Are the activities of elites determined by their interest in enlarging their own power and wealth? Presenting an overview of the important sociological elite theories, this book uses the examples of the world's 5 largest industrialized nations to demonstrate how the elites of a given country are recruited and how they cooperate with one another.

It is the closing days of the Civil War. Grant is pressing Lee harder than ever in Richmond. Lee has stashed some troops and supplies in a nearby town. With those supplies and reinforcements, Lee can delay the close of the war and sue for peace. The President and the Secretary of War have other plans. General Emmett Hanson is charged with capturing the supplies and troops-thereby denying Lee his only remaining hope for the South.

A new community-based framework assessing the impact of participatory grantmaking on philanthropy Institutional foundations are influential, yet it can be difficult to understand how they operate. How do their staff members make decisions? What impact do these decisions have on nonprofits, civil society, and democracy more broadly? One practice that holds promise for demystifying this relationship is participatory grantmaking, whereby stakeholders and grantees participate in making decisions about grant dollars that were previously reserved for professional foundation staff. The community-based case studies in Participatory Grantmaking in Philanthropy signal a cultural shift away from the power of elite institutions and their penchant for top-down decision-making. This book combines perspectives from academics and practitioners who address how participatory grantmaking relates to other features of contemporary giving, including trust-based philanthropy; giving circles; crowdfunding; conservative philanthropy; giving traditions in communities of color; and global giving. Using in-depth case studies, quantitative research, and other evidence-based methods of exploration, Participatory Grantmaking in Philanthropy will be a strong resource for philanthropy practitioners not only at the community level but also at large institutional foundations as well as megadonors seeking to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their decision-making practices.

Hell's Own Thunder combines a ruthless internationally sought terrorist, a crusty old man, a 55 year-old airplane and a 15 year old teenage girl in action and adventure that will leave the reader breathless at the end. And to add some flavor, add Rufus and over 50 of the most supremely trained troops the US has ever assembled.

Guerrilla war wracks Rhodesia and the government needs air power to snuff out the insurgent force. Fifty American helicopters would be perfectly suited to the terrain but because of sanctions the aircraft are not available. But David Swansey, a young Rhodesian businessman, is called upon by his government to procure the helicopters illegally.