August | 2018 | Government Book Talk

GPO Summer Travel Series: The Carolina Countryside

August 29, 2018

Well folks, we’ve traveled north, south, east and west. We’ve experienced the mountains, the cities, the coasts, the caves, the glades, the geysers, the forests and the canyons of our amazing nation. This summer has been one epic adventure after another. Now we’ve just got one more stop before the leaves start to change, the air turns crisp, and it’s back to the grind of setting the alarm, packing lunches and checking the kids’ homework. There’s only one place we can think of that has the ability to put our minds at ease before what is expected to be a bumpy ride back to reality. Pasturelands, ponds and peace, here we come. We’re about to get a taste of the simple life in the countryside of North Carolina.

Poet-author Carl Sandburg, who received two Pulitzer Prizes for his writing, once described poetry as “the achievement of the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.” According to his granddaughter Paula Steichen, this was descriptive of his own life at his home called Connemara where family horses fed on grain and hay left over from the goat herd. Sandburg enjoyed meandering around the farm, which was complete with a large vegetable garden, a berry patch, an orchard, chickens and hogs, and its nearby trails infused with wildflowers and mosses. The estate’s 247 acres (that’s about 187 football fields!) and view of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in the distance provided Mr. Sandburg with quietude he needed for his writing. It’s no wonder his poems like the one titled “Prairie” were essentially anthems to the countryside. His love of the land became a common theme throughout his verses. But the countryside didn’t just inspire him to write. It also inspired song. According to his granddaughter, the family would gather after dinner to sing along while Sandburg played guitar and his daughter played the piano. She remembers, “The dining room was also a family room – a place to gather for conversation, song and fellowship.”

Ingrain yourself in the simple yet rich life of Carl Sandburg. The Carl Sandburg Home Official National Park Handbook, available at the GPO Bookstore, offers an introduction to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, North Carolina. In Part 1, Paula Steichen, granddaughter of Carl Sandburg, tells of the family life at Connemara. In Part 2 she presents a biographical essay on Mr. Sandburg and his works, detailing some of his incredible accomplishments, including receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Johnson in 1964. Part 3 of the handbook provides tourist information and reference materials for exploring the grounds which offered, as Mr. Sandburg would put it, some of the “universal things that are free to everybody.”

We hope the sloping pastures have you breathing a little more deeply and the rolling fields have got you feeling at one with nature. Now, the tide is coming in. We hiked at high elevations in Arizona. We indulged in clambake of Cape Cod. We watched lily pads float in Florida. We were humbled by redwoods of California. We admired bison in Wyoming. We stood where soldiers fell in Virginia. We smelled hyacinths and biscuits of North Carolina. And that’s not even the half of it. But most importantly, we heard the stories of the history, culture, wildlife, and people that make our country so great. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Government Book Talk Reaches 1 Million Views

August 27, 2018

Since its inception in late April of 2010, Government Book Talk’s mission has been to “spotlight the amazing variety of Government publications and their impact on ourselves and our world – and have fun while doing it.” Well, over one million page views (and counting) later, we have done just that.

Over the past eight years, Government Book Talk has featured over 438 new and popular Federal publications covering current events and topics that affect the lives of all Americans, from military history, to smart health tips on improving one’s diet, to important news and guidance on issues affecting our daily lives such as personal finances, education, and much more.

According to our page views, here is a list of the top 20 subjects highlighting publications featured in Government Book Talk:

Hawks vs. Doves: The Joint Chiefs and the Cuban Missile Crisis (31,176)
Quiz and History for Bill of Rights Day December 15 (28,316)
Radio 101: Operating Two-Way Radios Every Day and in Emergencies (25,616)
Gettysburg: America’s Bloodiest Battle (19,221)
Tracking “Big Red One”: NORAD’s Secret Santa Mission (18,122)
The Underground Railroad Leaves its Tracks in History (16,199)
Arming the Fleet: The Compelling Story of a Secret Naval Base in the Desert (16,044)
The U.S. Military Storms to the Rescue in Foreign Disaster Relief (14,446)
Reagan, Intelligence, and the End of the Cold War (11,318)
The History of eBooks from 1930’s “Readies” to Today’s GPO eBook Services (9,783)
A Plum Book of Political Positions (9,288)
Going “GAGAS” for the GAO Yellow Book (8,168)
Go-to-Guide on Hazardous Materials for First Responders (7,560)
Code Talkers: How American Indians Have Helped Fight Wars (7,129)
Fun With the GPO Style Manual (6,675)
The All-in-One Guide to All Federal Assistance Programs (5,875)
Quiz: Are You Smarter Than an 8^th Grade Civics Student? (5,613)
A Top Ten List of Funny Federal Titles (5,474)
The Privacy Act: What the Government Can Collect and Disclose About You (5,378)
CIA’s Word Factbook: Global Intelligence for Every Thinker, Traveler, Soldier, Spy (5,169)

Federal publications offer a wealth of knowledge to help us understand and appreciate the world we live in. And Government Book Talk is a great place to get you up to speed on the latest and greatest titles the government has to offer. You can also visit the U.S. Government Bookstore website here to find all the publications (and more) featured in Government Book Talk.

Thanks for reading our blog!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Trudy Hawkins, Senior Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | First Post, Government Printing Office (GPO) | Tagged: 1 million views, federal books, federal publications, Government Book Talk | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

New Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress eBook

August 16, 2018

Like similar volumes such as “Women in Congress” and “Hispanic Americans in Congress”, “Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress 1900-2017” continues the successful historical analysis on minority groups in the legislative branch of the Federal government. As stated in the title, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have been members of Congress dating back to the 1900s. This diversity has had a positive effect on the lawmaking system in the United States.

It took many years for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans to gain any real power in Congress, and World War II was a turning point for many people. The U.S. held hundreds of Japanese in internment camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and resentment between the two sides festered as the war raged on. This had consequences for Asian and Pacific Islanders in the Philippines and Guam, who originally were protected by the U.S., but eventually experienced the negative effects of the war. Still, some saw this as a chance to prove they belonged in the United States just as much as anyone. One of the biggest achievements for Asian and Pacific Islanders was Hawaii, which became an official U.S. State in 1959.

There are many notable Asian and Pacific Islander Americans mentioned throughout this book; Patsy Takemoto Mink, who became the first woman of color elected to Congress in 1964, and Dalip Saund the first Asian and Pacific Islander American elected to Congress with full voting rights in 1956. The book gives a comprehensive overview on the history of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress that have helped shape the country over the last century. This is especially important because this is one of the strong points in the U.S. legislative system, because American citizens value that their voices are being heard. Promoting people of all backgrounds to be a part of the law making process allows the people to feel represented.

Overall this book is extremely informative, and it was enjoyable to learn all about how Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have become such key players in the U.S. Congress.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Nicholas LaPorte is an intern in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales office.

Leave a Comment » | Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, Congress, ebooks, Minorities | Tagged: Asian, asian and pacific islander, Asian and Pacific Islander American, Minorities, pacific islander | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Psychosocial Issues for Children and Adolescents in Disasters

August 13, 2018

Hurricane season has officially started, which means severe storms can form without warning—potentially causing major devastation in their paths. In the days following a natural disaster such as a hurricane, adults and children alike find themselves thrown into chaos, confusion and heartbreak. Children are particularly vulnerable, which is why Psychosocial Issues for Children and Adolescents in Disasters advocates for increased sensitivity to the emotional vulnerability of children after such events. While presenting insightful strategies to mitigate the effects of disaster, this manual succeeds in fulfilling its purpose: expanding the understanding of the world from a child’s point of view, and the nature of their responses to natural disasters.

The publication is broken down into four categories: The World of Childhood and the Developing Child, Reactions of Children to Disasters, Helping the Child and Family and finally, Guidelines for Caregivers, Mental Health and Human Service Workers; all of which provide compelling insight in how to provide effective care.

For those of us who aren’t well-versed in child psychology, this book explores several child development theories to illustrate the importance of a successful transition into normal day-to-day life after trauma.

These fascinating theories range from the Piaget Theory – stating that the capacity to understand one’s environment increases with growth – to the Attachment Theory as developed by John Bowlby; a phenomenon revealing that children make strong affectional bonds to nurturing figures as a protective method from risk or harm. The Attachment Theory is most significant following a disastrous situation, as these events typically result in long-lasting fear and anxiety if left unaddressed.

Further still, what I have found to be most compelling is the fact that an adult’s reaction to a traumatic event plays a powerful role in a child’s recovery. Experts discovered that children’s symptoms of fear and stress dramatically decrease when adults empathize with them. This is a surefire way to establish a successful transition into well-adjusted adulthood – one where adults develop healthy coping mechanisms rather than developing behaviors that place a strain on their physical and mental health.

Let us not forget that enduring a disaster is no small feat, and the responsibility of helping children recover does not rest on parents alone. Assisting a child through the healing process – whether it be from a natural disaster or a death in the family – will have a lasting, positive effect. Use this source as your guide to being an effective support system to a child (or loved one) in need.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Aubree Driver is an intern in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales office.

Leave a Comment » | Disasters, Emergency Response, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency | Tagged: hurricane, natural disaster, severe storms, severe weather, weather | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

GPO Summer Travel Series: Historic Virginia

August 10, 2018

Hey there our tenacious tourists! How are you holding up? If this humidity hasn’t worn you out yet, come along! There are still a couple more places we want to take you in our Summer Travel Series. Don’t worry, they’re going to be super cool. Oh sorry, we mean super awesome. The heat isn’t letting up yet. We’re headed to the home of American Civil War action. It’s where Federal artillery dueled Confederate cannons, brigades formed, men hunkered down behind embankments, dismounted Confederate cavalrymen held their ground against thousands of Federals, and soldiers rescued wounded comrades. Virginia, we’re ready to experience all your history has to offer!

Our first stop is Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, located in south central Virginia between Richmond and Lynchburg. Appomattox Court House from the GPO Bookstore tells the story of Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, which led to the conclusion of the Civil War. It also details the battles fought in the days before it. The book contains essays by three eminent historians on events leading up to the Civil War and the implications of Appomattox for the post-Civil War generation. You’ll learn interesting details of the Civil War you never knew before! For example, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan’s most effective unit was a small group of clandestine horsemen who dressed up in Confederate uniforms and infiltrated Confederate lines to gain valuable information. Another fun fact? On the ride back to his headquarters from the McLean house, Ulysses S. Grant actually forgot to notify the War Department of the day’s events in the rush to finalize details of Lee’s surrender. The handbook also offers a tourist’s guide to the park and invites you to “imagine the activity of those April days when Lee’s veterans laid down their flags, stacked their weapons, and began the journey back to their homes.” All the restored and reconstructed buildings in Appomattox Court House National Historical Park are within easy walking distance and there is no established order you have to follow. So just walk around and take it all in.

Next we’re making our way to The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Fredericksburg Battlefields from the GPO Bookstore describes the Civil War battles fought in Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House and the condition of those battlefields today. Here, within 17 miles, more than 100,000 American soldiers fell in the midst of chaotic, bloody battles involving strategy and tactics beyond their understanding. Want a little taste of the chaos that ensued? Stonewall Jackson was badly wounded by the mistaken fire of his own troops. And Maj. Gen. Edward “Allegheny” Johnson used his cane as a weapon during the Battle at the Bloody Angle where hand-to-hand fighting raged for 20 hours along a curving portion of the line that came to be known as the “Bloody Angle.”

Now that was a history lesson if we’ve ever had one. Virginia might be one of our favorite stops yet. What’s been your favorite adventure so far this summer? Have you dangled your feet off a dock? Napped in a hammock? Gone for a bike ride? If not, keep living up the summer! Its suns are setting, its boardwalks are clearing and its days are fleeting. Until next time!

The Opioid Crisis Reaches Epic Proportions Across America

August 8, 2018

Our nation faces a crisis of overdose deaths from opioids, including heroin, illicit fentanyl, and prescription opioids. These deaths represent a mere fraction of the total number of Americans harmed by opioid misuse and addiction. Many Americans now suffer daily from a chronic medical illness called “opioid addiction” or OUD. Healthcare professionals, treatment providers, and policymakers have taken on the responsibility to expand access to evidence-based, effective care for people with OUD.

The New York Times reported in 2017 “the current opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in American history. Overdoses, fueled by opioids, are the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years old — killing roughly 64,000 people last year, more than guns or car accidents, and doing so at a pace faster than the HIV epidemic did at its peak”.

The Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series fulfills The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) mission by providing science based best-practice guidance to the behavioral health field. TIPs reflect careful consideration of all relevant clinical and health service research, demonstrated experience, and implementation requirements.

If you, family members or friends have been directly impacted by opioid use, check out the SAMHSA publication Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder from the GPO Bookstore. This publication can provide you with a comprehensive understanding of opioid use and its effect on human life.

Key information for readers includes:

Increasing opioid overdose deaths, illicit opioid use, and prescription opioid misuse constitute a public health crisis.
OUD medications reduce illicit opioid use, retain people in treatment, and reduce risk of opioid overdose death better than treatment with placebo or no medication.
Only physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants can prescribe buprenorphine for OUD. They must get a federal waiver to do so.
Only federally certified, accredited OTPs can dispense methadone to treat OUD. OTPs can administer and dispense buprenorphine without a federal waiver.

Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder is now available as a FREE eBook download from the U.S. Government Bookstore here.

This eBook is also available as a FREE download through Apple iTunes, Barnes and Noble Nook eBookstore, Google Play, EBSCOhost database, Overdrive, and ProQuest platforms. Please use ISBN: 9780160943751 to search for this ePub product format within these platforms. PDF format also available through Overdrive, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Academic Pub – please use ISBN: 9780160943775 for the PDF Format through these channels. Lastly, an XML format is available through Rittenhouse R2 Digital Library. Please search their platform with ISBN: 9780160943782.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of Health & Human Services, ebooks, Family, Health care, NIH | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

GPO Summer Travel Series: Visiting Massachusetts

August 2, 2018

Today we have a very special stop in our summer travels around America. Home to several Founding Fathers and other valiant colonists, this is where revolution began. If you listen closely enough, you can still hear Paul Revere yelling “The British are coming!” And with a little imagination, you can see the Sons of Liberty dumping tea into the harbor. Travel back to a time with cobblestone streets, restored tea ships, colonial meeting houses and gaslight streetlamps. Come on travelers, button your waistcoats and pull on your breeches. We’re heading to New England to get a little history lesson in the charming and historic state of Massachusetts!

Not many U.S. cities can trace their origins as far back as Boston, the capital of Massachusetts. While other cities built over their historic structures, Bostonians preserved buildings from which the very essence of the American Revolution emanates, even to this day. Boston and the American Revolution from the GPO Bookstore describes Boston at the time of the American Revolution. It includes sections on Boston artists and artisans, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, and historic sites in Boston. Like to be efficient in your travels? Lace up your walking shoes for a 2.5-mile stroll on the Freedom Trail®, which guides its followers to 16 different nationally significant historical sites via a red brick path. You’ll be led to Boston Common, Old Corner Book Store, Bunker Hill Monument and many other authentic sites along the way. Included on the trail is the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, also known as “Old Ironsides”, at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard. Want to know more about this shipyard? Charlestown Navy Yard from the GPO Bookstore tells the story of the 175-year history of Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, the evolution of shipbuilding technology, the vessels it built and repaired, and the workers who made them seaworthy.

If you’re interested in seaports (or the finer things in life), head northeast a bit to Salem, Massachusetts, which was the leader in the Far Eastern luxuries trade in its prime. Salem: Maritime Salem in the Age of Sail provides a history of the port’s seafaring era in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries and a guide to the sites of Salem. The handbook describes the goods that fueled the trade, including tea, West Indies molasses and sugar, Arabian coffee, European cheese and cloth, and fine silks from China. The historic buildings, wharves, and reconstructed tall ship at Salem Maritime tell the stories of the sailors, Revolutionary War privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of the Far East to America.

While there is no single birthplace of industry, Lowell, Massachusetts, a textile mill city, was one of the very first American cities with innovative textile technology and an urban working class, including young women, marking the beginning of a new American life. Lowell: The Story of an Industrial City tells the story of America’s first large-scale planned industrial community. In the handbook you’ll find paintings, maps, drawings and black and white photographs of the city that transformed America with its mechanized manufacturing. When visiting, check out one of Lowell’s most moving monuments, a group of 20 bronze bricks laid in the sidewalk that leads to Boott Mills, which was a part of the group of cotton mills built in 1835 alongside a power canal system.

We hope you learned a lot and had some fun while at it in the great state of Massachusetts. The best is yet to come! Stay tuned for more adventure in GPO’s Summer Travel Series.

Government Book Talk

GPO Summer Travel Series: The Carolina Countryside

Government Book Talk Reaches 1 Million Views

New Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress eBook

Psychosocial Issues for Children and Adolescents in Disasters

GPO Summer Travel Series: Historic Virginia

The Opioid Crisis Reaches Epic Proportions Across America

GPO Summer Travel Series: Visiting Massachusetts

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