Central / national / federal government policies Books
Basic Books Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of
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£22.50
PublicAffairs Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire
Book SynopsisA renowned Harvard professor debunks prevailing orthodoxy with a new intellectual foundation and a practical pathway forward for a system that has lost its moral and ethical foundation.Free market capitalism is one of humanity''s greatest inventions and the greatest source of prosperity the world has ever seen. But this success has been costly. Capitalism is on the verge of destroying the planet and destabilizing society as wealth rushes to the top. The time for action is running short.Rebecca Henderson''s rigorous research in economics, psychology, and organizational behavior, as well as her many years of work with companies around the world, give us a path forward. She debunks the worldview that the only purpose of business is to make money and maximize shareholder value. She shows that we have failed to reimagine capitalism so that it is not only an engine of prosperity but also a system that is in harmony with environmental realities, the striving for social justice, and the demands of truly democratic institutions. Henderson''s deep understanding of how change takes place, combined with fascinating in-depth stories of companies that have made the first steps towards reimagining capitalism, provide inspiring insight into what capitalism can be. Together with rich discussions of important role of government and how the worlds of finance, governance, and leadership must also evolve, Henderson provides the pragmatic foundation for navigating a world faced with unprecedented challenge, but also with extraordinary opportunity for those who can get it right.
£16.14
PublicAffairs Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire
Book Synopsis
£22.40
PublicAffairs No Choice: The Destruction of Roe V. Wade and the
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£23.20
Center Street Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom
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£23.20
Black Rose Books Anger and Angst: Jason Kenney's Legacy and
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£74.01
Paragon House Publishers Abusing Donor Intent: The Robertson Family's Epic
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£18.95
Paragon House Publishers Rethinking the Oceans: Towards the Blue Economy
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£23.70
Paragon House Publishers Rethinking the Oceans: Towards the Blue Economy
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£18.95
University of Massachusetts Press The Great Society and the High Tide of Liberalism
Book SynopsisThe long era of liberal reform that began with the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century and continued with the New Deal, culminated in the 1960s with Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Inspired by the example of his mentor, Franklin Roosevelt, Johnson sought to extend the agenda of the New Deal beyond the realm of economic security to civil rights, housing, education, and health care. In the end, however, his bold ambitions for a Great Society, initiated against the backdrop of an increasingly costly and divisive war, fueled a conservative backlash and undermined faith in liberalism itself. In this volume of original essays, a distinguished group of scholars and activists reassess the mixed legacy of this third major reform period of the last century. They examine not only the policies and programs that were part of LBJ's Great Society, but also the underlying ideological and political shifts that changed the nature of liberalism. Some of the essays focus on Lyndon Johnson himself and the institution of the modern presidency, others on specific reform measures, and still others on the impact of these initiatives in the decades that followed. Perspectives, methodologies, and conclusions differ, yet all of the contributors agree that the Great Society represented an important chapter in the story of the American republic and its ongoing struggle to reconcile the power of the state with the rights of individuals-a struggle that has continued into the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewYou can't understand American politics today without understanding the 1960s, and you can't really understand the 60's without reading this collection of first-rate essays by some of the nation's most thoughtful observers of modern America. - Steve Gillon, author of Boomer Nation: The Largest and Richest Generation Ever and How It Changed America
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Building America
Book SynopsisA look to the revival of public-spirited work as a key to the rebirth of democracyTrade Review"...a marvelous piece of work. This is a book much needed, and deeply appreciated by those of us sometimes so mired in our corners of the world that we forget how many others there are out there with us." --Deborah Meier, author of The Power of Their Ideas and director of Central Park East Schools "Harry Boyte and Nancy Kari make an invaluable contribution by reminding us that democracy is about action, solving problems, and all that is implied in 'public work.'" --David Mathews, President, Kettering Foundation "Harry Boyte and Nancy Kari have captured the words and music of Americans doing the serious work of democracy. They show us the path to restoring vitality to the American experience." --David Cohen, Co-director, Advocacy InstituteTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Meanings of Citizenship 2. The New Democracy 3. Rural Democracy 4. People's Institutions 5. Making a New Deal 6. The New Gentry and the Loss of Public S[ace 7. Citizenship Schools 8. A Nation Divided 9. Turning Our Jobs into Public Work 10. A Commonwealth of Freedom Appendix: Public Work Notes Index
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Women in 1900: Gateway to the Political Economy
Book SynopsisAn exploration of women's place in the U.S. political economyTrade Review"...mak[ing] an important contribution to our historical understanding of women's pursuits and the ways their employment was shaped by ethnicity and race, class, family composition, regional location, and work opportunities. It will be a useful addition to courses aimed at upper-division undergraduates, in graduate seminars, and for specialists."—Work and Occupations"Bose's book provides a much-needed opportunity to explore [assumptions about women's work] and to broaden our conceptual framework for examining them.... I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from Bose's analysis and her writing, and I am certain that my students will as well."—Gender and Society"Bose's detailed findings deserve the attention of scholars of women's situation, and hopefully will lead to further comparisons with contemporary analyses..."—Journal of Social HistoryTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Understanding the Past to Interpret the Present 2. Home-Based Work and the Informal Economy: The Case of the "Unemployed" Housewife 3. Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender: Determining Women's Employment 4. Occupational Concentration: The Links Between Occupational Sex and Race Segregation 5. Ethnic Enclaves and Ethnic Queues: Women and Domestic Work 6. Female-Headed Households and the "Hidden" Headship of Single Mothers: Strategies for an Era Without Government Support 7. Regional Segregation: Geography as a Context for Work 8. Epilogue Appendix: Supplementary Tables Notes References Index
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Women in 1900: Gateway to the Political Economy
Book SynopsisAn exploration of women's place in the U.S. political economyTrade Review"...mak[ing] an important contribution to our historical understanding of women's pursuits and the ways their employment was shaped by ethnicity and race, class, family composition, regional location, and work opportunities. It will be a useful addition to courses aimed at upper-division undergraduates, in graduate seminars, and for specialists."—Work and Occupations"Bose's book provides a much-needed opportunity to explore [assumptions about women's work] and to broaden our conceptual framework for examining them.... I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from Bose's analysis and her writing, and I am certain that my students will as well."—Gender and Society"Bose's detailed findings deserve the attention of scholars of women's situation, and hopefully will lead to further comparisons with contemporary analyses..."—Journal of Social HistoryTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Understanding the Past to Interpret the Present 2. Home-Based Work and the Informal Economy: The Case of the "Unemployed" Housewife 3. Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender: Determining Women's Employment 4. Occupational Concentration: The Links Between Occupational Sex and Race Segregation 5. Ethnic Enclaves and Ethnic Queues: Women and Domestic Work 6. Female-Headed Households and the "Hidden" Headship of Single Mothers: Strategies for an Era Without Government Support 7. Regional Segregation: Geography as a Context for Work 8. Epilogue Appendix: Supplementary Tables Notes References Index
£999.99
Hampton Roads Publishing Co Sacred America, Sacred World: Fulfilling Our
Book Synopsis
£13.29
Seven Stories Press,U.S. The Last Energy War: The Battle Over Utility
Book SynopsisA fast-paced, shoot-from-the-hip "people''s history," The Last Energy War is an accessible, entertaining, and infuriating narration of how the electric power business started, how it almost bankrupted the nation, and how it is now soaking the public to pay for its trillion-dollar atomic mistake.From the electric chair to Chernobyl, from Thomas Edison to Cleveland''s "boy mayor" Dennis Kucinich, this fascinating little book shows how the mega-utilities squashed solar power, how a military-utility alliance helped force atomic reactors down the public throat without a vote, and how a score of bought state legislatures have already handed corrupt utilities $200 billion in pure pork through a bogus deregulatory process.Merciless in its Robber Baron critique, The Last Energy War also builds on American heroes such as Franklin Roosevelt and George Norris to offer a blueprint for how we can take back out power supply.Relentlessly optimistic, it is the one book you must read to understand what''s really happening to you when you turn on your lights—and then get the bill.
£6.60
MIT Press Ltd Molecular Revolution in Brazil
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£17.09
MIT Press Ltd The Soul at Work: From Alienation to Autonomy
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£15.29
Autonomedia Factories of Knowledge, Industries of Creativity
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£11.69
Georgetown University Press Collaborative Public Management: New Strategies
Book SynopsisLocal governments do not stand alone - they find themselves in new relationships not only with state and federal government, but often with a widening spectrum of other public and private organizations as well. The result of this re-forming of local governments calls for new collaborations and managerial responses that occur in addition to governmental and bureaucratic processes-as-usual, bringing locally generated strategies or what the authors call "jurisdiction-based management" into play. Based on an extensive study of 237 cities within five states, "Collaborative Public Management" provides an in-depth look at how city officials work with other governments and organizations to develop their city economies and what makes these collaborations work. Exploring the more complex nature of collaboration across jurisdictions, governments, and sectors, Agranoff and McGuire illustrate how public managers address complex problems through strategic partnerships, networks, contractual relationships, alliances, committees, coalitions, consortia, and councils as they function together to meet public demands through other government agencies, nonprofit associations, for-profit entities, and many other types of nongovernmental organizations. Beyond the "how" and "why", "Collaborative Public Management" identifies the importance of different managerial approaches by breaking them down into parts and sequences, and describing the many kinds of collaborative activities and processes that allow local governments to function in new ways to address the most nettlesome public challenges.Trade ReviewLocal and regional administrators will find in Collaborative Public Management a guide to the future of public management. PubliusTable of ContentsPreface 1. Collaboration at the Core 2. Managing in an Age of Collaboration 3. Models of Collaborative Management 4. Collaborative Activity and Strategy 5. Linkages in Collaborative Management 6. Policy Design and Collaborative Management 7. Jurisdiction-Based Management 8. The Future of Public Management and the Challenge of Collaboration Appendixes A. Survey Design and Administration B. Economic Characteristics of the Sample Cities References Index
£48.00
Georgetown University Press Power, Knowledge, and Politics: Policy Analysis
Book SynopsisIf knowledge is power, then John Hird has opened the doors for anyone interested in public policymaking and policy analysis on the state level. A beginning question might be: does politics put gasoline or sugar in the tank? More specifically, in a highly partisan political environment, is nonpartisan expertise useful to policymaking? Do policy analysts play a meaningful role in decision making? Does policy expertise promote democratic decision making? Does it vest power in an unelected and unaccountable elite, or does it become co-opted by political actors and circumstances? Is it used to make substantive changes or just for window-dressing? In a unique comparative focus on state policy, Power, Knowledge, and Politics dissects the nature of the policy institutions that policymakers establish and analyzes the connection between policy research and how it is actually used in decision making. Hird probes the effects of politics and political institutions—parties, state political culture and dynamics, legislative and gubernatorial staffing, partisan think tanks, interest groups—on the nature and conduct of nonpartisan policy analysis. Through a comparative examination of institutions and testing theories of the use of policy analysis, Hird draws conclusions that are more useful than those derived from single cases. Hird examines nonpartisan policy research organizations established by and operating in U.S. state legislatures—one of the most intense of political environments—to determine whether and how nonpartisan policy research can survive in that harsh climate. By first detailing how nonpartisan policy analysis organizations came to be and what they do, and then determining what state legislators want from them, he presents a rigorous statistical analysis of those agencies in all 50 states and from a survey of 800 state legislators. This thoroughly comprehensive look at policymaking at the state level concludes that nonpartisan policy analysis institutions can play an important role—as long as they remain scrupulously nonpartisan.Trade ReviewHird has produced a book of great merit and insight. * Political Science Quarterly *Hird has made a major contribution to the fields of public policy and public administration that enhances knowledge about the significance of nonpartisan policy research organizations at the state level. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners seeking to better understand the complex policy process in American politics. * Public Integrity *This book is a valuable resource for both students and scholars interested in the complex process of policy making in the United States. It is written in a manner that makes it accessible to readers without a background in research methodology and could be utilized in both a graduate or undergraduate classroom. Power, Knowledge, and Politics is a major contribution to the field of public policy, and a good read for anyone interested in policy making in the United States. * Equal Opportunities International *Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Development and Limitations of Policy Analysis 2. Expertise and the Use of Policy Analysis 3. Policy Analysis in the State 4. Explaining Variation in Policy Research Organizations 5. Legislators and Policy Analysis 6. The Effectiveness of Nonpartisan Policy Research Organizations 7. Conclusions and Implications: The Politics of Policy Analysis Appendix: Summary of Survey Responses References Index
£151.64
Georgetown University Press Uncompromising Positions: God, Sex, and the U.S.
Book SynopsisCultural factions are an intrinsic part of the fabric of American politics. But does this mean that there is no room for compromise when groups hold radically different viewpoints on major issues? Not necessarily. For example, in a June 2003 Time/CNN poll, 49 per cent of respondents identified themselves as pro-choice and 46 per cent identified as pro-life. But in the same poll, 81 per cent indicated that abortion should be "always legal" or "sometimes legal," suggesting that "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are not discrete positions but allow room for compromise. How do legislators legislate policy conflicts that are defined in explicitly cultural terms such as abortion, gay marriage, and school prayer? American political institutions are frequently challenged by the significant conflict between those who embrace religious traditionalism and those who embrace progressive cultural norms. "Uncompromising Positions: God, Sex, and the U.S. House of Representatives" investigates the politics of that conflict as it is manifested in the proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives. Oldmixon traces the development of these two distinct cultures in contemporary American politics and discusses the decision-making and leadership tactics used by legislators to respond to this division of values. She argues that cultural conflict produces an absolutist politics that draws on religious values not amenable to compromise politics. One possible strategy to address the problem is to build bipartisan coalitions. Yet, interviews with House staffers and House members, as well as roll calls, all demonstrate that ideologically driven politicians sacrifice compromise and stability to achieve short-term political gain. Noting polls that show Americans tend to support compromise positions, Oldmixon calls on House members to put aside short-term political gain, take their direction from the example of the American public, and focus on finding viable solutions to public policy - not zealous ideology.Trade Review"Through the introduction of the idea of 'moral' or 'moralist' legislation and her examination of such legislation, Elizabeth Oldmixon offers new insight into how a legislature deals with moral issues year-in and year-out, over time and over several issues. Her book represents a signal contribution to the study of Congress and the legislative process that will be of interest to specialists as well as scholars with a special interest in the field." - Douglas Koopman, professor of political science, Calvin College "Carefully researched and well-written, this book describes why and how the U.S. House of Representatives handles social policy. Oldmixon blends scholarship on cultural politics with empirical data and personal interviews to give us a broader understanding of legislative behavior." - Matthew C. Moen, professor of political science & dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Dakota"Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction: Guns, Race, and Culture 1. Seeing and Believing in the Foreground 2. The Culture of Progressive Sexuality 3. The Culture of Religious Traditionalism 4. Choosing Folkways 5. Managing Morality 6. Cultural Scuffles and Capitol Hill Appendix A: Elite Interview Information Appendix B: Variable Specification, Coding, and Description Notes Bibliography Index
£31.96
Georgetown University Press Uncompromising Positions: God, Sex, and the U.S.
Book SynopsisCultural factions are an intrinsic part of the fabric of American politics. But does this mean that there is no room for compromise when groups hold radically different viewpoints on major issues? Not necessarily. For example, in a June 2003 Time/CNN poll, 49% of respondents identified themselves as pro-choice and 46% identified as pro-life. But in the same poll, 81% indicated that abortion should be "always legal" or "sometimes legal," suggesting that "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are not discrete positions but allow room for compromise. How do legislators legislate policy conflicts that are defined in explicitly cultural terms such as abortion, gay marriage, and school prayer? American political institutions are frequently challenged by the significant conflict between those who embrace religious traditionalism and those who embrace progressive cultural norms. Uncompromising Positions: God, Sex, and the U.S. House of Representatives investigates the politics of that conflict as it is manifested in the proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives. Oldmixon traces the development of these two distinct cultures in contemporary American politics and discusses the decision-making and leadership tactics used by legislators to respond to this division of values. She argues that cultural conflict produces an absolutist politics that draws on religious values not amenable to compromise politics. One possible strategy to address the problem is to build bipartisan coalitions. Yet, interviews with House staffers and House members, as well as roll calls, all demonstrate that ideologically driven politicians sacrifice compromise and stability to achieve short-term political gain. Noting polls that show Americans tend to support compromise positions, Oldmixon calls on House members to put aside short-term political gain, take their direction from the example of the American public, and focus on finding viable solutions to public policy—not zealous ideology.Trade Review[Oldmixon’s] time on Capitol Hill working for members from both political parties gave her a window into the legislative process and access to members of Congress that made this insightful book possible. Uncompromising Positions is an important read for those seeking to integrate their religious values and worldviews with the political process. * Books & Culture *What makes this book so rich . . . is the inclusion of personal interviews with House members and their staff…Oldmixon has authored an important book. * Perspectives on Politics *[Oldmixon’s] theoretical framework is useful to students and scholars of Congress as we try to make sense of that institution’s work. * Political Science Quarterly *Uncompromising Positions takes a step beyond the general approach to contemporary American politics . . . very highly recommended to all students of the political sciences and American debate. * Library Bookwatch *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction: Guns, Race, and Culture 1. Seeing and Believing in the Foreground 2. The Culture of Progressive Sexuality 3. The Culture of Religious Traditionalism 4. Choosing Folkways 5. Managing Morality 6. Cultural Scuffles and Capitol Hill Appendix A: Elite Interview Information Appendix B: Variable Specification, Coding, and Description Notes Bibliography Index
£80.00
Georgetown University Press Faith, Hope, and Jobs: Welfare-to-Work in Los
Book SynopsisA front-burner issue on the public policy agenda today is the increased use of partnerships between government and nongovernmental entities, including faith-based social service organizations. In the wake of President Bush's faith-based initiative, many are still wondering about the effectiveness of these faith-based organizations in providing services to those in need, and whether they provide better outcomes than more traditional government, secular nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. In Faith, Hope, and Jobs, Stephen V. Monsma and J. Christopher Soper study the effectiveness of 17 different welfare-to-work programs in Los Angeles County—a county in which the U.S. government spends 14% of its entire welfare budget—and offer groundbreaking insight into understanding what works and what doesn't. Monsma and Soper examine client assessment of the programs, their progress in developing attitudes and resources important for finding self-supporting employment, and their experience in finding actual employment. The study reveals that the clients of the more explicitly faith-based programs did best in gaining in social capital and were highly positive in evaluating the religious components of their programs. For-profit programs tended to do the best in terms of their clients finding employment. Overall, the religiously active respondents tended to experience better outcomes than those who were not religiously active but surprisingly, the religiously active and non-active tended to do equally well in faith-based programs. Faith, Hope, and Jobs concludes with three sets of concrete recommendations for public policymakers, social service program managers, and researchers.Trade ReviewProvides valuable resources for studies of the effectiveness of faith-based programs. it also provides useful advice for policy-makers concerning how to improve the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs. Scholars of public policy and scholars of religion and politics will both benefit from the ground-breaking research presented in the book. * Politics and Religion *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Effectiveness Muddle 2. The Study 3. Client Evaluations of their Programs 4. Enabling Outcomes 5. Intermediate and Ultimate Outcomes 6. Observations and Recommendations Appendix A: The Questionnaire Survey Appendix B: The Survey Instruments Appendix C: The Faith-based/Segmented versus Faith-Based/Integrated Distinction
£144.00
Georgetown University Press Charitable Choice at Work: Evaluating Faith-Based
Book SynopsisToo often, say its critics, U.S. domestic policy is founded on ideology rather than evidence. Take "Charitable Choice": legislation enacted with the assumption that faith-based organizations can offer the best assistance to the needy at the lowest cost. The Charitable Choice provision of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act—buttressed by President Bush's Faith-Based Initiative of 2000—encouraged religious organizations, including congregations, to bid on government contracts to provide social services. But in neither year was data available to prove or disprove the effectiveness of such an approach. Charitable Choice at Work fills this gap with a comprehensive look at the evidence for and against faith-based initiatives. Sheila Suess Kennedy and Wolfgang Bielefeld review the movement's historical context along with legal analysis of constitutional concerns including privatization, federalism, and separation of church and state. Using both qualitative and, where possible, statistical data, the authors analyze the performance of job placement programs in three states with a representative range of religious, political, and demographic traits—Massachusetts, Indiana, and North Carolina. Throughout, they focus on measurable outcomes as they compare non-faith-based with faith-based organizations, nonprofits with for-profits, and the logistics of contracting before and after Charitable Choice. Among their findings: in states where such information is available, the composition of social service contractor pools has changed very little. Reflecting their varied political cultures, states have funded programs differently. Faith-based organizations have not been eager to seek government contracts, perhaps wary of additional legal restraints and reporting burdens. The authors conclude that faith-based organizations appear no more effective than secular organizations at government-funded social service provision, that there has been no dramatic change in the social welfare landscape since Charitable Choice, and that the constitutional concerns of its detractors may be valid. This empirical study penetrates the fog of the culture wars, moving past controversy over the role of religion in public life to offer pragmatic suggestions for policymakers and organizations who must decide how best to assist the needy.Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments Part I: Setting the Stage1. Introduction and Background: A New Faith in Faith2. Asking the Right Questions Part II: What We Have Learned 3. The Implementation of Charitable Choice in the States4. The Role of Faith-Based Service Providers5. The Management of Faith-Based Service Providers6. Measuring Effectiveness7. Constitutional Concerns Part III: Summing Up8. Talking Past Each Other AppendixesA: Methodology and DataB: Survey Questions ReferencesIndex
£144.00
Georgetown University Press Charitable Choice at Work: Evaluating Faith-Based
Book SynopsisToo often, say its critics, U.S. domestic policy is founded on ideology rather than evidence. Take "Charitable Choice": legislation enacted with the assumption that faith-based organizations can offer the best assistance to the needy at the lowest cost. The Charitable Choice provision of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act - buttressed by President Bush's Faith-Based Initiative of 2000 - encouraged religious organizations, including congregations, to bid on government contracts to provide social services. But in neither year was data available to prove or disprove the effectiveness of such an approach. "Charitable Choice at Work" fills this gap with a comprehensive look at the evidence for and against faith-based initiatives. Sheila Suess Kennedy and Wolfgang Bielefeld review the movement's historical context along with legal analysis of constitutional concerns including privatization, federalism, and separation of church and state. Using both qualitative and, where possible, statistical data, the authors analyze the performance of job placement programs in three states with a representative range of religious, political, and demographic traits - Massachusetts, Indiana, and North Carolina. Throughout, they focus on measurable outcomes as they compare non-faith-based with faith-based organizations, nonprofits with for-profits, and the logistics of contracting before and after Charitable Choice. Among their findings: in states where such information is available, the composition of social service contractor pools has changed very little. Reflecting their varied political cultures, states have funded programs differently. Faith-based organizations have not been eager to seek government contracts, perhaps wary of additional legal restraints and reporting burdens. The authors conclude that faith-based organizations appear no more effective than secular organizations at government-funded social service provision, that there has been no dramatic change in the social welfare landscape since Charitable Choice, and that the constitutional concerns of its detractors may be valid. This empirical study penetrates the fog of the culture wars, moving past controversy over the role of religion in public life to offer pragmatic suggestions for policymakers and organizations who must decide how best to assist the needy.Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments Part I: Setting the Stage1. Introduction and Background: A New Faith in Faith2. Asking the Right Questions Part II: What We Have Learned 3. The Implementation of Charitable Choice in the States4. The Role of Faith-Based Service Providers5. The Management of Faith-Based Service Providers6. Measuring Effectiveness7. Constitutional Concerns Part III: Summing Up8. Talking Past Each Other AppendixesA: Methodology and DataB: Survey Questions ReferencesIndex
£48.00
Georgetown University Press City–County Consolidation: Promises Made,
Book SynopsisAlthough a frequently discussed reform, campaigns to merge a major municipality and county to form a unified government fail to win voter approval eighty per cent of the time. One cause for the low success rate may be that little systematic analysis of consolidated governments has been done. In "City-County Consolidation", Suzanne Leland and Kurt Thurmaier compare nine city-county consolidations - incorporating data from 10 years before and after each consolidation - to similar cities and counties that did not consolidate. Their groundbreaking study offers valuable insight into whether consolidation meets those promises made to voters to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these governments. The book will appeal to those with an interest in urban affairs, economic development, local government management, general public administration, and scholars of policy, political science, sociology, and geography.Trade ReviewThis volume, employing a well designed and executed comparative research design, provides the reader with the effect of city-county consolidation in promoting local governmental efficiency and economic development in nine communities. A much needed volume, it is must reading for all scholars of urban government and politics and is an ideal supplementary text to be utilized in graduate courses focusing on urban affairs. -Nelson Wikstrom, professor of political science, Virginia Commonwealth University Never before has a book taken a sample of city-county consolidations, attempted to identify control pairs for comparison, delineated the promises made in the preconsolidation campaigns, and used these promises to study the extent to which those promises were met. This book will be of interest to political scientists, experts in public administration, and students of local government. -Beth Walter Honadle, professor of political science and affiliated faculty, School of Planning, University of CincinnatiTable of ContentsPreface 1. A Research Design for Evaluating Consolidation PerformanceSuzanne M. Leland and Kurt Thurmaier 2. An Assessment of the City-County Consolidation of Nashville and Davidson County, TennesseeAnthony J. Nownes, David J. Houston, and Marc Schwerdt 3. Does Consolidation Make A Difference? A Comparative Analysis of Richmond and Virginia Beach, VirginiaNicholas J. Swartz 4. What Difference Does City-County Consolidation Make? A Historical Analysis of Jacksonville and Tampa, FloridaMilan J. Dluhy 5. City-County Consolidation: A Case Study of Carson City, NevadaAnna Lukemeyer 6. "The Urge to Merge": The Consolidation of Lexington and Fayette County, KentuckyShawn Gillen 7. From Company Town to Consolidated Government: The Western-Style Consolidation of Butte and Silver Bow County, MontanaSusan Keim and Justin Marlowe 8. The Case of Lynchburg and Moore County, Tennessee, ConsolidationDeborah A. Carroll, Kristin A. Wagers, and Mary Ellen Wiggins 9. Unification Promises and Outcomes: The Case of Athens and Clarke County, GeorgiaDan Durning and Paula Sanford 10. Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Service Delivery in Local Government: The Case of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KansasSuzanne M. Leland and Curtis Wood 11. Promises Made, Promises KeptKurt Thurmaier and Suzanne M. Leland Contributors Index
£48.00
Georgetown University Press High-Stakes Reform: The Politics of Educational
Book SynopsisPerformance accountability has been the dominant trend in education policy reform since the 1970s. State and federal policies set standards for what students should learn; require students to take "high-stakes" tests to measure what they have learned; and then hold students, schools, and school districts accountable for their performance. The goal of these policies is to push public school districts to ensure that all students reach a common threshold of knowledge and skills. "High-Stakes Reform" analyzes the political processes and historical context that led to the enactment of state-level education accountability policies across the country. It also situates the education accountability movement in the broader context of public administration research, emphasizing the relationships among equity, accountability, and intergovernmental relations. The book then focuses on three in-depth case studies of policy development in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Kathryn McDermott zeroes in on the most controversial and politically charged forms of state performance accountability sanctions, including graduation tests, direct state intervention in or closing of schools, and state takeovers of school districts. Public debate casts performance accountability as either a cure for the problems of US public education or a destructive mistake. Kathryn McDermott expertly navigates both sides of the debate detailing why particular policies became popular, how the assumptions behind the policies influenced the forms they took, and what practitioners and scholars can learn from the successes and failures of education accountability policies.Trade ReviewA noble effort to advance the common understanding of the variables at play in this complicated and important conversation about the future of public education. It is also not a shot at any of the players. Through a reasoned discussion of the issues, it is an attempt to help us all move forward in a positive direction, rather than one that is detrimental to all-most notably, the children. New York Journal of Books An outstanding examination of the consequences of standards-based reform... Thorough, balances, and provocative - a worthy addition to the field. ChoiceTable of Contents1. Scrutinizing Educational Performance 2. Performance-Based Accountability 3. The Evolution of Educational Accountability 4. Education Standards and Performance Accountability, 1970-2001 5. Educational Performance Accountability in Three States 6. Education Finance and Accountability in Massachusetts: "The Grand Bargain" 7. Accountability and Equity in New Jersey: "Where Home Rule Hasn't Worked, the Legislature Must Do What Home Rule Has Not Done" 8. Incrementalism and Local Control in Connecticut: "I'm Not Out Looking for Your Keys" 9. Assessing Performance Accountability in Education 10. Lessons for Performance Measurement Research and Practice References Index
£48.00
Temple University Press,U.S. Labor of Fire: The Ontology of Labor between
Book SynopsisDistinguishes between work for money (productive labour) and work for pleasure or to release the creative spirit (living labour), and reveals a new layer of potency to the sociology and philosophy of labourTrade Review"My sense is that Gulli's work will renew once again the Marxist tradition. It is a very philosophical approach to Marx that is nonetheless centred on the concept of labour and its power of social transformation." Michael Hardt, Duke University "This is an important book for three interrelated reasons: It reminds us of why Marx still matters. It probes for what might be the promise for humanity...and it highlights the centrality of labour to human freedom, creativity, and happiness." Labour/Le Travail "The introductory chapter...features numerous cogent statements...Gulli offers a Marxist critique of political economy, and there is much value in studying the idea of productive and unproductive labor from a Marxist standpoint. In fact, I believe it is the best way to understand modern capitalism and class exploitation...In Labor of Fire, Marx is made very intriguing...Gulli's thesis that labor is a sovereign, self-determining quality unattached to the marketplace is a message that labor education students would benefit from hearing." Labor Studies Journal
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Labor of Fire: The Ontology of Labor between
Book SynopsisDistinguishes between work for money (productive labour) and work for pleasure or to release the creative spirit (living labour), and reveals a new layer of potency to the sociology and philosophy of labourTrade Review"My sense is that Gulli's work will renew once again the Marxist tradition. It is a very philosophical approach to Marx that is nonetheless centred on the concept of labour and its power of social transformation." Michael Hardt, Duke University "This is an important book for three interrelated reasons: It reminds us of why Marx still matters. It probes for what might be the promise for humanity...and it highlights the centrality of labour to human freedom, creativity, and happiness." Labour/Le Travail "The introductory chapter...features numerous cogent statements...Gulli offers a Marxist critique of political economy, and there is much value in studying the idea of productive and unproductive labor from a Marxist standpoint. In fact, I believe it is the best way to understand modern capitalism and class exploitation...In Labor of Fire, Marx is made very intriguing...Gulli's thesis that labor is a sovereign, self-determining quality unattached to the marketplace is a message that labor education students would benefit from hearing." Labor Studies Journal
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Social Logic Of Politics: Personal Networs As
Book SynopsisUsing classic theories to explain individuals' political decisions, this volume examines what influences these decisions. Supported by the research of the Columbia school of electoral sociology, this view is contrasted with rational choice theory and the Michigan school of electoral analysis. Written by a range of political scientists, this volume advances theory and method in the study of political behavior and returns the social logic of politics to the heart of political science.Trade Review"This book is very much needed and should be considered by all scholars and researchers engaged in the study of public opinion, political influence, and voting behavior. The Social Logic of Politics is a dazzling gift for all those that (still) think that politics is social. All at once, it sharpens core theoretical principles, updates the state of the art, and opens an intriguing research agenda... the book retains an overall coherence." Contemporary Sociology "Overall, this is an important collection of essays...an essential read." Perspectives on Politics "Zuckerman's book is a necessary addition to the collection of any scholar of public opinion and political participation, regardless of regional interest. The methods used throughout the articles are varied, and some are innovative...This book is a syllabus-worthy critique of the Michigan School, and should be considered by all students and scholars of political behavior." Journal of Politics "This cross-disciplinary work encouragingly demonstrates that sociological ideas have a home outside the formal bounds of the discipline...The Social Logic of Politics lays out a course for the application of sociological theory to formal political behavior." Social ForcesTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Theoretical and Methodological Context 1. Alan S. Zuckerman, Returning to the Social Logic of Politics. 2. Robert Huckfeldt, Paul Johnson, and John Sprague, Individuals, Dyads and Networks: Autoregressive Patterns of Political Influence. I - Families as Sources of Strong Political Ties 3. Laura Stoker and M. Kent Jennings, Political Similarity and Influence between Husbands and Wives. 4. Alan S. Zuckerman, Jennifer Fitzgerald, and Josip Dasovic, Do Couples Support the same Political Parties? Sometimes. Evidence from British and German Panel Surveys. 5. Sidney Verba, Kay Schlozman, and Nancy Burns, Family Ties: Understanding the Intergenerational Transmission of Political Participation. II Friends, Workmates, Neighbors, and Political Contexts: the effects of weak ties on electoral choices and political participation 6. Ulrich Kohler, Changing Class Locations and Partisanship in Germany. 7. Jeffrey Levine, Choosing Alone? The Social Network Basis of Modern Political Choice.8. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz, Friends and Politics: Linking Friendship Diversity to Political Participation. 9. Ann Chih Lin, Networks, Gender and the Use of State Authority: Evidence from a Study of Arab Immigrants in Detroit. 10. Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie, Putting Voters in their Places: Local Context and Voting in England and Wales, 1997. 11. James Gimpel, and J. Celeste Lay, Party Identification, Local Partisan Contexts and the Acquisition of Participatory Attitudes. 12. Christopher Anderson and Aida Paskeviciute, Macro-Politics and Micro-Behavior: Mainstream Politics and the Frequency of Political Discussion in Contemporary Democracies. III. The Social Logic of Politics: Looking Ahead 13. Paul Johnson and Robert Huckfeldt, Agent-Based Explanations for the Survival of Disagreement in Social Networks. 14. James Fowler, Turnout in a Small World.
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Sins Of The Parents: Politics Of National
Book SynopsisDebates have swirled around the question of national forgiveness for the past fifty years. Using two examples-the land claims of the Oneida Indians and the claims for reparations to Japanese Americans interned during World War II-Brian Weiner suggests a way of thinking about national misdeeds. Arguing beyond collective \u0022innocence\u0022 or \u0022guilt,\u0022 Sins of the Parents offers a model of collective responsibility to deal with past wrongs in such a way as to reinvigorate our notion of citizenship. Drawing upon the writings of Abraham Lincoln and Hannah Arendt, Weiner offers a definition of political responsibility that at once defines citizenship and sidesteps the familial, racial, and ethnic questions that often ensnare debates about national apologies. An original contribution to political theory and practice, Sins of the Parents will become a much discussed contribution in the debate about what it is to be an American.Trade Review"Sins of the Parents grapples with the problem of intergenerational responsibility in the context of American political history. It is a work that is sensitive to the contested uses of the past, sophisticated in its deployment of an Arendtian vision of forgiveness, and unabashed in its project of expanding our conception of citizenship."-P.E. Digeser, author of Political ForgivenessTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Past Wrongs, Present Responsibilities?1. The Promises of Great Nations: The Oneida Land Claims Cases2. Explaining (away) The Misdeeds of Political Ancestors: The Civil Liberties Act of 19883. The Birth and Death of Political Memories4. The Political Responsibilities of Citizens5. The Political Promise and Limitations of National ApologiesConclusion: Citizenship in the Shadows of MisdeedsNotesBibliographyIndex
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Social Capital in the City: Community and Civic
Book SynopsisExamines social capital across social contexts and time periods within the city and the role of social networks, moving beyond typical definitions of social capitalTrade Review"This book is an important corrective to somewhat bland and self-evident understandings of social capital which tend to ignore the deeply contested nature of urban space." -CityTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Place that Loves You Back? - Richardson Dilworth Part I: Social Capital in Historical Context 1 The 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia: Elite Networks and Political Culture - Jerome Hodos; 2 Bonfires, Fistfights, and Roaring Cannons: Election Day and the Creation of Social Capital in the City of Philadelphia - Mark Brewin; 3 Community Advocacy and Volunteerism in Wissahickon Park, 1895-2005 - David R. Contosta and Carol L. Franklin Part II: Social Capital in Urban Education 4 Leveraging Social Capital: The University as Educator and Broker - Barbara Ferman; 5 Community-Based Education in West Philadelphia: The Promise and Limits of Social Capital Production - Melina Patterson Part III: Neighborhood-Based Social Capital and Local Institutions 6 Credit Unions and Social Capital in Philadelphia - Michael Janson; 7 The Comparative Disadvantage of African American-Owned Enterprises: Ethnic Succession and Social Capital in Black Communities - Jennifer Lee; 8 Whose Social Capital? How Economic Development Projects Disrupt Local Social Relations - Judith Goode and Robert T. O'Brien; 9 Rootedness, Isolation, and Social Capital in an Inner-City White Neighborhood - Patricia Stern Smallacombe; 10 Wellsprings of Social Capital: African American Churchwomen in Philadelphia - Valeria Harvell Conclusion: The Declining Political Value of Social Capital - Matthew Crenson and Benjamin Ginsberg
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Jobs Aren't Enough: Toward a New Economic
Book SynopsisExamines the obstacles to economic mobility for low- and increasingly middle-income familiesTrade Review"This book is highly recommended, and its in-depth treatment of the historical and social context of concentrated poverty and policy alternatives would make it particularly useful in a graduate seminar...The editors have done a remarkable job of putting together a volume in which each chapter seems to build on the examples and policy recommendations of the others. Rather than being an assortment of articles on a theme, the chapters together create a 'collective wisdom' of community economic development." -Journal of American Ethnic HistoryTable of Contents1: Are Jobs Enough for Economic Mobility?; 2: From the Old to the New Economic Mobility; 3: The Parents: Their Backgrounds, Lives and Locations; 4: The Children: Their Lives and Worlds; 5: Workforce Development: Systems and Networks; 6: Yesterday's Firms and Today's Families: Connects and Disconnects with Michelle Belliveau; 7: Children's Schools, Parents' Work and Policy: Alignment and Misalignment; 8: Jobs Aren't Enough: Toward an Agenda for Family Economic Mobility
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Mayors and Schools: Minority Voices and
Book SynopsisAnalyzes the trend toward increased mayoral control of urban schools, using Chicago and Cleveland as case studiesTrade Review"I believe that Chambers' book will make a tremendous contribution to the current and future debates about urban school reform. The focus on two important US cities will make it a must read for those interested in urban politics. The focus on minority incorporation will draw readers interested in race and American politics. Finally, Chambers' focus on urban school reform will make this book of interest to those who care about the state of America's urban school systems." Marion Orr, Department of Political Science, Brown University "Timely and nuanced...Chambers' book is notable for its attention to historical context and its balanced presentation of competing evidence." Urban Affairs ReviewTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction1. School Reform in Two American CitiesPart II. The Politics of School Reform and Minority Political Empowerment2. Big-City Mayors and the Politics of School Reform; 3. Innovation and Reaction in the Politics of School Reform: Chicago; 4. The Politics of School Reform in the "Comeback City": ClevelandPart III. Measuring Success in Education Reform5. Responsiveness and Community Incorporation; 6. Administrative Accountability to Minority Issues; 7. Reform and Measuring Student ImprovementPart IV. Mayoral Control in Perspective8. Mayoral Control in Perspective
£999.99
Sentinel A Simple Government
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. Street Saints: Renewing American Cities
Book Synopsis Based on eight years of hands-on experience and more than 300 interviews, Street Saints is both a book of motivational stories about unsung heroes and a sociological study of the "faith factor," documenting faith-based programs that are treating social maladies in America. This book takes readers on a tour of communities and institutions in America where faith-based initiatives are making a difference. It offers inspiration, role models, and guidelines for people who would like to give back to their own communities.
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. Franklin's Thrift: The Lost History of an
Book Synopsis Americans today often think of thrift as a negative value—a miserly hoarding of resources and a denial of pleasure. Even more telling, many Americans don’t even think of thrift at all anymore. Franklin’s Thrift challenges this state of mind by recovering the rich history of thrift as a quintessentially American virtue. The contributors to this volume trace how the idea and practice of thrift have been a vital part of the American vision of economic freedom and social abundance. For Benjamin Franklin, who personified and promoted the idea, thrift meant working productively, consuming wisely, saving proportionally, and giving generously. Franklin’s thrift became the cornerstone of a new kind of secular faith in the ordinary person’s capacity to shape his lot and fortune in life. Later chapters document how thrift moved into new domains in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It became the animating idea behind social movements to promote children’s school savings, create mutual savings banks and credit unions for working men and women, establish a federal savings bond program, and galvanize the nation to conserve resources during two world wars. Historians, enthusiasts of Americana or traditional American virtues, and anyone interested in resolving our society’s current financial woes will find much to treasure in this diverse collection, with topics ranging from the inspirational lessons we can learn from the film It’s a Wonderful Life to a history of the roles played by mutual savings banks, credit unions, and thrift stores in America’s national thrift movement. It also includes actual policy recommendations for our present situation. Table of Contents Introduction / ix David Blankenhorn, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, and Sorcha Brophy-Warren Part One: Franklin’s Thrift: The Creation of an American Value 1. Franklin’s Way to Wealth / 3 Barbara Dafoe Whitehead Part Two: Thrift after Franklin: Institutions and Movements 2. U.S. Mutual Savings Banks and the “Savings Bank Idea”: The Virtue of Thrift as an Institutional Value / 29 Sorcha Brophy-Warren 3. Thrift for a New Century: Public Discussions about Thrift in the 1910s and 1920s / 57 Sara Butler Nardo 4. A Century of Thrift Shops / 97 Alison Humes 5. I n Savings We Trust: Credit Unions and Thrift / 127 Clifford N. Rosenthal Part Three: For a New Thrift: Meeting the Twenty-First Century Challenge 6. Confronting the American Debt Culture / 145 Barbara Dafoe Whitehead 7. Crafting Policies to Encourage Thrift in Contemporary America / 165 Alex Roberts 8. Private Enterprise’s Role in Increasing Savings / 187 Ronald T. Wilcox Conclusion / 207 David Blankenhorn, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, and Sorcha Brophy-Warren Notes / 211 Contributors / 243 Index / 247
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. The Black Boom
Book Synopsis Economic inequality continues to be one of America’s most hotly debated topics. Still, there has been relatively little discussion of the fact that black-white gaps in joblessness, income, poverty and other measures were shrinking before the pandemic. Why was it happening, and why did this phenomenon go unacknowledged by so much media? In The Black Boom, Jason L. Riley—acclaimed Wall Street Journal columnist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute—digs into the data and concludes that the economic lives of black people improved significantly under policies put into place during the Trump administration. To acknowledge as much is not to endorse the 45th president but to champion policies that achieve a clear moral objective shared by most Americans. Riley argues that before the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, the economic fortunes of blacks improved under Trump to an extent unseen under Obama and unseen going back several generations. Black unemployment and poverty reached historic lows, and black wages increased faster than white wages. Less inequality is something that everyone wants, but disapproval of Trump’s personality and methods too often skewed the media’s appraisal of effective policies advocated by his administration. If we're going to make real progress in improving the lives of low-income minorities, says Riley, we must look beyond our partisan differences at what works and keep doing it. Unfortunately, many press outlets were unable or unwilling to do that. Riley notes that political reporters were not unaware of this data. Instead, they chose to ignore or downplay it because it was inconvenient. In their view, Trump, because he was a Republican and because he was Trump, had it in for blacks, and thus his policy preferences would be harmful to minorities. To highlight that significant racial disparities were narrowing on his watch—that the administration’s tax and regulatory reforms were mainly boosting the working and middle classes rather than ‘the rich’—would have undermined a narrative that the media preferred to advance, regardless of its veracity.” As with previous books in our New Threats to Freedom series, The Black Boom includes two essays from prominent experts who take issue with the author’s perspective. Juan Williams, a veteran journalist, and Wilfred Reilly, a political scientist, contribute thoughtful responses to Riley and show that it is possible to share a deep concern for disadvantaged groups while disagreeing on how best to help them. Trade Review “I don’t know what I liked more about The Black Boom: Jason Riley’s persuasive, provocative, and counterintuitive analysis of how racial inequality decreased during Donald Trump’s divisive presidency. Or the volume includes powerful critiques of Riley by Juan Williams and Wilfred Reilly. I know this volume is a model for serious policy discussions in a country filled with shallow partisans more interested in talking past one another rather than fixing real problems.” —Nick Gillespie, editor at large, Reason “Jason Riley’s commitment to facts, impartial analysis of the data, and dedication to principled public policy have made him one of America’s foremost thought leaders. These traits are displayed in The Black Boom, in which he argues that minorities enjoyed real economic progress during the Trump administration. His case is nonpartisan, sharply reasoned, and deserving of serious attention. I highly recommend it and hope it inspires productive dialogue that moves us beyond divisiveness.” —Dr. Arthur B. Laffer, economist and Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient “This important and explosive little book provides stimulation and provocation on every page, demolishing conventional wisdom about black progress. Riley insists recent history demonstrates that black families have benefited far more from the opportunities provided by free-market economics than government programs and the over-valued acquisition of political power. He writes with a combination of grace and force that may change some minds while opening many more.” —Michael Medved, nationally syndicated radio host and author of God’s Hand on America “[A] concise, refreshing take on the pre-pandemic Black economy during the Trump presidency. . . . [T]his brief primer does an excellent job of reminding us that economic freedom benefits the poor and marginalized the most and that minorities can be progressing economically despite the tasteless rhetoric of our political class. The takeaway? Focus on principles, not personalities, and don’t believe the hype about a thousand new targeted programs to address inequality. Good old tax cuts and simplified regulation may sound boring, but sometimes the exciting part isn’t the process, but the outcome.” —Law Liberty “Jason Riley deserves congratulations for writing a book that, despite some flaws, presents a dispassionate and mostly evenhanded discussion of a phenomenon that remains mysterious and, at this point, still unknowable: the effect of Trump’s economic policies on blacks and America as a whole. Our divided media have cast a dim light on this important subject; Riley has let in the sunshine.” —Commentary Magazine “In his fact-filled and beautifully terse 2022 book, The Black Boom, Riley shows that incomes for every demographic and every part of the income distribution grew during Trump’s first three years. My independent data check shows that Riley is right.” —Defining Ideas, Hoover Institution Table of ContentsIntroductionPart I: The Black BoomChapter 1. Black Progress: Trump vs. ObamaChapter 2. The Immigration DistractionChapter 3. The Minimum-Wage CanardPart II: Dissenting Points of ViewChapter 4. Boom or Echo? by Juan WilliamsChapter 5. The Wages of Immigration by Wilfred ReillyChapter 6. A Response to Williams and Reilly
£999.99
University of Iowa Press Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the
Book SynopsisFood banks—warehouses that collect and systematize surplus food—have expanded into one of the largest mechanisms to redistribute food waste. From their origins in North America in the 1960s, food banks provide food to communities in approximately one hundred countries on six continents. This book analyzes the development of food banks across the world and the limits of food charity as a means to reduce food insecurity and food waste. Based on fifteen years of in-depth fieldwork on four continents, Daniel Warshawsky illustrates how and why food banks proliferate across the globe even though their impacts may be limited. He suggests that we need to reformulate the role of food banks. The mission of food banks needs to be more realistic, as food surpluses cannot reduce food insecurity on a significant scale. Food banks need to regain their institutional independence from the state and corporations, and incorporate the knowledge and experiences of the food insecure in the daily operations of the food system. These collective changes can contribute to a future where food banks play a smaller but more targeted role in food systems.
£33.20
Seven Stories Press,U.S. Like a Thief in Broad Daylight: Power in the Era
Book SynopsisThe latest book from the most dangerous philosopher in the West (New Republic) considers the new dangers and radical possibilities set in motion by advances in Big Tech.In recent years, techno-scientific progress has started to utterly transform our world--changing it almost beyond recognition. In this extraordinary new book, renowned philosopher Slavoj Žižek turns to look at the brave new world of Big Tech, revealing how, with each new wave of innovation, we find ourselves moving closer and closer to a bizarrely literal realization of Marx's prediction that all that is solid melts into air. With the automation of work, the virtualization of money, the dissipation of class communities, and the rise of immaterial, intellectual labor, the global capitalist edifice is beginning to crumble, more quickly than ever before--and it is now on the verge of vanishing entirely.But what will come next? Against a backdrop of constant socio-technological upheaval, how could any kind of authentic change take place? In such a context, Žižek argues, there can be no great social triumph--because lasting revolution has already come into the scene, like a thief in broad daylight, stealing into sight right before our very eyes. What we must do now is wake up and see it. Urgent as ever, Like a Thief in Broad Daylight illuminates the new dangers as well as the radical possibilities thrown up by today's technological and scientific advances, and their electrifying implications for us all.
£14.41
Berrett-Koehler The Self-Made Myth: And the Truth About How
Book SynopsisHow we view the creation of wealth and individual success shapes our choices on taxes, public investments in schools and vital infrastructure, regulations, the legitimacy of extravagant CEO pay, and more. America canât more forward if we donât have a clear understanding of how wealth is actually produced.This book challenges the by-bootstraps-alone narrative beloved by anti-government conservatives to offer a more holistic view of the success of Americaâs business leaders and entrepreneurs. While acknowledging the importance of hard work, creativity, and leadership, it highlights several crucial, often unrecognized factors, with a particular emphasis on the ways government and society support and assists individuals: public education, research and development grants, social services, roads and highways, laws and regulations that establish a stable business environment, and many more. Miller and Lapham explore the historic roots of the self-made myth and offer profiles of business leaders who, in their own words, identify the kinds of government support and assistance that were crucial to their success. They also disprove the arguments of individuals like Donald Trump who have tried to perpetuate their own self-made myths of their success.
£15.29
The Perseus Books Group Betrayal of the American Dream
Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestseller, called: "essential reading to anyone trying to make sense of our country's current malaise." -Los Angeles Times
£14.39
PublicAffairs,U.S. More Human
Book SynopsisPeople feel angry and let down by their leaders, as well as by the institutions that dominate their lives: political parties, government bureaucracy, and corporations. Yet the cause of this malaise, according to political-advisor-turned-tech-CEO Steve Hilton, is not being addressed by politicians on the left or the right. Hilton argues that much of our daily experience-from the food we eat, to the governments we elect, to the economy on which our wealth depends, to the way we care for our health and well-being-has become too big, too bureaucratic, and too distant from the human scale. More Human sets out a radical manifesto for change, aimed at the root causes of our problems rather than just the symptoms. Whether it's using the latest advances in neuroscience to inform the fight against poverty and inequality, or applying lessons from America's most radical schools to transform our children's education, this book is an agenda for rethinking and redesigning the outdated systems and structures of our politics, government, economy, and society to make them more suited to the way we want to live our lives today. To make them more human.
£23.19
Michigan State University Press Undocumented: Great Lakes Poets Laureate on
Book SynopsisFocusing on contemporary issues, this text showcases a large collection of regional poets laureate writing on subjects critical to understanding social justice as it relates to the Great Lakes region.Undocumented: Great Lakes Poets Laureate on Social Justice includes writing by seventy-eight poets who truly represent the diversity of the Great Lakes region, including Rita Dove, Marvin Bell, Crystal Valentine, Kimberly Blaeser, Mary Weems, Karen Kovacik, Wendy Vardaman, Zora Howard, Carla Christopher, Meredith Holmes, Karla Huston, Joyce Sutphen, and Laren McClung, among others.City, state, and national poets laureate with ties to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin appear in these pages, organized around themes from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide”, calling on readers to act on behalf of victims of social injustice.
£999.99
Brown Books Publishing Group The Illusory Bargain
Book Synopsis
£18.47
Bloomsbury USA Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of
Book Synopsis
£16.20
North Atlantic Books,U.S. Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of
Book Synopsis
£13.46
North Atlantic Books,U.S. Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge
Book Synopsis
£13.46
