the unique experiences of the author, the memoir takes a heart-warming look at the powerful force of family and the competitive human spirit.




Handbook of Research on Creating Meaningful Experiences in Online Courses


Book Description

While online courses are said to be beneficial and many reputable brick and mortar higher education institutions are now offering undergraduate and graduate programs online, there is still ongoing debate on issues related to credibility and acceptability. There is some reluctance to teach online and to admit and hire students who have enrolled in online programs. Given these concerns, it is essential that educators in online communities continue to share the significant learning experiences and outcomes that occur in online classrooms and highlight pedagogical practices used by online instructors to make their courses and programs comparable to those offered face-to-face. The Handbook of Research on Creating Meaningful Experiences in Online Courses is a comprehensive research book that examines the quality of courses in higher education that are offered exclusively online and details strategies and practices used by online instructors to create meaningful teaching and learning experiences in online courses. Featuring a range of topics such as gamification, professional development, and learning outcomes, this book is ideal for academicians, researchers, educators, administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, higher education faculty, and students.




Closing the Distance


Book Description

It was only supposed to be one night...until two pink lines changed everything. Lexi It was completely out of character for me to be so reckless. Losing my parents at a young age and then growing up in the foster system made me closed off, but when my only friend asked me to go out to a club with her, I couldn’t say no. Little did I know that one decision would lead to meeting the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I deserved to let loose and have a little fun for a change. So I did. All. Night. Long. But I know better than most how much reality can ruin something beautiful, so to preserve the memory of the best night of my life, I leave my handsome stranger with no note and no last name. Nothing but the memories of how perfectly our bodies fit together. Until two pink lines show up on a pregnancy test six weeks later and force me to re-evaluate my plans. Tyler Six weeks after one of the hottest nights of my life, I’m losing hope that I’ll find her. I’ve exhausted all attempts, short of hiring a PI, which even my friends tell me is going too far. I'm one of the best football players in the league with nearly unlimited resources. If I can't find her, maybe it's time to admit that she doesn't want to be found. With no choice but to accept that she’s gone without a trace, I’ve all but given up hope. Until my doorman says he turned a woman away. I’m pissed and desperate to find her. My wish comes true when she shows up again the next day and drops a huge bomb I never saw coming. Admittedly, I don’t have the best response to her news. Now, I’ve got to prove to her that I’m in this for her–and not just our baby. But will she believe me when someone close to me ends up causing the biggest threat to our relationship? This is a steamy accidental pregnancy sports romance. It is book 7 in the LA Wolves Football series but can be read as a standalone.




The Distance Between Us


Book Description

In this inspirational and unflinchingly honest memoir, acclaimed author Reyna Grande describes her childhood torn between the United States and Mexico, and shines a light on the experiences, fears, and hopes of those who choose to make the harrowing journey across the border. Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years in this “compelling...unvarnished, resonant” (BookPage) story of a childhood spent torn between two parents and two countries. As her parents make the dangerous trek across the Mexican border to “El Otro Lado” (The Other Side) in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced into the already overburdened household of their stern grandmother. When their mother at last returns, Reyna prepares for her own journey to “El Otro Lado” to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years, her long-absent father. Funny, heartbreaking, and lyrical, The Distance Between Us poignantly captures the confusion and contradictions of childhood, reminding us that the joys and sorrows we experience are imprinted on the heart forever, calling out to us of those places we first called home. Also available in Spanish as La distancia entre nosotros.




Nearer to God


Book Description

Eliminate the Spiritual Distance between You and God Do you feel far from God? Perhaps you desire nearness, but you end up filling your calendar instead of communing with the Savior. Wayman Ming Jr. will show you how daily interruptions are divine opportunities to evaluate your life and close the spiritual gap between you and God. If you have become too comfortable in the daily practice of your faith, or you are on a quest to go deeper, this book will help you draw near to your Creator and pursue His heart with passion as you · identify and remove obstacles in finding God · deepen your roots of daily prayer and devotion · find peace and hope in God's presence amid trials · develop spiritual rhythms with the Holy Spirit · hunger for personal revival and spiritual awakening in our culture God is reforming how we think and act as followers of His Son. The Holy Spirit will empower your full pursuit of what matters most and help you align your life with His plans--for your good! "While God's 'interruptions' in our lives often do not make sense to us, He desires that we seek Him in all circumstances: good, bad and ugly. Nearer to God challenges us to see these interruptions as invitations to a closer walk with God."--Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, president, National Hispanic Christian Leadership




Closing of the American Mind


Book Description

The brilliant, controversial, bestselling critique of American culture that “hits with the approximate force and effect of electroshock therapy” (The New York Times)—now featuring a new afterword by Andrew Ferguson in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition. In 1987, eminent political philosopher Allan Bloom published The Closing of the American Mind, an appraisal of contemporary America that “hits with the approximate force and effect of electroshock therapy” (The New York Times) and has not only been vindicated, but has also become more urgent today. In clear, spirited prose, Bloom argues that the social and political crises of contemporary America are part of a larger intellectual crisis: the result of a dangerous narrowing of curiosity and exploration by the university elites. Now, in this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, acclaimed author and journalist Andrew Ferguson contributes a new essay that describes why Bloom’s argument caused such a furor at publication and why our culture so deeply resists its truths today.




Miracle Mile


Book Description

The summer of 1989 was a particularly turbulent one for Walter Chaw, who found solace in a little movie about the end of the world, Steve De Jarnatt's genre-bending "Miracle Mile". Part memoir, part critical study, and featuring the participation of writer-director De Jarnatt, this monograph is an utterly unique chronicle of the Reagan era that examines how the most public of media can give meaning to the most private apocalypse.




The Bass Ringer's Notebook


Book Description

Technical reference for bass handbell musicians




The Art of Fiction


Book Description

This classic guide, from the renowned novelist and professor, has helped transform generations of aspiring writers into masterful writers—and will continue to do so for many years to come. John Gardner was almost as famous as a teacher of creative writing as he was for his own works. In this practical, instructive handbook, based on the courses and seminars that he gave, he explains, simply and cogently, the principles and techniques of good writing. Gardner’s lessons, exemplified with detailed excerpts from classic works of literature, sweep across a complete range of topics—from the nature of aesthetics to the shape of a refined sentence. Written with passion, precision, and a deep respect for the art of writing, Gardner’s book serves by turns as a critic, mentor, and friend. Anyone who has ever thought of taking the step from reader to writer should begin here.




Closing the Distance


Book Description

"This book offers an unprecedented taxonomy of 45 diaspora-engaging institutions found in 30 developing countries, exploring their activities and objectives; it also provides important perspectives from country case studies by senior practitioners from Mali, Mexico, and the Philippines."--BOOK JACKET.