In Pacific societies, local knowledge, which has been accumulated over thousands of years and is irreplaceable, is rapidly disappearing. With the extinction of languages, the ability to observe and interpret the world from varying perspectives is also being lost. At the same time, an enormous body of knowledge about nature, plants and animals is vanishing. However, in parallel with this, the people of the Pacific are confronted with new modes of knowledge and newly introduced technologies through imported educational systems, missions of various denominations, and the media. They do not passively assimilate this knowledge but adopt, adapt, and apply it in a syncretistic way.These changes will have permanent effects on the individual lives of people in the region and their knowledge about themselves and their surrounding 'world'. This stimulating book tracks the course of these developments and offers revealing insights into the complexity of Pacific peoples' responses to the process of globalization.

American society is no longer defined by marriage. Today, an increasing majority of American households are headed by single men and women. Even those Americans who do marry spend at least half of their adult lives alone. Living on one's own presents unique challenges depending on one's age, health, and circumstances. So the script for successful single living calls for different strategies for young adults, the recently divorced, single parents, and those widowed or experiencing single life in later adulthood. Here, Dr. Yount considers each group's special needs and challenges and offers a guide for leading a productive, rewarding, and fulfilling single life. Single living, he contends, requires some core abilities: overcoming loneliness, reaching out to others, developing faith in oneself and self-respect, keeping up with daily activities, and maintaining good health, security, and a sense of humor. This book helps readers learn to celebrate their single status and to find contentment and peace while living on their own. These days, if you are unmarried and pining for romance, you are in a small minority. Until recently, most Americans considered single life to be a temporary situation during which one would simply wait for a soul mate to come along. Those who remained unwed were pitied as bachelors and spinsters. No longer! These days, most single men and women find autonomy in negotiating their way through life by relying on their own resources, with marriage remaining one option, but not an imperative. Even those who do marry are getting married later, and those who divorce or are widowed often choose to stay single. With this trend toward singlehood increasing, affirming the single life and making a success of it becomes all the more important. Yount offers advice for creating a gratifying and happy single life at any stage, and provides insight into those things that can contribute to a satisfying single lifestyle. He pinpoints areas that often get ignored by singles, and proposes solutions to some of the pitfalls that can lead to loneliness or unhappiness. Leading a fulfilling single life is not only possible, it can in fact be rewarding in itself, and Yount shows readers how to lead productive and creative lives as modern singles.