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Book Synopsis* THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the Hugo Award * Scientific American’s #1 Book for 2023 * Winner of Royal Society's Trivedi Prize * A Guardian Best Book of 2024 * A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * A Times Best Science and Environment Book of 2023 * A Tor.com Best Book of 2023 *“Exceptional. . . Forceful, engaging and funny . . . This book will make you happy to live on this planet — a good thing, because you’re not leaving anytime soon.” —New York Times Book ReviewFrom the bestselling authors of Soonish, a brilliant and hilarious off-world investigation into space settlementEarth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no Twitter—beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Critically acclaimed, bestselling authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn’t spark conflict back home. In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won’t create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you’ve ever wondered about, and many you’ve never considered:Can you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon’s Peaks of Eternal Light—and what happens if you’re left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what’s the legal status of space cannibalism?With deep expertise, a winning sense of humor, and art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the Weinersmiths investigate perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself—whether and how to become multiplanetary.Get in, we’re going to Mars.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis handbook brings together the international research focussing on prisoners’ families and the impact of imprisonment on them. Under-researched and under-theorised in the realm of scholarship on imprisonment, this handbook encompasses a broad range of original, interdisciplinary and cross-national research. This volume includes the experiences of those from countries often unrepresented in the prisoner’s families’ literature such as Russia, Australia, Israel and Canada. This broad coverage allows readers to consider how prisoners’ families are affected by imprisonment in countries embracing very different penal philosophies; ranging from the hyper-incarceration being experienced in the USA to the less punitive, more welfare-orientated practices under Scandinavian ‘exceptionalism’. Chapters are contributed by scholars from numerous and diverse disciplines ranging from law, nursing, criminology, psychology, human geography, and education studies. Furthermore, contributions span various methodological and epistemological approaches with important contributions from NGOs working in this area at a national and supranational level. The Palgrave Handbook of Prison and the Family makes a significant contribution to knowledge about who prisoners’ families are and what this status means in practice. It also recognises the autonomy and value of prisoners’ families as a research subject in their own right.Table of Contents1. Introduction Marie A. Hutton and Dominique Moran Section One Contemporary Issues: Understanding Prisoners’ Families 2. Prisoners’ Families Research : Developments, Debates and Directions Caroline Lanskey, Lucy Markson, Karen Souza and Friedrich Lösel 3. Inmate Social Ties, Recidivism, and Continuing Questions About Prison Visitation Joshua C. Cochran 4. Developments and Next Steps in Theorizing the Secondary Prisonization of Families Megan Comfort 5. Who are Prisoners’ Family Members?: Towards an Holistic and Intersectional Framework Johnna Christian 6. A holistic approach to prisoners’ families – from arrest to release Rachel Condry and Peter Scharff Smith 7. Opportunities and challenges for work on behalf of families affected by imprisonment; the experience of Families Outside Nancy Loucks Section Two Different perspectives: Widening the lens 8. Experiences of Male Partners of Women Prisoners in Israel Tomer Einat 9. The Traumatic Bereavement of Children Experiencing the Loss of a Loved One to Death Row Sandra Joy, Elizabeth Beck and Ashley Hurley 10. Relatives of Registered Sex Offenders: Considering the Costs of Providing Family Support David Patrick Connor 11. Partners of Incarcerated Men: Questioning Caring Stereotypes Karen Souza, Caroline Lanskey, Lucy Markson and Friedrich Lösel Section Three Engaging with the prison 12. A Comparison of the position of Grandmother Carers for children with parents in prison in the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Romania and Uganda Ben Raikes, Romeo Asiminei, Alexandra Cuza, Karene Nathaniel-Decaires, Eric Ochen, George Pascaru and Gloria Seruwagi 13. Families’ experiences in a prison visitors’ centre Rebecca Foster 14. Prison Visitation as Accessible Engagement: Encounters, Bystanders, Performance and Inattention Dominique Moran and Tom Disney 15. Acorn House Revisited: ‘Think Family, Up and Down and Side to Side’ Ben Raikes and Kelly Lockwood Section Four Recognising the rights of Prisoners’ Families 16. The Rights of Children with an Imprisoned Parent in the Republic of Ireland Aisling Parkes and Fiona Donson 17. Hearing Children’s Voices in Studies of Familial Incarceration: Experiences from a Canadian Study Else Marie Knudsen 18. The Rights of Children of Imprisoned Parents Helen Codd 19. A Labour of Love: The Experiences of Parents of Prisoners and their role as Human Rights Protectors Marie A. Hutton Section Five Beyond Imprisonment 20. Reflecting on the Value(s) of Family Interventions for People subject to Punishment in the Community Becky Clarke, Rachel Kinsella and Craig Fletcher 21. Mothering under Community Criminal Justice Supervision in the United States D.R. Gina Sissoko and Lorie Goshin 22. Intergeneration Transmission of Criminal Behaviour Sytske Besemer and Laura Bui 23. Intergenerational Social Exclusion in prisoners’ families Kirsten Besemer and Susan Dennison 24. School Experiences of Children of Prisoners: Strengthening Support in Schools in England and Wales Julia Morgan and Caroline Leeson

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis open access book focuses on the meanings, agendas, as well as the local and global implications of bioeconomy and bioenergy policies in and across South America, Asia and Europe. It explores how a transition away from a fossil and towards a bio-based economic order alters, reinforces and challenges socio-ecological inequalities. The volume presents a historically informed and empirically rich discussion of bioeconomy developments with a particular focus on bio-based energy. A series of conceptual discussions and case studies with a multidisciplinary background in the social sciences illuminate how the deployment of biomass sources from the agricultural and forestry sectors affect societal changes concerning knowledge production, land and labour relations, political participation and international trade. How can a global perspective on socio-ecological inequalities contribute to a complex and critical understanding of bioeconomy? Who participates in the negotiation of specific bioeconomy policies and who does not? Who determines the agenda? To what extent does the bioeconomy affect existing socio-ecological inequalities in rural areas? What are the implications of the bioeconomy for existing relations of extraction and inequalities across regions? The volume is an invitation to reflect upon these questions and more, at a time when the need for an ecological and socially just transition away from a carbon intensive economy is becoming increasingly pressing.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis contributed volume is the first in-depth analysis of the health policies of populist radical right (PRR) parties worldwide and their actual involvement in health care. The prominence of authoritarian, nationalistic, and populist parties is expanding steadily. However, it is often difficult to discern what kind of policies they really stand for, particularly with regard to the welfare state and public health, where research remains sparse. This book fills this critical gap. The text connects PRR parties and leaders with actual health and social policy effects in Eastern and Western Europe as well as in the United States, Brazil, and the Philippines. The chapters highlight ten individual country case studies authored by young scholars and professors with political science and health experts: The Austrian Freedom Party in Government: A Threat to Public Health? The Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Health Policy: Normalization or Containment of Populist Radical Right Tendencies? Populist Radical Right Influence on Health Policy in the Netherlands: The Case of the Party for Freedom (PVV) The Evolution of the Populist Radical Right and Their Impact on Health in Italy The Populist Radical Right and Health in Hungary Is the Polish 'Law and Justice' (PiS) a Typical Populist Radical Right Party? A Health Policy Perspective The Case of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Rhetoric and Reality in the United States of America: Trump, Populism, and Health Policy Ruling Through Chaos in Brazil: Bolsonaro's Authoritarian Agenda for Public Health An Authoritarian Reaction to COVID-19 in the Philippines: A Strong Commitment to Universal Health Care Combined with Violent Securitization The Populist Radical Right and Health is exceptionally timely and essential reading for political science and health colleagues researching and writing about PRR parties and leaders; students and faculty in public health, health and social policy, and political science; and anyone interested in learning more about this topic.Table of ContentsI. Introduction (Falkenbach, Guicciardi, and Moise)• Current layout of PRR parties - who they are, how they are classified, and why we think a new classification is necessary.• Difference between Left and Right and why we focus on the Right (see image in original proposal - attachment tab).• Current layout of PRR parties and their impact on health - who made it into government and a brief overview of the very limited resources available on this topic.• Policies important to these parties while in government. o Compare PRR parties’ manifestos to what they actually accomplished.• Limitations to the definition of health policy.II. Framework (Falkenbach, Guicciardi, and Moise)• The development of a new framework to identify PRR parties worldwide• Placing them on a spectrum (perhaps 2- or even 3-dimensional) - see below example (attachment tab), third-dimension economics could be added. o Add clientelism and corruption for eastern countries as neededIII. Case Studies – the case studies chosen for this project represent countries that either have or had PRR parties in government and continue to struggle with their electoral strength or have been experiencing a steady increase in support for PRR parties.• INTRO - Short history of the party, with a focus on the cultural/social background of the country. § How did the PRR party develop? § What kind of a role did they play in politics and were they accepted by other parties (SD/CD)? § Did the party’s tactics change over time, why? § Current strength/influence of the party in relation to other parties.• Reasons why we can consider the party as being PRR – follow conceptual framework.• POLICY FOCUS - Starting point for policy focus beginning 2000s unless there were influential policies previously passed that still have an impact today.• List relevant health policies adopted or proposed in the suggested table format.• CONCLUSION - Impact of the PRR party’s policies, with references to quantitative/qualitative studies.• Prediction of PRR parties influence in general over the next years - i.e., will they still be in government, why, why not?• Potential new health policies in the next few years.• Summary box with the most important 4 or 5 “take-home messages”.a. Austria – Falkenbach & Heissb. Italy - Guicciardic. Hungary – Moise & Loblovad. Poland – Moise & Loblovae. UK - Jarmanf. USA – Willisong. Germany – Wackerh. Netherlands – Bekker & Rinaldii. Denmark & Sweden – McManus & Falkenbach TBDj. Brazil k. Philippinesl. Switzerlandm. TBDIV. ConclusionTying together the cases with overall findings.• Health is typically ignored by the PRR, often too controversial.• If there is a coalition partner (in most cases there will be), they will usually be of a Christian Democratic nature and will usually have more power/say than the PRR that will result in the PRR getting stuck with partially unpopular ministries (other than defense and interior), where they will be forced to make rather unpopular reforms that serve the agenda of the stronger coalition party (CD)• Highlight possible outcomes.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the role universities have to play in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the heart of “sustainable development” is the legacy of unsustainable development with its roots in modernity and colonialism. Critical engagement with the SDGs involves recognising these roots are shared by universities and the reciprocal need for maintenance, repair and regeneration. Universities are not just enablers of change, but also important targets of change. By focusing on the role of education about, for and through the SDGs, the authors seek to advance critical engagement with higher education that is both progressive and meaningful. We are all responsible for bearing witness to our age. This book will appeal to all those who hope that more sustainable future worlds are still possible.Table of ContentsChapter I: A Transformative Agenda.- Chapter 2: Sustainable Development in the Anthropocene.- Chapter 3: The Role of the University in Society.- Chapter 4: Ethical Innovation.- Chapter 5: Re-thinking Research Engagement.- Chapter 6: Learning and Teaching Matters.- Chapter 7: What Does Success Look Like?.- Chapter 8: Sustainable Futures.

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Book SynopsisThis open access book discusses and analyses competing views and social implications of gestational surrogacy, which is making inroads as an option for parenthood as well as a work opportunity for women. It provides a rich account of transnational mobilizations for the abolition and regulation of surrogacy, with focus on United States, Italy and Mexico. The author critically assesses the core narratives of supporters and opponents of surrogacy, in order to understand this reproductive practice in light of some of the essential elements of contemporary societies, such as the “child at any cost” culture, individualism, technology and female emancipation. This book appeals to scholars, policy makers and all those who want to understand the controversial debate on this unprecedented method of family formation and life production.Table of ContentsChapter 1: An introduction to the problems of surrogacy and the demands from civil society.Chapter 2: The study's origins and methodology.Chapter 3: Features of a booming reproductive practice. The medical process, the market, the antecedents and the risks. Chapter 4: Sociological perspectives across individual experiences, social structures and representations. Chapter 5: Surrogacy in the United States: the horse is out of the barn. Chapter 6: The Mexican case: the differences between autonomy and radical feminism.Chapter 7: The Italian case: a strong opposition in the name of women’s sexual identity and motherhood.Chapter 8: Abolitionist and Regulatory Arguments into perspectives.Chapter 9: Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIn the context of rapid developments in Turkey and its broader geopolitical environment over the past decade, this book examines and conceptualises Turkey’s changing foreign policy towards a more assertive and revisionist paradigm. More specifically it details the rhetorical and practical-political content of what is termed ‘Lausanne Syndrome’; namely, Turkey’s efforts in recent years – under the AKP government – to revise the geopolitical status quo brought about by the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) in its broader neighbourhood.By employing a Neoclassical Realist theoretical framework and paying particular attention to ideational factors, the book argues that, contrary to the more widely known ‘Sèvres Syndrome’, which predicts a more cautious brand of Turkish foreign policy, the ‘Lausanne Syndrome’ is associated with a different political-ideological current and predicts a more revisionist type of foreign policy behaviour, even though it has emerged out of the same historical circumstances and been triggered by the same external geopolitical factors. The impact of the ‘Lausanne Syndrome’ on Turkey’s foreign policy behaviour is subsequently tested in four case studies from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: Cyprus, Libya, Syria, and Iraq.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Turkish Foreign Policy and the ‘Lausanne Syndrome.- Chapter 2: A Neoclassical Realist Framework.- Chapter 3: From the National Pact to the Sèvres and Lausanne: The Birth of Two Syndromes.- Chapter 4: Discursive Manifestations of the Lausanne Syndrome since the Second Group and the AKP’s Geopolitical Vision.- Chapter 5: The Lausanne Syndrome and Revisionism under the AKP: The Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.- Chapter 6: Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisGlobally, women are having half as many children as they had just fifty years ago. Why have birth rates fallen, and how will low fertility affect our shared future? In Decline and Prosper!, demographic expert Vegard Skirbekk offers readers an accessible, comprehensive and evidence-based overview of human reproduction. Readers learn about the evolution of childbearing across different populations and how fertility is related to (changes in) our reproductive capacity, contraception, education, religion, partnering, policies, economics, assisted reproduction, and catastrophes. Readers will explore the future of family size and its impact on human welfare, women’s empowerment and the environment. Skirbekk argues that low fertility is on the whole a good thing, while recognizing the challenges of population aging and “coincidental” childlessness. A balanced, integrative examination of one of the most important issues of our time, Decline and Prosper! drives home the fact that we must ultimately adapt to a world with fewer children. The book will be invaluable to anyone who is interested in the far-reaching effects of global fertility, including researchers and students of demography, social statistics, medical sociologists, family and childhood studies, human geographers, sociology of culture, social and public policy.Trade Review“This book assembles many findings, facts, insights, and opinions related to fertility … . The book is easy to read … .” (Nico Keilman, Journal of Peace Research, March 1, 2023)“Dr. Skirbekk’s prescriptions could help ameliorate some problems young men are experiencing throughout the developed world.” (Jessica Grose, The New York Times, nytimes.com, February 15, 2023)“Vegard Skirbekk’s Decline and Prosper! Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children is a welcome reality check. … ‘… the breadth of this book is, in fact, its great strength.’ And with this, I wholeheartedly agree. Decline and Prosper! is a concise and engaging overview of what we know about low fertility, how we got there, and why it will almost surely persist. And, ultimately, that things will be fine.” (Joshua Wilde, Population and Development Review, September 14, 2022)“It is a valuable resource, presenting much research on fertility around the world. … I recommend it to anyone interested in human fertility and demography.” (Frank Götmark, overpopulation-project.com, September 6, 2022)Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Measuring Fertility.- How Many Children Can Humans Have Biologically?.- Fertility from the Dawn of Humanity through the 19th Century.- The Demographic Transition: Fewer Deaths and Fewer Births, Eventually.-Contemporary Global Fertility.The New Have-Nots: Childlessness in the 21st Century.- More Education, Fewer Children.- An Era of Choice: Childbearing Has Become More Planned.- Fertility Preferences: How Many Children Do People Want?.- Delaying Parenthood, For Better and For Worse.- Finding a Mate: Contemporary Partnership and Conception.- Money Matters: The Economics of Fertility.- Fertility in the Aftermath of Disaster.- New Times, Old Beliefs: Religion and Contemporary Fertility.- Contemporary Fertility from an Evolutionary Perspective: Are the Fittest Still Surviving?.- How Low Will It Go? Projecting Future Fertility.- Fertility, Population Growth and Population Composition.- Fertility Policies: Past, Present, and Future Directions.- Low – But Not Too Low – Fertility is a Good Thing.

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Book SynopsisChapter1: If WEMS is the Solution What is the Problem.- Chapter2: Historical Overview of Multilateral Agreements, CITE Enforcement efforts and the Development of the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System.- Chapter3: The Workings of International Wildlife Politics and Policy Domains.- Chapter4: Stakeholder Policy Beliefs in the Wildlife Policy Subsystem in Asia and Africa.- Chapter5: Explaining Policymaking on WEMS in Asia and Africa.- Chapter6: Bridging Multiple Social Worlds Boundary work in the adoption of WEMS.- Chapter7: Moving Beyond Enforcement.

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Book SynopsisEnergy – in the headlines, discussed controversially, vital. The use of regenerative energy in many primary forms leads to the necessity to store grid dimensions for maintaining continuous supply and enabling the replacement of fossil fuel systems. Chemical energy storage is one of the possibilities besides mechano-thermal and biological systems. This work starts with the more general aspects of chemical energy storage in the context of the geosphere and evolves to dealing with aspects of electrochemistry, catalysis, synthesis of catalysts, functional analysis of catalytic processes and with the interface between electrochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis. Top-notch experts provide a sound, practical, hands-on insight into the present status of energy conversion aimed primarily at the young emerging research front.

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Book SynopsisCorona, the Lockdown, and the Media investigates media influence on policies to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernhagen and Kybelka propose that news reporting on the pandemic pitches human impact against economic consequences of the virus and of restrictive policy measures designed to contain it. They argue that the use of these frames influences governments’ decisions to enact or lift lockdown measures. Using time series data from England, France, and Germany, the authors show that news reporting on COVID-19 was indeed characterized by these media frames. However, there is no evidence of media influence on government policy. Instead, the authors find that anti-pandemic policy decisions were responsive to public opinion in these countries.

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