Experts estimate that nearly 60 percent of all U.S. pregnanciesâ€"and 81 percent of pregnancies among adolescentsâ€"are unintended. Yet the topic of preventing these unintended pregnancies has long been treated gingerly because of personal sensitivities and public controversies, especially the angry debate over abortion. Additionally, child welfare advocates long have overlooked the connection between pregnancy planning and the improved well-being of families and communities that results when children are wanted. Now, current issuesâ€"health care and welfare reform, and the new international focus on populationâ€"are drawing attention to the consequences of unintended pregnancy. In this climate The Best Intentions offers a timely exploration of family planning issues from a distinguished panel of experts. This committee sheds much-needed light on the questions and controversies surrounding unintended pregnancy. The book offers specific recommendations to put the United States on par with other developed nations in terms of contraceptive attitudes and policies, and it considers the effectiveness of over 20 pregnancy prevention programs. The Best Intentions explores problematic definitionsâ€""unintended" versus "unwanted" versus "mistimed"â€"and presents data on pregnancy rates and trends. The book also summarizes the health and social consequences of unintended pregnancies, for both men and women, and for the children they bear. Why does unintended pregnancy occur? In discussions of "reasons behind the rates," the book examines Americans' ambivalence about sexuality and the many other social, cultural, religious, and economic factors that affect our approach to contraception. The committee explores the complicated web of peer pressure, life aspirations, and notions of romance that shape an individual's decisions about sex, contraception, and pregnancy. And the book looks at such practical issues as the attitudes of doctors toward birth control and the place of contraception in both health insurance and "managed care." The Best Intentions offers frank discussion, synthesis of data, and policy recommendations on one of today's most sensitive social topics. This book will be important to policymakers, health and social service personnel, foundation executives, opinion leaders, researchers, and concerned individuals.

In this original, extraordinarily moving, and highly personal novel, world-renowned stage and film director Ingmar Bergman goes back to the time of his parents and grandparents, to the years shortly before, during, and just after World War I. Set in the decade beginning in 1908, The Best Intentions is, ultimately, a love story on many different levels: a man and woman in love; parents and children; and love as miracle, that love which is overriding and, so often, inexplicable. Bergman was inspired to write this loosely biographical novel when he began rummaging through the voluminous family picture albums. That, plus family letters and records, and his own memories and unique imagination, helped him recreate this lost world in evocative and graphic detail. Henrik is a poor divinity student. Anna is the much loved but slightly pampered daughter of bourgeois parents. They fall in love and, after a long and tortuous courtship, marry, despite the objections of Anna's parents - especially of Anna's mother, Karin. Karin uses everything in her power, including deceit, first to prevent the marriage, then to break it up. Yet, even her basest actions are never monstrous but filled with good intentions. In fact, all the characters act with the "best intentions", however wrongheaded their behavior. "That Bergman can extend sympathy to such behavior is a great and generous gesture, one that allows him to create characters of astonishing depth", wrote Caryn James in the New York Times. Incorporating some of the elements of stage and screen, including filmic dialogues and personal "asides", which he weaves artfully into the narrative flow, Bergman has written a novel of great beauty and uncompromisinghonesty, a work filled with joy and sadness, sacrifice and reconciliation - and above all, abiding love.

_______________ 'One of the finest guides around, indeed, the best in recent memory ... beautifully written and meticulously researched' - New York Times 'A highly readable account' - Economist 'Some want the world to be reformed by getting rid of the UN. That would be catastrophic. What the world needs is the UN reformed. In this book, Traub tells the story of how difficult that is - and why it is so important' - Bono _______________ An unprecedented fly-on-the-wall account of Kofi Annan's controversial time as Secretary-General of the United Nations In 2004 Kofi Annan was nearly hounded from office by scandal. Following the invasion of Iraq, critics, and even some supporters, began asking whether the UN had outlived its usefulness. Do its failures arise from its own structure or from a clash with a US administration determined to go its own way? James Traub, who enjoyed unprecedented access to Annan and his aides from 2003 to 2006, delves into these questions and describes the Oil-for-Food scandal, the failed attempt to act decisively against ethnic cleansing in Sudan, and Annan's sweeping reforms. The Best Intentions is both a fascinating fly-on-the-wall account of Annan's two terms as Secretary General and an important critical study of the institution that has carried the best hopes of the world since 1945.

Three friends made a vow never to fall in love, but Starlight can do crazy things to man’s heart. First in the series from the USA Today–bestselling author. Is the new girl in town all she appears? She needs a new start . . . Not a new man. Kaitlin Carmody is a woman with a past—one she’d like to forget. A string of bad choices led to a fresh start in the small town of Starlight, so when her boss shows signs of serious illness, she’s determined to help him the best she can. But Finn Samuelson, her boss’s handsome, headstrong son, is certain Kaitlin is taking advantage of his father and running his family’s bank into the ground. When attraction overcomes reason, Finn must decide if Kaitlin is really a threat to his family . . . or its salvation. From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

English-Language Award 2018 Runner-up for Best Resource for Secondary to Adult Learners from the English-Speaking Union Life’s ups and downs do not slow down the busy Curry family whose members are juggling jobs, family, school, sports, and wedding plans. But when 20-year-old Gigi announces that she has broken off her engagement to a computer gamer, everything comes to a stop. Everyone wants to help Gigi and Oscar, but in a modern romance, the rules the game are always changing. Only the Best Intentions is part of the Integrated Skills Through Drama series that teaches speaking and communication skills through the performance of a one-act play. This flexible curriculum is perfect for a class project, elective course, or drama club. As students prepare to perform the play, they study intonation and pronunciation skills such as sentence and word stress for clarity, as well as pronunciation and linking. They learn about body language and gesture as ways to communicate. They analyze the script as a work of literature and also mine it for language and rhetorical strategies discuss a personal conflict, complain about someone, give or receive advice and more. And they learn to apply those strategies to their performance and to real-life situations. A variety of performance options are featured, including Reader’s Theater. Background readings on the history of competitive video games, the life of professional video game players, and the benefits and dangers of tech addiction fill out the curriculum. A number of creative writing projects to rewrite the script, adapt the play, or even write a sequel allow you to extend the learning further. This original drama-based coursebook is sure to engage and motivate your learners

On the surface, Riverview High School looks like the post-racial ideal. Serving an enviably affluent, diverse, and liberal district, the school is well-funded, its teachers are well-trained, and many of its students are high achieving. Yet Riverview has not escaped the same unrelenting question that plagues schools throughout America: why is it that even when all of the circumstances seem right, black and Latino students continue to lag behind their peers? Through five years' worth of interviews and data-gathering at Riverview, John Diamond and Amanda Lewis have created a rich and disturbing portrait of the achievement gap that persists more than fifty years after the formal dismantling of segregation. As students progress from elementary school to middle school to high school, their level of academic achievement increasingly tracks along racial lines, with white and Asian students maintaining higher GPAs and standardized testing scores, taking more advanced classes, and attaining better college admission results than their black and Latino counterparts. Most research to date has focused on the role of poverty, family stability, and other external influences in explaining poor performance at school, especially in urban contexts. Diamond and Lewis instead situate their research in a suburban school, and look at what factors within the school itself could be causing the disparity. Most crucially, they challenge many common explanations of the 'racial achievement gap,' exploring what race actually means in this situation, and why it matters. An in-depth study with far-reaching consequences, Despite the Best Intentions revolutionizes our understanding of both the knotty problem of academic disparities and the larger question of the color line in American society.

Readers who enjoy the traditional Regency Romances of Georgette Heyer, Barbara Metzger, and Carla Kelly will enjoy this witty Regency romp by New York Times bestselling author Candice Hern. The Earl of Strickland is a handsome widower in search of a new wife to be a mother to his two young children. Having lost his one true love, he is determined on a practical, dispassionate match with a mature woman. Young girls in their first Seasons, their heads full of romantic notions of love, are not for him. When his sister comes to visit bringing along a beautiful widow, Miles thinks he may have found the perfect match. But the widow is chaperoning her gauche, much younger sister, an artless girl who causes Miles's best intentions to go awry as he finds himself falling in love with precisely the sort of woman he sought to avoid. Set at a grand country estate in the Midlands, this sweet love story of the reserved and dignified Miles and the delightfully guileless, clumsy, outspoken Hannah is sure to charm readers."With fresh, crisp characterization and unerring romantic sensibility, Ms. Hern brings to joyous life all the wonder of falling in love in this deceptively simple, impeccably crafted keeper for the heart." Romantic Times"This is one Jane Austen herself would enjoy!" -- Rendezvous"Don't miss THE BEST INTENTIONS. Candice Hern has crafted a joyous, passionate tale full of life and laughter, one that readers will savor long after the cover is closed." The Romance Reader

"Don't tell anyone... but I think I have a crush on Santa Claus!" Olivia’s biological clock is ticking and she has no time for casual dating – especially not with the likes of Collin Sterling. What could she ever have in common with a billionaire? Rich, spoiled, and arrogant, Collin is definitely not husband material, even though his deep green eyes send chills down her spine. Collin admires everything about Olivia - her spunk, her sharp wit, and sharper tongue. And he’s doing everything possible to prove he’s the kind of man who deserves her. Until he realizes she’d be better off without him. Then a man in a Santa suit gives Olivia a magical kiss that takes her breath away. How can Collin possibly compete? A sweet romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling Author Tamie Dearen. It's a fun case of enemies to lovers and mistaken identity that leads to happily ever after! Get your HEA today!

"The Forgery" by G. P. R. James is a gripping Victorian thriller that unravels the intricacies of forgery, crime, and courtroom drama. Set amidst a backdrop of deception and betrayal, the novel delves into the dark underbelly of society, where secrets lurk and identities are questioned. As the mystery of the forgery unfolds, readers are drawn into a web of intrigue and suspense, where every twist and turn keeps them on the edge of their seats. James masterfully navigates the complexities of legal proceedings and courtroom drama, providing a riveting portrayal of justice and morality in Victorian England. Amidst the scandalous revelations and shocking betrayals, characters grapple with questions of identity and integrity, challenging the very fabric of their existence. With its blend of suspense and thriller elements, "The Forgery" captivates readers with its relentless pace and tantalizing plot twists. Through vivid descriptions and compelling character development, James paints a vivid portrait of Victorian society, where appearances can be deceiving and the truth is often obscured. As the courtroom drama unfolds, readers are left guessing until the final verdict is delivered, making "The Forgery" a must-read for fans of Victorian crime fiction.