Peter Ferguson

This book investigates recent changes in language education policy and the implementation of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan’s public elementary schools. Through interviews with policymakers, school principals and elementary school teachers, it examines the challenges in creating, transmitting and applying this new language policy. It reveals not only the contents of language policy documents, but the political and socioeconomic rationale for introducing EFL into Japan’s national curriculum. This book will aid understanding of various macro-level discourses, such as progressive and conservative views of schooling in Japan and how globalization has affected attitudes toward English education. It will be of interest to researchers in language policy and planning, second language acquisition, second language teacher education and Japanese studies.

This book uses a critical political economy approach to develop an historically and politically grounded set of strategies for states to move toward a post-growth, decarbonised global economy. It begins by examining the social and ecological costs of and limits to economic growth and determines that significant decarbonisation of the global economy can only be achieved if conventional growth-based economies are replaced by an alternative post-growth economy. Set apart from many other works in the field by its critical political economy approach to policy development, this book offers the reader three distinctive features. First, it places the analysis in historical context in order to demonstrate how the global political economy is constantly changing with respect to distributions of wealth, power and fundamental norms, and explores how states might harness and transform these contingent patterns in a post-growth direction. Second, the book is not only concerned with developing and advocating post-growth policies, but also with how these measures can be incorporated into the high-level domestic and international strategies pursued by states to ensure their political legitimacy and economic and geopolitical survival. Third, rather than proposing an idealised and politically naïve model of socioecological transformation, the proposed post-growth policy framework is highly cognisant of the geopolitical and international economic pressures facing states and demonstrates how these can be managed in the transition toward a post-growth economy. This book represents an invaluable resource for policymakers, academics, activists and students wishing to study or contribute to the transition to a post-growth, decarbonised economy.

The Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive 64-page booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Addictionedition, co-authored by Jim Hightower and Peter Ferguson, is appropriate for both individuals experiencing addiction and their family and friends. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community's care.

This book uses a critical political economy approach to develop an historically and politically grounded set of strategies for states to move toward a post-growth, decarbonised global economy. It begins by examining the social and ecological costs of and limits to economic growth and determines that significant decarbonisation of the global economy can only be achieved if conventional growth-based economies are replaced by an alternative post-growth economy. Set apart from many other works in the field by its critical political economy approach to policy development, this book offers the reader three distinctive features. First, it places the analysis in historical context in order to demonstrate how the global political economy is constantly changing with respect to distributions of wealth, power and fundamental norms, and explores how states might harness and transform these contingent patterns in a post-growth direction. Second, the book is not only concerned with developing and advocating post-growth policies, but also with how these measures can be incorporated into the high-level domestic and international strategies pursued by states to ensure their political legitimacy and economic and geopolitical survival. Third, rather than proposing an idealised and politically naïve model of socioecological transformation, the proposed post-growth policy framework is highly cognisant of the geopolitical and international economic pressures facing states and demonstrates how these can be managed in the transition toward a post-growth economy. This book represents an invaluable resource for policymakers, academics, activists and students wishing to study or contribute to the transition to a post-growth, decarbonised economy.

Fans of fractured fairy tales will be delighted to discover the fantasy, mystery, adventure, and humor in the beloved New York Times bestselling Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, now with new cover art! Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have studied hundreds of stories as part of their training as fairy-tale detectives, but they never thought they’d actually be in one. And yet that’s exactly what happens when they follow the diabolical Master into the Book of Everafter, a mysterious tome in which copies of the world’s fairy-tale characters live out their stories over and over again. The Grimms must track down the Master while avoiding the Book’s tyrannical Editor—who is devoted to keeping the stories on track—and his army of story-gobbling revisers. In the Book of Everafter, stories can be rewritten and destinies changed, which is why Sabrina and Daphne must find the Master before he can alter his own fate—and the fate of the whole world.