User-Centric Design

Designing applications can be a challenge for many designers. The user can play a crucial role in the development process by including them in the different development phases. The user can provide information on what is critical for the application and where user-centric design begins.

Discourse of the Inquisitive

From the basic building blocks of writing to directive feedback, from academic discourse to creative art forms, and from military students to adult learners, the anthology is filled with tips, tricks, and strategies to improve communication skills inside the classroom and out.

Brought to Light: The Mysterious George Washington Masonic Cave

Purchase in greyscale | Purchase in color by Jason Williams MD  The George Washington Masonic Cave near Charles Town, West Virginia, contains a signature carving of George Washington dated 1748. Although this inscription appears authentic, it has yet to be verified by historical accounts or scientific inquiry. Like all great legends, there is probably a… Continue reading Brought to Light: The Mysterious George Washington Masonic Cave

The Forgotten Army: The American Eighth Army in the Southern Philippines 1945

by Robert M. Young Purchase History has produced many famous armies. It has also produced several that few knew even existed. The American Eighth Army of World War II is one such force. They existed for only about 8 months yet saw action throughout the Southwest Pacific, specifically in the Philippines. Under the command of… Continue reading The Forgotten Army: The American Eighth Army in the Southern Philippines 1945

The Garden at Rose Brake: Garden Writings of Danske Dandridge

Collected and Introduced by Justin McHenry Purchase Caroline “Danske” Dandridge (1854-1914) was a prominent West Virginian poet and historian of her generation. In numerous articles published in the leading gardening magazines of the time, Dandridge brought readers to her country estate on the outskirts of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. A place she called Rose Brake. The Garden… Continue reading The Garden at Rose Brake: Garden Writings of Danske Dandridge

Beat the Drum Ecclesiastic: Gilbert Sheldon and the Settlement of Anglican Orthodoxy

by Heather D. Thornton Purchase Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury (1663-77) was at the helm during the time the Church of England sought to remake and redefine itself in the aftermath of not only the Civil Wars, Interregnum, but the Restoration Settlement as well. He aided in the preservation of a remnant of the Church… Continue reading Beat the Drum Ecclesiastic: Gilbert Sheldon and the Settlement of Anglican Orthodoxy

Andy Gordon

by Horatio Alger, introduction by Dr. Wallace Boston Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night. But… Continue reading Andy Gordon

The Hope for Perfect People Leaders: Positive Psychology Education to Lead our Future Health, Happiness and Success

by Dr. Lisa Miller Purchase The Hope for Perfect People Leaders provides a visionary strategic plan to educate and empower our future generations as luminaries of positive psychology. Leaders learn to dedicate themselves to the hope for higher humanism, while also producing prosperity through local and global altruistic reciprocity. Readers will find a multidisciplinary collaboration… Continue reading The Hope for Perfect People Leaders: Positive Psychology Education to Lead our Future Health, Happiness and Success

Jack’s Ward; or, The Boy Guardian

by Horatio Alger Jr., Introduction by Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr.  Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night.… Continue reading Jack’s Ward; or, The Boy Guardian

Phil the Fiddler: The Story of a Young Street-Musician

by Horatio Alger Jr., Introduction by Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr.  Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night.… Continue reading Phil the Fiddler: The Story of a Young Street-Musician

The Tin Box and What it Contained

by Horatio Alger Jr., Introduction by Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr.  Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night.… Continue reading The Tin Box and What it Contained

Brave and Bold, or, The Fortunes of Robert Rushton

by Horatio Alger Jr., Introduction by Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr.  Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night.… Continue reading Brave and Bold, or, The Fortunes of Robert Rushton

Bound to Rise, or, Up the Ladder

by Horatio Alger Jr., Introduction by Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr.  Purchase The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on. Alger’s tales created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night.… Continue reading Bound to Rise, or, Up the Ladder

Why Thirty-Three?: Searching for Masonic Origins

by S. Brent Morris, PhD, Introduction by Wallace E. Boston, Jr. Purchase The papers presented here represent over twenty-five years of publications by S. Brent Morris. They explore his many questions about Freemasonry, usually dealing with origins of the Craft. What “high degrees” were in the United States before 1830? What were the activities in… Continue reading Why Thirty-Three?: Searching for Masonic Origins

Dialogue in the Greco-Roman World

by Leslie Kelly, Ph.D. Purchase through Amazon  This short book is designed to introduce students of ancient history to the genre known as “the dialogue.” This literary form went through periods of popularity and decline in ancient Greece and Rome but it was present from the classical period through late antiquity and carried over into… Continue reading Dialogue in the Greco-Roman World

Issues in Maritime Cyber Security

Editors: Dr. Joe DiRenzo III, Dr. Nicole K. Drumhiller, Dr. Fred S. Roberts


The world relies on maritime commerce to move exceptionally large portions of goods, services, and people. Collectively this effort comprises the Maritime Transportation System or MTS. A major component of this daunting multifaceted enterprise are cyber networks, and the infrastructure they control. From the complex programs managing the loading and unloading of containers to waiting trucks, to the global navigation systems onboard vessels, to the hydraulic valves designed to protect spills into waterways that are located and controlled by cyber systems within chemical, water/wastewater, or petroleum plants, the MTS is becoming increasingly automated.

The impact of the cyber element on the international MTS is significant. Yet, with the clear advantages this brings, come vulnerabilities, and challenges. Researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to remotely take control of a vessel by spoofing its GPS. The news has reported attacks that shut down a floating oil rig by tilting it. The electronic positioning software systems on ships are vulnerable to attacks that could modify les and charts, causing potential for serious damage. The complexity of the problem of making our MTS safe from cyber attack is daunting and the need for all stakeholders in both government (at all levels) and private industry to be involved in cyber security is more significant than ever as the use of the MTS continues to grow.

While there is literature about the maritime transportation system, and about cyber security, to date there is very little literature on this converging area. This pioneering book is beneficial to a variety of audiences, as a text book in courses looking at risk analysis, national security, cyber threats, or

maritime policy; as a source of research problems ranging from the technical area to policy; and for practitioners in government and the private sector interested in a clear explanation of the array of cyber risks and potential cyber-defense issues impacting the maritime community.

About the Editors: Dr. Joe DiRenzo III is a retired Coast Guard Officer. Dr. Nicole K. Drumhiller is the Program Director of Intelligence Studies at American Military University. Dr. Fred S. Roberts is Director of the Department of Homeland Security University Center of Excellence CCICADA, based at Rutgers University.

Pacific Hurtgen: The American Army in Northern Luzon, 1945

by Robert M. Young Purchase through Amazon  Too often in war many of its campaigns are forgotten. One such forgotten campaign occurred in the Philippines during the last year of World War II. American Army units fought a bitter battle against dug-in, fanatical Japanese soldiers on the Philippine island of Luzon. It was a campaign… Continue reading Pacific Hurtgen: The American Army in Northern Luzon, 1945

Collaborating Through Virtual Communities Using Cloud Technology

by Diane Stottlemyer Purchase through Amazon  Collaboration and communication are both essential for successful interaction and participation in virtual communities. In this book, there are discussions of how a virtual community can be an essential communication tool to enhance traditional and online schools. In addition, the virtual community can provide information on the importance of… Continue reading Collaborating Through Virtual Communities Using Cloud Technology

Contracting, Logistics, Reverse Logistics: The Project, Program and Portfolio Approach

by Dr. Robert Lee Gordon Purchase through Amazon  Contracting, logistics, and reverse logistics are intertwined with the project management, program management, and portfolio management disciplines. In recent years, organizations have started to offer certifications into the strategic areas of program and portfolios. Contracting, logistics, and reverse logistics are strategic opportunities for companies. For this reason,… Continue reading Contracting, Logistics, Reverse Logistics: The Project, Program and Portfolio Approach

Social Media Writing Lesson Plans for YouTube, Facebook, NaNoWriMo, CreateSpace: Bonus Intro to Blogger

by Dr. Erik Bean and Emily Waszak Purchase through Amazon   Your students are already using social networks. Why not take their lessons to where they spend much time? Social Media Writing Lesson Plans published by Westphalia Press imprint of the Policy Studies Organization, Washington, D.C. is geared towards secondary and higher education English and composition teachers… Continue reading Social Media Writing Lesson Plans for YouTube, Facebook, NaNoWriMo, CreateSpace: Bonus Intro to Blogger

Rigorous Grading Using Microsoft Word AutoCorrect: Plus Google Docs

by Erik Bean Ed.D. Purchase through Amazon  |  Purchase on CreateSpace This is the Word AutoCorrect booklet you’ve been wanting! It’s the 21st century and teaching and technology have combined for a better student and faculty experience. Whether you’re a full-time professor, adjunct instructor for a dozen schools or one, Rigorous Grading Using Microsoft Word AutoCorrect: Plus… Continue reading Rigorous Grading Using Microsoft Word AutoCorrect: Plus Google Docs

Misunderstood Children

Purchase through Amazon  |  Purchase on CreateSpace by Elizabeth Harrison Elizabeth Harrison (1849-1927) founded the National Louis University in Chicago, originally meeting in the Art Institute. She was a friend of Maria Montessori, with whom she spent time in Rome in 1912-13, and of Jane Addams, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and social reformer, and… Continue reading Misunderstood Children

Opportunity and Horatio Alger: Horatio Alger’s Mark Mason’s Triumph

Purchase through Amazon   Edited and Introduced by Wallace Boston Horatio Alger created youthful heroes whose persistence and pluck triumphed over enormous odds, often having to educate themselves by a flickering candle and late at night. Readers could identify with the challenges of self-education in a society where only a few had advantages.  Mark Mason… Continue reading Opportunity and Horatio Alger: Horatio Alger’s Mark Mason’s Triumph

Careers in the Face of Challenge: Horatio Alger’s Telegraph Boy

Purchase through Amazon  |  Download FREE Kindle version   Edited and Introduced by Wallace Boston The young Horatio Alger heroes often sold newspapers or delivered telegrams, a reminder of how technology has moved on.  But they hoped for better things and in the Alger novels their diligence and hard work won the day and they ended… Continue reading Careers in the Face of Challenge: Horatio Alger’s Telegraph Boy

Paddle Your Own Canoe

Purchase through Amazon   Edited and Introduced by Wallace Boston The protagonists in Horatio Alger stories are often, if one may play on a metaphor, up a creek without a paddle.  In this celebrated Alger novel, the young hero is comfortably ensconced at the Essex Classical Institute until misfortune makes his expensive education impossible. If the… Continue reading Paddle Your Own Canoe

The Idea of the Digital University

Purchase through Amazon   By Frank McClusky & Melanie Winter It is widely believed that college is not what it used to be. Politicians are calling for a full-scale overhaul of higher education. The public is losing its confidence in higher education. It is argued that American higher education is in crisis. The authors, who together… Continue reading The Idea of the Digital University