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Women Scholars in Hong Kong: In Pursuit of Intellectual Leadership
by Nian RuanThis book depicts the diverse approaches of established women professors in perceiving and developing intellectual leadership in Hong Kong. It analyzes the combined influences of various disciplines, different higher education institutions, and gender on the careers of female scholars in the East Asian region. The complexity and interaction of academic careers for women, disciplinary contexts, higher education systems, and socio-cultural environments may present a relatively holistic landscape for readers interested in academic life and leadership. Scholars, administrators, managers, and policymakers in higher education-related fields may gain comprehensive ideas to facilitate faculty and institutional development through a cultural and sociological lens. This may empower female academics and students, while also providing benefits for doctoral students and early-career researchers seeking insights into the evolving advantages and disadvantages in women's academic careers. Audiences interested in gender issues may find it intriguing to compare women scholars with women in other professions and in different cultural contexts.
Employee Uncertainty Over Digital Transformation: Mechanisms and Solutions (Future of Business and Finance)
by Masaki MatsunagaThis book delves into the psychological and behavioral impact of the advent of digital transformation (DX) on white-collar employees in the modern organizational context. It uncovers how DX-driven uncertainty affects these workers' professional identity, self-efficacy, and job performance from a communication-centered perfective. While effective leadership can serve as a buffer, the intricate dynamics of these relationships await further exploration.To unravel these complex issues, the book employs an array of theoretical frameworks that have been tested against large, time-separated, dyadic datasets collected in Japan. In so doing, the studies introduced in this book illuminate how employees make sense of and communicate the uncertainties they face. Furthermore, it highlights a vision-driven leadership style and scrutinizes its unique attributes and limitations for addressing team members' uncertainty.This book is indispensable for executives and managers; it is a roadmap to steering digital transformation efforts without igniting resistance or conflict among frontline staff. For researchers, it's an invaluable resource for analyzing the mechanism of uncertainty management in today's fast-paced, tech-centric environments. Moreover, the book bridges the gap between interpersonal communication studies and other pivotal disciplines, such as leadership, management, organizational behavior, and social psychology in the context of stress and coping with uncertainty.
Financial and Social Impediments in Entrepreneurship: A Study on Technology Development Zones in Turkey (Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application)
by Yasin AkkuşThis book uncovers the barriers that impede entrepreneurial innovation, delving into the profound impact of personality traits on success. It explores the psychological and sociological factors that hinder progress, providing valuable insights into the hidden challenges faced by entrepreneurs. As Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) thrive in global markets, sustainable development faces obstacles. This book reveals the overlooked psychological and sociological hurdles that entrepreneurs encounter, shedding light on their effects on innovation.Through extensive research, the authors illuminate the connection between personality traits and entrepreneurial success, particularly risk-taking propensity. They uncover the complex interplay between personal traits and the social environment, highlighting societal constructs that impede entrepreneurial potential.While research on entrepreneurial personalities has grown, understanding sociological impediments remains limited. This book bridges the gap, offering a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted challenges entrepreneurs face. It equips readers with strategies to navigate complexities and foster innovation.This transformative book unveils the barriers hindering entrepreneurial innovation, unlocking the psychological and sociological obstacles. It is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers, and policymakers seeking to harness SME potential for a prosperous future.
Dhat Syndrome: Medical, Psychological and Sociocultural aspects
by Sujita Kumar Kar S. M. Yasir Arafat Vikas MenonDhat Syndrome is known as a culture-bound syndrome in South Asia. People with Dhat Syndrome often present with anxiety and distress related to semen loss. Multiple somatic and sexual symptoms often accompany this. The symptoms of Dhat Syndrome closely resemble other neurotic and stress-related disorders. Myths related to sexuality are often the core phenomenon in dhat syndrome, which is responsible for the generation of psychopathology—addressing the myth's preliminary results in resolving psychopathology. However, many patients require pharmacological and psychological management. Due to strong cultural beliefs and associated myths, patients with Dhat Syndrome often reach out to traditional healers before getting the proper psychiatric consultation, further consolidating their myths and poor attitude toward treatment. However, Dhat Syndrome resembles a male entity; a similar entity is reported in females, where females attribute their non-pathological vaginal discharge to psychological distress. The pattern of symptoms has a significant resemblance with Dhat Syndrome in males. There is no standard book that exclusively discusses various aspects of Dhat Syndrome. This book examines the evolution of Dhat Syndrome to the current understanding of the disease and its management. Hence, this book will be unique and helpful for this disorder.
Access to Mental Health Care in South Asia: Current Status, Potential Challenges, and Ways Out
by S. M. Yasir Arafat Sujita Kumar KarThis book is about access to mental health care in South Asia. South Asia consists of eight countries with low and middle-income backgrounds. The region contains a combined population of about 2 billion, making up about a quarter of the global population. The people of this region share common cultures, beliefs, and behavioral patterns regarding physical and mental health. Among them, about 15% (about 300 million) have been suffering from common mental disorders. However, there is a persisting high treatment gap for mental illness in the region. Hence, despite having a mental illness, only a small percentage of the population is able to have access to essential mental healthcare. Though governments are trying to bridge the gap by improving mental health policies and programs, it is still a major challenge delivering mental healthcare to all people in need. Due to the income category and dual disease burden of the countries, there are some additional enduring challenges like poor funding and research, inadequate and inequitable manpower, huge out-of-pocket expenses, poor mental health literacy, income disparity, and high stigma. This book aims to highlight the issues related to accessing mental health services in a densely populated low and middle-income setting. This book is the first of its kind in comparing and contrasting the delivery status of mental health services in South Asian countries.
Rehabilitation, Deradicalization, and Reintegration of Militants: A Case Study from Swat Valley
by Ilam KhanThis ethnographic study focuses on post-conflict rehabilitation in Pakistan's Swat valley, addressing deradicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration in the context of militancy and counter-militancy. It provides a theoretical framework for rehabilitation, emphasizing disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and introduces the concepts of controlled environment, controlled society, and controlled rehabilitation within Swat's unique context. The book categorizes the drivers of militancy, revealing distinctions from conventional perspectives. It also assesses the challenges of reintegrating ex-combatants and explores the compatibility of restorative justice (RJ) with Pashtunwali, the traditional Pashtun legal system. The book is useful for researchers focusing Pashtun region, post-conflict interventionists, and peace and conflict scholars, this book offers valuable insights into the intricacies of this critical region's rehabilitation and counter-militancy efforts.
Transformational Health Communication: A New Perspective on Healthcare and Prevention
by Olaf WerderThis book advances our understanding of communicative relationships and key barriers to more effective health communication. In this, it offers a humanistic orientation of health communication as well as its social, cultural, political, ethical, and spiritual dimensions and contexts. The book therefore brings a more inclusive and integrated approach to the major challenges and opportunities in contemporary health, medicine, and wellbeing.
100 Years of Happiness: Insights and Findings from the Experts (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)
by Nathan S. Carlin Donald Eric CappsThis book sums up 100 of years of research into the study of happiness—from 19th century scientific insights on the subject to the pop psychology perspectives of modern-day America.We all want to be happy, but what does that mean, and how do we get there? These questions may be a popular topic of positive psychology books in recent years, but interest in the subject stretches back over a century. Distinguished authors Nathan Carlin and Donald Capps examine opinions, research studies, and insights about happiness from the 18th century through today. 100 Years of Happiness: Insights and Findings from the Experts is organized into three sections—one that explores insights from philosophers, another part that reviews study results from researchers, and a final section that casts some skepticism on the study of happiness. The authors review what the experts have found, and explore such questions as: Is happiness the goal of life? Is it possible to measure happiness? Is it possible to become happier? What is the difference between unhappiness and depression? If humankind could eliminate unhappiness from the human condition, should we? This fascinating text provides a basis for readers to develop their own conclusions, and to continue humankind's ongoing discourse on the subject.
Abnormal Psychology across the Ages [3 volumes]: [3 volumes] (Abnormal Psychology)
by Thomas G. PlanteIn these three volumes, a team of scholars provides a thoughtful history of abnormal psychology, demonstrating how concepts regarding disordered mental states, their causes, and their treatments developed and evolved across the ages.Compiling current thought from some of the best minds in the field, Abnormal Psychology across the Ages provides essays that reflect on multiple dimensions of abnormal behavior. These experts present biological, psychological, social, cultural, and supernatural perspectives throughout human history on a range of disorders, as well as the global influences on scientific thinking. A fascinating read for anyone in the field of abnormal psychology, from undergraduate students to clinicians, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, this three-volume work addresses questions such as: What is "abnormal" psychology and thinking? What are the causes, how have we treated it, and how do we treat it now? And how does the culture of the times affect what we perceive as "abnormality"?
Abuse: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Consequences, and Treatments
by AuThis timely volume shows how abuse impacts every segment of society—and how society is seeking effective ways to respond.Abuse, a key theme of health education curricula, is also a major issue faced by many segments of society. Intended for high school students as well as undergraduates and the general reader, this comprehensive encyclopedia explores abuse in all its forms—physical, sexual, emotional, and verbal—among a variety of age and demographic groups from children to the elderly to the disabled. It sheds light on causes and symptoms of abuse, examines lasting impacts, and suggests avenues for prevention and treatment.Specific topics of concern to a secondary school audience include bullying and cyberbullying; abuse of those in same-sex relationships; and sexual abuse through rape, date rape, incest, and sexting. Elder abuse, which has become of greater concern as our society ages, is covered, as are domestic abuse, child abuse, and abduction. Through up-to-date entries by expert contributors, readers will learn about the causes and results of specific types of abuse, as well as their legal and sociological dimensions. The title will also serve as a gateway to further study—and as a resource for readers seeking help.
Addictions: Elements, History, Treatments, and Research (Health and Psychology Sourcebooks)
by Frances R. FrankenburgThis book offers an accessible and comprehensive yet compact description of various forms of addiction, a disorder suffered by one in every 10 people in the United States.Now thought of as a brain disorder, addiction affects millions of individuals, their families, and society at large. Written by experts who treat people with addiction, this text provides an up-to-date explanation of different addictions with respect to their history, treatments, and related research. Readers will understand the causes, complications, and treatment of addictions after reading this text.Chapters cover the most serious addictions to drugs—alcohol, tobacco, opioids, stimulants, inhalants, and sedative hypnotics—and to highly addictive activity now recognized as a behavioral addiction, gambling. Research into these addictions and treatments for each specific addiction are reviewed. Chapters also consider rapidly changing issues related to addiction, including the increase in deaths due to the opioid epidemic, the evolving legal status of marijuana, and the use of hallucinogens in therapy. In addition to forms of addiction, the text addresses the neurobiology of addiction; brain pathways involved in addiction are just beginning to be understood.
ADHD Medications: History, Science, and Issues (The Story of a Drug)
by Victor B. StolbergThe treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex challenge. This book provides comprehensive, scientific coverage of the numerous different types of drugs that are used to treat ADHD, and it examines the historical, sociological, and policy-related factors involved in the use of ADHD medications.A national study indicated that 11 percent of U.S. children and teens were diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2011—a figure 43 percent higher than in 2003. The incidence of ADHD diagnoses among females has also increased significantly. For the millions of Americans of all ages who are diagnosed with ADHD, the proper treatment of this disorder is critically important. ADHD Medications: History, Science, and Issues provides readers with the complete story of ADHD drugs. The book discusses the pharmacological basis of the effects of these powerful drugs; examines the myriad social dimensions of the use, misuse, and abuse of these substances; and identifies the range of issues that affect the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD.After an introductory case study of an individual with ADHD and this individual's problems and successes with ADHD medicines, this new book in the Story of a Drug series provides an overview of ADHD and its various symptoms, as well as the causes, prevalence, and diagnosis of ADHD. Various treatment approaches—including information about the many medications used—are discussed in detail, as well as other substances and alternative ways used to treat individuals with ADHD. Readers will also gain an understanding of neurotransmission and the specific mechanism of action of ADHD medications; the effects and applications of these drugs, plus their associated risks, misuse, and abuse; as well as related policy issues, with special focus on the controversial issues regarding ADHD drug scheduling (categorization).
Adolescent Psychology in Today's World [3 volumes]: Global Perspectives on Risk, Relationships, and Development [3 volumes]
by Michael J. Nakkula and Andrew J. Schneider-MuñozThis groundbreaking three-volume set spotlights how conditions around the world are affecting the healthy development of adolescents in their respective environments, on all six continents.Continually unstable or perpetually poor economic conditions, globalization, and rapid technological change are just three of the forces affecting a group 1.2 billion strong today, a demographic poised to become our world leaders and catalysts in the not-too-distant future: the world's adolescents. Led by two editors who have been dedicated to studying adolescent development worldwide for decades, this novel collection of works from contributors in more than 40 countries emphasizes how possibilities for healthy mental and physical development are affected by the difficulties youths face in their countries and how these challenges have shaped, and are shaping, contemporary teenage life today.The set comprehensively addresses issues for adolescents across the globe, such as the day-to-day challenges of poverty, inadequate education, violence or war, disease, reproductive matters, globalization and technological challenges, and more, while also providing a strengths-based focus in the volumes, showing how and why some teenagers in each country have surmounted the challenges and forged stronger characters to better their worlds. These stories document more than personal victories, and their experiences matter to far more than the adolescents themselves. In its State of the World's Children 2011 report, UNICEF noted that the world community needs to turn its attention to adolescents in need, explaining that focusing on this large and potentially powerful group makes economic sense as well as being a necessary step in working towards achieving human justice. By addressing the risks, challenges, and strengths of teenagers as a group in countries worldwide, this work serves to break the cycle of poverty, violence, discrimination, and death for adolescents.
Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications
by Michael Winkelman and Ben Sessa, EditorsResearchers, program administrators, and practicing clinicians explain the most recent developments in using psychedelic substances to treat psychological, physiological, and social problems.More than a decade ago, the U.S. government lifted its ban on all testing of psychedelic substances. Winkelman and Sessa now provide updated scientific research and applications of these substances, now moving into approved categories of medicine. The text is an up-to-date assessment of the latest advances in the field of psychedelic medicine, covering the use of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, and other substances to augment psychotherapies for a range of disorders. It discusses medical and psychiatric concerns, clinical efficacy and safety, ethical considerations, and neuroscience findings regarding the psychedelic compounds. Topics covered include an overview of psychiatric applications of psychedelics; treatments for addictions and depressive disorders; effects of psychedelics on inflammation and neuroplasticity; evidence for clinical applications of DMT, ayahuasca, and cannabidiol; psychedelic treatment of sociopathic disorders; microdosing psychedelics; training psychedelic therapists; and community-based harm reduction approaches to managing psychedelic crises.
America's Post-Truth Phenomenon: When Feelings and Opinions Trump Facts and Evidence
This book presents absorbing and critical expert perspectives on the post-truth phenomenon that has infiltrated the U.S. political system, media, and populace.Deception in politics is nothing new, but the quantity of unsubstantiated statements in America today is unprecedented. False notions, fake news, "alternative facts," and opinions are being pitched from sources including the White House, Congress, and the American population via Twitter, Facebook, and online news sites as well as print, television, and radio. Such a widespread spectacle instantly captures the attention of people nationwide, but disagreement has the nation almost bordering on civil war over the definition of "the truth" and what this book calls "post-truth."In this text, C.G. Prado and expert contributors present varied perspectives on post-truth, its authoritarian implications for the nation, and how we can approach information to differentiate between truth and post-truth. Speaking to general readers, students, and scholars alike, chapters include text on the historical and social events that initiated and developed post-truth and why some people are more prone than others to accept and perpetuate post-truth. They also discuss post-truth as a threat to democracy.
America's Sexual Transformation: How the Sexual Revolution's Legacy Is Shaping Our Society, Our Youth, and Our Future (Sex, Love, and Psychology)
by Gary F. KellyThis book explains how the short-lived sexual revolution 50 years ago has led to the current evolution of our sexual values and behaviors and social standards among youth culture, examining topics such as communication technologies and sex, teen pregnancy, and divorce rates in the Bible Belt.Is an increase in sexual activity during adolescence a normal part of the transition to adulthood, or evidence of a societal problem? Why would conservative religious youth become sexually active earlier than their peers and be more likely to have an unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease? How are women continuing to lead our society's sexual transformation?Written by an author whose 40-year career in sexology and university administration provides a uniquely qualified perspective upon both sex research and the changing sexual perceptions of American youth, this comprehensive book is must-read for both parents and policy makers. America's Sexual Transformation traces the philosophical, cultural, and scientific developments responsible for the beginning and end of America's sexual revolution that have now spawned a more substantive sexual transformation. It examines traditional theories and attitudes regarding sex, and demonstrates how the findings of sex research provide entirely new paradigms that should replace outmoded and harmful theories. This groundbreaking book also explains who we are as sexual individuals and how we got to be that way.
America's War on Sex: The Continuing Attack on Law, Lust, and Liberty (Sex, Love, and Psychology)
by Marty Klein Ph.D.This book exposes how a coalition of political, religious, and civic leaders are using the issue of sex to frighten, misinform, and bully Americans—paving the way for dramatic new public policies that are already restricting everyone's rights.Americans are more vulnerable today than ever to anxiety about sexual danger, to believing that their sexuality is not "normal" or moral, and to laws and public policies that restrict their rights, criminalize their consenting behavior, and confuse and miseducate their children. In the second edition of America's War on Sex: The Continuing Attack on Law, Lust, and Liberty, psychologist, sex therapist, and courtroom expert witness Marty Klein sets the record straight and uncovers how the "Sexual Disaster Industry" works—a powerful social and political propaganda machine that is supported by the very citizens it victimizes.This book analyzes eight "battlegrounds" in which America's War on Sex is being fought and examines how each one is the focus of an unrelenting struggle to regulate sexuality in direct contradiction to our Constitutional guarantees, scientific fact, and the needs of average Americans. Klein places these various attacks on our rights in historical context, explains how the money and political power are coordinated from the same sources, and shows how the Religious Right inflames Americans' anxiety about sexuality even as it proposes repressive schemes to reduce that anxiety. This book tackles a sensitive and volatile topic head-on, addressing how the political, social, historical, religious, and emotional issues surrounding public policy interfaces with sexuality as no other work has before.
Antidepressants: History, Science, and Issues (The Story of a Drug)
by Ann Westcot JordanThis accessible volume offers a holistic exploration of this diverse class of drugs, from medical, historical, cultural, and economic perspectives.Depression is one of the most commonly reported mental disorders, and it affects millions of Americans. A wide variety of medications are used to treat depression, many of which have become household names—Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil among them. Because these medications have the ability to alter how people think and feel, however, physicians must weigh a number of factors when prescribing them, especially to teens. Antidepressants: History, Science, and Issues, a part of Greenwood's Story of a Drug series, offers a robust exploration of antidepressant medications that covers the historical, ethical, medical, legal, and scientific dimensions of these drugs.After an introductory case study of a person with depression and this individual's problems and successes with antidepressants, the book provides an overview of depression and its various symptoms as well as the causes, prevalence, and diagnosis of depression. Readers will gain an understanding of the neurotransmission and specific mechanisms behind the activity of antidepressant medications; the effects and applications of these drugs, plus their associated risks of misuse and abuse; and related policy and societal issues.
Antipsychotics: History, Science, and Issues (The Story of a Drug)
by Jeffrey Kerner Bridget McCoy M.D.The problem of serious mental illness is a widely discussed topic in the media and popular culture. This text provides a comprehensive analysis of antipsychotic medications, covering historical, social, and scientific viewpoints on this important and controversial class of medications.Antipsychotics are unique drugs with the ability to alter how people think and communicate. As a result, physicians must weigh a range of implications when prescribing antipsychotics. Antipsychotics: History, Science, and Issues offers a robust explanation of antipsychotic medications that covers the historical, ethical, medical, legal, and scientific dimensions of antipsychotics. The chapters explore topics ranging from the science of how examples of this class of drug actually work in the body to the social and legal implications of antipsychotics, making this subject understandable and relatable for lay readers who are not mental health practitioners. Readers will learn why prescribing antipsychotics is often a difficult decision due to the inherent risks of giving these medications to different types of patients and appreciate how mental health laws impact psychiatrists' prescribing practices.
Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Your Questions Answered (Q&A Health Guides)
by Daniel Zwillenberg PsyDA new title in the Q&A Health Guides series, this book tackles readers' questions regarding anxiety and panic attacks, dispelling misconceptions and examining real-world scenarios that highlight important concepts and controversies.How is social anxiety different from shyness or introversion? Are anxiety disorders only a problem in the Western, industrialized world, and if not, are they expressed differently in other cultures? Why do some people suffer from panic attacks while others do not? What kinds of therapy and medication are available for anxiety? What happens in therapy? How can well-meaning family and friends help a person with an anxiety disorder rather than make things worse? Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Your Questions Answered addresses all of these topics and much more, presenting information in a question-and-answer format that makes finding the desired information easy. The book begins with a "Guide to Health Literacy" section that explains what health literacy is and provides readers with tools to improve their health literacy, and then examines five myths and misconceptions about anxiety and supplies five case studies that provide real-world context and reinforce the concepts discussed in the book. All of the Greenwood Q&A Health Guides series books are specifically designed to provide readers with authoritative yet accessible answers to their questions in a concise, targeted resource that they can trust to be medically accurate.
Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)
by Raphael Bernier Ph.D. Jennifer GerdtsThis handbook provides an overview of the current scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorders, as well as a cultural and historical perspective on the controversies that plague the field."Autism" describes a complex developmental disability that interferes with social interaction and communication. Symptoms of autism are generally recognizable when children are under the age of three. Until the 1990s, rates for autism were generally estimated at 1 in 2500. In 2010, however, the estimate is now 1 in 110 children. Is the incidence of autism increasing, or has there simply been a shift in how often this disability is diagnosed as the problem?This text provides a comprehensive explanation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Reference Handbook educates readers about ASD without relying on confusing medical jargon, highlighting current understanding of etiology, neuroscience, and intervention. It also discusses the historical and cultural influences of ASD and explores the controversial aspects of autism.
Beast-People Onscreen and in Your Brain: The Evolution of Animal-Humans from Prehistoric Cave Art to Modern Movies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution)
by Mark PizzatoA new take on our bio-cultural evolution explores how the "inner theatre" of the brain and its "animal-human stages" are reflected in and shaped by the mirror of cinema.Vampire, werewolf, and ape-planet films are perennial favorites—perhaps because they speak to something primal in human nature. This intriguing volume examines such films in light of the latest developments in neuroscience, revealing ways in which animal-human monster movies reflect and affect what we naturally imagine in our minds. Examining specific films as well as early cave images, the book discusses how certain creatures on rock walls and movie screens express animal-to-human evolution and the structures of our brains. The book presents a new model of the human brain with its theatrical, cinematic, and animal elements. It also develops a theory of "rasa-catharsis" as the clarifying of emotions within and between spectators of the stage or screen, drawing on Eastern and Western aesthetics as well as current neuroscience. It focuses on the "inner movie theater" of memories, dreams, and reality representations, involving developmental stages, as well as the "hall of mirrors," ape-egos, and body-swapping identifications between human beings. Finally, the book shows how ironic twists onscreen—especially of contradictory emotions—might evoke a reappraisal of feelings, helping spectators to be more attentive to their own impulses. Through this interdisciplinary study, scholars, artists, and general readers will find a fresh way to understand the potential for interactive mindfulness and yet cathartic backfire between human brains—in cinema, in theater, and in daily life.
Being Called: Scientific, Secular, and Sacred Perspectives (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)
by Martin SeligmanThis unique book is an essential resource for interdisciplinary research and scholarship on the phenomenon of feeling called to a life path or vocation at the interface of science and religion.According to Gallup polls, more than 40 percent of Americans report having had a profound religious experience or awakening that changed the direction of their life. What are the potential mental, spiritual, and even physical benefits of following the calling to take a particular path in life? This standout book addresses the full range of calling experiences, from the "A-ha!" moments of special insight, to pondering what one is meant to do in life, to intense spiritual experiences like Saint Paul on the road to Damascus.Drawing upon the collective knowledge and insight of expert authors from Australia, China, Eastern Europe, Italy, the UK, and the United States, the work provides a comprehensive examination of the topic of callings suitable for collegiate students, professors, and professional scholars interested in topics at the interface of science and religion. It will also benefit general readers seeking the expertise of psychologists, neuroscientists, and theologians from various backgrounds and worldviews who explain why it is important to "do what you were meant to do."
Being Transgender: What You Should Know
by Dana Jennett Ph.D.Written for general audiences, this unprecedented book comprehensively answers many questions about being transgender with current experiential and scientific information, including the evidence for a biological transgender predisposition.With transgender people visibly achieving fame in entertainment, the literary world, and other arenas, increasing numbers of transgender people are choosing to publicly announce that they are transgender. All of this has brought transgender people and the associated issues of being transgender into mainstream discourse. The demand for fact-based, scientific information on being transgender has never been higher. Written by a transgender person who is also a physiological psychologist, this book is the first for general readers that explains what is known about transgender causation, what life as a transgendered individual is like, and the science involved in living a transgender life.This book serves to improve understanding of being transgender among general audiences—including transgender readers—by describing the science and experience of being transgender. It supplies an enlightening understanding of what if feels like to be transgender, when it starts, the many paths for living a transgender life, and methods to face challenges such as bullying and rejection. It provides a worldview that transgender people are neither broken nor diseased, but rather that they exhibit transgender behavior because of a biological predisposition for which there is solid scientific evidence.
The Biology of Beauty: The Science behind Human Attractiveness
by Rachelle M. SmithThis thought-provoking book examines the science behind human attractiveness—the ratios, proportions, and other factors that to a large extent dictate what we find "beautiful."It's said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," but recent scientific research suggests that human attractiveness is much more objective than we once thought, deeply rooted in our biology and evolutionary history. For instance, facial symmetry is considered extremely attractive because it indicates good health and nutrition during the formative developmental years. This book explores these insights.Part I of The Biology of Beauty: The Science behind Human Attractiveness takes a closer look at what traits we find the most alluring and why. It discusses why attractiveness is important from an evolutionary standpoint and the advantages (and disadvantages) of being attractive. In addition to exploring these beauty "universals," it examines how beauty ideals can be shaped by factors such as culture, religion, and the media. Part II provides an in-depth analysis of individual features that contribute to attractiveness, offering scientific explanations for our preferences. The book also includes a collection of insightful sidebars that highlight beauty ideals in different parts of the world and at other times in history.