Why do cease-fire agreements sometimes last for years while others flounder barely long enough to be announced? How to maintain peace in the aftermath of war is arguably one of the most important questions of the post--Cold War era. And yet it is one of the least explored issues in the study of war and peace. Here, Page Fortna offers the first comprehensive analysis of why cease-fires between states succeed or fail. She develops cooperation theory to argue that mechanisms within these agreements can help maintain peace by altering the incentives for war and peace, reducing uncertainty, and helping to prevent or manage accidents that could lead to war. To test this theory, the book first explores factors, such as decisive victory and prior history of conflict, that affect the baseline prospects for peace. It then considers whether stronger cease-fires are likely to be implemented in the hardest or the easiest cases. Next, through both quantitative and qualitative testing of the effects of cease-fire agreements, firm evidence emerges that agreements do matter. Durable peace is harder to achieve after some wars than others, but when most difficult, states usually invest more in peace building. These efforts work. Strong agreements markedly lessen the risk of further war. Mechanisms such as demilitarized zones, dispute resolution commissions, peacekeeping, and external guarantees can help maintain peace between even the deadliest of foes.

After Years of Hardship, Jenny’s Life Appears Perfect. So Why Does Something Seem to Be Missing? Jenny Bontrager is finally at a place of love and belonging with her husband, Matthew, and his children. Life seems golden with both her family and career as a writer. But everything Jenny now believes in is thrown into question with the discovery of a long-lost letter from her father. Her sense of peace and contentment destroyed by betrayal, Jenny struggles with her renewed faith--and the love of everyone around her. “Barbara Cameron has written another wonderful, sweet story that tugs at the emotions. Amish fiction fans will definitely want to add A Time for Peace to their library.” --Kathleen Fuller, best-selling author of A Summer Secret, A Hand to Hold, and The Secrets Beneath "A Time for Peace, Barbara Cameron's newest heartwarming story in the Quilts of Lancaster County series, invites readers to come on in, sit down around the table for a cup of tea while getting to know this Amish family where love is happening. When troubles and doubts come for Jenny, you'll be living her story with her and hoping she won't lose sight of that ribbon of love that so strongly binds these people together." Ann H. Gabhart, author of The Outsider, Summer of Joy, and Angel Sister "A Time for Peace is an inspirational story of working through some of the tough questions and situations life throws at us. Barbara Cameron gives us another endearing Amish tale in this Quilts of Lancaster County series." - FreshFiction.com

Pulitzer Prize­-winning journalist David Halberstam chronicles Washington politics and foreign policy in post­ Cold War America. Evoking the internal conflicts, unchecked egos, and power struggles within the White House, the State Department, and the military, Halberstam shows how the decisions of men who served in the Vietnam War, and those who did not, have shaped America's role in global events. He provides fascinating portraits of those in power—Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Madeleine Albright, and others—to reveal a stunning view of modern political America.

In this compelling collection of oral histories, more than seventy-five peacemakers describe how they say no to war-making in the strongest way possible--by engaging in civil disobedience and paying the consequences in jail or prison. These courageous resisters leave family and community and life on the outside in their efforts to direct U.S. policy away from its militarism. Many are Catholic Workers, devoting their lives to the works of mercy instead of the works of war. They are homemakers and carpenters and social workers and teachers who are often called "faith-based activists." They speak from the left of the political perspective, providing a counterpoint to the faith-based activism of the fundamentalist Right. In their own words, the narrators describe their motivations and their preparations for acts of resistance, the actions themselves, and their trials and subsequent jail time. We hear from those who do their time by caring for their families and managing communities while their partners are imprisoned. Spouses and children talk frankly of the strains on family ties that a life of working for peace in the world can cause. The voices range from a World War II conscientious objector to those protesting the recent war in Iraq. The book includes sections on resister families, the Berrigans and Jonah House, the Plowshares Communities, the Syracuse Peace Council, and Catholic Worker houses and communities. The introduction by Dan McKanan situates these activists in the long tradition of resistance to war and witness to peace.

A year’s worth of serenity in one book, from the bestselling author of Each Day a New Beginning. Karen Casey’s daily meditation book Peace a Day at a Time offers 365 reminders to help strengthen those traveling the path to recovery from addiction. In this powerful set of daily reminders, Karen draws from her bestselling Each Day a New Beginning, which has helped millions recovering from addiction. Karen Casey writes eloquently about almost every facet of recovery and how to live a sober, balanced life by trying to live in the present, one day at a time. Peace a Day at a Time offers a meditation for every day of the year, opening with a quote and following with a brief essay and a takeaway message. This beautiful book is your powerful set of daily reminders on how to stay centered and find inner peace. Karen also provides a companion index with key theme words to reference any issue you may be struggling with. In Peace a Day at a Time learn to: Pay attention and listen to your inner voice Avoid drama and to let go of blame Stop living from crisis to crisis Cope with fear, sorrow, anger, and pain Embrace change Practice kindness, joy, hope, and acceptance

In a world that runs with the need for speed, we feel time pushing us, sometimes even mastering us, as we rush from one thing to the next. Time is as familiar as the clock on the wall, yet it’s also a mystery. For poets, philosophers, songwriters, and scientists, time and eternity are frontiers as rich and compelling as the origins of the cosmos and the nature of God.One of the emerging writers and thinkers of our day, Ellen Vaughn, takes us on a stirring journey through this topic that touches us all. How can time-bound humans relate to a limitless God and enjoy his peace? Time Peace examines how we experience time in life’s fleeting moments. It explores timekeeping through history and in different cultures and introduces the unique Christian distinctive about it. It soars through the space-time continuum in an intriguing exploration of how science and philosophy illuminate biblical accounts. It helps readers take these truths and apply them to everyday life, freeing us to live at peace in time—and to leave a legacy that lasts for eternity.