Thomas Burton

Driving Through Life What Was I Thinking? A Guide to Hope After an Autism Diagnosis was written to share the journey of Mr. Thomas Burton. He is a Survivor, who courageously shares his journey to offer hope that equips people to overcome obstacles in life. His journey to healing was filled with twists and turns in life. There were days when he was not sure if he would get through the obstacles of an autism diagnosis. However, with faith in God and consistent therapy Mr. Thomas Burton has discovered healing and hope to live again. This book answers the important questions such as: - Who can be on your support team? - What are the next steps to take after an autism diagnosis? - When do you seek help? - Where do you go for help? - How do you move through the world after an autism diagnosis? - How can you advocate for yourself? - How do you allow people in your life to help you? "My purpose for writing this book is to reach an audience of people who have encountered spectrum disorder undiagnosed and did not get the help they needed. I was 61 years old when I was diagnosed. I want to use this book as a point of healing for myself and to share this story with others who may have similar challenges." Thomas Burton

Originally published in 1970 Social Planning Techniques for Town Planners introduces social research methods for town planners. The book places an emphasis on social research within the planning process, and addresses the problem faced by the research worker at successive stages of a research project. It outlines the major conceptual and organizational problems likely to be encountered in any social research for planning, and provides guidelines for tackling these. The book’s focus is on social science research methods and the application of social and economic research to issues of urban and regional planning and administration.

Originally published in 1970 Social Planning Techniques for Town Planners introduces social research methods for town planners. The book places an emphasis on social research within the planning process, and addresses the problem faced by the research worker at successive stages of a research project. It outlines the major conceptual and organizational problems likely to be encountered in any social research for planning, and provides guidelines for tackling these. The book’s focus is on social science research methods and the application of social and economic research to issues of urban and regional planning and administration.

“Thomas Burton's edition of what amounts to an autobiography of Ronda Lee Hicks-fighter, drinker, womanizer, and storyteller-represents a wiff of late-night honky-tonk whiskey and tobacco in its realism. . . . Hicks is a talented raconteur, whose gifts are well displayed in Burton's careful editing.” —Erika Brady, Western Kentucky UniversityRonda Lee Hicks, as the traditional song goes, is “a man you don't meet every day.” Hailing from the Beech Mountain area of western North Carolina, Ronda is the offspring of the two families of great storytellers who are largely responsible for the area's strong storytelling tradition of the International Wonder Tales of Jack. And his late cousin Ray Hicks was the famed “keeper” of the International Wonder Tales of Jack that have proven so popular in the Appalachian region for more than two centuries. Like Ray, Ronda is a gifted storyteller, but not of Jack Tales. Even so, Ronda's stories about himself, his family, friends, and acquaintances are wonder tales no less. With great candor and sometimes jarring humor, Hicks recounts his life's highs and lows. These events, ranging from drunken debauchery to brutality, are often shocking. He has had many close encounters with “the law” and was twice sent to prison. His relationships with women, including his two wives, have been tumultuous at best. This is the story of a violent, sometimes dissolute life—one that sounds more like it was lived in the mountains a hundred years ago than in contemporary Appalachia. Embedded in all of Ronda's stories are numerous details of mountain life, work, entertainment, behavior, beliefs, values, and codes. Thus, through Ronda's memoirs and interviews with noted Appalachian scholar Thomas Burton, readers will not only meet a truly singular individual but will also learn of many obscure features of southern Appalachian mountain culture, including its darker aspects. At the very least, the reader will wonder how Ronda Hicks lived to tell his fascinating tales at all. Thomas Burton is professor emeritus of English at East Tennessee State University. He is the author of Serpent-Handling Believers and The Serpent and the Spirit: Glenn Summerford's Story.“Together, Hicks, the storyteller, and the author give the reader an authentic view of Appalachian life, one that often disputes the beauty of the Blue Ridge and the quaintness of old-fashioned ways that tourists find endearing.” —H-Net Reviews

“A snake handler convicted of the attempted murder of his wife by means of serpent bite is serving ninety-nine years in prison. The reader is gradually pulled into an increasingly complex story as Thomas Burton allows the many individuals involved in this event to tell their stories. Readers are less likely to find themselves concerned with what “really” happened than with larger issues they too will become involved in. this is more than a story about the headline ‘preacher tries to murder wife – with rattlesnakes!” it is a story of individuals struggling with their faith and their fate under the steady gaze of their God.” —Ralph W. Hood Jr., winner of the American Psychological Association’s William James Award in the psychology of religionIn this comprehensive, multilayered set of narratives, the story of Glenn Summerford’s fall from grace is told by its participants, through interviews, court documents, and other primary sources. Free of either prejudice against or romanticizing about the snake-handling Holiness religion, this book presents an absorbing story of a fascinating group of people, while allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about Summerford’s guilt or innocence. The Serpent and the Spirit is a startling commentary on truth and its representation, religion and its expression, humanity and its flaws. Thomas Burton is professor emeritus of English at East Tennessee State University. He is the winner of the Appalachian Consortium Laurel Leaves Award.

Provides a look at serpent worship, examining its origins, beliefs, and rituals