When our nation called, Tom Ridge answered. Appointed by the President to head up domestic security, Ridge established the Department of Homeland Security. In this probing and surefooted memoir, Ridge takes us through the challenges he and his new department faced, including Anthrax scares and reports (both real and false alarms) of new Al-Qaeda operations sprouting up in the United States. A "law and order" Republican who was on the shortlist to be John McCain's running mate in 2008, Ridge writes with refreshing candor on both the successes and missteps of the DHS. He details the obstacles faced in his new post—often within the administration itself—as well as the failures of Congress to provide for critical homeland security needs, and the irresponsible use of terrorism by both parties to curry favors with voters. Ridge also reveals: • How the DHS was pressured to connect homeland security to the international "war on terror" • How Ridge effectively thwarted a plan to raise the national security alert just before the 2004 Election • How Ridge had pushed for a plan (defeated because of turf wars) to integrate DHS and FEMA disaster management in New Orleans and other areas before Hurricane Katrina Finally, Ridge offers a prescriptive look to the future, advocating ways that America may reaffirm its safety—including his provocative support for a national ID card program and for comprehensive immigration reform—without sacrificing personal liberty. Television captures every word and every expression. I was reasonable to think that our enemies would look for any sign of weakness in the person who in a few days would be responsible for protecting America against them. At that moment, I experienced a royal flush of emotion—after all, I was leaving the state I loved, a loyal staff, many friendships developed over a lifetime, the frustration of work unfinished, to head into the unknown and the undoable. In normal times, I might have shed a tear at such thoughts. But I was determined not to do so as I said my farewell. If I needed any reminding, I glanced down at the note I had written for counsel. "The bastards are watching." We can never guarantee we will be free from another attack. We must also understand that every day thousands and thousands of our fellow citizens work here and abroad to take us to a new level of readiness and security. For in the end, Americans do not live in fear. We live in freedom. And we will let no one take that freedom away. —Tom Ridge, from THE TEST OF OUR TIMES

"[The anti-testing] movement now has a guidebook. . . . Kamenetz shows how fundamentally American it would be to move toward a more holistic system." -- New York Times Book Review The Test is an essential and critically acclaimed book for any parent confounded by our national obsession with standardized testing. It recounts the shocking history and tempestuous politics of testing and borrows strategies from fields as diverse as games, neuroscience, and ancient philosophy to help children cope. It presents the stories of families, teachers, and schools maneuvering within and beyond the existing educational system, playing and winning the testing game. And it points the way toward a hopeful future of better tests and happier kids.

Do you want to learn a different way of thinking?Do you want to stretch your mind?Almost everyone is born with the capacity to be creative, but few realise it and such skills are often neglected or untapped. Lateral thinking is all about thinking 'outside the box', breaking out of familiar thought patterns and coming up with new possibilities. It is one of the keys to improving creativity.This book of brand new lateral puzzles aims to encourage you to think creatively. Whether at work, as part of an assessment or simply for fun, learning to think creatively can be hugely rewarding and make a real difference to your ability. By trying to find unusual or unexpected associations, patterns and connections, you can learn to keep an open mind and to look at everything in a different way.With plenty of questions and tips, this book provides an ideal opportunity for anyone to practice thinking laterally and improve their creativity.

"From Fifth Avenue-shaping Rockefeller Center, the first AIA honoree in 1969, to Richard Meier's Darien, Connecticut, Smith House, created in 1965 to 1967 and winner of the year 2000 prize, this book investigates the structures that mark and define our era."--BOOK JACKET.

"Assess older students and keep a record of work with the Test Book and Answer Key. There are 42 tests, one for each chapter of The Story of the World Vol. 3 Text – perfect for evaluating comprehension and retention!"--

In this message, the author draws on his life-long ministerial experience to convey the realities of where we are on our journey through this life to where it is we are going. The book reflects the treasure of shared knowledge and reveals what the author terms the "unconscious unreality," which draws people away from the conscious realities that would otherwise enrich their lives. It is directed to all God's people, both Christians and non-Christians. These spiritual messages come at a time when the world is set on a course that is causing much consternation and answers many perplexing problems facing individuals. The author takes church leaders to task for allowing much of what is changing the face of a civil society. This book is not for idle curiosity. Each chapter is at times sad, at times joyful, and at times soul-searching. There is strong emphasis on the lure of easy borrowing and sensationalism, one of the plagues of modern times that mask the face of lasting values, diminishing the hunger for the spiritual life, and depleting the soul of contentment. This book offers a clear and unshakeable understanding of the truth of God and clarifies scriptural text about the end times it speaks about you.

What is the Dave Test? Basic, important, raw questions you can ask yourself when someone you love is suffering, in crisis, unhinged, maybe dying. Before you even think about opening your mouth and blowing chunks of platitudes, or running, or “minimizing the painful,” do the real work of living, of being a friend: take the Dave Test. Roughly speaking the modern American mindset revolves around this life philosophy: · Minimize the painful or unwelcome. · Maximize the pleasant and satisfying. · If and when the painful or the unwelcome happens, run. · Dispense with it as quickly as possible and get back to feeling good. But what if we learn to move past our comfort zones, transcend our own lives and connect with those who suffer? When we truly connect with others, it is all but impossible to insulate ourselves from life’s harsher realities. This book is about the dangerous business of exposing our own fragile lives to the mortality of ourselves and others. The Dave Test takes the demand for honesty, plain talk, and faith seriously.