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Great Clarity
by Fabrizio PregadioThis is the first book to examine extensively the religious aspects of Chinese alchemy. Its main focus is the relation of alchemy to the Daoist traditions of the early medieval period (third to sixth centuries). It shows how alchemy contributed to and was tightly integrated into the elaborate body of doctrines and practices that Daoists built at that time, from which Daoism as we know it today evolved. The book also clarifies the origins of Chinese alchemy and the respective roles of alchemy and meditation in self-cultivation practices. It contains full translations of three important medieval texts, all of them accompanied by running commentaries, making available for the first time in English the gist of the early Chinese alchemical corpus.
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky
by Josh GalarzaPerfect for fans of Mark Oshiro and Adam Silvera comes a fiercely funny and hopeful story of one boy's attempts to keep everything under control while life has other plans.Ever since cancer invaded his adoptive mother’s life, Brett feels like he’s losing everything, most of all control. To cope, Brett fuels all of his anxieties into epic fantasies, including his intergalactic Kid Condor comic book series, which features food constellations and characters not unlike those in his own life.But lately Brett’s grip on reality has started to lose its hold. The fictions he’s been telling himself – about his unattractive body, the feeling that he’s a burden to his best friend, that he’s too messed up to be loved – have consumed him completely, and Brett will do anything to forget about the cosmic-sized hole in his chest, even if it's unhealthy.But when Brett’s journal and deepest insecurities are posted online for the whole school to see, Brett realizes he can no longer avoid the painful truths of his real-life narrative. As his eating disorder escalates, Brett must be honest with the people closest to him, including his new and fierce friend Mallory who seems to know more about Brett’s issues than he does. With their support, he just might find the courage to face the toughest reality of all.
The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth
by Barbara Mor Monica SjooThis classic exploration of the Goddess through time and throughout the world draws on religious, cultural, and archaeological sources to recreate the Goddess religion that is humanity's heritage. Now, with a new introduction and full-color artwork, this passionate and important text shows even more clearly that the religion of the Goddess--which is tied to the cycles of women's bodies, the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the fertility of the earth--was the original religion of all humanity.
The Great Death
by John SmelcerThe Great Death arrived with the man from downriver, the one who came with the light-colored strangers and had little red spots covering his body. Thirteen-year-old Millie and her younger sister, Maura, are fascinated by the guests, but soon sickness takes over their village. As they watch the people they know and love die, the sisters remain unaffected and begin to realize that they will have to find a new home. Alone in the cold Alaskan winter of 1917, struggling to overcome the obstacles nature throws their way, the girls discover that their true strength lies in their love for each other. John Smelcer's spare and beautiful prose shapes the sisters' story with tenderness and skill, presenting a powerful tale of determination, survival, and family.
The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality
by Angus DeatonA Nobel Prize–winning economist tells the remarkable story of how the world has grown healthier, wealthier, but also more unequal over the past two and half centuriesThe world is a better place than it used to be. People are healthier, wealthier, and live longer. Yet the escapes from destitution by so many has left gaping inequalities between people and nations. In The Great Escape, Nobel Prize–winning economist Angus Deaton—one of the foremost experts on economic development and on poverty—tells the remarkable story of how, beginning 250 years ago, some parts of the world experienced sustained progress, opening up gaps and setting the stage for today's disproportionately unequal world. Deaton takes an in-depth look at the historical and ongoing patterns behind the health and wealth of nations, and addresses what needs to be done to help those left behind.Deaton describes vast innovations and wrenching setbacks: the successes of antibiotics, pest control, vaccinations, and clean water on the one hand, and disastrous famines and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the other. He examines the United States, a nation that has prospered but is today experiencing slower growth and increasing inequality. He also considers how economic growth in India and China has improved the lives of more than a billion people. Deaton argues that international aid has been ineffective and even harmful. He suggests alternative efforts—including reforming incentives to drug companies and lifting trade restrictions—that will allow the developing world to bring about its own Great Escape.Demonstrating how changes in health and living standards have transformed our lives, The Great Escape is a powerful guide to addressing the well-being of all nations.
The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality (Princeton Classics #136)
by Angus DeatonA Nobel Prize–winning economist tells the remarkable story of how the world has grown healthier, wealthier, but also more unequal over the past two and half centuriesThe world is a better place than it used to be. People are healthier, wealthier, and live longer. Yet the escapes from destitution by so many has left gaping inequalities between people and nations. In The Great Escape, Nobel Prize–winning economist Angus Deaton—one of the foremost experts on economic development and on poverty—tells the remarkable story of how, beginning 250 years ago, some parts of the world experienced sustained progress, opening up gaps and setting the stage for today's disproportionately unequal world. Deaton takes an in-depth look at the historical and ongoing patterns behind the health and wealth of nations, and addresses what needs to be done to help those left behind.Deaton describes vast innovations and wrenching setbacks: the successes of antibiotics, pest control, vaccinations, and clean water on the one hand, and disastrous famines and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the other. He examines the United States, a nation that has prospered but is today experiencing slower growth and increasing inequality. He also considers how economic growth in India and China has improved the lives of more than a billion people. Deaton argues that international aid has been ineffective and even harmful. He suggests alternative efforts—including reforming incentives to drug companies and lifting trade restrictions—that will allow the developing world to bring about its own Great Escape.Demonstrating how changes in health and living standards have transformed our lives, The Great Escape is a powerful guide to addressing the well-being of all nations.
Great Expectations: Twenty-Five True Stories about Childbirth
by Dede Crane and Lisa MooreIn this moving, uniquely honest, and transformative collection of original essays, twenty-five celebrated writers share one of their most intimate and life-changing experiences: childbirth. Featuring an introduction by bestselling author and columnist Leah McLaren, Great Expectations takes the reader on an emotional and physical journey like no other: Lynn Coady relates the painful memory of her teenage pregnancy and the anguish of having to give up her newborn for adoption; Peter Behrens expresses a father’s feeling of utter helplessness and incomparable joy during the birth of his first child; Christy Ann Conlin describes pregnancy and birth at age forty; Afua Cooper reflects upon the immigrant’s experience of three pregnancies and childbirths in a new land with foreign, and evolving, customs; Anne Fleming contemplates her partner’s artificial insemination and the birth of a beautiful girl; and Jaclyn Moriarty transcribes her grandmother’s and her mother’s birth stories, along with her own, to create a tender oral history spanning three generations.
Great Expectations: Your All-In-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth (Great Expectations)
by Sandy Jones Marcie Jones BrennanHighly praised by expectant parents and childbirth educators alike, this comprehensive pregnancy reference (704 pages) is specifically designed for today’s hurried moms (and dads) for getting them through pregnancy and early baby care. Numerous navigation aides in the volume help parents to rapidly access critical information.The beautifully-illustrated, Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week section details every body change for both Mom and Baby for nine months with hundreds of timely coping tips. The Managing Your Pregnancy section includes: strategies for planning maternity leave; exercise guidelines; what to eat and what to avoid; safe and unsafe medications; and how to locate the best childcare and pediatricians. The illustrated Baby Gear Guide warns about unsafe products and offers solid, research-based facts for choosing the safest car seats, cribs, soft carriers, baby diapers and clothing. Your Guide to Giving Birth is the most up-to-date labor and birth resource available to parents today. Based on brand-new medical evidence, it helps families to realistically plan for labor and delivery, including detailed "you are there" descriptions for every major intervention and medication they’re likely to encounter -- such as epidurals, inductions and cesarean sections. You and Your Baby presents a complete guide for the first six months of life after birth. Theres mom-friendly advice for post-birth recovery, and baby-sensitive care strategies for feeding, bathing, diapering, soothing and helping a baby to sleep. The book’s Resource Guide lists over 100 of the best Internet sites for parents. The comprehensive Pregnancy Dictionary translates 200-plus pregnancy and medical terms into easy-to-understand lay language. "I have this book as well as What to Expect When Expecting, and I find this book to be so much better as it gives a week to week breakdown of what is happening to both mom and baby. I pick up this book each week as my pregnancy progresses and even though not every issue listed in each weeks summary necessarily happens to me, its good to know what I could expect. I would highly recommend this book to any expecting mom!" -- Cynthia, an expectant mother"If you are searching for one book for your pregnancy or for that one book to refer all of your expectant clients to, this book is by far the greatest achievement in childbirth education reading material! Sandy Jones and her daughter Marcie Jones have included absolutely everything an expectant woman and her family needs to know. This book should be on everyones recommended reading list"--Connie Livingston, BS, RN, FACCE (Dona), CCE, CLD, birthsource.com"Great Expectations is the perfect resource for moms-to-be. Sandy and Marcie Jones speak to the expectant mother of today in a friendly, approachable tone, and present their thorough information in a way thats great for both quick look-ups, and in-depth reading."--Stacia Ragolia, VP, Community & Parenting, iVillage.com"Accurate, comprehensive, empowering, and current. I see this as being the new Dr. Spock for pregnancy...This is definitely a book I will recommend to my clients who are planning a pregnancy or currently pregnant."--Cherie C. Binns, RN, BS, MSCN
Great Expectations: Baby's First Year (Great Expectations)
by Sandy Jones Marcie Jones Brennan Michael CrocettiExpectant mothers snapped up Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth (135,000 copies sold), and reviewers praised it for its warm, reassuring voice of expertise. This is the logical follow-up, an innovative baby book that will guide and reassure new moms and dads through every nuance of the first 12 months of life with baby. Of course, it maintains all the design elements that are the signature of the Great Expectations series and have proven so appealing: innovative graphics; clear-cut, contemporary styling; and sensitive drawings of babies as they develop month-by-month. The text, too, continues that same friendly, supportive, parent-to-parent tone of the earlier book—but now with dads playing an integral role. Inside, there’s a plethora of information on the nuts and bolts of feeding, diaper changing, and immunizations, as well as cutting-edge research on baby intelligence and development, nutrition and medical care, and insights into the dynamics of the parenting process. Checklists, bulleted sidebars, and quick-reference tables speed up the process of finding needed information. Unique tables in the extensive medical reference section will present the gamut of symptoms, so parents will have help distinguishing between common baby ailments and more serious emergencies that may require immediate attention. Includes a foreword by Dr. Michael Crocetti, Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and also an extended resource guide and parent’s dictionary.
Great Expectations: Pregnancy & Childbirth (Great Expectations)
by Marcie Jones Brennan Sandy JonesThe most empowering, informative, and reassuring pregnancy guide for moms-to-be is now thoroughly revised! This new edition of Great Expectations: Pregnancy and Childbirth still has everything moms loved about the first book, including the quick-reference format and appealing mom-to-mom voice. Prospective moms will find the most current and comprehensive week-to-week section and Internet resources, as well up-to-date advice on prenatal testing, c-sections, newborns, weight and nutrition, and pregnancy for older women. Great Expectations: Pregnancy and Childbirth gives readers the confidence they need to ask their obstetrician, midwife, or family practitioner the right questions at the right time.
The Great Fitness Experiment
by Charlotte Hilton AndersenIn The Great Fitness Experiment, a funny and informative guide through the morass of contradictory claims and information in today's health/fitness-obsessed world, Charlotte Hilton Andersen goes from gym rat to lab rat, trying a new workout each month for a year in an attempt to discover what works, what doesn't and what's just plain weird. She delves into such subjects as the Action Hero Workout, Cross Fit Training, Going Vegan, Double Cardio, and others. Interspersed between the chapters on the monthly experiments, Anderson offers personal essays on everything from her past experiences with eating disorders to testing the ugliest fitness shoes on the planet to lesson about, as she puts it "what I've learned from being a girl in our body-obsessed culture." She writes candidly about her history of anorexia, orthorexia and "general-low-self-esteem-exia" and includes anecdotes about the effects of the "health" craze on my students, friends and gym buddies.In addition, she scours the most recent research to let readers know whether drinking milk after weight lifting really does build more muscle (yep!) or if it matters whether you do cardio or weights first (nope!). She also tests some of the stuff readers have heard about and secretly wanted to try but would never embarrass themselves doing.Readers get all the entertainment and none of the carpet burns as Charlotte bends it like a ballerina, squats like a sprinter, gets hemorrhoids like an Olympian, and HOO-ah like a Navy seal. By the end readers will have new ideas about how to eat healthier, work out smarter, and hold their own in a Photo-shopped world.
GREAT FOOD TIPS
by James Milner Mónica Susana CastroThe most important food human beings must have must be all that food that is highly rich in fiber. Remember that fiber is ideal for the improvement and optimal functioning of the intestinal flora to improve the transit, the digestive system, avoiding constipation. It is essential for you to consume fiber, and to increase the intake of it, through food that contains a high source of fiber and you must have this as a basic rule when it comes to diets for a better appearance and a purely healthy life .
The Great Garden Party (Bloomers Island)
by Cynthia Wylie Courtney CarboneThe popular Bloomers Island! gardening kits and online world blossom in a playful, beautifully illustrated new book aimed at getting kids to love everything about nature.Join the Bloomers on a whimsical adventure as they attend a magical boarding school on Bloomers Island. As Pete Moss, Rosey Posey, Big Red, Violet, and their friends prepare for the Great Garden Party, they learn about gardening, healthy eating, and caring for the environment. The treehouse school is held by the arms of Mr. Banyan, a tree about to celebrate his 200th birthday. His birthday party is filled with fun games that teach the curious students that gardening is not at all boring or hard—that it’s actually really fun!
Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats: Cut Out the Gluten and Enjoy an Even Healthier Vegan Diet with Recipes for Fabulous, Allergy-Free Fare
by Allyson KramerA Vegetarian Times Top 5 Cookbook of the Year: “Being a gluten-free vegan just got a whole lot better.” —Tamasin Noyes, author of American Vegan KitchenA VegNews Top 10 Vegan Cookbook of the YearFull of fresh and all-natural ingredients, the 101 fully photographed, scrumptious recipes you’ll find inside this book prove that eating vegan and gluten-free can be a delight instead of a sacrifice. From tempting appetizers to hearty mains to luscious desserts, you’ll find dishes to suit your every need and craving, including:• Cherry Vanilla Bean Pancakes • Mediterranean Croquettes • Coconut Asparagus Soup • Roasted Red Pepper & Fava Salad • Walnut Ravioli with Vodka Sauce • Rosemary, Leek & Potato Pie • Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Cheesecake • Banana Berry Cobbler • and more healthy, sustainable, compassionate, wheat-free recipes impressive enough for even the most seasoned foodie!“Filled with gorgeous photographs and mouthwatering recipes.” —Julie Hasson, author of Vegan Diner
The Great Googlini (Orca Echoes)
by Sara CassidyFilip, the ten-year-old son of Croatian immigrants, lives in a boring suburb of the big city, where he passes his time either at school or in his cozy kitchen, googling everything from dinosaurs to the Hubble Space Telescope. When his favorite uncle gets sick, Filip turns to Google for answers. Instead he receives a visit from the Great Googlini, a tiny woman in Converse sneakers who swirls out of the computer vents. She's not really a genie, she explains: "I'm more of an archivist." Her visit is a little bit of magic that lets Filip see the magic all around him. Ultimately about the things we can know and the things we can't, this is a smart, touching, funny chapter book about growing up, braving tough times and looking for answers. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Great Hair: Secrets to Looking Fabulous and Feeling Beautiful Every Day
by Nick Arrojo"In this book you will find my voice, my vision, and all of the advice I willingly and happily share with anyone who seeks me out, sits in my chair, and asks me for help. I hope it inspires you to be confident and beautiful; sexy and happy!" – Nick ArrojoNick Arrojo is known nationwide for his ability to give women hairstyles that bring out their individual beauty. Every week millions of "What Not to Wear" viewers see him transform women's outdated styles or unflattering cuts into fresh and contemporary looks. Most importantly, he helps them to realize their true beauty potential. He not only changes their hairstyles but changes the way they felt about themselves.In GREAT HAIR, Nick Arrojo reveals his styling secrets so that women can better understand their hair type, assess what hair styles will work best for their hair, face shape, and lifestyle, and get a terrific new look. GREAT HAIR provides a complete education about hair including: Identifying your hair type and how that impacts cut, color, and styles - including ethnic hairUnderstanding products and how to use them to their best advantageA style guide with complete instructions on everything from blowouts to updos.Guidelines on choosing a flattering hair color that will enhance, not overpowerDispelling myths and outdated ideas about hair careFeaturing before and after shots of real women (not models) GREAT HAIR shows how any woman can find a style that will make her feel and look terrific. Following Nick Arrojo's advice in GREAT HAIR means no more bad hair days!
Great Hair Days: & How to Have Them
by Luke Hersheson'Luke is someone I trust implicitly with my hair.' Victoria Beckham'From the moment Luke Hersheson cut off my long locks ... I finally began to undersand my own hair ... My friend Lauren Laverne began to call Hershesons "The Happy Place".' Sali Hughes'Full of his amazing advice. Only person who could convince me to take the plunge and cut it all off.' Alice LevineWe all know the secret to happiness is a good hair day. It’s OK to take your hair seriously, because it’s more than just hair – it’s about confidence, it’s about self-expression, it’s all about feeling good in your own skin. This book will show you how.Practical, inspirational, products tested, myths-busted, all occasions covered. This book offers all the expert styling advice and hair dos and don’ts you will ever need from acclaimed fashion and A-list hairstylist Luke Hersheson, the man behind the iconic cuts and styles seen on runways for Missoni and Armani, in the pages of Vogue and i-D and worn by Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Emma Watson and Claudia Schiffer, among others.Foreword by beauty journalist Sali Hughes, bestselling author of Pretty Honest and Pretty Iconic. Chapters include:What’s Your Hair Type?It All Starts with a Good HaircutWhat You Need, What You Don’tYour Hair RoutineRules are There to Be BrokenHair at All AgesHair Goals Five Looks That Always WorkHair WoesGreat Hair From The Inside OutHair and Clothes, Hair Icons, Special Occasion Hair AND MORE!
The Great Healthy Slow Cooker Book
by Bruce Weinstein Mark ScarbroughThink your slow cooker is only good for hearty stews and soups? Think again, with this exclusive collection of healthful recipes that show a slow cooker is the healthy cook's secret weapon.From the authors of The Great American Slow Cooker Book, here are 32 all-new good-for-you recipes that help you cut down on fat, calories, and commercial additives while enhancing the naturally delicious flavors of great ingredients. Best of all, each recipe is scaled for every size of slow cooker made today, from small 3-quarts to large 8-quarts for crowds. This collection includes:* Breakfast: Quinoa and Millet Porridge with Dried Apricots; Oat, Barley, and Date Porridge; Cinnamon Pear Sauce; Tortilla Strata with Artichokes and Goat Cheese* Meat and Poultry: Ground Beef, Rice, and Tomato Casserole; Barbecued Flank Steak with Sweet Potatoes; Beef Shanks with Barley and Mushrooms; Pork Chops with Pears and Leeks; Lamb Casserole with Garlic and Rosemary; Chicken Barley Risotto; Chicken with Walnuts and Pomegranate; Chicken Drumsticks with Ginger and Star Anise; Chicken, Bean, and Beer Chili; Turkey and Wild Rice-Stuffed Peppers* Fish and Shellfish: Salmon Roasted with Green Olives, Lemon, and Tarragon; Thick Fish Fillets with Parsnips and Garlic; Steamed Whole Fish in Ginger Broth; Barramundi with Caponata and Rosé Wine; Scallops with Apples and White Wine; Mussels in a Carrot Ginger Sauce* Vegetable Soups and Vegetable Mains: Zucchini Soup with Corn and Coriander; Carrot Soup with Garlic and Nutmeg; Triple-Ginger Red Lentil Soup; Wheatberry and Brussels Sprouts Soup; Tofu and Shallots; Curried Spinach with Cheese; Quinoa Pilaf with Bell Peppers and Chickpeas; White Beans with Green Chiles and Tomatillos* Desserts: Applesauce Brownie Cake; Fig and Honey Clafouti; Stewed Apples; Coconut and Pistachio Rice PuddingEating well every day just got a lot easier. Put your slow cooker in charge, and enjoy this collection of healthy and easy dishes.
The Great Hibernation
by Tara DairmanWhat would happen if every grown-up in town fell asleep and the kids were left in charge? A great pick for fans of A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff and Greenglass House by Kate Milford or any reader seeking a quirky mystery with a big helping of silliness. The most important tradition in tiny St. Polonius is the annual Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver. Each citizen over twelve must eat one bite of liver to prevent the recurrence of the Great Hibernation, when the town founders fell asleep for months. This year is Jean Huddy’s first time to taste the liver. It doesn’t go well. A few hours later, all the adults fall into a sleep from which they cannot be woken, and the kids are left to run things. At first, they have a blast. But then the town bullies take over the mayor’s office and the police force, and pretty soon Jean begins to suspect that this “hibernation” was actually engineered by someone in town. Courage, teamwork, and scientific smarts unlock an unusual mystery in this delightful and funny story about one girl who inspires the kids around her to join together to save their home. “Definitely will not induce drowsiness. Utterly original.” —Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday and the Cold Cereal Saga “Imagine Lord of the Flies as a comedy set in snowy terrain and you have The Great Hibernation: a hilarious, whip-smart page-turner you don’t want to miss.” —Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times bestselling author of Book Scavenger and The Unbreakable Code
The Great Influenza: The True Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History (Young Readers Edition)
by John M. BarryThe strongest weapon against pandemic is the truth. Read why in the definitive account of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic, adapted for young readers from the #1 New York Times bestseller.At the height of World War I, history&’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, and then exploded worldwide, killing as many as 100 million people. It killed more in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. It killed many more people than COVID-19, especially those who were young and otherwise healthy.This book, adapted from the #1 New York Times bestseller first published in 2004, shows young readers how this global tragedy came to pass; how science, war, and public policy collided; and how we might be able to prevent it from happening again. Impeccably researched and engrossingly told, The Great Influenza provides young readers with historical and scientific context for epidemics that remains all too relevant today.
The Great Inoculator: The Untold Story of Daniel Sutton and his Medical Revolution
by Gavin WeightmanSmallpox was the scourge of the eighteenth century: it showed no mercy, almost wiping out whole societies. Young and old, poor and royalty were equally at risk – unless they had survived a previous attack. Daniel Sutton, a young surgeon from Suffolk, used this knowledge to pioneer a simple and effective inoculation method to counter the disease. His technique paved the way for Edward Jenner&’s discovery of vaccination – but, while Jenner is revered, Sutton has been vilified for not widely revealing his methods until later in life. Gavin Weightman reclaims Sutton&’s importance, showing how the clinician&’s practical and observational discoveries advanced understanding of the nature of disease. Weightman explores Sutton&’s personal and professional development, and the wider world of eighteenth-century health in which he practised inoculation. Sutton&’s brilliant and exacting mind had a significant impact on medicine – the effects of which can still be seen today.
The Great Intent: Acupuncture Odes, Songs and Rhymes
by Harriet E Lewars Richard BertschingerSongs and rhymes have been used by physicians for centuries in China as a means of memorising and passing on methods of practice and behaviour, moral attitudes, effective points, diagnostic tips and rules of thumb. These newly translated poems offer a rich insight into the life and thought of these skilled doctors, as well as practical indications for treatment. Contemporary acupuncturists can see from these poems the depths of the tradition, better understand a breadth of diagnostic skills and treatment planning, and as a result greatly improve their appreciation of intent within their own practice. The poems also serve as a gentle introduction to the philosophy behind acupuncture practice. This is the first translation of these acupuncture odes, songs and rhymes from the Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion compiled by the Chinese physician Yang Jizhou during late Ming China. The book includes a comprehensive introduction that places the work in historical, cultural, and medical context, a symptom index, a point index glossary and a list of helpful points for common signs and symptoms encountered in acupuncture and physiotherapy clinics.
The Great Jeff
by Tony Abbott<P><P> Perfect for fans of Gary D. Schmidt comes the companion to the modern classic Firegirl from acclaimed writer Tony Abbott. Life hasn't been great for Jeff Hicks. <P><P>After years at his beloved St. Catherine's, he's forced to spend eighth grade in the public middle school, which he hates. He's no longer speaking to his former best friend, Tom Bender, because of "that burned girl" Jessica Feeney. <P><P>But worst of all, his family is changing, and it's not for the better. <P><P>When his mom comes home announcing that she's lost her job, Jeff begins to worry about things far beyond his years: How will they pay the rent? Will his absentee dad step up and save the day? Is his mom drinking too much? And ultimately, where will they live? <P><P>The Great Jeff is a powerful look at the life of a troubled boy who finds his life spiraling out of control.