History of scholarship Books

Book SynopsisA selection of source readings on history, society, politics, education, philosophy, and religion in the Land of the Rising Sun. This work includes: readings on early and medieval Shinto and on the tea ceremony, readings on state Buddhism and Chinese political thought influential in Japan, and sections on women's education.Trade ReviewThe long awaited second edition, with new contributions reflecting who's who in the field, adds new readings and revisions for a more balanced perspecitve... Sources lives again as a useful introduction that "lets the Japanese speak for themselves." Religious Studies Review I am a fan of Volume One of Sources of Japanese Tradition... The daunting task of revisiting such a classic was skillfully handled by the editors. Japanese Journal of Religious StudiesTable of ContentsPart 1: Early Japan 1. The Earliest Records of Japan 2. Early Shinto 3. Prince Shotoku and His Constitution 4. Chinese Thought and Institutions in Early Japan 5. Nara Buddhism Part 2: Mahayana Universalism and the Sense of Hierarchy 6. Saicho and Mt. Hiei (Ryusaku Tsunoda and Paul Groner) 7. Kukai and Esoteric Buddhism 8. The Spread of Esoteric Buddhism 9. The Vocabulary of Japanese Aesthetics I 10. Amida, the Pure Land, and the Response of the Old Buddhism to the New 11. New Voices of History (Paul Varley) 12. The Way of the Warrior (Paul Varley) 13. Nichiren: The Sun and the Lotus (Philip Yampolsky) 14. Zen Buddhism (William Bodiford) 15. Shinto in Medieval Japan 16. The Vocabulary of Japanese Aesthetics II 17. Women's Education 18. Law and Precepts for the Warrior Houses (Paul Varley) 19. The Regime of the Unifiers (Jurgis S. A. Elisonas)

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Book SynopsisA valuable key to unique aspects of Japanese culture, this work discusses Japanese attitudes to raising children, personal space and the roles of women in Japanese society. Topics explored include: "aimai" (amibiguity), "chinmoki" (silence in communication), and "giri" (social obligation).Trade Review"When I first saw The Japanese Mind, I assumed it would be similar to Takeo Doi's The Anatomy of Dependence. They're actually quite different. Doi's book focuses on the Japanese concept of emotional dependence, but The Japanese Mind gives an on-the-ground view of a wide range of topics in a way that would be more useful to newcomers who are getting established. Doi's book should be on the reading list too, but a little later. All of the essays in The Japanese Mind are excellent. The authors do a great job of representing their country and what they want for it domestically and globally. Students of Japanese studies, as well as casual readers, will learn a lot." -- Japan Reference"Although it can also be used as a textbook, this collection of essays about a wide variety of Japanese cultural concepts, such as Bushido and Wabi-Sabi, also contains useful information for those wanting a better understanding of Japanese society." --Library Journal

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Book SynopsisFeatures source readings on history, society, and thought in China. This book aims to bring together source texts from more than three centuries of Chinese history, with opening essays by China authorities providing context for readers not familiar with the period in question. It covers Sino-Western contacts in the 17th century.Trade ReviewIf I were asked to recommend only one book for anyone who wishes to know something about Chinese culture, I would name, with a moment of hesitation, this new edition of Sources of Chinese Tradition. -- Ying-shih Yu, Gordon Wu 1958 Professor of Chinese Studies and professor of history, Princeton UniversityTable of Contents5. The Maturation of Chinese Civilization and New Challenges to Chinese Tradition 25: The Chinese Tradition in Retrospect Huang Zongxi's Critique of the Chinese Dynastic System Waiting for the Dawn: A Plan for the Prince On the Prince On Ministership On Law Establishing a Prime Minister Schools The Selection of Scholar-Officials, Part 2 Lo Liuliang's Radical Orthodoxy Commentaries on the Four Books Principle in the Mind-and-Heart Principles, Desires, and Rites The Neo-Confucian Critique of Dynastic Rule Government: From the Top Down or Ground Up? Late Confucian Scholarship: Wang Fuzhi, by Ian MacMorran Cosmological Foundations Wang's "Revision" of Orthodox Neo-Confucianism Historical Trends The Justification of Social and Cultural Divisions The Preservation of Chinese Political and Cultural Integrity Gu Yanwu, Beacon of Qing Scholarship True Learning: Broad Knowledge and a Sense of Shame Preface to Record of the Search for Antiquities On the Concentration of Authority at Court On Bureaucratic Local Administration, ca. 1660, by William Rowe The Han Learning and Text Criticism Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng, by Lynn Strure Dai Zhen's Text-Critical Moral Philosophy, by L. Strure Letter to Shi Zhongming Concerning Scholarship, by L. Strure Letter in Reply to Advanced Scholar Peng Yunchu, by John Ewell Zhang Xuecheng's Philosophy of History, by L. Strure "Virtue in the Historian" "Virtue in the Writer" Women's Learning, by Susan Mann Cui Shu and the Critical Spirit Foreword to the Essentials of the Record of Beliefs Investigated Han Learning and Western Learning The Qing Version of Neo-Confucian Orthodoxy Village Lectures and the Sacred Edict The Sacred Edict 26: Popular Values and Beliefs, by David Johnson Ensemble Performance Ritual A Procession on the Birthday of the Sanzong God The Great Sai Ritual of Zhangzi County, Shanxi The Refining Fire Ritual of Shenze Village, Zhejiang The Attack on Hell, a Popular Funeral Ritual, by John Lagerwey Opera Mulian Rescues His Mother Guo Ju Buries His Son Solo Performances Verse "Woman Huang Explicates the Diamond SItra" "Song of Guo Mountain" Prose Sacred Edict Lecturing Chantefable "The Precious Scroll [Baojuan] on the Lord of the Stove" Written Texts Scriptures "The True Scripture of the Great Emperor" Tracts Selections from The Twenty-four Exemplars of Filial Piety 27: Chinese Responses to Early Christian Contacts, by David Mingello Li Zhizao: Preface to The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven Xu Guangqi: A Memorial in Defense of the [Western] Teaching Yang Guangxian's Critique of Christianity Yang Guangxian: I Cannot Do Otherwise, by Budeyi, John D. Young Zhang Xingyao and the Inculturation of Christianity An Examination of the Similarities and Differences Between the Lord of Heaven Teaching [Christianity] and the Teaching of the Confucian Scholars 28: Chinese Statecraft and the Opening of China to the West Chen Hongmou and Mid-Qing Statecraft, by William Rowe On Substantive Learning On Universal Education On Women's Education On the Duties of an Official On Governance by Local Elites Statecraft in the Grain Trade and Government-Controlled Brokerages, by Pierre-Etienne Will A Memorial on Grain Prices, the Grain Trade, and Government-Controlled Brokerages Hong Liangji: On Imperial Malfeasance and China's Population Problem, by K. C. Liu Letter to Prince Cheng Earnestly Discussing the Political Affairs of the Time, 1799 China's Population Problem The Deterioration of Local Government The Roots of Rebellion Gong Zizhen's Reformist Vision, by K. C. Liu On the Lack of Moral Fiber Among Scholar-Officials Institutional Paralysis and the Need for Reform The Scholar-Teacher and Service to a Dynasty Respect for the Guest Wei Yuan and Confucian Practicality, by K. C. Liu The Learning of Statecraft Wei Yuan: Preface to Anthology of Qing Statecraft Writings, by Huangchao jingshi wenbian Criteria for Anthology of Qing Statecraft Writings Learning and the Role of Scholar-Officials On Governance, by Philip Kuhn The Pursuit of Profit On Institutional Progress in History On Merchants and Reform On Taxation and the Merchants On Reform of the Tribute-Rice Transport System, 1825 On Reform of the Salt Monopoly The Western Intrusion Into China The Lesson of Lin Zexu Letter to the English Ruler Letter to Wu Zixu on the Need for Western Guns and Ships Wei Yuan and the West Preface to Military History of the Qing Dynasty (Shengwujixu), 1842, by K. C. Liu Preface to Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries 29: The Heavenly Kingdom of the Taipings The Book of Heavenly Commandments, by Tiantiao shu A Form to Be Observed in Repenting Sins The Ten Heavenly Commandments A Primer in Verse, by Youxue shi Praising God Praising Jesus Christ Praising Parents The Imperial Court The Way of a King The Way of the Minister The Way of the Family Paradise The Taiping Economic Program The Principles of the Heavenly Nature, by Tianqing daolishu 6. Reform and Revolution 30: Moderate Reform and the Self-Strengthening Movement, by K. C. Liu Feng Guifen: On the Manufacture of Foreign Weapons On the Adoption of Western Learning Principle Versus Practicality? The Self-Strengtheners' Rebuttal, 1867 Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang: On Sending Young Men Abroad to Study Xue Fucheng: On Reform Zhang Zhidong: Exhortation to Learn United Hearts The Three Mainstays or Bonds Rectifying Political Rights Following the Proper Order [On Reform] 31: Radical Reform at the End of the Qing Wang Tao on Reform Yan Fu on Evolution and Progress, by Don Price "On Strength" Kang Youwei and the Reform Movement Confucius As a Reformer How Confucius Founded His Teaching in Order to Reform Institutions The Six Classics Were All Written by Confucius to Reform Institutions The Three Ages The Need for Reforming Institutions The Grand Commonality [The Historical Evolution of] Democracy, from Less to More, Presages One World If We Wish to Attain One World of Complete Peace-and-Equality, We Must Abolish the Family The Abolition of Boundaries Conservative Reactions, by Chester Tan Chu Chengbo: Reforming Men's Minds Comes Before Reforming Institutions Zhu Yixin: Fourth Letter in Reply to Kang Youwei Ye Dehui: The Superiority of China and Confucianism, by Tan Sitong The Study of Humanity Reform Edict of January 29, 1901, by Douglas Munay Liang Qichao Renewing the People The Meaning of "Renewing the People" On Public Morality On Progress "The Consciousness of Rights", by Peter Zarrow "The Concept of the Nation", by P. Zarrow Liang Qichao and the New Press, by Joan Judge Inaugural Statement for the Eastern Times, by Shibao, J. Judge Advocates of Script Reform, by Victor Mair Song Shu: Illiteracy in China Lu Zhuangzhang's Attempt at Romanization Shen Xue's Universal Script Wang Zhao's "Mandarin Letters" Zhang Binglin's Revolutionary Nationalism, by P. Zarrow Letter Opposing Kang Youwei's Views on Revolution 32: The Nationalist Revolution Sun Yat-sen and the Nationalist Revolution Hu Hanmin "The Six Principles of the People's Report" 1. Overthrow of the Present Evil Government 2. Establishment of a Republic 3. Land Nationalization Sun Yat-sen The Three People's Principles The Principle of Democracy The People's Livelihood The Three Stages of Revolution Democracy and Absolutism: The Debate Over Political Tutelage Luo Longji: What Kind of Political System Do We Want? Jiang Tingfu: "Revolution and Absolutism" Hu Shi: "National Reconstruction and Absolutism" 1. Is Absolutism a Necessary Stage for National Reconstruction? 2. Why Did Centuries of Absolute Government Fail to Create a National State in China? Chiang Kai-shek: Nationalism and Traditionalism Chiang Kai-shek: Essentials of the New Life Movement The Object of the New Life Movement The Content of the New Life Movement Conclusion China's Destiny Social Effects [of the Unequal Treaties] Moral Effects Psychological Effects The Decisive Factor in China's Destiny Jiang Jingguo (Chiang Ching-kuo): The Republic of China in Taiwan The Evolution of Constitutional Democracy in Taiwan Implementing "The Three People's Principles" 33: The New Culture Movement, by Wing-tsit Chan The Attack on Confucianism Chen Duxiu: "The Way of Confucius and Modern Life" The Literary Revolution Hu Shi: "A Preliminary Discussion of Literary Reform" Chen Duxiu: "On Literary Revolution" Hu Shi: "Constructive Literary Revolution Literature of National Speech" A National Speech of Literary Quality The Doubting of Antiquity Gu Jiegang: Preface to Debates on Ancient History (1926) A New Philosophy of Life Chen Duxiu: The True Meaning of Life Hu Shi: "Pragmatism" The Pragmatism of James The Fundamental Concepts of Dewey's Philosophy The Debate on Science and the Philosophy of Life Zhang Junmai: "The Philosophy of Life" Ding Wenjiang: "Metaphysics and Science" Wu Zhihui: "A New Concept of the Universe and Life Based on a New Belief" Hu Shi: Science and Philosophy of Life The Controversy Over Chinese and Western Cultures Liang Qichao: "Travel Impressions from Europe" Liang Shuming: Chinese Civilization vis-...-vis Eastern and Western Philosophies Reconstructing the Community Hu Shi: Our Attitude Toward Modern Western Civilization Sa Menwu, He Bingsong, and Others: Declaration for Cultural Construction on a Chinese Basis Hu Shi: Criticism of the "Declaration for Cultural Construction on a Chinese Basis" Radical Critiques of Traditional Society, by Peter Zarrow He Zhen: "What Women Should Know About Communism" Women's Revenge Han Yi: "Destroying the Family" 34: The Communist Revolution The Seedbed of the Communist Revolution: The Peasantry and the Anarcho-Communist Movement, by Peter Zarrow Liu Shipei: "Anarchist Revolution and Peasant Revolution" Li Dazhao: The Victory of Bolshevism Mao's Revolutionary Doctrine "Report on an Investigation of the Hunan Peasant Movement" "The Question of Land Redistribution" The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party The Mass Line On New Democracy The Dictatorship of the People's Democracy 35: Chinese Communist Praxis Liu Shaoqi: How to Be a Good Communist Mao Zedong: The Rectification Campaign Report of the Propaganda Bureau of the Central Committee on the Zhengfeng Reform Movement, April 1942 Wang Shiwei: "Wild Lily" Liu Shaoqi: On Inner-Party Struggle Mao Zedong: Combat Liberalism Mao Zedong: On Art and Literature Wang Shiwei: "Political Leaders, Artists" Ding Ling: "Thoughts on March 8, 1942" 36: The Mao Regime Establishment of the People's Republic Mao Zedong: "Leaning to One Side" Mao Zedong: "Stalin Is Our Commander" Guo Moruo: Ode to Stalin"Long Live Stalin" on his seventieth birthday 1949, by Chao-ying Fang Ji Yun: "How China Proceeds with the Task of Industrialization" (1953) Li Fuqun: "Report on the First Five-Year Plan for Development of the National Economy of the People's Republic of China in 1953-1957, July 5 and 6, 1955" Changes in Mid-Course Mao Zedong: "The Question of Agricultural Cooperation," July 31, 1955 Mao Zedong: "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People" Liu Binyan: A Higher Kind of Loyalty Intellectual Opinions from the Hundred Flowers Period Mao Zedong: Remarks at the Beidaihe Conference, August 1958 Peng Dehuai: "Letter of Opinion" to Mao Zedong on the Great Leap Forward, July 1959 Wu Han: "Hai Rui Scolds the Emperor," June 19, 1959 The Cultural Revolution The Sixteen Points: Guidelines for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong "What Have Song Shuo, Lu Ping, and Peng Peiyun Done in the Cultural Revolution?" Red Guard Memoirs Wang Xizhe, Li Zhengtian, Chen Yiyang, Guo Hongzhi: "The Li Yi Zhe Poster," November 1974 7. The Return of Stability and Tradition 37. Deng's "Modernization" and Its Critics, by (R. Lufrano) The Turn to Stability and Modernization Zhou Enlai: "Report on the Work of the Government," delivered on January 13, 1975, at the First Session of the Fourth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China CommuniquC of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, December 22, 1978 Yu Qiuli: "The Relationship Between Politics and Economics" "Uphold the Four Basic Principles," Speech by Deng Xiaoping, March 30, 1979 "Building Socialist Spiritual Civilization," letter from Li Chang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to a member of the Party Central Committee, December 1980 Office of the CCP Dehong Dai Nationality and Qingbo Autonomous Zhou Committee: "Several Questions in Strengthening and Perfecting the Job Responsibility Systems or Agricultural Production," November 7, 1980 Early Critiques of the Deng Regime Publication Statement, Beijing Spring Magazine, January 1979 Wei Jingsheng: The Fifth ModernizationDemocracy, 1978, by (Kristina Torgeson) Democracy or New Dictatorship, Explorations, March 1979 Wall Poster from the April Fifth Forum Hu Ping: "On Freedom of Speech," written for his successful 1980 campaign to become Beijing University's delegate to the Haidian District People's Assembly Wang Ruoshui: "Discussing the Question of Alienation" Wang Ruoshui: "In Defense of Humanism" Assessing the New Policies Deng Xiaoping: "Build Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" Chen Yun: Speech given at the Chinese Communist National Representative Conference, September 23, 1985 New Demands for Change and Democracy Fang Lizhi: Democracy, Reform, and Modernization Fang Lizhi: "Reform and Intellectuals," talk given in 1986 Fang Lizhi: "The Social Responsibility of Today's Intellectuals," speech given at Beijing University, November 4, 1985 Li Xiaojiang: "Awakening of Women's Consciousness" The New Authoritarianism Wu Jiaxiang: "An Outline for Studying the New Authoritarianism," May 1989 Rong Jian: "Does China Need an Authoritarian Political System in the Course of Modernization?" May 1989 Yan Jiaqi: "How China Can Become Prosperous" 38. Twentieth-Century Christianity in China, by Julia Ching Ma Xiangbo Religion and the State, by Ruth Hayhoe Religion and Culture, by R. Hayhoe Zhao Zichen "Present-Day Religious Thought and Life in China" Leadership and Citizenship Training Wu Yaozong "The Present-Day Tragedy of Christianity" "The Reformation of Christianity" The Christian Manifesto Wang Mingdao We, Because of Faith Wu Jingxiong: Christianity and Chinese Tradition "Beyond East and West" "The Lotus and the Mud" 39: Reopening the Debate on Chinese Tradition The New Confucians Xiong Shili, by Tu Weiming Manifesto for a Reappraisal of Sinology and the Reconstruction of Chinese Culture Mou Zongsan's Confucian Philosophy, by John Berthirong The Sensitivity and Steadfastness of Humaneness (ren) Feng Youlan: "Chinan Ancient Nation with a New Mission" The Continuing Critique of Tradition Bo Yang: "The Ugly Chinaman" Sun Longji: "The Deep Structure of Chinese Culture" Su Xiaokang and Wang Luxiang: "River Elegy," a television documentary Li Zehou: "A Reevaluation of Confucianism", by Woeilien Chong Gu Mu: Confucianism as the Essence of Chinese Tradition

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Book SynopsisAn optimistic account of how the Nordic countries can teach us to live easier, healthier, happier lives: a Duckworth contemporary classic, beautifully repackaged for our 125th anniversaryTrade Review'Partanen is a careful, judicious writer' New York Times'A passionate and intelligent argument' Publishers Weekly'An earnest, well-written work worth heeding' Kirkus'An engaging fusion of reportage and memoir' O, the Oprah Magazine'A book you desperately need to add to your to-read pile' Gizmodo'Partanen’s sensible book should be required reading' Foreign Affairs'A must-read' New York Post

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Book SynopsisThis book is a beautiful and moving personal account of the Ainu, the native inhabitants of HokkaidÅ, Japan's northern island, whose land, economy, and culture have been absorbed and destroyed in recent centuries by advancing Japanese. Based on the author's own experiences and on stories passed down from generation to generation, the book chronicles the disappearing worldâand courageous rebirthâof this little-understood people. Kayano describes with disarming simplicity and frankness the personal conflicts he faced as a result of the tensions between a traditional and a modern society and his lifelong efforts to fortify a living Ainu culture. A master storyteller, he paints a vivid picture of the ecologically sensitive Ainu lifestyle, which revolved around bear hunting, fishing, farming, and woodcutting. Unlike the few existing ethnographies of the Ainu, this account is the first written by an insider intimately tied to his own culture yet familiar with the ways of outsiders. Speaking Table of ContentsForeword -- Translators’ Note -- Our Nibutani Valley -- The Four Seasons in the Ainu Community -- My Grandfather, a Slave to the Shamo -- Following Forced Evacuation -- A Long Absence from School -- My Father’s Arrest -- An Adolescence Away from Home -- Realizing My Dream of Becoming a Foreman -- Lucky Is the One Who Dies First -- The Teachings of Chiri Mashiho -- Making the Acquaintance of Kindaichi Kyōsuke -- Building the Museum of Ainu Cultural Resources -- As a Member of the Ainu People -- Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe seminal work that has redefined our understanding of colonialism and empire, with a preface by the author''Stimulating, elegant and pugnacious'' Observer''Magisterial'' Terry EagletonIn this highly-acclaimed work, Edward Said surveys the history and nature of Western attitudes towards the East, considering orientalism as a powerful European ideological creation - a way for writers, philosophers and colonial administrators to deal with the ''otherness'' of eastern culture, customs and beliefs. He traces this view through the writings of Homer, Nerval and Flaubert, Disraeli and Kipling, whose imaginative depictions have greatly contributed to the West''s romantic and exotic picture of the Orient. Drawing on his own experiences as an Arab Palestinian living in the West, Said examines how these ideas can be a reflection of European imperialism and racism. ''Beautifully patterned and passionately argued''New Statesman''Very exciting ... his case is not merely persuasive, but conclusive'' John Leonard, New York Times

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Book SynopsisIn Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning, Gohar Homayounpour plays a theme and variations on loss, love, and family against the backdrop of Iran's chaotic recent past.Homayounpour is simultaneously Shahrzad, the fearless storyteller, and Shahrzad's analyst: subjecting fairy tales to fierce new insights, while weaving an indigo thread through her own devastation on the death of her father and the wonders and horrors of motherhood. A blue thread, or melody, runs though the separations and emigrations of her family and patients driven or broken apart by war, and likewise through the fraught world inhabited by Persian women. This book breaks new psychoanalytic ground, offering a radical rejection of traditional clichés about Iran, and Iranian women, but its unsparing elegance transcends any political agenda, bridging the ocean of a shared and tragic humanity.Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psycTrade Review"Persian Blues will be known as one of the great experimental and poetic discourses on the subversive character of psychoanalysis in our times. A practicing analyst in Tehran, but also a writer and theorist, Homayounpour poses the question of what one may expect from psychoanalysis. The answers she gives are drawn from the world of dreams, sessions, screen-memories, poems, stories, theories, as well as reports on historical and political events to make the answer at once enigmatic and urgent.A brilliant foray into both memory and imagination, eclectic and pointed, this work underscores the ethics that psychoanalysis yields, the difficult work of mourning within the time of one's life, and the historical and geopolitical realities and cultural debates within which psychoanalysis must renew itself. Navigating debates on the veil, Eurocentrism, and super-egoic discourses of the everyday, Homayounpour proves to be a shrewd cultural critic of our times. In the face of devastating losses, Homayounpour cautions against the wish to have all our wounds healed. She insists that life is lived well not in spite of our wounds, but because of them. Indeed, the ethical potential yielded by a curtailed narcissism is found in the distance, the difference, between self and other, need and object – vital disjunctures within relations of love. This text reads not only reads across theoretical, clinical, and poetic genres to interrogate love and ambivalence, but is itself a loving text, a gift of love, that is, a petition to encounter the difficulty that makes us into subjects who can love."Judith Butler"Gohar Homayounpour's new book takes us on a musical, unpredictable, and lively journey, through psychoanalysis, autobiography, social commentary, and culture. Avoiding the usual formats of both analytic prose and memoir, she forges a unique and deeply personal text which will appeal not only to analysts and students of psychoanalysis, but to a much wider readership."Darian Leader, psychoanalyst and member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research, UK"Dr Gohar Homayounpour, an Iranian psychoanalyst who started the Freudian Group of Tehran, has written a brilliant meditation on a psychoanalyst’s life. The book is an integration of personal, cultural, philosophical, political, and clinical ideas, always within the context of a deeply reflective psychoanalytic mind. In Persian Blues you will meet a unique psychoanalyst and be glad for the experience."Fred Busch, member of the International Psychoanalytic Association and the American Psychoanalytic Association, USA"The equation is a simple one: Gohar Homayounpour's Persian Blues is to psychoanalysis what Bob Dylan's lyrics and music are to Mozart's Symphony Nº 41. Persian Blues essentially shows that psychoanalysis was, is, and will be the gay science of subjectivity. I envy the reader who can discover the exceptional beauty of psychoanalysis as an interweaving of the teachings of their great ancestors, history lived through personal experience, erudition, and the sublimity of the very best of music and poetry played on the stage of the dreamer."Néstor Braunstein, Professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Veracruzana, MexicoTable of Contents1. My Father and I, 2. Psoriasis, 3. Mississippi Blues, 4. If They Go Away, 5. The Forgotten War, 6. Tell Me a Story: Shahrzad "in Analysis" in Contemporary Persia, 7. Un-Translation, 8. Caliban, 9. One Should Build a Boat, 10. The Freudian Group of Tehran; Triumphs and Laments, 11. In Praise of the Reality Principle, or, In Praise of Disturbance, 12. Against Empath"ism", 13. Forough, 14. L, 15. Beyond "Locality": The Voyage of the Shitty Pebble, 16. Narcissism Becomes a Hazard to our "Building a Boat", 17. Inflation / Inflated Blues, 18. Paris Blues, or, Are You Going Home?, 19. In Niz Bogzared, This Too Shall Pass, 20. Elle, 21. Superego, 22. Clean Your Eyeglasses, 23. Grandfather Blues, 24. An Airport Taxi Driver in Tehran, 25. A Reliable, Silent Nanny, 26. In Praise of Hopelessness, 27. Blues Shuffle / Swing or Off-Beats, 28. Galway Girl, 29. Borges' Animals and Cemeteries, 30. Beyond Persian Blues...

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 2011. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

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Book Synopsis''Hooper has written a fascinating, affectionate and well-researched study that delivers the tantalising flavour of a country as hot, cold, bitter and sweet as an affogato'' The Telegraph''This portrait of a nation is required reading for anyone heading to a Tuscan villa or Puglian beach this summer'' Financial TimesSublime and maddening, fascinating yet baffling, Italy is a country of endless paradox and seemingly unanswerable riddles. John Hooper''s marvellously entertaining and perceptive book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Looking at the facts that lie behind - and often belie - the stereotypes, his revealing book sheds new light on many aspects of Italian life: football and Freemasonry, sex, symbolism and the reason why Italian has twelve words for a coat hanger, yet none for a hangover.Trade ReviewWhat's not to love? A thoroughly researched, well-written, ageless narrative of a fascinating people * Kirkus *Thanks to his great curiosity, his splendid comparative and analytical perspective, and a fine eye for telling details, John Hooper gets under the skin of a fascinating people in a remarkable and compelling way -- Bill EmmottJohn Hooper is a supremely able and experienced foreign correspondent who has mastered a particular subgenre of his craft: the detailed and comprehensive study of individual countries... an admirable piece of work, unassuming but authoritative. If Hooper really were a diplomat instead of a reporter, it would surely earn him his knighthood -- Jan Morris * Literary Review *John Hooper refuses to succumb to easy cliche while explaining the best and worst of Italy. Mixing the amusing titbit with the big picture, he provides context for the question that perplexes the occasional visitor: how come a country that has produced Berlusconi, "bunga bunga" parties, the mafia and an extraordinary bureaucracy is still so attractive? -- John Kampfner * The Guardian *Hooper has written a fascinating, affectionate and well-researched study that delivers the tantalising flavour of a country as hot, cold, bitter and sweet as an affogato -- Christian House * The Telegraph *An amusing and engrossing account of a thoroughly irresponsible nation -- Brian Sewell * The Independent *Italy remains the most fascinating of countries, often perplexing and yet always engaging. Hooper does it justice. People who don't know Italy will find this book a splendid introduction. Those who know and love the country will find much that is new as well as familiar, much that will have them nodding in agreement, some observations that will meet with the response , "not to my mind". It deserves to sit happily on the bookshelf beside Barzini; and that is high praise -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *This portrait of a nation is required reading for anyone heading to a Tuscan villa or Puglian beach this summer -- Tom Robbins * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis''Enjoyable and illuminating . . . Rob Schmitz writes with great affection'' GuardianShanghai: a global city in the midst of a renaissance, where dreamers arrive each day to partake in a mad torrent of capital, ideas and opportunity. Rob Schmitz is one of them. He immerses himself in his neighbourhood, forging relationships with ordinary people who see a brighter future in the city''s sleek skyline. There''s Zhao, whose path from factory floor to shopkeeper is sidetracked by her desperate measures to ensure a better future for her sons. Down the street lives Auntie Fu, a fervent capitalist forever trying to improve herself while keeping her sceptical husband at bay. Up a flight of stairs, CK sets up shop to attract young dreamers like himself, but learns he''s searching for something more. As Schmitz becomes increasingly involved in their lives, he makes surprising discoveries which untangle the complexities of modern China: a mysterious box of letters that serTrade ReviewEnjoyable and illuminating . . . Rob Schmitz writes with great affection * Guardian *A poignant microcosm . . . coursing under even the bleakest stories is a sense of optimism that tomorrow will be better * The Economist *A marvel of place-based reporting * Peter Hessler, author of River Town *All great cities have a great book that captures their rise or fall; Street of Eternal Happiness is Shanghai's * Michael Meyer, author of In Manchuria *In this intimate and revealing book, a two-mile stretch of road embodies the dreams and dramas of modern China * Leslie T. Chang, author of Factory Girls *Years from now people will turn to [Street of Eternal Happiness] to understand the China of this era * James Fallows *Poignant [and] enjoyable . . . Schmitz's eye for scenes and ear for dialogue give an immediacy to his stories that more expository works often lack -- Adam Rose * New York Times Book Review *Rob Schmitz has given us a treasure: a patient portrait of an impatient country, a China that is utterly true to life in its beauty and heartache, tenderness and greed. His story is told in real lives that are, like Shanghai itself, modern and imperfect, romantic and ruthlessly practical. Reading this is as close as most people will come to living there * Evan Osnos, National Book Award winning author of Age of Ambition *Educational and entertaining, engaged and dispassionate . . . Readers on closing his book, will feel much wiser about China and the Chinese than when they started * Daily Telegraph *

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Presenting the grand sweep of Indian history from antiquity to the present, A History of India is a detailed and authoritative account of the major political, economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the history of the Indian subcontinent. Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund provide a comprehensive overview of the structural pattern of Indian history, covering each historical period in equal depth. Fully revised throughout, the sixth edition of this highly accessible book has been brought up to date with analysis of recent events such as the 2014 election and its consequences, and includes more discussion of subjects such as caste and gender, Islam, foreign relations, partition, and the press and television.This new edition contains an updated chronology of key events and a useful glossary of Indian terms, and is highly illustrated with maps and photographs. Supplemented by a companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/kulke), it is a valuable resour

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Book SynopsisIndia: The Ancient Past provides a clear and systematic introduction to the cultural, political, economic, social and geographical history of ancient India from the time of the pre-Harappan culture nine thousand years ago up until the beginning of the second millennium of the Common Era. The book engages with methodological and controversial issues by examining key themes such as the Indus-Sarasvati civilization, the Aryan controversy, the development of Vedic and heterodox religions, and the political economy and social life of ancient Indian kingdoms. This fully revised and updated second edition includes: Three new chapters examining the differences and commonalities between the north and south of India; Extended discussion on contested issues, such as the origins of the Aryans and the role of feudalism in ancient India; New source excerpts to introduce students to the most significant works in the hTrade ReviewPraise of the first edition: 'An engaging narrative of a complex civilization.' – Minerva 'Burjor Avari's balanced and well-researched book is a most reliable guide to the period of Indian history that it covers. It displays considerable mastery of primary and secondary literature and distils it into a wonderfully lucid exposition. This book should be of interest to both lay readers and academic experts'. - Lord Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster Praise of this edition: 'This book is the ideal guide to India’s ancient past. In this updated and expanded edition, it is a more useful resource than ever, offering students and teachers alike a comprehensive and balanced overview of the key trajectories and debates in the history of pre-modern India. It deftly handles controversial issues and through its carefully curated selection of source materials invites the reader’s direct engagement with this riveting history.' Sebastian R. Prange, University of British Columbia, Canada 'With great equanimity and poise, India: The Ancient Past does an excellent job of presenting one of the world’s splendid pasts. Equipped with rich details, lucid prose, and accessible materials, it is up-to-date with current scholarship and presents a concise yet detailed chapter-by-chapter denouement of the broad sweeps of ancient India’s history . Brevity of topics, primary source extracts, and insightful analyses are a few among the many features that make this textbook a joy to teach with.' M. Raisur Rahman, Wake Forest University, USA 'India: The Ancient Past improves hugely upon other college texts on the eras from the Stone Age to 1200 CE, in that it is accessible, comprehensive, politically neutral, often entertaining, and remarkably explanatory. This new edition is even better than the first on all counts, and is the best I have seen in over 40 years of teaching.'Richard Barnett, University of Virginia, USA Praise of the first edition: 'An engaging narrative of a complex civilization.' – Minerva 'Burjor Avari's balanced and well-researched book is a most reliable guide to the period of Indian history that it covers. It displays considerable mastery of primary and secondary literature and distils it into a wonderfully lucid exposition. This book should be of interest to both lay readers and academic experts'. - Lord Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster Praise of this edition: 'This book is the ideal guide to India’s ancient past. In this updated and expanded edition, it is a more useful resource than ever, offering students and teachers alike a comprehensive and balanced overview of the key trajectories and debates in the history of pre-modern India. It deftly handles controversial issues and through its carefully curated selection of source materials invites the reader’s direct engagement with this riveting history.' Sebastian R. Prange, University of British Columbia, Canada 'With great equanimity and poise, India: The Ancient Past does an excellent job of presenting one of the world’s splendid pasts. Equipped with rich details, lucid prose, and accessible materials, it is up-to-date with current scholarship and presents a concise yet detailed chapter-by-chapter denouement of the broad sweeps of ancient India’s history . Brevity of topics, primary source extracts, and insightful analyses are a few among the many features that make this textbook a joy to teach with.' M. Raisur Rahman, Wake Forest University, USA 'India: The Ancient Past improves hugely upon other college texts on the eras from the Stone Age to 1200 CE, in that it is accessible, comprehensive, politically neutral, often entertaining, and remarkably explanatory. This new edition is even better than the first on all counts, and is the best I have seen in over 40 years of teaching.'Richard Barnett, University of Virginia, USA Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. From Africa to Mehrgarh 3. The Harappan Civilization 4. The Indo-Aryans in the Vedic Age 5. Formative Centuries of the Pre-Mauryan Era 6. The Paradox of Mauryan Imperialism 7. Diffusion and Dynamism after the Mauryas 8. Stability and Change Under the Imperial Guptas 9. The Post-Gupta Era and the Rise of the South 10. Regionalism and Feudalism: Rajput, Pala and 296 Rashtrakuta Kingdoms 11. Chola Domination in the South and Turco-Afhan Plunder in the North

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Book Synopsis''Manu was seated, when the great seers came up to him: Please, Lord, tell us the Laws of all the social classes, as well as of those born in between...''The Law Code of Manu is the most authoritative and the best-known legal text of ancient India. Famous for two thousand years it still generates controversy, with Manu''s verses being cited in support of the oppression of women and members of the lower castes. A seminal Hindu text, the Law Code is important for its classic description of so many social institutions that have come to be identified with Indian society. It deals with the relationships between social and ethnic groups, between men and women, the organization of the state and the judicial system, reincarnation, the workings of karma, and all aspects of the law.Patrick Olivelle''s lucid translation is the first to be based on his critically edited text, and it incorporates the most recent scholarship on ancient Indian history, law, society, and religion. ABOUT THE SERIES: Fo

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Book SynopsisAmericaâs Horror Stories: U.S. History through Dark Tourism conducts a ghost tour(ist) methodology to explore how slavery and racism are represented in dark tourism via ghost tours.The authors travel to key sites of racist U.S. history, including Salem, Massachusetts, where a witch panic was sparked by accusations of witchcraft by Tituba, an enslaved woman practicing Voodoo; New Orleans, Louisiana, which hosts the largest slave trade market; the Myrtles Plantation in Francisville, Louisiana; and to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War took place, marking a pivotal moment to end slavery in the nationâbut where Confederate ghosts are said to continue roaming the town and battlefield. Acting as research ghost hunters/tourists, the authors go on walking and bus tours, visit historical monuments, stay at haunted hotels, ponder objects in haunted museums, and do some ghost hunting of their own. They find that the ghosts conjured by tour guide

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Book SynopsisA collection of primary readings on the social, intellectual, and religious traditions of China, this text provides a resource for scholars and students and an introduction for general readers.Table of ContentsPart 1. The Chinese Tradition in Antiquity 1. The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty, by David N. Keightley 2. Classical Sources of Chinese Tradition, by Burton Watson, David S. Nivison, Irene Bloom 3. Confucius and the Analects, by Irene Bloom 4. Mozi: Utilitarianism, Uniformity, and Universal Love, by Burton Watson 5. The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi 6. The Evolution of the Confucian Tradition in Antiquity 7. Legalists and Militarists Part 2. The Making of a Classical Culture 8. The Han Reaction to Qin Despotism 9. Syncretic Visions of State, Society, and Cosmos, by Harold Roth, Sarah Queen, Nathan Sivin 10. The Imperial Order and Han Syntheses 11. The Economic Order, by Burton Watson, Wm. Theodore deBary 12. The Great Han Historians, by Burton Watson Part 3. Later Daoism and Mahyana Buddhism in China 13. Learning of the Mysterious, by Richard John Lynn, Wing-tsit Chan, Irene Bloom 14. Daoist Religion, by Franciscus Verellen, Nathan Sivin, et al. 15. The Introduction of Buddhism, by Leon Hurvitz, Tsai Heng-ting 16. Schools of Buddhist Doctrine, by Leon Hurvitz, Burton Watson, Daniel Stevenson, George Tanabe, Wing-Tsit Chan 17. Schools of Buddhist Practice, by Leon Hurvitz, Daniel Stevenson, Philip B. Yampolsky, Chun-fang Yu Part 4. The Confucian Revival and Neo-Confucianism Social Life and Political Culture in the Tang The Confucian Revival in the Song Neo-Confucianism: The Philosophy of Human Nature and the Way of the Sage Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian Program, by Wm. Theodore deBary Ideological Foundations of Late Imperial China, by Wm. Theodore deBary, Edward Farmer, John Dardess Neo-Confucian Education, by Wm. Thedore deBary Self and Society in the Ming Glossary Bibliography Pinyin to Wade-Giles Romanization Chart Index

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Book SynopsisAmerican Government: Constitutional Democracy Under Pressure highlights the dangerous tension between our constitutional principles and institutions and the populist heat that sometimes roils our national politics, including at the current political moment. Our constitutional democracy has been under pressure for some time, but few would deny that fears for its fate have deepened in just the past few years. We assume that our political institutions will limit and contain contemporary populism, just as the Founders intended and as they have in the past, but will they? An increasingly polarized electorate, urging their representatives to fight and never to compromise, may be stressing Constitutional limits. This new edition offers to help American government teachers lead their students to a nuanced theoretical and practical understanding of what is happening in the politics of their Constitutional democracy today.New to the Third Edition Further develops and highlights the distinguishing theme of the book, âœConstitutional Democracy Under Pressure,â in light of the Trump and Biden administrations. Expands coverage of all media aspects including fake news, social media, responsible journalism, and related topics including foreign manipulation of the news. Describes numerous ways in which the American political system has been affected by the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation, and security concerns. Evaluates the evidence for increasing polarization in public opinion, voting behavior, and legislative politics. Explores the implications of recent Supreme Court decisions including controversial rulings on reproductive health, the separation of church and state, the environment, and presidential powers. Includes the most recent election results. Updates in all tables, figures, suggested readings plus photo updates throughout.

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Book SynopsisA free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. The Scarcity Slot is the first book to critically examine food security in Africa's deep past. Amanda L. Logan argues that African foodways have been viewed through the lens of the scarcity slot,' a kind of Othering based on presumed differences in resources. Weaving together archaeological, historical, and environmental data with food ethnography, she advances a new approach to building long-term histories of food security on the continent in order to combat these stereotypes. Focusing on a case study in Banda, Ghana that spans the past six centuries, The Scarcity Slot reveals that people thrived during a severe, centuries-long drought just as Europeans arrived on the coast, with a major decline in food security emerging only recently. This narrative radically challenges how we think about African foodways in the past with major implications for the future.Trade Review"The book provides an accessible way to understand the foodstuffs and foodways in the region and contains an impressive review of the food literature written in English. It is also methodologically exemplary for food archaeology analyses. I highly recommend this book to a large audience interested in West Africa, to specialised archaeobotanists, and also to archaeologists who will here be shown the potential of food archaeology." * Journal of African Archaeology *“This masterful book is essential reading for Africanist students, scholars, policymakers, and anyone else interested in African food security and how the past can inform and shape the present.” * African Archaeological Review *"[Logan] builds a strong argument for using excavation of soil, of histories, of cuisines as a key method for food studies. . . .the African continent should be an essential component of food inquiry and education; Logan provides a framework for where to begin." * Gastronomica *"This is a superb book which calls into question many basic assumptions about African agricultural productivity and food history. It is beautifully argued and thoroughly documented. . . . The Scarcity Slot not only makes a hugely important contribution to the study of African food histories but also demonstrates the need for a much more nuanced understanding of Africa as a whole." * Ethnoarchaeology *

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Book SynopsisThere have been many books about Antarctica in the past, but all have focused on only one aspect of the continent - its science, its wildlife, the heroic age of exploration, personal experiences or the sheer awesome beauty of the landscape- but none have managed to capture the whole story, until now.Gabrielle Walker, author, consultant to New Scientist and regular broadcaster with the BBC has written a book unlike any that has ever been written about the continent. Antarctica weaves all the significant threads into an intricate tapestry, made up of science, natural history, poetry, epic history, what it feels like to be there and why it draws so many different kinds of people back there again and again. It is only when all the parts come together that the underlying truths of the continent emerge. Antarctica is the most alien place on Earth, the only part of our planet where humans could never survive unaided. It is truly like walking on another planet. And yet, in its siTrade ReviewWe are all anxious Antarctic watchers now, and Walker's book is the essential primer * Guardian *The early Antarctic expeditions are thoroughly covered in this enthralling book. But, then again, so is every other aspect of a place that continues to haunt the human imagination ... Perhaps best of all, Walker gives us a fantastically vivid sense of what it's like to be in Antarctica * Readers Digest *This is a fascinating insight into one of the most inhospitable places on Earth and its implications for the world's future * Irish Examiner *Brimful of science, heroism, tragedy and laugh-out-loud humour, Antarctica is an exciting and informative read ... Walker interweaves personal accounts and in-depth research to tell an intimate captivating story -- Kathryn Jeffs * BBC Focus *

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Book Synopsis‘Hendrik Fagel the Younger (1765–1838), Greffier or Chief Minister of Holland, had the misfortune to have his property seized by invading French forces in the winter of 1794–5, but managed to secure the release of his family art collection and library, which were shipped to him in London in 1798. Being in straitened circumstances he decided to sell them and negotiations took place for the purchase of the library for Trinity College.’ So begins Charles Benson’s introduction to Frozen in Time, a collection of the papers presented at the recent Fagel Symposium, held at Trinity College, Dublin, with the explicit purpose of making this astonishing resource better known outside College walls. During their two centuries of public service to the States-General and Holland, the Fagel family built up one of the most important private libraries in early modern Europe, with holdings in history, politics and law as well as every other area of human endeavour: belles lettres, philosophy and theology, geography and travel, natural history and the visual arts. This lavishly illustrated volume contains a selection of the papers presented at the symposium as well as new articles, covering subjects as diverse as early Dutch book collections and plans of the cosmos, botanical sales catalogues, pamphlets on the bloody 1641 Rebellion in Ireland, Italian Renaissance poetry and the vicissitudes of the Huguenots. As the first comprehensive study of this hugely important and hitherto relatively unknown collection – one of the most important private libraries in early modern Europe – the volume will be of immense value to scholars and general readers.

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Book SynopsisZine Magubane tracks colonial images of blackness from South Africa to England and back again to reveal the often overlooked links among ideologies of race, class, and gender.

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Book SynopsisGoes behind the scenes in two urban luxury hotels to give a picture of the workers who care for and cater to wealthy guests. This work offers an analysis of what the luxury service consists of, how managers organize its production, and how workers and guests negotiate the inequality between them.Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction: Luxury Service and the New Economy 1. "Better Than Your Mother": The Luxury Product 2. Managing Autonomy 3. Games, Control, and Skill 4. Recasting Hierarchy 5. Reciprocity, Relationship, and Revenge 6. Producing Entitlement Conclusion: Class, Culture, and the Service Theater Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Hotel Organization Appendix C: Jobs, Wages, and Nonmanagerial Workers in Each Hotel: 2000--2001 Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisGodwired offers an engaging exploration of religious practice in the digital age. It considers how virtual experiences, like stories, games and rituals, are forms of world-building or cosmos construction that serve as a means of making sense of our own world. Such creative and interactive activity is, arguably, patently religious.This book examines: the nature of sacred space in virtual contexts technology as a vehicle for sacred texts who we are when we go online what rituals have in common with games and how they work online what happens to community when people worship online how religious worlds and virtual worlds nurture similar desires. Rachel Wagner suggests that whilst our engagement with virtual reality can be viewed as a form of religious activity, today's virtual religion marks a radical departure from traditional religious practice it is Trade Review'Godwired is a timely, relevant, and sophisticated book. It is an insightful, well-informed discussion of game theories, storytelling, and the religious imagination, offering a convincing argument about how playing games can, at times, participate in the construction of worlds, and worlds of meaning.' – Gary Laderman, Emory University, USA'Rachel Wagner explores the intersection of the two other-worlds known to human beings; the supernatural world of the spiritual, and the virtual world created by on-line communication technologies. In doing so, she brings new light to scholarship in both religious studies and new media studies, both of which can profit from her research in this book. It is a fascinating study that is sure to provoke further discussion.' – Mark J. P. Wolf, Concordia University Wisconsin, USA'Wagner goes far beyond simply demonstrating the presence of something the religious scholar would recognize in games, web sites, and Second Life. She helps us understand the religious and theological implications of the emerging media culture and identify as well as understand the locations of the religious impulse within it. […] Readable and teachable, the book holds clear promise to advance the emerging discourse on religion and virtual reality.' – Jeffrey H. Mahan, Iliff School of Theology, USA in Religious Studies ReviewTable of Contents1. Walkthrough 2. The Stories We Play: Interactivity And Religious Narrative 3. The Games We Pray: What Is This Ritual-Game-Story Thing? 4. The Other Right Here: In Search of the Virtual Sacred 5. Me, Myself and Ipod: Hybrid, Wired and Plural Selves 6. God-Mobs: Virtually Religious Community 7. What You Play is What You Do? Procedural Evil and Videogame Violence 8. Xbox Apocalypse: Video Games, Interactivity and Revelatory Literature 9. Making Belief: Transmedia and the Hunger for the Real 10. Expansion Pack

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Book SynopsisThe authors analyze the social, cultural, and political meaning attached to the cult of Confucius; its history; the legends, images, and rituals associated with it; the power of the descendants of Confucius; the main temple in the birthplace of Confucius; and the contemporary fate of temples to Confucius.

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Book SynopsisLa cuarta espada es una rigurosa investigación periodística sobre Sendero Luminoso y su líder, Abimael Guzmán. Casi 70.000 muertos produjo la guerra entre el movimiento terrorista Sendero Luminoso y el Estado peruano entre los años ochenta y noventa. Responsable de más de la mitad de las víctimas, Sendero fue el grupo subversivo más letal en la historia del continente americano. Abimael Guzmán, el hombre que condujo toda esa violencia y se considera a sí mismo como la «cuarta espada» del comunismo internacional tras Lenin, Stalin y Mao, no llevaba armas. No tenía poyo de Gobiernos extranjeros. Ni siquiera estaba presente en el campo de batalla. Detrás de un escritorio, armado con una rigurosa ideología, puso en jaque a todo un país durante doce años. Su historia constituye un escalofriante ejemplo del poder destructor de las ideas. ¿Cómo se convirtió Guzmán en un objeto de culto capaz de inspirar entre los suyos misiones kamikazes? ¿Quiénes eran sus soldados? ¿Cómo eran el amor y el odio entre ellos? La cuarta espada es la primera descripción de las relaciones humanas en el interior de una cúpula terrorista Sendero Luminoso con información proporcionada por sus protagonistas. Pero más allá del documento periodístico, este libro se lee como una novela en la tradición de A sangre fría, una inmersión en la mente del asesino, un retrato del Mal. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION The Fourth Sword is a rigorous journalistic investigation about the Shining Path terrorist group in Peru and its leader Abimael Guzman.  Almost 70,000 deaths were caused by the civil war between the Shining Path terrorist movement and the Peruvian government during the eighties and nineties. Responsible for more than half of the victims, Shining Path was the most deadly and dangerous subversive group ever in the history of Latin America.   Abimael Guzman, the man who led such violence and considers himself to be the fourth sword of international communism after Lenin, Stalin, and Mao, was not armed. He had no support from foreign governments, and he did not even set foot on the battlefield. Sitting behind a desk and armed with a rigorous ideology, he brought turmoil to the entire country for twelve years.   His story depicts a chilling example of the destructive power of ideology. How did Guzman become such a cult leader capable of encouraging kamikaze missions among his followers? Who were his soldiers? How was the love-hate relationship between them? The Fourth Sword is the first-hand account of personal relationships inside a Shining Path terrorist group with information and accounts provided to the author by its protagonists. This work goes much further than a journalistic investigation, it reads like a a novel; it is an immersion into the mind of a murderer.

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Book SynopsisIn the latter half of the twentieth century, legions of industrial pioneers came to northwestern British Columbia with grand plans for mines, dams, and energy-development schemes. Yet many of their projects failed to materialize or were abandoned midstream. Unbuilt Environments reveals that these lapsed resource projects had lasting effects on the natural and human environment. Drawing on a range of case studies to analyze the social and environmental impacts of unfinished projects, Jonathan Peyton considers development failure a productive concept for northwestern Canada. He looks at a closed asbestos mine, an abandoned rail grade, an imagined series of hydroelectric installations, a failed LNG export facility, and a transmission line and finds that these unrealized developments continue to shape contemporary resource conflicts.Trade ReviewUnbuilt Environments is an enthralling book … [and] a great contribution to the emerging interdisciplinary narrative on resource development conflicts in northwest British Columbia, a region that is currently the site of intense mining exploration and controversy over energy projects. Drawing on fieldwork throughout northwest British Columbia and on research which is both eloquent and honest, Unbuilt Environments is a practical, accessible, and reliable resource from a respected emerging researcher. I strongly recommend this book for the expert and non-expert. -- Rajiv Thakur, Missouri State University, West Plains * Polymath *Unbuilt Environments provides an even-handed discussion of development in a region that remains relatively aloof from capital investment and integration into the global economy. -- Gordon Hak * NiCHE, Network in Canadian History & Environment *Jonathan Peyton by bringing to light the history of these spasmodic industrial developments in the north has done an immense public service. His research is comprehensive, his analysis precise, his tone moderate and dispassionate. Indeed, there are moments when the reader, overwhelmed by Peyton’s revelations, the scale of the corruption, the extent of the folly, the aggregate waste of tax payers’ wealth, almost wishes for a more emotional reaction from the author. Yet the great strength of the book is its restraint, for the facts and history alone provide sufficient indictment. -- Wade Davis * The Ormsby Review *Table of ContentsForeword: How Shall We Live? / Graeme WynnIntroduction: The Stikine Watershed and the Unbuilt Environment1 Cassiar, Asbestos: How to Know a Place2 Liberating Stranded Resources: The Dease Lake Extension as the Railway to Nowhere3 Corporate Ecology: BC Hydro, Failure, and the Stikine-Iskut Project4 “Industry for the future”: Dome Petroleum and the Afterlives of “Aggressive” Development5 Transmission: Contesting Energy and Enterprise in the New Northwest Gold RushConclusion: The Tumbling GeographyAppendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisIn 2009 Beppe Grillo, a well-known Italian comedian, established the Five Star Movement with the aim of sending a handful of citizens to municipal councils to act as the watchdog of a professional political class often perceived as corrupt and self-interested. However, in the Italian general elections of February 2013, despite still largely being considered a small protest movement, the party gained the undisputed role of leading political actor gaining just under 9 million votes and sending 163 Deputies and Senators to the Italian parliament. The birth and rapid rise of the Five Star Movement represents an electoral earthquake with no parallels in Italy and the whole of post-1945 Western Europe and a phenomenon likely to shape the Italian political scene for many years to come. Drawing on an extensive array of data and face-to-face interviews, this volume offers an empirically grounded explanation of the surprising electoral success of the Five Star Movement and presents a realistic pTrade Review’The Five-Star Movement is one of the most interesting political phenomena in contemporary Europe. Filippo Tronconi has put together a fine volume that looks in detail at the factors underpinning the remarkable success of this movement. It is essential reading not only for those interested in Italy, but for all students of party politics.’ Duncan McDonnell, Griffith University, Australia ’The Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo was the great surprise of the 2013 elections in Italy. Understanding what kind of "political animal" it is, and what its future role in Italian politics will be is a major puzzle for Italy watchers. The book edited by Filippo Tronconi is the best guide so far for anyone seriously interested in understanding this new phenomenon.’ Maurizio Cotta, University of Siena, Italy '... is there something so special about M5S (Movimento 5 Stelle) that accounts for its unprecedented success? Using a wide range of research tools the contributors to this volume offer a comprehensive approach to the party, describing and often deconstructing the characteristics and paradoxes that account for its unexpected popularity that could eventually determine its future political viability. ... a comprehensible guide to the rise of the M5S and an essential reading for those interested not only in Italian politics, but also in anti-system, Euro-sceptic and populist movements in Europe.' LSE Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction, FilippoTronconi; Chapter 1 Beppe Grillo and the Movimento 5 Stelle, RinaldoVignati; Chapter 2 The Organization of the Movimento 5 Stelle, RinaldoVignati; Chapter 3 Between Blog, Social Networks and Territory, Maria ElisabettaLanzone, FilippoTronconi; Chapter 4 The Electoral Base, AndreaPedrazzani, LucaPinto; Chapter 5 From ‘Citizens’ to Members of Parliament, LucaPinto, AndreaPedrazzani; Chapter 6 An Internet-Fuelled Party? The Movimento 5 Stelle and the Web, LorenzoMosca, CristianVaccari, AugustoValeriani; Chapter 7 The Movimento 5 Stelle and Social Conflicts, LorenzoMosca; Chapter 8 A Vote(r) Like Any Other? Exploring the Protest Component in the Vote for the Movimento 5 Stelle, GianlucaPassarelli, DarioTuorto; Chapter 9 Beyond Protest, PasqualeColloca, PiergiorgioCorbetta; Chapter 10 Conclusion, FilippoTronconi;

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize""[Frye’s] research is impressive. This timely, evidence-based account persuades." * Publishers Weekly *"With deft prose, deep and insightful analysis, and considerable supporting evidence, Frye not only counters, but dismantles, the overly simplistic and lazy narratives of Russia under Putin."---Joshua Huminski, Diplomatic Courier"Frye’s splendid book is a major contribution to the literature."---Alexander Brakel, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs

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Book SynopsisThis handbook offers an overview of the main issues regarding the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual and artistic history of the Iberian Peninsula during the period of Muslim rule (eighthfifteenth centuries). A comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources attests the vitality of the academic study of al-Andalus (= Muslim Iberia) and its place in present-day discussions about the past and the present.The contributors are all specialists with diverse backgrounds providing different perspectives and approaches. The volume includes chapters dealing with the destiny of the Muslim population after the Christian conquest and with the posterity of al-Andalus in art, literature and different historiographical traditions. The chapters are organised in the following sections: Political history, concentrating on rulers and armies Social, religious and economic groups Intellectual and cultural developmentsTrade Review"The Routledge Handbook of Muslim Iberia is a collection of essays written by thirty authors and serves as a guide to al-Andalus, defined geographically as the territory in the Iberian peninsula under Islamic rule between 711 and 1492. The volume also includes North African kingdoms that ruled over Iberian territories, and Andalusi populations and their descendants who came under the authority of Iberian Christian rulers beginning in the late eleventh century. The Handbook is directed toward both nonspecialist readers interested in exploring aspects of the Andalusi past, including poetry, art, and architecture, and researchers interested in an introduction to the themes of current and past scholarship and the main written and material sources for studying aspects of the politics, society, and culture of al-Andalus. "[The book] is designed to be picked up for reference and encourage further exploration of topics and themes in Andalusi history. The chapters are well conceived and authoritative. The book may also be read from beginning to end for an effective, multivocal overview of what scholars ask and think about al-Andalus." Janina Safran, Journal of the American Oriental Society 143.4 (2023) Table of ContentsIntroduction. Maribel Fierro PART I. Rulers 1. The Iberian Peninsula before the Muslim conquest. Iñaki Martín Viso 2. The conquerors and the formation of al-Andalus. Jesús Lorenzo 3. Centralization and consolidation. The Cordoban Umayyads and the Amirids. Xavier Ballestin 4. Replication and fragmentation. The Taifa kingdoms. Alejandro García Sanjuán 5. Berber rule and Abbasid legitimacy. The Almoravids. Camilo Gomez-Rivas 6. Berber rule and the Maghribi caliphate. The Almohads. Pascal Buresi 7. Resistance and adaptation. The Nasrids. Francisco Vidal-Castro 8. The coins of al-Andalus. Ideological evolution and historical context. Tawfiq Ibrahim and Ruth Pliego PART 2. Society 9. Arabs, Berbers, and local converts. Jessica Coope 10. Christians, Jews, and the dhimma status. David J. Wasserstein 11. Women and slaves. Manuela Marin 12. Traders and peasants. Pierre Guichard 13. Secretaries and the running of government. Bruna Soravia 14. Scholars, jurists, and the legal system. Maribel Fierro 15. Ascetics and Sufis. José Bellver PART 3. Culture 16. Poetry and literature. Teresa Garulo 17. Religious sciences. Camilla Adang 18. Historiography and geography. Víctor de Castro León 19. Philosophy. Sarah Stroumsa 20. Sciences and technology. Mònica Rius-Piniés 21. Art and architecture. Susana Calvo Capilla 22. Material culture. José C. Carvajal López 23. Daily life and popular culture. Alejandro García Sanjuán PART 4. The aftermath of al-Andalus 24. Living as Muslims under Christian rule. The Mudejars. Filomena Barros 25. The forced conversions and the Moriscos. Mayte Green-Mercado 26. The integration of al-Andalus in Islamic historiography. The view from the Maghrib and the Mashriq. Luis Molina 27. The memory of al-Andalus in early modern Spain. Fernando Rodríguez Mediano 28. Writing on al-Andalus in the modern Islamic world. Christina Civantos 29. Writing the history of al-Andalus. Spain and the West. Alejandro García Sanjuán 30. The Alhambra around the world. Images and constructions of an aesthetic paradigm of modernity. José Miguel Puerta Vílchez 31. The politics and aesthetics of Convivencia. Manuela Ceballos

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Book SynopsisWhat happened to the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean in the wake of the European onslaught? All but a few were wiped out. This remarkable book explores the history and culture of those who survived: the Kalinagos of Dominica - from resistance, to refuge and now revival.

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Book SynopsisA longtime American foreign policy insider’s penetrating and definitive reckoning with this country’s involvement in the Middle East—and its bitter endThe culmination of almost forty years at the highest levels of policymaking and scholarship, Grand Delusion is Steven Simon’s tour de force, offering a comprehensive and deeply informed account of U.S. engagement in the Middle East. Simon begins with the Reagan administration, when American perception of the Middle East shifted from a cluster of faraway and frequently skirmishing nations to a shining, urgent opportunity for America to (in Reagan’s words) “serve the cause of world peace and the future of mankind.”Reagan fired the starting gun on decades of deepening American involvement, but as the global economy grew, bringing an increasing reliance on oil, U.S. diplomatic and military energies were ever more fatefully absorbed by the Middle East until the Obama admi

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Book SynopsisAn urgent, wide-ranging portrait of the divisions among Israelis today, and the external threats to their country, at a critical juncture in its history. • Through moving narratives and on-the-ground reporting, a veteran New York Times correspondent who has spent decades working in Israel reveals what holds the country together.“A wondrous tale told through the agonizing and uplifting stories of Israel’s many tribes — Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, new immigrants and veterans, soldiers and settlers.”—Martin Indyk, author of Master of the Game, and former U.S. ambassador to IsraelFor anyone trying to understand the reality of Israel today.”—Dennis Ross, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East and the author of Doomed to SucceedDespite Israel's determined staying power in a hostile environment, its military might, an

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Book SynopsisBlack Lives Are Beautiful is a workbook explicitly designed to help members of the Black community counter the impacts of racialized trauma while also cultivating self-esteem, building resilience, fostering community, and promoting Black empowerment.As readers explore each part of this workbook, they will develop tools to overcome the mental injuries that occur from living in a racialized society. Clinicians who use this workbook with clients will find a practical toolbox of racially informed interventions to aid clinicians, particularly White clinicians, in culturally sensitive clinical practice.Trade Review"Cultivating the spirit of the human condition that Africa-descended people possess requires conditions that affirm rather than invalidate; support rather than denigrate; and surrounded with loving ambiance as opposed to toxic energy. The spirit is challenged, however, to receive that level of valuation and validation in a climate where racism and White supremacy create the condition for a chronic assault on an individual and a people’s humanity. Culturally congruent, therapeutic engagement not only requires an accurate assessment of the residual baggage Black people continue to carry from historic and chronic exposure to individual, instructional and societal racism, but it also requires therapeutic support that provides nurturing spaces for people’s spirits to recover and heal. This text is a blueprint for how to recognize when clients have been impacted by the racial trauma and toxicity of life’s circumstances. It is also a road map for taking people from where they are to where they ought to be. Those of us who are committed to this work enthusiastically embrace the arrival of this book and recommend its adoption by those who are serious about providing therapeutic benefit to people of African descent." Thomas A. Parham, PhD, president, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and distinguished psychologist, The Association of Black Psychology"High praise for Black Lives Are Beautiful. This workbook for managing racialized trauma could not be more timely, especially given the persistent barrage of assaults targeted against the Black community (e.g., state sanctioned violence, voter suppression, everyday racism). The authors validate and affirm the integrity of the Black experience. In particular, they provide digestible information concerning the science of racialized trauma, the impact of trauma on the Black psyche, and a host of exercises and nuggets of wisdom that help readers heal from racialized trauma. This is a must read for every Black person because it was written by us and for us." Norma L. Day-Vines, PhD, professor and associate dean for diversity and faculty development, Johns Hopkins University"Dr. Steele and Dr. Newton have given the world a precious gift with Black Lives Are Beautiful: 50 Tools to Heal from Trauma and Promote Positive Racial Identity. This is a must-have book for mental health practitioners and an important support for Black clients healing from racial trauma and remembering their value and worth as key components of Black liberation." Anneliese Singh, PhD, associate provost for diversity and faculty development, chief diversity officer, and provost, Tulane University"Awareness and knowledge can contribute to personal empowerment and self-efficacy. This workbook has been developed to promote healing, self-love, and acceptance of one’s identity as an individual of African/Black heritage. The authors provide a sensitive approach to promote racial healing as an on-going process in one’s life journey." Patricia Arredondo, EdD, president, Arredondo Advisory Group, and faculty fellow, Fielding Graduate UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction. Section 1: Healing from Racial Trauma Activity 1. Racialized Trauma Self-Assessment Checklist Activity 2. Uncovering Your Racialized Trauma Activity 3. Identifying Internalized Racism Activity 4. Interrupting the Cycle of Internalized Racism Activity 5. Your Body Can Help Activity 6. A Healing Self-Compassion Meditation Activity 7. My Racial Healing Toolbox Section 2: Tools to Promote Self-Esteem Activity 8. Self-Esteem Questionnaire Activity 9. Black Racial Identity Quiz Activity 10. Your Melanin is Poppin’ Activity 11. Let Your Social Media Reflect Your Confidence Activity 12. Take a Selfie Activity 13. Family Ties Activity 14. Proud Moments Activity 15. Goals Toward Greatness Activity 16. Visualize Your Greatness Activity 17. Create Your Catchphrase Section 3: Tools to Promote Resilience Activity 18. Metaphor of Life Activity 19. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Activity 20. Your Family Story Activity 21. You’re a Survivor Activity 22. Rewrite the Narrative Activity 23. Self-Compassion Activity 24. Purpose and Resilience Activity 25. Manifesting Your Purpose Activity 26. Using Fun to Enhance Resilience Section 4: Tools to Promote Empowerment Activity 27. Music For Your Soul Activity 28. Stories That Inspire Activity 29. Heritage Wall Activity 30. Pearls of Wisdom Activity 31. Release and Let Go Activity 32. Safe Spaces Activity 33. Black Minds Matter Activity 34. Sociopolitical Empowerment Activity 35. Your Role as a Change Agent Activity 36. Black Economic Empowerment Activity 37. Messages About Money Activity 38. Anti-Racism Empowerment Strategies Section 5: Tools to Promote Community Activity 39. Finding Your Tribe Activity 40. Cultural Institutions Activity 41. The Hate They Give Activity 42. Contribute Your Gift Activity 43. Juneteenth Activity 44. Seven Principles Activity 45. Black Greek Life Activity 46. Community Engagement Activity 47. Community Sense Activity 48. Mind, Body, and Soul Activity 49. Better Together Activity 50. Thank You Letter

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Book SynopsisThis book presents concepts, strategies, and decision-making processes of supply chain and operations management through simple to advanced analytics. It provides the tools necessary to comprehend supply chain and operations management, quantitatively and analytically, through exercises and examples. Using accessible quantitative models, this volume provides a unified framework for supply chain analytics for productsâright from sourcing to manufacturing to delivery and remanufacturing, which closes the supply chain. This book synthesizes a collection of models in all the areas of supply chain like Sourcing, Inventory, Production planning and control, forecasting of demand, Transportation, Network planning and Design, Data aggregation and mining and return of products in the context of both formulation and solution of the problems in each area using suitable software and Excel Solver for the ease of understanding. Use of simulation, stochastic and system design models are adde

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Book SynopsisDespite a decade of rapid economic development, China’s western borderlands have experienced a wave of ethnic unrest not seen since the 1950s. Through on-the-ground interviews and firsthand observations, this volume creates an invaluable record of the conflicts and protests as they have unfolded—the most extensive chronicle of events to date.Trade ReviewEthnic unrest in Tibet and among the Uyghurs in Xinjiang is very much in the news and is a subject of great academic and public interest. It is hard to research because the Chinese government limits access to these areas. Nonetheless, these resourceful and courageous scholars have managed to access these regions, find out what is troubling the ethnic minority residents there, and assess how deep the trouble is. -- Andrew J. Nathan, coauthor of China's Search for SecurityEthnic Conflict and Protest in Tibet and Xinjiang is a terrific book. Ten experts take a balanced and clear-eyed view of the conditions and politics behind the recent wave of ethnic unrest in China. It should be required reading for those who would understand the interlocking causes of conflict, including decision makers in Beijing. -- June Teufel Dreyer, author of China's Political SystemThese studies of contemporary China's relations with the Tibetans and the Uyghurs offer insights on a wide variety of issues, including the Chinese state's policies toward Buddhism and Islam, the causes of conflicts between China and these so-called minority nationalities, the government's economic policies and the ensuing environmental effects, and the possible economic synergies between Chinese and Tibetan and Uyghur entrepreneurs. The authors differ in their opinions about the future, with some providing negative predictions while others are more optimistic, but each furnishes informed analyses. -- Morris Rossabi, author of The Mongols and The Mongols and Global HistoryThese essays provide detailed study of ethnopolitics in contemporary China based on solid fieldwork and scholarly analysis of regional peculiarities and standardizing policies. -- Tsering Shakya, coauthor of The Struggle for TibetHighly recommended. * Choice *A welcome contribution to the field and essential reading for specialists, policy makers, and graduate students interested in these important regions. * Journal of Asian Studies *An excellent resource: the contributions are consistently strong and empirically rich, and examine a wide range of complementary features of society across the two autonomous regions. * International Affairs *A short review cannot do justice to the subtlety of the arguments in this volume, which will be of interest to anyone seeking lucid, innovative explanations of politics, economy, and society in Xinjiang and Tibet. . . . This volume is a model for productive cross-regional scholarship and demonstrates the value of combining deep area knowledge with disciplinary rigor. * Pacific Affairs *A useful and timely contribution to our understanding of these complex and important regions. -- Michael Dillon * Ethnic and Racial Studies *This is an excellent and well researched book. -- Colin Mackerras, Department of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith University Brisbane, Australia * Journal of Contemporary Asia *This well presented and important collection of chapters explores aspects of the recent and continuing disturbances in Tibet and Xinjiang based upon research undertaken by academics at various stages in their careers. * Asian Affairs *The body of research produced is undoubtedly of a very high standard, and makes a valuable contribution to the study of the ongoing conflicts in Xinjiang and Tibet. * Asian Review of Books *An important and highly useful book. * BizIndia *A much-needed contribution to the canon of literature on interethnic relations in China. * A much-needed contribution to the canon of literature on interethnic relations in China. *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Understanding the Current Wave of Conflict and Protest in Tibet and Xinjiang, by Ben Hillman1. Unrest in Tibet and the Limits of Regional Autonomy, by Ben Hillman2. Propaganda in the Public Square: Communicating State Directives on Religion and Ethnicity to Uyghurs and Tibetans in Western China, by Antonio Terrone3. Discussing Rights and Human Rights in Tibet, by Françoise Robin4. The Chinese Education System as a Source of Conflict in Tibetan Areas, by Clémence Henry5. Lucrative Chaos: Interethnic Conflict as a Function of the Economic "Normalization" of Southern Xinjiang, by Thomas Cliff6. Environmental Issues and Conflict in Tibet, by Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh7. Fringe Existence: Uyghur Entrepreneurs and Ethnic Relations in Urban Xinjiang, by Tyler Harlan8. Prosperity, Identity, Intra-Tibetan Violence, and Harmony in Southeast Tibet: The Case of Gyalthang, by Eric Mortensen9. Interethnic Conflict in the PRC: Xinjiang and Tibet as Exceptions?, by James LeiboldContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisA vividly written and timely polemic tackling the burning injustices shaping British society today.Intelligently written and powerfully argued.' Paul MasonWitty, scathing, and entertaining.' Danny DorlingJournalist Sam Bright is a Northerner living in London. He is just one of the millions of people clinging on to the coattails of the capital, sucked in by the prospect of opportunities that the rest of the United Kingdom does not enjoy.Our capital is a vast melting pot of languages, cultures, and ideas, and rightly celebrated for it. For many, though, there is no other option. The only place to access the opportunities this country offers is London. Banking, law, politics, advertising, architecture, the arts and the media are all concentrated here. It is almost impossible to reach the heights of any profession without joining the grey hoards queuing for the next tube. As the economic, political, and cultural epicentre of the country, Fortress London acts more like a renaissance city-stTrade Review‘A northerner’s blast against the bloated capital. … Successful books have good timing, and Bright’s challenge to Labour has a keener edge after local elections in which the party advanced further in London but stood still in many other places.’ The Times ‘Witty, scathing, and entertaining. Sam Bright sums up what it would take to begin to turn England from London and its hinterland, into a country where everyone matters.’ Danny Dorling, author of Inequality and the 1% ‘A well informed polemic from a new voice on the left. Bright deftly weaves together his own experience as a Northerner in the capital with a mass of useful data on Britain’s grotesque regional inequality.’ David Goodhart, author of Head Hand Heart ‘Intelligently written and powerfully argued, Fortress London is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how power and wealth has been amassed by Britain’s new oligarchy, and what we might do to solve it.’ Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism ‘A passionately written tour of the damaging social and economic consequences of yawning regional inequalities and an over-dominant capital. Required reading for anyone wanting to understand how London divides us, and what we should do about it.’ Rob Ford, author of Brexitland ‘A brilliant book.’ Owen Jones ‘Sam Bright is one of the best reporters of his generation.' John Sweeney 'I've been really impressed by Sam's work – persistently finding story after story exposing wrongdoing and hypocrisy at the highest level. A name to watch.’ Carole Cadwalladr ‘A new and vital force in journalism, Bright’s well-crafted investigations and political scoops have already won him plaudits. His reports have forced government ministers on to the defensive and left the mainstream media trailing in his wake, playing desperate catch up.’ Matthew Wright

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Book SynopsisIn this riveting account of an area of Appalachia known as the Quiet Zone where cell phones and WiFi are banned, journalist Stephen Kurczy explores the pervasive role of technology in our lives and the innate human need for quiet.“Captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life.” —The NationWith a new afterword to the paperback editionDeep in the Appalachian Mountains lies the last truly quiet town in America. Green Bank, West Virginia, is a place at once futuristic and old-fashioned: It’s home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers search the depths of the universe using the latest technology, while schoolchildren go without WiFi or iPads. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory’s telescopes, Quiet Zone residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity. But a community that on the surface seems idyllic is a place of contradictions, where the provincial meets the seemingly supernatural and quiet can serve as a cover for something darker.Stephen Kurczy embedded in Green Bank, making the residents of this small Appalachian village his neighbors. He shopped at the town’s general store, attended church services, went target shooting with a seven-year-old, square-danced with the locals, sampled the local moonshine. In The Quiet Zone, he introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. There is a tech buster patrolling the area for illegal radio waves; “electrosensitives” who claim that WiFi is deadly; a sheriff’s department with a string of unsolved murder cases dating back decades; a camp of neo-Nazis plotting their resurgence from a nearby mountain hollow. Amongst them all are the ordinary citizens seeking a simpler way of living. Kurczy asks: Is a less connected life desirable? Is it even possible?The Quiet Zone is a remarkable work of investigative journalism—at once a stirring ode to place, a tautly wound tale of mystery, and a clarion call to reexamine the role technology plays in our lives.Trade Review"An expressionistic new work of nonfiction. Part folk history, part gonzo travelogue, The Quiet Zone colorfully annotates an elaborate contradiction: a last bastion of the disconnected world. ... Kurczy finds high drama and dark secrets in the woods, but he also captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life that is dying out at an alarming rate. ... A time capsule of a not-so-distant past, of an approach to life that is rapidly slipping from collective memory." — The Nation “[Readers] needing a reminder of the simple pleasure of reconnecting with real people in real life will enjoy the journey.” — Nir Eyal, New York Times Book Review "Kurczy's deep reporting uncovers... strange things in these hills. ... What makes this book formidable is Kurczy's relentless investigating." — USA Today "What a fascinating book! This corner of America is unique for its electromagnetic silence—but once Stephen Kurczy starts looking he finds that it's unique in other ways too. The Quiet Zone will live on in your memory." — Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Nature "[A] fascinating, deeply reported and slightly eerie look at an unusual corner of America. ... With compassion and a journalist's eye [Kurczy] delivers a compelling portrait." — BookPage (Starred Review) “Captivating. … A multilayered illustration of a unique community where things aren’t always what they seem.” — Kirkus Reviews "A vividly written book that captures an unusual place with a story-teller's touch, perfectly timed to this moment of confronting our complicated relationships to technology." — ELIZABETH CATTE, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia "A quest for our most precious substance—peace and quiet—leaps with exuberant aplomb in to the murk of American kookery—electrosensitives, Nazis, unsolved murders—and reveals that simplicity is far more complicated, far more weird and wonderous, than the self-proclaimed #simplelife." — MARK SUNDEEN, author of The Man Who Quit Money and The Unsettlers "Colorful. ... Kurczy succeeds in unlocking many secrets of this insular community." — Publishers Weekly “Cleareyed and compassionate. … Surprising and deeply enlightening” — Shawangunk Journal "An engaging and sympathetic study of the myriad people who call this unique place home." — Booklist "An enthralling story." — The Parkersburg News and Sentinel (West Virginia) "Readers discover a corner of America relatively untouched by technology's influence. ... The Quiet Zone is more than just a celebration of one of the few quiet places the world might offer those seeking refuge from a tech-driven world: It is a celebration of the unique people and fortitude that shapes an area most outsiders would overlook. ... Gives voice to many memorable people. ... One of the many beauties of Kurczy’s book is the respect and admiration the author gives the people of Pocahontas County." — Southern Review of Books "Gripping." — Daily Mail (UK) "A captivating read. ... A remarkable work of deep reporting." — Engineering & Technology Magazine (UK)

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Book SynopsisAn illuminating and thought-provoking history of the growth of Hispanic American Republican voters in the past half century and their surprising impact on US politics, updated with new material reflecting on the 2020 election In the lead-up to every election cycle, pundits predict that Latino Americans will overwhelmingly vote in favor of the Democratic candidate. And it’s true—Latino voters do tilt Democratic. Hillary Clinton won the Latino vote in a “landslide,” Barack Obama “crushed” Mitt Romney among Latino voters in his reelection, and, four years earlier, the Democratic ticket beat the McCain-Palin ticket by a margin of more than two to one. But those numbers belie a more complicated picture. Because of decades of investment and political courtship, as well as a nuanced and varied cultural identity, the Republican party has had a much longer and stronger bond with Hispanics. How is this possible for a party so associated with draconian immigration and racial policies?In The Hispanic Republican, historian and political commentator Geraldo Cadava illuminates the history of the millions of Hispanic Republicans who, since the 1960s, have had a significant impact on national politics. Intertwining the little understood history of Hispanic Americans with a cultural study of how post-World War II Republican politicians actively courted the Hispanic vote during the Cold War (especially Cuban émigrés) and during periods of major strife in Central America (especially during Iran-Contra), Cadava offers insight into the complicated dynamic between Latino liberalism and conservatism, which, when studied together, shine a crucial light on a rapidly changing demographic that will impact American elections for years to come.

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