Gaining Ground


Book Description

Why and how Boston was transformed by landmaking. Fully one-sixth of Boston is built on made land. Although other waterfront cities also have substantial areas that are built on fill, Boston probably has more than any city in North America. In Gaining Ground historian Nancy Seasholes has given us the first complete account of when, why, and how this land was created.The story of landmaking in Boston is presented geographically; each chapter traces landmaking in a different part of the city from its first permanent settlement to the present. Seasholes introduces findings from recent archaeological investigations in Boston, and relates landmaking to the major historical developments that shaped it. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, landmaking in Boston was spurred by the rapid growth that resulted from the burgeoning China trade. The influx of Irish immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century prompted several large projects to create residential land—not for the Irish, but to keep the taxpaying Yankees from fleeing to the suburbs. Many landmaking projects were undertaken to cover tidal flats that had been polluted by raw sewage discharged directly onto them, removing the "pestilential exhalations" thought to cause illness. Land was also added for port developments, public parks, and transportation facilities, including the largest landmaking project of all, the airport. A separate chapter discusses the technology of landmaking in Boston, explaining the basic method used to make land and the changes in its various components over time. The book is copiously illustrated with maps that show the original shoreline in relation to today's streets, details from historical maps that trace the progress of landmaking, and historical drawings and photographs.




John Quincy Adams


Book Description

This new book focuses on John Quincy Adams's extensive role in foreign policy, including his years as secretary of state and as president. Brief but thorough, John Quincy Adams: Policymaker for the Union analyzes Adams's foreign policy accomplishments during key moments in American history, including the Rush-Bagot Agreement, the Transcontinental Treaty, the recognition of the Spanish-American republics, and the Monroe Doctrine. At the same time, the book shows that Adams was far less successful than many historians suggest. John Quincy Adams: Policymaker for the Union focuses on Adams's ideals of the centrality of the union to American happiness, the necessity of federal action to protect the union, and the indivisibility of foreign and domestic concerns. This book's examination of these three points casts new light on the logic behind many of Adams's accomplishments and also exposes the sources of some of his failures. This is the first study to examine how Adams's views ultimately led to his failure as a policymaker. This book is ideal for courses in diplomatic history, American history, and American political history.




Why Startups Fail


Book Description

If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail. “Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it. So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the vast majority of startup failures. • Bad Bedfellows. Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. • False Starts. In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. • False Promises. Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted confidence to expand. • Speed Traps. Despite the pressure to “get big fast,” hypergrowth can spell disaster for even the most promising ventures. • Help Wanted. Rapidly scaling startups need lots of capital and talent, but they can make mistakes that leave them suddenly in short supply of both. • Cascading Miracles. Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to dream big. But the bigger the vision, the more things that can go wrong. Drawing on fascinating stories of ventures that failed to fulfill their early promise—from a home-furnishings retailer to a concierge dog-walking service, from a dating app to the inventor of a sophisticated social robot, from a fashion brand to a startup deploying a vast network of charging stations for electric vehicles—Eisenmann offers frameworks for detecting when a venture is vulnerable to these patterns, along with a wealth of strategies and tactics for avoiding them. A must-read for founders at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, Why Startups Fail is not merely a guide to preventing failure but also a roadmap charting the path to startup success.




The Quincy Solution


Book Description

Would you like to share a $500 billion reward? It might sound too good to be true, but this is the benefit to society of adopting the Quincy Solution with its proven practices to dramatically reduce domestic violence crime. Barry Goldstein has spent his career working to prevent abuse so he knew how to synthesize history and research about practices that stop domestic violence with medical research about the enormous health impact from stress related to domestic violence and child abuse. Barry started by reviewing the successful practices in Quincy, San Diego, and Nashville. Domestic violence is not inevitable, and it is not surprising it can be prevented with a group of best practices. He updated the proven practices with new research, technology, and inclusion of the custody courts. The primary obstacle was inertia and money. Then the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research established that children exposed to domestic violence, child abuse, and other traumas suffer more illnesses and injuries throughout their lives. We can reduce societal problems like cancer, heart disease, substance abuse, and crime--and dramatically improve our economy. This is the Quincy Solution. Domestic violence is not inevitable. The Quincy Solution is based on successful practices in Quincy, Nashville, and San Diego so we know it works. The $500 billion in annual savings from the Quincy Solution comes from prevention of illnesses and injuries, reduced crime, and victims reaching their economic potential. The Quincy Solution is more than an absence of abuse. Women and children will be safe in their homes and free to reach their potential. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barry Goldstein has dedicated his career to stopping men's violence against women and preventing the mental, emotional and physical trauma it inflicts on their children. A passionate and sought-after speaker, Barry's the author of four other books on domestic violence. "I can't help but think of all the courageous women who died and all the anguished faces of the children they left behind -- who might have been saved by this book." Rita Smith, Former Executive Director, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence "Barry Goldstein compiles shocking data showing how our legal system enables violence against women and children. Buy this book." Wendy Murphy, New England Law Boston, Author "And Justice For Some" "Domestic violence can be stopped. This book proves it." Andrew Willis, Survivor, Founder Stop Abuse Campaign "Barry Goldstein has eloquently captured the crisis that is domestic violence in America today, but his real gift is that of hope." Sarah Buel, Survivor, Advocate, Law Professor and former Quincy Prosecutor "A must-read for advocates, police officers, lawyers, judges and anyone who cares about saving the lives of domestic violence victims." Lt. Mark Wynn (ret), Nashville PD "A long-awaited, desperately-needed gift to battered women and their children. This plan could become the Holy Grail of custody litigation." Mo Therese Hannah, PhD, Chair of the Battered Mothers Custody Conference "Preventing domestic violence can interrupt the cycle of violence that harms children, families and communities. It's critical to use science to demonstrate what works, then move from science to practice." Linda C. Degutis, DrPH, MSN, Former Director, NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC "Shocked to learn the courts don't already make the health and safety of children priority one when deciding custody and visitation." Kelly Rutherford Actress Sales of this book support the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Stop Abuse Campaign's implementation of the Quincy Model.




John Quincy Adams


Book Description

“There is much to praise in this extensively researched book, which is certainly one of the finest biographies of a sadly underrated man. . . . [Kaplan is] a master historian and biographer. . . . If he could read this biography, Adams would be satisfied that he had been fairly dealt with at last.” —Carol Berkin, Washington Post In this fresh and illuminating biography, Fred Kaplan, the acclaimed author of Lincoln, brings into focus the dramatic life of John Quincy Adams—the little-known and much-misunderstood sixth president of the United States and the first son of John and Abigail Adams—and reveals how Adams' inspiring, progressive vision guided his life and helped shape the course of America. Kaplan draws on a trove of unpublished archival material to trace Adams' evolution from his childhood during the Revolutionary War to his brilliant years as Secretary of State to his time in the White House and beyond. He examines Adams' myriad sides: the public and private man, the statesman and writer, the wise thinker and passionate advocate, the leading abolitionist and fervent federalist. In these ways, Adams was a predecessor of Lincoln and, later, FDR and Obama. This sweeping biography makes clear how Adams' forward-thinking values, his definition of leadership, and his vision for the nation's future is as much about twenty-first-century America as it is about Adams' own time. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, John Quincy Adams paints a rich portrait of this brilliant leader and his vision for a young nation.




Hello, Boston!


Book Description

This board book about Boston from the creator of the bestselling "Journey Around" series, Martha Day Zschock, follows a parent and child duck as they explore the state capital of Massachusetts and New England's largest city. From Beacon Hill to the Old North Church, they learn about the city's history. They visit museums, run in the marathon, and eat some great New England food at Quincy Market. Of course, they cheer for New England's wonderful and winning sports teams Whether riding on the T, watching the duck boats, or enjoying July 4th fireworks, our feathered tour guides will remind children and parents (and grandparents) of a great visit to Boston. For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.




History Lover's Guide to the South Shore, A


Book Description

The South Shore is an intriguing mix of antiquity and modernity. The region's first settlement, Plymouth, is a top tourist destination, as more than one million visitors flock to it annually. Quincy showcases the region's Revolutionary War past, but even more of its fascinating sites are hidden behind an urban fa�ade. Along windswept beaches and cranberry bogs, the varied terrain is unique and captivating. From the birthplace of Abigail Adams in Weymouth to the historical houses of Hingham and the Old Scituate Light, author Zachary Lamothe uncovers the stories behind some of the most notable people and landmarks in New England.




Mapping Boston


Book Description

A lavishly illustrated tour of Boston through its cartography uses a wide historical, urban planning, and regional maps, as well as numerous illustrations, to show how the city was born, grew, and changed over the last three decades.




Q on Producing


Book Description

Presents music-business veteran Quincy Jones's observations on how to produce successful songs and albums, culled from over a year of in-depth interviews, in a book that also includes a DVD-ROM featuring Jones.