DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Puerto Rico is your pocket guide to the very best of Puerto Rico.

Year-round sun and fabulous beaches make Puerto Rico the perfect warm-weather getaway, but there's so much more to explore on this beautiful island. Wander off the beaten path to the misty rainforests of El Yunque, venture through the island's mountainous interior of Spanish hill towns and coffee plantations, and explore the gracious colonial towns. Delicious food, world-class rum, and an array of popular festivals make Puerto Rico a vibrant place. This beautiful island truly offers a little bit of everything.

Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Puerto Rico.

True to its name, this Top 10 guidebook covers all major sights and attractions in easy-to-use "top 10" lists that help you plan the vacation that's right for you:

• "Don't miss" destination highlights .
• Things to do and places to eat, drink, and shop by area.
• Free, color pull-out map (print edition), plus maps and photographs throughout.
• Walking tours and day-trip itineraries.
• Traveler tips and recommendations.
• Local drink and dining specialties to try.
• Museums, festivals, outdoor activities.
• Creative and quirky best-of lists and more.

The perfect pocket-size travel companion: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Puerto Rico.

A small-scale country on the surface, Panama is a Central American giant and gem just awakening to its vast potential. Esteemed travel writer Christopher Baker takes the reader on a journey of this fascinating place in his fully updated edition. Beginning in the cosmopolitan, steamy capital of Panama City, you move on to the Canal Zone and the central Caribbean, with world-class birding and rafting; Kuna Yala, administrated anonomously by indigenous Kuna people; the Darien, a biological Eden; and Central Panama, blessed with fine beaches, mountains, pre-Columbia sites, and important colonial architecture. Among the guide's special features are mapped walking and driving tours--including a walk around Panama City's Casco Antiguo and a drive across the Continental Divide; and special two-page entries on topics such as the Panama Canal and parrots and macaws. National Geographic and local experts provide insider tips on favorite or little known sites and events, and dozens of sidebars highlight experiences that show you how to truly get the most from your trip, including how to assist archaeologists uncover ancient artifacts at Panama Viejo and white-water rafting in the Highlands. This comprehensive guide includes essential background information and the author's pick of hotels and restaurants.

Aimed at active travelers who want authentic, enriching, cultural experiences and expert advice from a trustworthy source, National Geographic Travelers provide ways for people to experience a place rather than just visit, and give the true feel of each destination not easily found online.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photography, and illustrations of any guide.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 California Wine Country is your pocket guide to the very best of this beautiful region.

Get the most out of your California Wine Country vacation with an insider guide to the most fascinating winery tours, outstanding viticultural areas, and best vineyards. With your Top 10 Travel Guide at your side, you'll have a guide to superb grape varieties and the best places to eat to complement your wine country experience. Complete your winery visit with thrilling outdoor activities, must-see museums and galleries in the area, and breathtaking natural wonders, and check out the best hotels and most luxurious spas for every budget.

Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 California Wine Country

True to its name, this Top 10 guidebook covers all major sights and attractions in easy-to-use "top 10" lists that help you plan the vacation that's right for you.

• "Don't miss" destination highlights
• Things to do and places to eat, drink, and shop by area
• Free, color pull-out map (print edition), plus maps and photographs throughout
• Walking tours and day-trip itineraries
• Traveler tips and recommendations
• Local drink and dining specialties to try
• Museums, festivals, outdoor activities
• Creative and quirky best-of lists and more

The perfect pocket-size travel companion: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 California Wine Country

Recommended: For an in-depth guidebook to nearby San Francisco, check out DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: San Francisco & Northern California, which offers the most complete cultural coverage of San Francisco and northern California; trip-planning itineraries by interest and length of stay; 3-D cross-section illustrations of major sights and attractions; thousands of photographs, illustrations, and maps; and more.

In examining alongside the central core of Ruskins own drawings those made by artists who were his mentors, friends and followers, this book also aims to give an account of the wider phenomenon which might be called Ruskinism.

Award-winning author and Costa Rica expert Christopher Baker guides you through this incredibly varied and alluring country, one of Central America's premier ecotourist destinations. Illustrated with 120 vivid photographs and 20 full-color maps, the book starts with a detailed introduction to the country's history and culture--including a section on its unique flora and fauna. You are then guided through each of the country's regions: the capital city of San Jose; the lush Central Highlands; Guanacaste and its volcanoes; sea-fringed Nicoya; the Central Pacific; Zona Sur; the South Central and its cloud forests; the Northern Lowlands; and the Caribbean. Special features give comprehensive information on topics ranging from snakes and butterflies to volcanoes and rafting, while ten guided drives and walks take you into some of the country's most fascinating areas, including a stroll through San Jose's Otoya and Amon barrios and a drive along the Inter-American Highway. Sidebars on experiential travel abound, revealing how to save macaws, learn Spanish, and best enjoy the coffee culture.

Human beings necessarily understand their social worlds in moral terms, orienting their lives, relationships, and activities around socially-produced notions of right and wrong. Morality is sociologically understood as more than simply helping or harming others; it encompasses any way that individuals form understandings of what behaviors are better than others, what goals are most laudable, and what "proper" people believe, feel, and do. Morality involves the explicit and implicit sets of rules and shared understandings that keep human social groups intact. Morality includes both the "shoulds" and "should nots" of human activity, its proactive and inhibitive elements.At one time, sociologists were centrally concerned with morality, issues like social cohesion, values, the goals and norms that structure society, and the ways individuals get socialized to reproduce those concerns. In the last half-century, however, explicit interest in these topics has waned, and modern sociology has become uninterested in these matters and morality has become marginalized within the discipline. But a resurgence in the topic is happening in related disciplines – psychology, neurology, philosophy, and anthropology - and in the wider national discourse. Sociology has much to offer, but is not fully engaged in this conversation. Many scholars work on areas that would fall under the umbrella of a sociology of morality but do not self-identify in such a manner, nor orient their efforts toward conceptualizing what we know, and should know, along these dimensions.The Handbook of the Sociology of Morality fills a niche within sociology making explicit the shared concerns of scholars across the disciplines as they relate to an often-overlooked dimension of human social life. It is unique in social science as it would be the first systematic compilation of the wider social structural, cultural, cross-national, organizational, and interactional dimension of human moral (understood broadly) thought, feeling, and behavior.

The new dragon on Old MacDonald's farm puts all the other animals, and the farmer, in peril.

Recently considered one of the world's most dangerous places, Colombia has emerged from a long history of violence. Here, in this diamond-shaped tropical nation about the size of California and Texas combined, you can find sweeping rain forests teeming with exotic animals and birds, glistening snows capping the summits of Andean volcanoes, and dozens of colorful indigenous cultures that predate the conquistadores. A cornucopia of natural wonders side by side with sleepy colonial villages and vibrant cosmopolitan cities, Colombia--a country of 46 million people--is a South American giant just awakening to its vast potential. Award-winning travel writer Christopher Baker is a foremost expert on Colombia, and he takes you through the country's vast and varied landscapes with astute guidance, making sure you don't miss the must-do sights, and lesser ones as well. Among the special features are mapped walking tours of Bogotà's old city and historic Cartagena; a mapped driving tour of San Andrès; experiential sidebars on birding, cooking Colombian cuisine, and visiting the emerald mines; insider tips from National Geographic experts; and a hefty Travelwise section that features handpicked hotels and restaurants.

RSMeans Cost Data, Student Edition provides a thorough introduction to cost estimating in a self-contained print and online package. With clear explanations and a hands-on, example-driven approach, it is the ideal reference for students and new professionals who need to learn how to perform cost estimating for building construction. Features include:

• Commercial and residential construction cost data in print and online formats

• Complete how-to guidance on the essentials of cost estimating

• A supplemental website with plans, specifications, problem sets, and a full sample estimate

With more than 930 Location Factors in the United States and Canada, the data includes up-to-date system prices for more than 100 standard assemblies and in-place costs for thousands of alternates?making it easy to customize budget estimates and compare system costs.

UNIT PRICES

(organized in MasterFormat 2010)

1 General Requirements

2 Existing Conditions

3 Concrete

4 Masonry

5 Metals

6 Woods, Plastics & Composites

7 Thermal & Moisture Protection

8 Openings

9 Finishes

10 Specialties

11 Equipment

12 Furnishings

13 Special Construction

14 Conveying Equipment

21 Fire Suppression

22 Plumbing

23 Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning

26 Electrical

27 Communications

28 Electronic Safety & Security

31 Earthwork

32 Exterior Improvements

33 Utilities

ASSEMBLIES

A Substructure

B Shell

C Interiors

D Services

E Equipment & Furnishings

F Special Construction

G Building Site Work

REFERENCE INFORMATION

Equipment Rental Costs

Crews

Cost Indexes

Reference Tables

Square Foot Costs

Esuberanza come capacità di ascoltarci, di essere noi stessi, di esprimere i nostri entusiasmi, le nostre idealità, le nostre passioni, le nostre identità. In una parola, esuberanza come ritorno alla vita: questa è la provocazione di Cristoph Baker, sapendo che a forza di inseguire il mito del consumismo, del superlavoro, del conto in banca, abbiamo trovato l'automobile ma perso noi stessi. Non avendo più tempo per i nostri sentimenti, la nostra riflessione, il nostro pensiero, ci siamo trasformati in tanti soldatini di piombo, che marciano allineati e coperti al servizio di un sistema organizzato per costruire infelicità, violenza, malessere, ingiustizia, distruzione ambientale. Ed ecco l'importanza dell'esuberanza, intesa come capacità di saper uscire fuori dai ranghi. Perché solo tornando a pensare con la nostra testa, a riscoprire i nostri valori, a riorganizzare la nostra vita secondo i nostri criteri di felicità, potremo ritrovare noi stessi e potremo offrire all'umanità una possibilità di salvezza.

A significant number of Americans spend their weekends at UFO conventions hearing whispers of government cover-ups, at New Age gatherings learning the keys to enlightenment, or ambling around historical downtowns learning about resident ghosts in tourist-targeted “ghost walks”. They have been fed a steady diet of fictional shows with paranormal themes such as The X-Files, Supernatural, and Medium, shows that may seek to simply entertain, but also serve to disseminate paranormal beliefs. The public hunger for the paranormal seems insatiable.

Paranormal America provides the definitive portrait of Americans who believe in or have experienced such phenomena as ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, psychic phenomena, astrology, and the power of mediums. However, unlike many books on the paranormal, this volume does not focus on proving or disproving the paranormal, but rather on understanding the people who believe and how those beliefs shape their lives.

Drawing on the Baylor Religion Survey—a multi-year national random sample of American religious values, practices, and behaviors—as well as extensive fieldwork including joining hunts for Bigfoot and spending the night in a haunted house, authors Christopher Bader, F. Carson Mencken, and Joseph Baker shed light on what the various types of paranormal experiences, beliefs, and activities claimed by Americans are; whether holding an unconventional belief, such as believing in Bigfoot, means that one is unconventional in other attitudes and behaviors; who has such experiences and beliefs and how they differ from other Americans; and if we can expect major religions to emerge from the paranormal.

Brimming with engaging personal stories and provocative findings, Paranormal America is an entertaining yet authoritative look at a growing segment of American religious culture.

All the travel experts agree—consumers want more and different experiences from travel than they did in the past. They want to deeply understand their destination before they go, feel a meaningful connection to the place while there, and return home feeling enriched and ready to share their experiences with others. With these trends in mind, and the results of extensive, proprietary market research, National Geographic Traveler has been enhanced with engaging new features and a contemporary redesign.

Each guide begins with an introduction that enables the traveler to sample a bit of the culture, history, and attractions before they go and plan the trip based on their own interests and length of stay. Travelers can immerse themselves in active, in-country "Experiences" and "Off-the-Beaten-Path Excursions" they won't find anywhere else, like visiting a family in a South African township or learning to cook Maori cuisine with a renowned New Zealand chef. Other new features, such as "Insider Tips" from National Geographic photographers, writers, and experts, as well as "Not-To-Be-Missed" lists ensure that each person's visit will be one-of-a-kind and memorable.

To make the most of these and all the other great new features, the guides' design has been simplified, opened up, and enhanced with easy-to-read tinted sections. Gorgeous color photographs, high-quality maps, and the popular walking and driving tours are still highlights of our crisp, new look. To complete the update, our new covers boast a striking, single image of the destination, along with the clear National Geographic branding that signifies quality, trust, and all the best in travel.

With more than a century of travel expertise, new content, and a new look, National Geographic Traveler is the right guide at the right time—poised to meet the changing needs of today's traveler better than ever and better than anyone.

Costa Rica is rich in flora, fauna, and adventure. Learn how to save macaws, speak Spanish, and immerse in the coffee culture.

This book leaves no stone unturned. A complete guide that includes many wonderful sights not included in other travel books. The long history of celebrity association in Palm Springs is regaled in detail (including some juicy gossip)!

Distinctive for their accuracy, simplicity, and conversational tone, the diverse travel guides in our Explorer's Great Destinations series meet the conflicting demands of the modern traveler. They're packed full of up-to-date information to help plan the perfect gateway. And they're compact and light enough to come along for the ride. A tool you'll turn to before, during, and after your trip, these guides include these helpful features: chapters on lodging, dining, transportation, history, shopping, recreation and more; a section packed with practical information, such as lists of banks, hospitals, post offices, laundromats, numbers for police, fire, and rescue, and other relevant information; and maps of regions and locales.

A shocking snapshot of the most current impulses in American religion. Rodney Stark reports the surprising findings of the 2007 Baylor Surveys of Religion, a follow up to the 2005 survey revealing most Americans believe in God or a higher power. This new volume highlights even more hot-button issues of religious life in our country. A must-read for anyone interested in Americans' religious beliefs and practices.

L'epoca in cui viviamo è contraddittoria. Grandi possibilità si mescolano a grandi frustrazioni, seminando nel cuore di molte persone la sensazione che tutto vada a rotoli. Ne approfittano i grandi mezzi di comunicazione, spesso annunciatori di catastrofi mai realizzate o di pericoli mai realmente identificati. In questo libro l'autore invita a cercare lidi più pacifici e tranquilli, "dove le sensazioni e le emozioni riprendano il loro giusto posto nelle nostre esistenze. Qui non ci sono ricette preconfezionate né teoremi micidiali né evidenze scientifiche. Vi è solo un invito ad aprire gli occhi, le orecchie, il naso, le braccia, il cuore, le viscere e l'anima per entrare in comunione con tutta la vita che ci circonda... È un invito romantico, ovvio. È un appello alla dolcezza, alla contemplazione, alla rinuncia del controllo su tutto". Un libro "positivo", che non tenta di nascondere la realtà ma che vuole combattere il pessimismo, magari invitando a rompere qualche schema troppo rigido per provare che sempre e comunque le risorse siamo noi e che solo attingendole in noi stessi ritroveremo la strada della speranza. (Presentazione di Serge Latouche)

Turner's watercolors in the National Gallery of Scotland are among the most popular; this book shows why.