The Bumpy Road

Step back in time to the tiny farm community of Osage Bend, Missouri, circa 1930-1945... Part memoir, part how-to manual, The Bumpy Road paints a vivid picture of life on the farm during the Great Depression. The author, recounting stories from his boyhood, brings to life the everyday trials and tribulations of his family and neighbors as they struggle to survive under daunting economic conditions. The hard work they put in was a given (to them), and their solutions to everyday problems were ingenious by necessity. And yet, they still found time to socialize and make the church the center of their lives. These tenacious people always looked to the future with hope and determination, and that comes shining through in this book. Depression-era, yes, depressing, no! So, discover the many facets of running a farm, how chores were done, the importance of family, and the many things that tied the community together. Marvel at the strength and resourcefulness of these rural Missourians-and take some of that for yourself as we endure our own difficult times today. Bonus: Includes photos and illustrations of farm tools, implements, and household items from the era, many of which you can now only find in museums.

This book examines the different areas of knowledge, traditions, and conceptual resources that contributed to the building of Max Planck’s theory of radiation. It presents an insightful comparative analysis that not only sheds light upon a fundamental chapter in the history of modern physics, but also enlarges our understanding of how theoreticians work. Coverage offers a deep investigation into the technical aspects behind the theory and extends in time the notion of quantum revolution. It also presents a full-fledged discussion of the combinatorial part of Planck’s theory and places emphasis on the epistemological role of mathematical practices. By painstakingly reconstructing both the electromagnetic and the combinatorial part of Planck’s black-body theory, the author shows how some apparently merely technical resources, such as the Fourier series, effectively contributed to shape the final form of Planck’s theory. For decades, historians have debated the conditions of possibility of Max Planck’s discovery as a paradigmatic example of scientific revolution. In particular, the use of combinatorics, which eventually paved the way for the introduction of the quantum hypothesis, has remained a puzzle for experts. This book presents a fresh perspective on this important debate that will appeal to historians and philosophers of science.

RABBIT ON A BUMPY ROAD is Tom Hom's memoir'a story of courage and endurance in meeting life's challenges to achieve "The American Dream." Tom was born into a Chinese family in the year of the Rabbit in the 1920's when much of American society was segregated, socially and economically. He entered school in San Diego, like other children who lived in Chinatown, speaking only Chinese. As he grew older, he faced limited job opportunities and discrimination in housing. He never lost faith in the American dream and went on to achieve success for himself, his family, and the greater good of a diverse America, breaking age-old barriers of prejudice and segregation. Today, Tom Hom is a respected elder who has contributed to the success and growth of San Diego and has inspired a new generation of Americans to greater achievement in economic growth and civic responsibilities. His journey and words of wisdom offer encouragement to all who believe in the future of America.

Bumpy Road: The Making, Flop, and Revival of "Two-Lane Blacktop" chronicles the genesis, production, box-office debacle, resurrection, near-canonization, and lasting influence of director Monte Hellman's 1971 existentialist car-racing movie. Hellman's unconventional choices for the film included casting three nonactors--musicians James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, as well as his girlfriend, Laurie Bird--in lead roles; shooting the movie in sequence from west to east on Route 66; and refusing to show the actors the full script, instead giving each his or her lines for the day. Before its release, Esquire put the film on its cover as the magazine's choice for movie of the year and printed the entire screenplay, leading moviegoers to expect a crowd-pleaser. Audiences anticipated that Two-Lane Blacktop would be an action-packed car-racing movie and were disappointed when nobody won or even finished the race, no one got the girl, the two leading men barely spoke, and the leading lady was foul-mouthed and promiscuous. Universal Studios Chairman Lew Wasserman found the film subversive and refused to release it on video. Years after it flopped, however, the movie soared in stature, and it is now revered by such contemporary directors as Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater, was honored with inclusion in the National Film Registry and was released on DVD and Blu-ray by the prestigious Criterion Collection and the highly regarded Masters of Cinema series. Author Sylvia Townsend conducts a comprehensive examination of the film, its reception, and the resurgence of interest it has more recently generated. Interviewing individuals involved in and influenced by the film, including James Taylor, Richard Linklater, Gary Kurtz, and scriptwriter Rudy Wurlitzer, Townsend provides an inside look at the cult classic.

"The Bumpy Road To Success" is about one persons experiences to achieve success against the many difficulties encountered from the time he was a small child. At twenty one he went to work for an oil company as a common laborer, became a labor lead man, metallurgist technician, transferred into the inspection section and last to the engineering group. Throughout his thirty two years with the refinery was anything but a smooth road. Not having a high school diploma did not deter him from learning, using common sense, standing up for what he felt was right and pursuing his dreams to success. At age fifty two he left the oil company and went into business for himself. Hopefully, his story will encourage young people, regardless of the many obstacles they may encounter, to work hard to become successful in whatever they want to do with their lives.

Dr. Horatio Jackson wasn’t necessarily a betting man. But in 1903, he overheard a stranger saying that it was just not possible to drive across the United States in one of those unreliable, newfangled automobiles. Jackson disagreed - he believed in the future of the automobile. So he made a $50 bet with the man that he could drive a car from San Francisco to New York. Jackson bought a used Winton automobile, hired a mechanic named Crocker, packed some supplies, and adopted Bud, a bulldog who became their mascot. The trio’s only goal was to make it from San Francisco all the way to New York City in one piece. Yet 5,600 miles and 63 1/2 days later, what they actually did was make history. This true story is based on Jackson’s own account of the first automobile trip across the United States. Find out more about this fascinating story by watching the book trailer: Jackson and Bud's Bumpy Ride Book Trailer: Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff

Calvin is the son of a missionary family, and their trip to Portofino is the highlight of his year. But even in the seductive Italian summer, the Beckers can't really relax. Calvin's father could slip into a Bad Mood and start hurling potted plants at any time. His mother has an embarrassing habit of trying to convert "pagans" on the beach. And his sister Janet has a ski sweater and a miniature Bible in her luggage, just in case the Russians invade and send them to Siberia. His dad says everything is part of God's plan. But this summer, Calvin has some plans of his own . . . Portofino is the prequel to the noted trilogy that includes Zermatt. A huge bestseller, Portofino has been translated into seven languages.

Background: By the turn of the new millennium 84% of families in rural coastal Ecuador had difficulties to access health services. A health reform some years earlier to improve this situation had not been implemented. In 2001, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Foundation Human Nature together with a rural population established a primary health care center in North-Western Ecuador. A public private partnership with the Ministry of Public Health was formed. Services depended on out-ofpocket payments, restricting the poor’s access to care. In order to increase access to primary and emergency care, Foundation Human Nature planned to establish a community-based health insurance. In the meantime, a major health reform was initiated by a new government in 2008. It aimed at universal health coverage, providing qualitative services for all based on primary health care, while ensuring protection from financial hardship. The aims of this thesis were to appraise the feasibility of community- based health insurance in Ecuador; to study how rural stakeholders perceived the 2008 reform and its effects on rural health services; to explore the local population’s perception of the NGO in service delivery; and to measure the scope and describe the nature of perceived emergencies, the related health care seeking behavior and health expenditure. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to tackle the research objectives. Data collection for the health insurance study and the study of perceived emergencies was carried out through cross-sectional household surveys. For each of the studies 210 households were sampled with two-stage cluster sampling. Structured questionnaires were used with on the spot household interviews. Focus group discussions with local stakeholders were performed to explore their perceived effects of the 2008 health reform. The population’s perception of the NGO was also studied through focus group discussions, which were complemented by key-informant interviews with local stakeholders. Inductive qualitative content analysis, focusing on the manifest content was applied. Results: 69% of interviewees were willing to join the presented community- based health insurance scheme for 30 US$ per household and year. Attitudes towards the scheme were positive and 92% of interviewees stated they would increase their health service utilization with affiliation. The implementation of the 2008 health reform was perceived as topdown, lacking communication. However, the reform’s effects were mainly perceived as positive with free medical attendance and drugs. Increased service utilization was described as leading to a relative shortage of drugs and appointments. Access problems for remote dwellers were found, who were described of having to seek private care, also in emergencies. The NGO and its services were perceived positively by the population due to health care improvements in the region. The structure of the public private partnership was unclear, leading to dissatisfaction. Community participation was found to be rather weak. Perceived emergencies occurred to at least 90/1,000 inhabitants in the past year. Fever, traumatic injury and abdominal pain were the most frequent chief complaints. The first contacted providers in 57% of all cases were private for-profit providers, including traditional healers. Public health services treated one third of all cases. Health expenditure was found to be high and catastrophic health expenditure occurred in 24% of all cases. Conclusions: Prior to the 2008 reform community-based health insurance was found to be feasible in the study region. This financing instrument may have a role in the post-reform system, to cover services that the government does not yet sufficiently provide. The effects of the 2008 reform were mainly perceived positively, but an adjustment of the system is needed to improve the relative lack of drugs and appointments, especially for remote dwellers. Free health services may not be sufficient to reach universal health coverage for patients with perceived emergencies. Changes in public emergency departments and improved financial protection for emergency patients may improve the situation. The NGO’s role was perceived positively by the population. A lack of communication about the public private partnership and relatively weak community participation restricted the NGO’s full potential and should be improved.