The headquarters of one of the world's most powerful and secretive intelligence services can be found in Langley, Virginia, about eight miles outside of downtown Washington, D.C. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) serves a critical role in the shaping of American policies by providing foreign intelligence related to national security issues to the U.S. president and senior U.S. policy makers. The process of gathering and analyzing intelligence involves spies and satellite, foreign agents, and researchers working at the CIA's headquarters. While the threats against the United States have changed since the CIA was founded in 1947, its mission remains the same: to provide the information that will keep Americans safe. This thrilling new title takes readers on a journey through the historical corridors of the CIA. From the days of Wild Bill Donovan and the OSS to the war against terrorism, "The Central Intelligence Agency" introduces some of the CIA's key players and reveals how intelligence has been a critical component in America's foreign policy.

"A Brief History of Central America, Second Edition" explores the history of the Central American isthmus from the pre-Columbian cultures to the contemporary nations that make up the region today: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. This second edition brings the history of the region up to date with new developments, including recent elections, the continued struggle with the aftermath of the civil wars, and the impact of the free trade agreement signed with the United States in 2003/2004.

This book, addressed primarily to students and researchers in semantics, cognitive linguistics, English, and Australian languages, is a comparative study of the polysemy patterns displayed by percussion/impact ('hitting') verbs in English and Warlpiri (Pama-Nyungan, Central Australia).