The Transition of John Gruneburg


Book Description

The Transition of John Gruneburg is a suspense novel whose theme is the timeless struggle of good over evil. This fictional narrative focuses on an exceptional Naval Officer whose devotion to family and country leads to an entangled relationship with an endangered CIA colleague from a past covert operation that occurred some six-years ago. The main character, John Gruneburg, struggles with memories of his violent past, tied to efforts to follow the chain of command, persevering to complete each mission, duped into believing he would be saving American lives. Reoccurring nightmares associated with this ruthless operation results in John's treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which was a key factor when deciding to pursue a life-long teaching career at the United States Naval Academy. In the end, John transitions from his troubled past through the inspiration of family as well as the assistance and support of dedicated friends and colleagues. But deep down, John and his family continue to fear that someone could connect the dots and link him to his past missions with that rogue CIA operation. Robert H. Laudeman is a retired federal employee with years of experience creating technical documents and reports in both industry and government. He began writing as a leisure activity and has enjoyed authoring The Transition of John Gruneburg, which is his second venture into fiction. The Transition of John Gruneburg is a sequel to his first novel, The Liberation of John Gruneburg. Please use an italicized font for The Transition of John Gruneburg and The Liberation of John Gruneburg.




The Transformation of John Gruneburg


Book Description

The Transformation of John Gruneburg is a suspense novel whose theme is the timeless struggle of good over evil. This fictional narrative focuses on an exceptional Naval Officer whose devotion to duty, honor, and country entangles him in rogue missions tied to a top secret CIA covert operation. Always loyal to the chain of command, he perseveres to complete each mission, being told that he is saving American lives. Psychologically broken, his sense of right versus wrong is overshadowed by his dedication to duty. The main character, John Gruneburg, struggles to escape from memories of his past. He becomes his own defender and prosecutor, knowing his past actions were wrong, while trying to justify why he did not have the moral strength to reject the orders that were imposed upon him. Reoccurring nightmares associated with his violent past lead to John's treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In book 3 of the series, The Transformation of John Gruneburg describes the accomplishments that lead to unmeasured pride for John and his family, experiencing the privilege to serve one's country while doing something that he enjoyed. Yet John has his moments when he contemplates the depth of his inner fears. Is he concerned that his reputation would be destroyed if his past was revealed, and he was identified as an assassin? Are his reoccurring nightmares associated with his violent past? Are the memories of past missions surfacing feelings of regret for what he had done? Or are his nightmares tied to his fear that his past will be exposed? What did he fear the most? Each time he went through the agony of introspective analysis, self-examining his own conscience, he ended with the same conclusion. It all came down to the fact that he must continue to conceal his past. His involvement with the CIA must remain hidden. Recognizing the government's investment in John's education and training, influential colleagues come to his aid. John struggles to suppress memories of the life he led as a CIA assassin, but in the end, a transformed Lieutenant Commander John Gruneburg rises from the ashes of his past. Robert H. Laudeman is a retired federal employee with years of experience creating technical documents and reports in both industry and government. He began writing as a leisure activity and has enjoyed authoring The Transformation of John Gruneburg, his third venture into fiction. The Transformation of John Gruneburg is the final work of a three-part series, which begins with The Liberation of John Gruneburg and followed with The Transition of John Gruneburg.




The Liberation of John Gruneburg


Book Description

The Liberation of John Gruneburg is a suspense novel whose theme is the timeless struggle of good over evil. This fictional narrative focuses on an exceptional Naval Officer who is devoted to duty, honor, and country. The main character, John Gruneburg, struggles to escape from memories of his past. He becomes his own defender and prosecutor, knowing his past actions were wrong while trying to justify why he did not have the moral strength to reject the unethical orders imposed upon him. Reoccurring nightmares, tied to John's violent past and connected to his entanglement with a top-secret CIA covert operation, lead to John's treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Always loyal to the chain of command, John perseveres to complete each mission, being told that he is saving American lives. Psychologically broken, his sense of right versus wrong is overshadowed by his dedication to duty. Lifelong family friends come to his rescue by combining their energies to support John's struggle to avoid the efforts of corrupt officials to frame him for crimes that he did not commit. In the end, John finds liberation from his past through the inspiration and support of dedicated friends and colleagues. Robert H. Laudeman is a retired federal employee with years of experience creating technical documents and reports in both industry and government. He began writing The Liberation of John Gruneburg as a leisure activity and enjoyed authoring what became his first novel and venture into fiction. Much was learned in the creation of the first edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg. The encouragement of family and friends made writing an enjoyable experience. There was one small problem. The completion of this first book left the majority of the original outline still unused. The whole story had not been told. Building from his original outline, Laudeman published The Transition of John Gruneburg in 2018. The next work in the series, The Transformation of John Gruneburg, was published in 2021. Did this end John Gruneburg's struggle to conquer his fears and escape from memories of his past? Does he gain the moral strength to face the reoccurring nightmares that were the root cause of his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Will this saga continue? Only time will tell. Looking back, the first edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg never received the same critique and level of review that later manuscripts received. It was decided that the series would not be complete until The Liberation of John Gruneburg was edited and published by Christian Faith Publishing. Thus, the creation of the second edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg.




How Learning Works


Book Description

Praise for How Learning Works "How Learning Works is the perfect title for this excellent book. Drawing upon new research in psychology, education, and cognitive science, the authors have demystified a complex topic into clear explanations of seven powerful learning principles. Full of great ideas and practical suggestions, all based on solid research evidence, this book is essential reading for instructors at all levels who wish to improve their students' learning." —Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice chancellor for educational development, University of California, Berkeley, and author, Tools for Teaching "This book is a must-read for every instructor, new or experienced. Although I have been teaching for almost thirty years, as I read this book I found myself resonating with many of its ideas, and I discovered new ways of thinking about teaching." —Eugenia T. Paulus, professor of chemistry, North Hennepin Community College, and 2008 U.S. Community Colleges Professor of the Year from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education "Thank you Carnegie Mellon for making accessible what has previously been inaccessible to those of us who are not learning scientists. Your focus on the essence of learning combined with concrete examples of the daily challenges of teaching and clear tactical strategies for faculty to consider is a welcome work. I will recommend this book to all my colleagues." —Catherine M. Casserly, senior partner, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "As you read about each of the seven basic learning principles in this book, you will find advice that is grounded in learning theory, based on research evidence, relevant to college teaching, and easy to understand. The authors have extensive knowledge and experience in applying the science of learning to college teaching, and they graciously share it with you in this organized and readable book." —From the Foreword by Richard E. Mayer, professor of psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; coauthor, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction; and author, Multimedia Learning




Global Business Regulation


Book Description

How has the regulation of business shifted from national to global institutions? What are the mechanisms of globalization? Who are the key actors? What of democratic sovereignty? In which cases has globalization been successfully resisted? These questions are confronted across an amazing sweep of the critical areas of business regulation--from contract, intellectual property and corporations law, to trade, telecommunications, labor standards, drugs, food, transport and environment. This book examines the role played by global institutions such as the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, the OECD, IMF, Moodys and the World Bank, as well as various NGOs and significant individuals. Incorporating both history and analysis, Global Business Regulation will become the standard reference for readers in business, law, politics, and international relations.




The Globalizers


Book Description

"The IMF and the World Bank have integrated a large number of countries into the world economy by requiring governments to open up to global trade, investment, and capital. They have not done this out of pure economic zeal. Politics and their own rules and habits explain much of why they have presented globalization as a solution to challenges they have faced in the world economy."—from the IntroductionThe greatest success of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has been as globalizers. But at whose cost? Would borrowing countries be better off without the IMF and World Bank? This book takes readers inside these institutions and the governments they work with. Ngaire Woods brilliantly decodes what they do and why they do it, using original research, extensive interviews carried out across many countries and institutions, and scholarship from the fields of economics, law, and politics.The Globalizers focuses on both the political context of IMF and World Bank actions and their impact on the countries in which they intervene. After describing the important debates between U.S. planners and the Allies in the 1944 foundation at Bretton Woods, she analyzes understandings of their missions over the last quarter century. She traces the impact of the Bank and the Fund in the recent economic history of Mexico, of post-Soviet Russia, and in the independent states of Africa. Woods concludes by proposing a range of reforms that would make the World Bank and the IMF more effective, equitable, and just.




The History of Forgetting


Book Description

Los Angeles is a city which has long thrived on the continual re-creation of own myth. In this extraordinary and original work, Norman Klein examines the process of memory erasure in LA. Using a provocative mixture of fact and fiction, the book takes us on an 'anti-tour' of downtown LA, examines life for Vietnamese immigrants in the City of Dreams, imagines Walter Benjamin as a Los Angeleno, and finally looks at the way information technology has recreated the city, turning cyberspace into the last suburb. In this new edition, Norman Klein examines new models for erasure in LA. He explores the evolution of the Latino majority, how the Pacific economy is changing the structure of urban life, the impact of collapsing infrastructure in the city, and the restructuring of those very districts that had been 'forgotten'.




The Theory of Social Democracy


Book Description

The ascendancy of neo-liberalism in different parts of the world has put social democracy on the defensive. Its adherents lack a clear rationale for their policies. Yet a justification for social democracy is implicit in the United Nations Covenants on Human Rights, ratified by most of the worlds countries. The covenants commit all nations to guarantee that their citizens shall enjoy the traditional formal rights; but they likewise pledge governments to make those rights meaningful in the real world by providing social security and cultural recognition to every person. This new book provides a systematic defence of social democracy for our contemporary global age. The authors argue that the claims to legitimation implicit in democratic theory can be honored only by social democracy; libertarian democracies are defective in failing to protect their citizens adequately against social, economic, and environmental risks that only collective action can obviate. Ultimately, social democracy provides both a fairer and more stable social order. But can social democracy survive in a world characterized by pervasive processes of globalization? This book asserts that globalization need not undermine social democracy if it is harnessed by international associations and leavened by principles of cultural respect, toleration, and enlightenment. The structures of social democracy must, in short, be adapted to the exigencies of globalization, as has already occurred in countries with the most successful social-democratic practices.




Handbook of South American Archaeology


Book Description

Perhaps the contributions of South American archaeology to the larger field of world archaeology have been inadequately recognized. If so, this is probably because there have been relatively few archaeologists working in South America outside of Peru and recent advances in knowledge in other parts of the continent are only beginning to enter larger archaeological discourse. Many ideas of and about South American archaeology held by scholars from outside the area are going to change irrevocably with the appearance of the present volume. Not only does the Handbook of South American Archaeology (HSAA) provide immense and broad information about ancient South America, the volume also showcases the contributions made by South Americans to social theory. Moreover, one of the merits of this volume is that about half the authors (30) are South Americans, and the bibliographies in their chapters will be especially useful guides to Spanish and Portuguese literature as well as to the latest research. It is inevitable that the HSAA will be compared with the multi-volume Handbook of South American Indians (HSAI), with its detailed descriptions of indigenous peoples of South America, that was organized and edited by Julian Steward. Although there are heroic archaeological essays in the HSAI, by the likes of Junius Bird, Gordon Willey, John Rowe, and John Murra, Steward states frankly in his introduction to Volume Two that “arch- ology is included by way of background” to the ethnographic chapters.




Financing Sustainability


Book Description

Sustainability thinking is rapidly gaining traction. It offers an inspiring vision for the future of the world and provides significant business and investment opportunities. Based on insights from over 300 empirical studies, this book explores the possibilities in the field of renewable energy finance, carbon trading, and sustainable investing. In addition, it describes innovative finance mechanisms – such as green bonds and peer-to-peer lending – that may further spur environmental and social sustainability. By taking an empirical, fact-based approach, this book aims to provide investors, business executives, and policymakers with a more thorough understanding of how sustainable finance can create value for business and society. Key words: Sustainable finance, renewable energy finance, cleantech, green investing, sustainable investments, responsible investments, carbon trading, carbon finance, ESG, impact investing.