James Wagner: 20 books

Adaptive survey designs (ASDs) provide a framework for data-driven tailoring of data collection procedures to different sample members, often for cost and bias reduction. People vary in how likely they are to respond and in how they respond. This variation leads to opportunities to selectively deploy...

Too often Christian leaders trying to reform society are perceived as intolerant, right-wing conservatives without an ounce of compassion. The truth is, many people trying to bring about positive societal reformation are very compassionate and loving people. The selected writers who contributed to...

The wholly virtual world known as Second Life has attracted more than a million active users, millions of dollars, and created its own—very real—economy. The Making of Second Life is the behind-the-scenes story of the Web 2.0 revolution's most improbable enterprise: the creation of a virtual...

Persons who design and lead worship will find this a practical and useful guide for Christ-centered healing ministry that can be easily adapted in a variety of settings. Included are six complete services of Holy Communion, Healing and Wholeness; Praise, Prayer, and Anointing; and Prayer, Confession,...

Understanding Sam Shepard investigates the notoriously complex and confusing dramatic world of Sam Shepard, one of America’s most prolific, thoughtful, and challenging contemporary playwrights. During his nearly fifty-year career as a writer, actor, director, and producer, Shepard has consistently...

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, Poisoned Pen Press has commissioned original short stories from thirty-five of its authors, past and present. Some names will be immediately recognizable to mystery aficionados--Kerry Greenwood with her Phryne Fisher mysteries, now also a popular television...

In Understanding Edward P. Jones, James W. Coleman analyzes Jones’s award-winning works as well as the significant influences that have shaped his craft. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Jones has made that city and its African American community the subject of or background for most of his...

Based on the largest study of worker attitudes in the world and more than a decade of Gallup research, the authors explain the 12 Elements essential to motivating employees. The book also features the inspiring stories of 12 managers around the world who succeeded in these dimensions. More...

Movin’ on up!

The Great British Entrepreneur's Handbook shares the secrets of experienced entrepreneurs on everything from coming up with great business ideas to the value of old-fashioned networking and how to raise funds - whether courting VCs and other investors or seeking out new sources of crowd finance. With...

A simpler life. In a shadow cast by the jarring beginning of the new millennium, simplicity has an undeniable appeal. Global conflicts, domestic security concerns, and a stalling economy can make keeping up with the Joneses feel like, at best, a misguided luxury. Now is not a time for excess; it is...

Written by eminent sociologists, this book introduces and assesses some of the most influential, recent sociological theories. Each chapter explains the theory and describes a related program of empirical research. Chapters are authored by the actual founders (and/or leading exponents) of these theoretical...

Chartered in 1869, Southern Illinois University has been a stalwart presence on the southern Illinois landscape for a century and a half. This book celebrates the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding by exploring in depth its history since 1969, when the last book to celebrate a major...

Randall Kenan is an American author best known for his novel A Visitation of Spirits and his collection of stories Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, was a nominee for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction, and named a New York Times...