Haffner is charming, morally suspect, sexually omnivorous, vain, possessed of more hair than is his natural right. He is British and Jewish and a widower. But when was Haffner ever really married? Or Jewish? When was he ever attached? There are so many stories of Haffner: but this, the most secret, is the greatest of them all. In a spa town snug in the Alps, at the end of the twentieth century, the 78-year-old Haffner is seeking a cure, redress, more women; and ignoring the will of his wife. He is there to claim her inheritance: a villa on the outskirts of a forgotten spa town u which somehow survived the confiscations of the invading twentieth century, and has now reverted to her family. But Haffner never does what he is told. On his arrival in the town, he has checked into the spa hotel u and tried to develop two affairs: a mildly successful affair with a younger woman whose breasts are lavish, and a much less successful affair with an even younger woman, whose breasts are the smallest he has ever known. And, intermittently, he has tried to secure the paperwork for the villa he never wanted. But gradually, in the tribulations of his bureaucracy u which has now lasted for weeks, as Haffner has discovered, rather than minutes u he discovers that he wants this villa, very much. Now that he has to fight for it, he wants it. There are two character notes to Haffner: he is an egotist, and he adores women. A mediocre man, but a man of singular appetite. And so it is that, harried by his family, pursued by his women, menaced by bureaucrats, negotiating with the mafia, riven by his memory of the dead and of the missing, Haffner endures his many humiliations, as he tries to orchestrate his final escape, in the forgotten centre of Europe. Through the story of his couplings and uncouplings, emerge the stories of Haffner's Twentieth Century. How can you ever desert from your past, your family, your history? That has been the problem of Haffner's life. How do you remain a libertine? A novel about the fall of empires, and the beauty of defeat, The Escape is a swift, sad farce of sexual mayhem.

Through the presentation of detailed case studies, this textbook illustrates the foundations, key concepts, and developmentally appropriate practices of early childhood education, while fostering professional development. In addition to seven foundational chapters, each of six chronologically organized, age-related chapters integrates a profile of one child, his or her family and community, and educational/ care giving situation along with the best practices for working with a child of that age.

Based on research that demonstrates the powerful advantages of integrating the curriculum while providing inquiry opportunities, The Early Childhood Curriculum shows how to make such an approach work for all children, preschool through the primary grades. The text demonstrates how to confidently teach using inquiry-based methods that address the whole child, while also meeting and exceeding academic standards. Offering a foundation in early childhood theory, philosophy, research, and development, the 2nd edition of this unique textbook helps future teachers, as well as current educators, understand the "why" of curriculum in early childhood and invests them with the skills they need to move from simply following a script to knowledgeably creating curricula on their own. Since each curricular subject has its own integrity, there is a chapter for each discipline, grounding the reader in the essentials of the subject in order to foster knowledgeable and effective integration. The 2nd edition of The Early Childhood Curriculum includes information on the most recent trends in national curriculum standards, particularly in regard to the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Next Generation Science Standards. Coupled with this information are practical suggestions for meeting standards while still providing young learners with a truly child-centered educational experience. Chapters contain real-life vignettes that demonstrate inquiry and integration in practice. The entire text reflects the philosophy that the use of inquiry to seek and obtain information is one of the most valuable and powerful tools children can acquire along the way to becoming lifelong learners.