Not Just Books Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInside today''s data-driven personalized medicine, and the time, effort, and information required from patients to make it a realityMedicine has been personal long before the concept of personalized medicine became popular. Health professionals have always taken into consideration the individual characteristics of their patients when diagnosing, and treating them. Patients have cared for themselves and for each other, contributed to medical research, and advocated for new treatments. Given this history, why has the notion of personalized medicine gained so much traction at the beginning of the new millennium? Personalized Medicine investigates the recent movement for patients' involvement in how they are treated, diagnosed, and medicated; a movement that accompanies the increasingly popular idea that people should be proactive, well-informed participants in their own healthcare.While it is often the case that participatory practices in medicine are ceTrade ReviewIn Personalized Medicine, Prainsack brings together a ton of recent research—much of it her own—using a variety of methodologies to study a wide range of topics. (Two thirds of her nearly seven hundred sources were published since 2010.) Prainsack states very clearly at the outset of a chapter what she is going to do and, at the end, what she has done. -- Hastings Center ReportA thoughtful, thorough, and philosophical discussion of the many possible obstacles to the successful, equitable implementation of personalized medicine and its potential for unintended consequences. * Genome Magazine *Prainsacks rigorous review and synthesis of evidence on [patient] engagement from the fields of medicine, ethics, social science, technology, informatics, and law is quite compelling and makes this book a unique contribution. * Health Affairs *Barbara Prainsack raises deep questions about the ethics and politics of personalized medicine. In this rigorous and engaging book, she explores the cutting edge of health care, critiques several popular visions of patient empowerment, and offers a novel and compelling account of what truly democratic, responsive, and fair deployment of new health technologies would require. Displaying a mastery of diverse literatures in social science, law, and health services research, Personalized Medicine is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of patient participation in health and wellness initiativesranging from self-tracking to biohacking, and well beyond. -- Frank Pasquale,Author of The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms that Control Money and InformationPrainsack accessibly unpacks the complexities of & patient-centered personalized medicine, revealing startling redistributions of responsibility, diagnostic capacities, costs and profits. Providers lose autonomy as & algorhythmically supported diagnoses and care based on & health maps displace clinical judgement. Patients awash in information are increasingly responsible, and high costs make such care impossible for most. Prainsack envisions a personalized medicine for all the people, not for profit. -- Adele E. Clarke,Co-author of BiomedicalizationIt is apparent from what Prainsack writes elsewhere in her clear and powerful analysis that we need to attend to these mushrooming responsibilities for being engaged and empowered with and by our data and how social and economic inequalities differentiate who is able or required to enact these responsibilities and benefit from the choices that they invokePrainsack provides us with an invaluable guide to set us off in the right direction along this path. * New Genetics and Society *This is a great read for scholars of medicine, ethics, science and technology studies. It is an ambitious book that raises important and provocative questions that I look forward to scholars addressing in the future. * Social Forces *

Read more less

Book SynopsisZoo Ethics examines the workings of modern zoos and considers the core ethical challenges faced by people who choose to hold and display animals in zoos, aquariums, or sanctuaries. Jenny Gray asserts the value of animal life and assesses the impacts of modern zoos, including the costs to animals in terms of welfare and the loss of liberty. Gray...Trade ReviewThis text is a meticulous examination of ethical considerations pertaining to zoos and their practices.... The book considers a range of ethical issues, including animal welfare, animal rights, consequentialism, virtue theory, and environmental ethics of the conservation of species. Gray thoughtfully considers these topics in the context of the history of zoos' treatment of animals, both as trained spectacles and in terms of housing.... Overall, this is a provocative, educational resource for students and professionals alike. * Choice *An exercise in applied ethics, bringing together ethical frameworks with real information about the ways zoos are run, and their positive and negative impacts.... This book succeeds in giving a sense of the depth of the problem of defining and operating an ethical zoo, and as the author concludes: "It is possible for zoos to be operated ethically. Yet it is not easy" (p. 208). * Quarterly Review of Biology *Zoo ethics is best suited to those with an interest in animal welfare and ethics, zoo and wildlife medicine and anyone who feels 'moral disquiet' about zoos. Calling on zoo professionals to rise to the challenge of transforming zoos using compassionate conservation, Gray recognises that many zoos cannot continue to ignore the needs of their animals. This book is a thoughtprovoking addition to the field of animal and zoo ethics. * Australian Veterinary Journal *I very much appreciate the quality of thought and nuance the author brings to this book, and I am recommending it because it is a superior example of a book on the modern-day ethics of human uses of animals. * Science Scope *Dr. Gray writes with clear vision of the future roles of zoos as hubs of local and international conservation, teachers of environmental responsibility, and world-class animal care and welfare. It is clear from her writing she will bring the same vision and expectation of excellence into her role as the president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This book is a valuable resource for zoo professionals, providing insight into how zoos can stay relevant in the 21st century. It is also a useful background for members of the public who are interested in the inner workings of zoos, or anyone interested in ethical considerations of working with animals. * Zoo Biology *Table of ContentsForeword Photo Ark Preface Acknowledgements Introduction – of beetles, people and zoos Terminology 1. Introduction to applied ethics and zoos 2. The modern zoo 3. The moral disquiet with zoos 4. Animal welfare 5. Animal rights beyond welfare 6. Consequentialism 7. Virtue theory 8. Environmental ethics 9. Conclusion Wicked problems Further reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy emphasizing the centrality of human relationships to Ghana’s economic past, Murillo introduces a radical rethinking of consumption studies from an Africa-centered perspective. The result is a keen look at colonial capitalism in all of its intricacies, legacies, and contradictions, including its entanglement with gender and race.Trade Review“With original research and creative methods, Murillo makes a substantial contribution to the analysis of military periods of rule and their concrete effects and concerns with regards to local and import/export trade. Moreover, she writes vividly and precisely.”“This is one of the few, or perhaps the only, comprehensive works on the vital social, economic and cultural history of retail businesses and the ways that they shaped life in a twentieth-century African society. It adds a great deal of texture and richness to the historiography of modern Africa, and challenges and complicates our overall understanding of the structure of colonial and postcolonial society.”“(Market Encounters) brings to bear an impressive range of disparate sources—from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ghana—to document these social relationships that shaped the history of consumption or consumer politics in Ghana from the colonial period to the 1980s.” * American Historical Review *“Market Encounters adds to a growing literature on twentieth century Ghana that firmly centers the experiences of everyday Africans in the larger and often sweeping narratives of colonial rule, decolonization and postcolonial nationhood. The book represents a major contribution to studies of modern African history.” * Journal of Social History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe German seige and Soviet defence of Leningrad in World War II was an epic struggle in an epic war, a drama of heroism and human misery unmatched in the annals of modern warfare. This work provides a military history of the conflict waged beyond the city's borders.Trade ReviewAn original and important contribution not only to the battle for Leningrad but also to a wider understanding of the Great Patriotic War. Drawing upon previously unavailable or neglected Soviet and German sources, it provides a major corrective to the shortcomings of previous accounts and will stand as a significant and durable achievement on a subject that continues to fascinate. John Erickson, Author Of The Road To Stalingrad; ""An outstanding contribution to the study of the Second World War as it was fought on the Eastern Front."" Malcolm Mackintosh, Author Of Juggernauti A History Of Soviet Armed Forces; ""An exceptional work on one of the great campaigns of World War II,"" James S. Corum, Author Of The Roots Of Blitzkrieg And The Luftwaffe

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen American and South Vietnamese forces attacked Cambodia in 1970, the invasion ignited a firestorm of violent anti-war protests in the US. Based on research and analysis of the Cambodian invasion's objectives, planning, organization, and operations, this study encourages respect for one of America's genuine military successes during the war.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Moses the Egyptianthe centerpiece of Rigorism of Truth, the German philosopher Hans Blumenberg addresses two defining figures in the intellectual history of the twentieth century: Sigmund Freud and Hannah Arendt. Unpublished during his lifetime, this essay analyzes Freud's Moses and Monotheism (1939) and Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963), and discovers in both a principled rigidity that turns into recklessness because it is blind to the politics of the unknown.Offering striking insights into the importance of myth in politics and the extent to which truth can be tolerated in adversity, the essay also provides one of the few instances where Blumenberg reveals his thinking about Judaism and Zionism. Rigorism of Truth also includes commentaries by Ahlrich Meyer that give a fuller understanding of the philosopher's engagement with Freud, Arendt, and the Eichmann trial, as well as situating these reflections in the broader context of Blumenberg'sTrade ReviewBlumenberg’s essay brilliantly demonstrates his thesis on the subjectivity of ‘truth.’ * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *The Reader is a kind of belated debutante ball for Hans Blumenberg inviting a new audience to view Blumenberg not only at his entrance to scholarly life in the 1940s but also to key moments in his ascent of the rarefied staircase of German intellectual history.... A large and bounteous book. * Critical Inquiry *This work is recommended to everyone interested in Blumenberg’s thinking and work. * literaturkritik.de *Rigorism of Truth has been received as a critically important text revealing Blumenberg's political interests. It gives insight into certain more articulated political views that remained hidden during his lifetime. * Phenomenological Reviews *Rigorism of Truth is as philosophically complex as the book is biographically and politically convoluted. * Arendt Studies *The book is an impassioned reflection on the power and failure of the rigorous pursuit of truth by two prominent Jewish intellectuals of the 21st century, namely, Sigmund Freud and Hannah Arendt. Blumenberg's posthumously published views, originally taken from his Nachlass, opens up important questions: what can truth achieve for our understanding of human political reality? What is the role of myth in the world of human affairs? * Philosophy in Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExploring recent political efforts to rectify injustices handed down from the past, John Torpey argues that there are major differences between reparations for the living victims of past wrongdoing and reparations for the descendants of such victims. This reprint edition contains a new preface by the author.Trade Review"History is written by the winners, it is commonly said. But heritage—history shaped to present purposes—is increasingly fashioned by the losers. Ex-colonial peoples, minorities, tribal indigenes everywhere demand reparations—atonement for the suffering of those deprived of autonomy and agency, repatriation of treasures purloined or pillaged or purchased, compensation for past injustices… Among millions maltreated by history, John Torpey notes, an unseemly contest for the status of worst-victimized often ensues. Torpey's short and scintillating book, Making Whole What Has Been Smashed, explores reparation demands ranging from official apologies and admissions of wrongdoing to memorials, cash payments, health and welfare aid, and property return to groups and individuals. Chapters on post-apartheid Namibia and South Africa, on Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian Second World War internees, and on legacies of slavery that still disable African Americans suggest his topical scope. But the book's greatest merit is its profound and lucid critique of the causes and political, legal, economic, and symbolic implications of reparation claims. Compassionate erudition, deft demolition of holier-than-thou posturing, and clarity of expression make this a minor classic reminiscent of Paul Bator's 1983 The International Trade in Art. Torpey rightly links current campaigns to redress wrongs with the broader trend, consequent on widespread public pessimism, refocusing attention from the future to the past." -- David Lowenthal * The Times Literary Supplement *"Torpey has written on reparations politics in a manner that is both informed by scholarship and usefully oriented toward influencing relevant thinking." * American Journal of Sociology *"After reading this book, I am struck with the question of to whom to give reparations for the past injustices. In a country where the victims of abuses do not live, and persons or groups who ask for reparations are not merely the descendant of the victims, is it evenhanded to give reparations? Torpey puts forth this quandary in exemplifying the case of reparations for Black Americans, Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians. This analysis of trans-generational justice is one of the precious contributions of this book that all researchers of transitional justice as well as students of political science, sociology, history and philosophy must consider. His invaluable analysis of the reparations movements, drawn from an interdisciplinary perspective, calls to a wide range of readers." * International Journal on World Peace *"Anyone interested in the history, politics, sociology or philosophy of reparations should read John Torpey's brilliant analysis of global reparations politics. Torpey uses a superb blend of historical sociology and philosophy to offer his readers an informed, skeptical, yet not entirely unsympathetic look at the reparations movement." * Canadian Journal of Sociology Online *"While the reader might not share Torpey’s dissatisfaction with past-oriented politics, his analytical insights into the rise of the past as an object of politics are fresh and perceptive… Theorists and practitioners of past-oriented politics would be well advised to take on Torpey's challenge and ask themselves why they pursue past-oriented politics, and how these politics relate to projects of the future." * Ethics & International Affairs *"Torpey’s book, both theoretical and empirical in its analysis, is unquestionably the most clear-headed work available on the several international campaigns to redress past injustices. Keenly insightful and analytical, Torpey is no polemicist favoring or opposing reparations. Rather, he is a smart social scientist who unravels the persistent human concern of reckoning with the past and righting history’s wrongs." * North Carolina Historical Review *"'When the future collapses, the past rushes in.' With this formidable insight, John Torpey launches his penetrating study of the many varieties of reparations politics around the world. In exemplary fashion, Torpey clarifies what is at stake in a global movement seeking recompense and apology for the past's insulted and injured in an era inhospitable to ideals for future reconstruction. This reflective work is a splendid starting point for thinking through not only reparation ideas but some of the other large quandaries of reform thought today." -- Todd Gitlin * author of The Intellectuals and the Flag *"Making Whole What Has Been Smashed: On Reparations Politics is comprehensive, thoughtful, and almost compulsively readable. John Torpey's willingness to query the unquestioned pieties of our era's therapeutic politics is a tribute to the rigorousness of his approach. The tone of the work is consistently cool, analytical, and tactfully skeptical, no small achievement given the highly charged nature of these debates." -- Michael Brown * author of Who Owns Native Culture? *"Why do we so regularly hear admonishments to 'come to terms with the past?' In reply, John Torpey identifies momentous trends in a splendid, far-ranging inquiry: the collapse of transformative politics and the end of the Cold War, the emergence of the Holocaust as a template for the rectification of historic wrongs, the mobilization of the historically victimized, and the mix of human rights commitments with the juridification of politics. Critical, yet balanced and humane, Torpey presents a savvy, deeply-informed analysis that should be contemplated by all who seek a better global future. I couldn't recommend him more enthusiastically." -- Michael R. Marrus * author of The Holocaust in History *"The German campaign of 1904 to end Herero resistance in the northern part of the colony of South-West Africa culminated in the forced movement of the Herero into the Kalahari Desert, or capturing these people and herding them into concentration camps. Torpey does an excellent job of explaining how this massacre of the Herero, considered by many to have been a dress rehearsal by the Germans for the Holocaust, engendered reparations initiatives in Namibia that focused primarily on monetary compensation, rather than on an apology by the German government" -- Lamont DeHaven King * JSTOR: Association for the Study of African-American Life and History *"A seminal study that is impressively informative and thought-provoking, "Making Whole What Has Been Smashed: On Reparations Politics..." [is] unreservedly recommended" -- Micah Andrew * Midwestern Book Review *Table of ContentsPreface to the Paperback Edition Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The Surfacing of Subterranean History 2 An Anatomy of Reparations Politics 3 Commemoration, Redress, and Reconciliation: The Cases of Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians 4 Forty Acres: The Case of Reparations for Black Americans 5 Post-Colonial Reparations: Reparations Politics in Post-Apartheid Namibia and South Africa Conclusion Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA towering figure in twentieth-century theater in India, Habib Tanvir was an actor, director, and playwright, working in Hindi and Urdu. He founded the Naya Theater in 1959, through which he created remarkable works drawing on the history and traditions of the tribal folk of Chhattisgarh. This book brings together four plays, all translated into English for the first time. Agra Bazar (1954), set in the early nineteenth century amid the bustle of a colorful street market in the iconic North Indian city, is woven together by the wonderfully human voice of the poet Nazir, and examines some of important cultural and socioeconomic issues of the period, such as the declining influence of the Urdu language and the growing power of English in colonial India. Charandas Chor (1975), Tanvir's most famous work, is the story of a typical folk hero who robs the rich much in the style of Robin Hood and evades the law until he comes up against one wall he cannot scalehis own commitment to the truth. In Bahadur Kalarin (1978), Tanvir reinvents an nearly forgotten Chattisgarh folk tale about a motherson relationship in which he finds echoes of Oedipus, while in The Living Tale of Hirma (1985) he dramatizes a historical event in which a headstrong ruler of an Indian tribe clashes with a population who want to replace the tribal way of life with newfound ideals of democracy, leading to disastrous results. Enriched by introductory texts and an intensive interview with Tanvir that covers the milestones of his illustrious career, the book will be the perfect introduction to Tanvir's work for English-language theater fans and scholars.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the summer of 1944, the western Allies and the Soviets possessed the initiative and forces capable of mounting strategic offensives against the German enemy. Writing a study of operations on first the Western then Eastern Front, military analyst C.J. Dick offers rare insight into the strengths and weaknesses of generalship on both fronts.Trade ReviewCharles Dick, formerly a senior lecturer at the Soviet Studies Research Center and senior fellow at the Defence Academy of the UK, proves to be a stellar author as well as instructor, and readers will surely learn a great deal from his book, in which the protagonists don't always receive passing grades. Fortunately for the GPAs of avid students of the war, the harsh marks handed out during this dazzling tour de force are reserved exclusively for Allied generals who ran the campaign on the western front during the summer of 1944." - Bill Stone, Stone & Stone

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewConboy and Morrison do a wonderful job of weaving an intricate maze of details within the wider perspective of CIA’s operations in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Laos, in retelling a story very few know about."—The Tibet Journal"This is a work that makes the reader sit up and take notice. In the hands of Conboy and Morrison, the broader story of the U.S.-backed operation that lasted into the 1970s is engaging as well as important. The tale of Tibet still stands as a salutary warning of the dilemmas of secret and not-so-secret wars."—International History Review"A superb case study on intelligence that will stand the test of time."—Journal of Military History"An important story and one that is well told."—Journal of Asian Studies"The inside story of one of the CIA’s most tragic covert operations. Agency officers in the Wild East; nationalist, religious, and ethnic conflict—this is the stuff of a great yarn, which the authors tell in engaging detail."—John Prados, author of Presidents’ Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations from World War II Through the Persian Gulf"A masterful account of how the CIA sought to play the ‘new great game’ on the roof of the world."—David F. Rudgers, author of Creating the Secret State: Origins of the Central Intelligence Agency, 1943–1947"An excellent and impressive study of a major CIA covert operation during the Cold War."—William M. Leary, author of Perilous Missions: Civil Air Transport and CIA Covert Operations in Asia

Read more less

Book SynopsisBetween 1908 and 1917, the American photographer and sociologist Lewis Hine (1874-1940) took some of the most memorable pictures of child workers ever made. Traveling around the United States while working for the National Child Labor Committee, he photographed children in textile mills, coal mines, and factories from Vermont and Massachusetts to GTrade ReviewFinalist for the 2016 Marfield Prize, The National Award for Arts Writing, Arts Club of Washington "This book by Alexander Nemerov ... is a fascinating exploration of Hine's work during the period 1908 to 1917 when he was photographing child labour. But it goes beyond a documentation of the time, place and photographer to an analysis of the work through contemporary eyes and his own interpretation. This is a book to engage with on a level that isn't purely factual, taking you to another view of Hine's work."--Elizabeth Roberts, Black & White PhotographyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii 1 Soulmaker 1 2 The Man from Oshkosh 33 3 The Ceremonial Architecture of Time 61 4 Put the Headlines to Bed 103 5 Haunted 129 6 We Work in the Dark 159 Bibliographic Notes 179 Index 185 Photo Credits 191

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the century after the Civil War, an economic revolution improved the American standard of living in ways previously unimaginable. Electric lighting, indoor plumbing, motor vehicles, air travel, and television transformed households and workplaces. But has that era of unprecedented growth come to an end? Weaving together a vivid narrative, historTrade ReviewWinner of the 2017 Excellence in Financial Journalism Book Award, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Winner of the 2017 PROSE Award in U.S. History, Association of American Publishers A New York Times Bestseller One of Bloomberg View's "Five Books to Change Conservatives' Minds," chosen by Cass Sunstein #36 on Bloomberg's "50 Most Influential" List One of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2016 One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Economics Books of 2016 One of The Economist's Economics and Business Books of the Year 2016 One of the Strategy+Business Best Business Books 2016 in Economy One of Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Books of 2016 in History One of Bloomberg View's Great History Books of 2016 One of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2016 One of The Wall Street Journal's "The 20 Books That Defined Our Year" 2016 One of Foreign Affairs' Editors' Picks 2016 One of the Washington Post's Best Economics Books 2016 Shortlisted for the 2016 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award One of The NewYorker.com Page-Turner blog's "The Books We Loved in 2016" Longlisted for the 2016 Cundill Prize in Historical Literature, McGill University "The Rise and Fall of American Growth... is the Thomas Piketty-esque economic must read of the year."--Rana Foroohar, Time "This is a book well worth reading--a magisterial combination of deep technological history, vivid portraits of daily life over the past six generations and careful economic analysis... [The Rise and Fall of American Growth] will challenge your views about the future; [and] it will definitely transform how you see the past."--Paul Krugman, New York Times Book Review "[An] authoritative examination of innovation through the ages."--Neil Irwin, New York Times "Robert Gordon has written a magnificent book on the economic history of the United States over the last one and a half centuries... The book is without peer in providing a statistical analysis of the uneven pace of growth and technological change, in describing the technologies that led to the remarkable progress during the special century, and in concluding with a provocative hypothesis that the future is unlikely to bring anything approaching the economic gains of the earlier period... If you want to understand our history and the economic dilemmas faced by the nation today, you can spend many a fruitful hour reading Gordon's landmark study."--William D. Nordhaus, New York Review of Books "Mr. Gordon uses exhaustive historic data to buttress his thesis."--Greg Ip, Wall Street Journal "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] is full of wonder for the miraculous things that America has accomplished."--Edward Glaeser, Wall Street Journal "A masterful study to be read and reread by anyone interested in today's political economy."--Kirkus "Normally, these kinds of big-think books end with a whimper, as the author totally fails to identify solutions to the problem he is writing about. But Gordon's conclusion offers some admirably definitive policy advice."--Matthew Yglesias, Vox "Magnificent... Gordon presents his case... with great style and panache, supporting his argument with vivid examples as well as econometric data... Even if history changes direction... this book will survive as a superb reconstruction of material life in America in the heyday of industrial capitalism."--Economist "Every presidential candidate should be asked what policies he or she would offer to increase the pace of U.S. productivity growth and to narrow the widening gap between winners and losers in the economy. Bob Gordon's list is a good place to start."--David Wessel, WSJ.com's Think Tank blog "[W]hat may be the year's most important book on economics has already been published... What Gordon has provided is not a rejection of technology but a sobering reminder of its limits."--Robert Samuelson, Washington Post "Robert Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth is an extraordinary work of economic scholarship... Moreover, this is one of the rare economics books that is on the one hand deeply analytical ... And on the other a pleasure to read... [A] landmark work."--Lawrence Summers, Prospect "Ambitious... The hefty tome, minutely detailed yet dauntingly broad in scope, offers a lively portrayal of the evolution of American living standards since the Civil War."--Eduardo Porter, New York Times "Two years ago a huge book on economics took the world by storm. Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century ... became a surprise bestseller... Robert Gordon's tome on American economic growth stretches to 768 pages and its central message is arguably more important."--David Smith, Sunday Times "A landmark new book."--Gavin Kelly, The Guardian "Looking ahead, judging presidents by policies rather than outcomes may be all the more important. In a new book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, the economist Robert Gordon argues that we are in the midst of an era of meager technological change. Yes, we now have smartphones and Twitter, but previous generations introduced electric lighting, indoor plumbing and the internal combustion engine. In Mr. Gordon's view, technological change is just not what it used to be, and we had better get used to slower growth in productivity and incomes."--N. Gregory Mankiw, New York Times "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is likely to be the most interesting and important economics book of the year. It provides a splendid analytic take on the potency of past economic growth, which transformed the world from the end of the nineteenth century onward... Gordon's book serves as a powerful reminder that the U.S. economy really has gone through a protracted slowdown and that this decline has been caused by the stagnation in technological progress."--Tyler Cowen, Foreign Affairs "[A]n important new book."--Martin Ford, Huffington Post "[A] lightning bolt of a new book."--Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect "So powerful and intriguing are the facts and arguments marshaled by Gordon that even informed critics who think he is wrong recommend that readers plow through his The Rise and Fall of American Growth, with its 60 graphics and 64 tables spread over more than 700 pages. You don't need to be an economist to appreciate or understand the book. His thesis is straightforward."--David Cay Johnston, Al Jazeera America.com "What is novel about Gordon's approach to this problem is that he doesn't try to find political causes for our economic woes... [E]xhaustive and sweeping in scope, and novel in its thinking about growth."--Chris Matthews, Fortune.com "[A] fascinating new book."--Jeffrey Sachs, Boston Globe "One of the most important books of recent years... Powerful and impressive."--Cass R. Sunstein, Bloomberg View "This is a tremendous, sobering piece of research, which does a lot to explain the febrile, nervous state of modern Western democracies."--Marcus Tanner, The Independent "A new book by economist Robert Gordon--The Rise and Fall of American Growth--is causing quite a stir."--City A.M. "If he's right, and one links this with growing income inequality, our would-be leaders will have difficulty in making the case for achieving the American dream through steady incremental progress achieved through collaboration and political compromise."--Michael Hoffmann, Desert Sun "Robert Gordon's new book on productivity in the U.S. economy, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, is masterful... Gordon skillfully lays out myriad information about the history and trends of productivity. One can learn a great deal."--Edward Lotterman, St. Paul Pioneer Press "[I]mpressive."--Peter Martin, Sydney Morning Herald "In his unsettling new book, Gordon, who teaches at Northwestern, weighs in on the role of technology in the U.S. over the past century-and-a-half. He does so forcefully, so forcefully, in fact, as to wipe the smiles off the faces of most techno-optimists, myself included."--Peter A. Coclanis, Charlotte Observer "[A] thoughtful new book."--David D. Haynes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] is this year's equivalent to Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century: an essential read for all economists, who are unanimously floored by its boldness and scope even if they don't agree with its conclusions."--Adam Davidson, New York Times Magazine "Gordon makes a compelling case for why the era of fast growth in America ended around 1970 and will not return in the foreseeable future, if ever."--Dick Meyer, DecodeDC "Gordon argues that we are not going to get another surge soon and that there are several headwinds that are going to work against faster growth, including income inequality, education as a differentiator and not an equalizer, the debt overhang, and demography."--John Mason, TheStreet.com "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] challenges every political claim, and every pundit's remedy, regarding how to get the lackluster American economy to boom again in the decades ahead, as it once did a half-century or more ago... [The book] represents the culmination of Gordon's many years of investigation into this key economic question of our age, namely: 'Why is it that the American economy has never been able to return to the happy boom years of our grandparents' time?' Why is it that, decade after decade, administration after administration, annualized productivity growth has only been about one-half to one-third that of the age of Truman and Eisenhower?"--Paul Kennedy, Tribune Content Agency "[M]asterful... Gordon skillfully lays out information about the history and trends of productivity. One can learn a great deal... The Rise and Fall of American Growth is a rare example of a work with solid economics that can be understood, and enjoyed, by nearly any lay person."--Ed Lotterman, Idaho Statesman "As an economic historian, Gordon is beyond reproach."--Edward Luce, Financial Times "Provocative."--Associated Press "The Rise and Fall of American Growth, is a deep dive into the past with an eye to the future... [The book] is part of a fascinating debate about future prospects for the American economy."--Knowledge@Wharton "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] has set the wonky world of economics aflame."--Ryan Craig, TechCrunch "Magisterial."--John Kay, Financial Times "[A] contentious new book."--Margaret Wente, The Globe & Mail "[A] fabulous new book... [I]mpressive."--Dr. Mike Walden, Morganton News Herald "Northwestern Bob Gordon's new book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, offers a deeper explanation for the underlying mechanics behind slowed economic growth."--Jon Hartley, Forbes.com "So much of what the presidential candidates and the American people want to accomplish over the next four years and beyond depends on the U.S. economy growing faster, and more inclusively, than it has in recent years. This year's hot economics book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, by one of America's most distinguished macroeconomists, Robert Gordon, casts a pall on whether this is possible, arguing that the U.S. had a golden century of increasing innovation from roughly 1870 to 1970, but this was unique."--Robert Litan, Fortune.com "Gordon's book offers the definitive account of how the many technological innovations between 1870 and 1940 dramatically improved life in the United States."--Richard A. Epstein, Hoover Institution's Defining Ideas blog "[M]agiserial... The Northwestern University professor lays out the case that the productivity miracle underlying the American way of life was largely a one-time deal."--Matt Phillips, Quartz "Robert Gordon's new book The Rise and Fall of American Growth has taken the economics world by storm this winter."--Myles Udland, Business Insider "[M]assive."--Ben Casselman, FiveThirty Eight "[G]roundbreaking."--Zeeshan Aleem, Mic "With a painstaking--and fascinating--historical analysis of American productivity, [Gordon] argues that the innovations of today pale in comparison to earlier in our history and that we might actually be entering a period of prolonged stagnation. He may very well be right."--Greg Satell, Forbes.com "[P]rovocative."--Barrie McKenna, The Globe & Mail "[I]nfluential."--Martin Neil Baily, Fortune.com "[A] stimulating book."--George Will, Washington Post "Compulsive reading."--Andrew Hilton, Financial World "Gordon is not an alarmist, far from it. His is a sober voice of concern, of caution, which needs to be heard by those in the helm in America. And a fascinating lesson for ambitious and growing countries like India."--Dr R Balashankar, Sunday Guardian "[A] fascinating convergence of green and mainstream thought."--Tom Horton, Chesapeake Bay Journal "[T]his panoramic book makes good reading."--Shane Greenstein, Harvard Magazine "The book's great contribution is the tapestry it weaves of all the innovations that changed most Americans' lives beyond recognition in the century from 1870 to 1970."--Martin Sandbu, Financial Times "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is unquestionably an important book that raises fundamental questions about the United States' economy and society."--New Criterion "[A] masterpiece."--Martin Wolf, Financial Times "[An] impressive book... Gordon's book provides sufficient ammunition to show the colossal problems facing capitalism."--Socialism Today "Rich with detailed information, meticulous observations, and even anecdotes and stories ... a fascinating read."--Ricardo F. Levi, Corriere della Sera "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is essential reading for anyone interested in economics."--Choice "In an important new book, economist Robert Gordon makes the case for pessimism. He believes that technologies like smartphones, robots, and artificial intelligence aren't going to have the kind of big impact on the economy that earlier inventions--like the internal combustion engine and electricity--did."--Timothy B. Lee, Vox "Robert Gordon has written an engaging economic-based history of America... Gordon is to be commended for helping to stimulate a national debate on the current low level of economic productivity."--Allan Hauer, Innovation: The Journal of Technology & Commercialization "If you want to see how far we have come and how tough life was a century and a half ago, read Gordon's book."--David R. Henderson, Regulation "A fantastic read."--Bill Gates, GatesNotes "The book is well written, and one can only be in awe of Gordon's mastery of the factual history of the American standard of living."--Robert A. Margo, EH.net "Monumental."--John Cassidy, NewYorker.com "Zeitgeist-defining."--Myles Udland, Business Insider "[A] magisterial treatise."--Nick Gillespie, Reason.com "[A]n essential read for anyone interested not only in US economic history but also American economic prospects ... a tremendous achievement."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "A comprehensive history of American economic growth."--Eric Rauchway, American Prospect "Professor Robert J. Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth is a magisterial volume that will benefit any serious student of economics, demographics or history."--Wendell Cox, New Geography "A wonderful new book."--Jeff Sachs, Boston Globe "The most important economics book of 2016."--Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune "This spectacular history traces the rise and the plateau of the American economy since industrialization."--Jay Weiser, Weekly Standard "[A] landmark book... An impressive history of how the American people progressed in their standards of living and productivity in the 'golden century' of 1870-1970."--Stephen M. Millett, Strategy & Leadership "Gordon's encyclopedic The Rise and Fall of American Growth, a new history of modern U.S. economic life, [is] perhaps the best yet written."--Jonathan Levy, Dissent "One of our greatest economic historians... Gordon's exhaustive research program ... has knocked me back on my intellectual heels."--J. Bradford DeLong, Strategy + Business "This is the most important book on economics in many years."--Martin Wolf, Financial Times "Robert Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth set out a thesis of technological diminishing returns that does much to explain an age of economic pessimism."--Lorien Kite, Financial Times "In the course of Gordon's book, a vivid picture of everyday life as our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents lived it emerges... What lingers in my mind, alongside these ideas, is a new, weightier sense of the past, and of what the people who lived in it ate, touched, heard, saw, and did. Reading The Rise and Fall of American Growth, I thought a lot about my grandparents. Gordon's book has made their lives more real to me."--Joshua Rothman, NewYorker.com's Page-Turner blog "Magisterial... While the book has gotten attention because of its bold projection of slow growth in the future, this is actually just one small element of a magnificent and detailed presentation of how our economy has changed since 1870. Most people don't fully appreciate what life was like in the past and Gordon gives a blow-by-blow description of how people lived in America from 1870 on. In addition, he carefully explains how each new innovation was created and how its adoption changed people's lives."--Stephen Rose, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas "Gordon constructs a strong case using conventional economic principles and exacting data measurement."--Don Pittis, CBC News "Gordon's genius is to weave together economic history with the story of the technology, know-how, politic, demographics and medicine that made the astonishing progress of the US perhaps the most remarkable ever."--Sean O'Grady, The Independent "The Rise and Fall of American Growth, by Robert Gordon, is that rarest thing: a work of densely researched macroeconomics that is compulsively readable."--Bill Morris, The MillionsTable of ContentsPreface ix 1. Introduction: The Ascent and Descent of Growth 1 PART I. 1870-1940-THE GREAT INVENTIONS CREATE A REVOLUTION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOME 25 2. The Starting Point: Life and Work in 1870 27 3. What They Ate and Wore and Where They Bought It 62 4. The American Home: From Dark and Isolated to Bright and Networked 94 5. Motors Overtake Horses and Rail: Inventions and Incremental Improvements 129 6. From Telegraph to Talkies: Information, Communication, and Entertainment 172 7. Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Illness and Early Death 206 8. Working Conditions on the Job and at Home 247 9. Taking and Mitigating Risks: Consumer Credit, Insurance, and the Government 288 Entr'acte. The Midcentury Shift from Revolution to Evolution 319 PART II. 1940-2015-THE GOLDEN AGE AND THE EARLY WARNINGS OF SLOWER GROWTH 329 10. Fast Food, Synthetic Fibers, and Split-Level Subdivisions: The Slowing Transformation of Food, Clothing, and Housing 331 11. See the USA in Your Chevrolet or from a Plane Flying High Above 374 12. Entertainment and Communications from Milton Berle to the iPhone 409 13. Computers and the Internet from the Mainframe to Facebook 441 14. Antibiotics, CT Scans, and the Evolution of Health and Medicine 461 15. Work, Youth, and Retirement at Home and on the Job 498 Entr'acte. Toward an Understanding of Slower Growth 522 PART III. THE SOURCES OF FASTER AND SLOWER GROWTH 533 16. The Great Leap Forward from the 1920s to the 1950s: What Set of Miracles Created It? 535 17. Innovation: Can the Future Match the Great Inventions of the Past? 566 18. Inequality and the Other Headwinds: Long-Run American Economic Growth Slows to a Crawl 605 Postscript: America's Growth Achievement and the Path Ahead 641 Acknowledgments 653 Data Appendix 657 Notes 667 References 717 Credits 741 Index 745

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn engagingly written critical genealogy of "love" in modern Chinese literature, thought, and popular culture.Trade Review"Haiyan Lee's new book is a solid, carefully structured and thoughtfully argued theoretical account of the centrality of emotion in the transformation of modernity and the construction of the modern self in China from 1900 to 1950. Interdisciplinary in nature, the book encompasses literature, modern social history and cultural studies Haiyan Lee's book is an ambitious and interesting project, to be lauded for the ways it synthesizes complex and contentious theoretical issues." -- The China Quarterly"What I find most impressive about this study is the wealth of readings Lee offers. Revolution of the Heart is a very well-researched book, and Lee's thesis is presented clearly, forcefully, and within well-constructed literary and critical contexts." -- Sean Macdonald * Chinese Literature *"Revolution of the Heart begins weeping, in the late Qing, and ends wailing, roughly a century later. In the pages between, Haiyan Lee makes a powerful argument for the centrality of feeling—especially romantic love—to the imagination of the nation, reform, and revolution in twentieth-century China." -- Alexander des Forges"I fully recommend Revolution of the Heart, and congratulate Haiyan Lee for helping us to understand more deeply the multifaceted transformations of sentiment in the first half of 20th-century China." –Wendy Larson, University of Oregon"Haiyan Lee should be congratulated for producing a genealogy of love that is replete with keen insights and observations. Her postmodernist and poststructuralist readings of the text are perceptive and incisive. Lee's book is a testimony of how postmodernist and poststructuralist approaches, when employed judiciously and grounded empirically, can enrich our understanding of history." -- Yung-chen Chiang"[A]n exceptionally well-researched and well-argued study on an important topic. . . . . With excellent historical contextualization and appropriate attention to secondary and primary sources, the book boasts both depth and breadth." -- The China JournalTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations xxx Introduction: What's Love Got to Do with It? 1 Part One. The Confucian Structure of Feeling 00 1. The Cult of Qing (Sentiment) 00 2. Virtue and the Novel of Sentiment 00 Part Two. The Enlightenment Structure of Feeling 00 3. The Age of Romance 00 4. The Micropolitics of Love 00 5. The Historical Epistemology of Sex 00 Part Three. The Revolutionary Structure of Feeling 00 6. The Problem of National Sympathy 00 7. The Revolution of the Heart 00 Conclusion: The Intimate Conflicts of Modernity 00 Reference Matter Notes 00 References 00 Index 00

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review2017 Gold Medal Winner in Current Events (Political/Economic/Foreign Affairs), Independent Publisher Book Awards Honorable Mention for the 2017 PROSE Award in Government and Politics, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 One of Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Books of 2016 in Current Affairs A CNN Fareed Zakaria GPS Book of the Week, August 7, 2016 "Well-researched and lucidly argued."--Malise Ruthven, New York Review of Books "A specific, timely, well-rendered exegesis of the unfolding global threat."--Kirkus (starred review) "This timely history gives a clear-sighted account of the ascent of the so-called Islamic State (IS)--one with far-reaching implications. The book's findings and conclusions have profound relevance not just for the future of IS in Iraq and Syria, but also for salafi jihadism, regional security in the Middle East and North Africa and international peace and security... Written and edited with pellucid clarity, ISIS: A History is an important book that will have broad appeal beyond academic, diplomatic and policymaking circles."--Chris Harmer, LSE Review of Books "[Written] with energy and clarity, and out of uncommonly extensive knowledge."--Robert Fulford, National Post "Impressively detailed... His argument is all at once persuasive, deeply depressing, yet hopeful. For all the years of sclerosis in the Middle East, political systems can be rejuvenated. The revolutions of the Arab Spring marked an attempt to do just that, and while hope has been hijacked by extremists, the opportunity to try again and again can never be taken away."--Daniel Flitton, Sydney Morning Herald "Perhaps the most informative, clearly expressed, sober book on the subject."--William Armstrong, Hurriyet Daily News "[Gerges's] book is one of the most coherent, comprehensive and persuasive histories of ISIS to date and deserves to be widely read."--Richard Cockett, Literary Review "[The book's] strength stems from the sheer breadth of the survey offered by Gerges."--Shiraz Maher, New Statesman "Gerges is clear, and it is here that the book excels, that Isis cannot be explained in isolation but must be examined in the larger sociopolitical context in which it emerged... ISIS: A History makes a welcome contribution to the debate, and will be of interest to both general readers and specialists."--Christina Hellmich, Times Higher Education "This is quite simply the definitive book on the group by a very smart, well-informed guide to the region, superbly researched, well-written and intelligent throughout. Everyone opining about ISIS should be required to read this book first."--Fareed Zakaria "The achievement of Fawaz Gerges ... in his compelling, insightful book is to highlight the social and sectarian pressures that led so many Iraqi and Syrian Sunnis to turn to Isis as protectors."--Michael Burleigh, The Times "Terrific."--Michael Brull, New Matilda "This is a comprehensive account of how ISIS emerged in the Middle East, triggered by the US invasion of Iraq, Syria's civil war, the collapse of the Arab Spring, and sectarian Sunni-Shi'a struggles. Gerges systematically details the complex social and political dynamics leading to ISIS's prominence among the Salafi-jihadist family of rivals... This authoritative, empirically rich study based on primary Arabic sources should be must reading for policy makers, strategists, scholars, journalists, students, and anyone seriously concerned about the human condition."--Choice "A remarkably clear and detailed taxonomy of ISIS."--Jerome Donnelly, America "Written and argued with admirable clarity, ISIS: A History is a significant book with clear appeal beyond academic, diplomatic, and policy-making circles. This is a highly recommended volume and one that sets the standard for those interested in understanding the phenomenon we have come to know as ISIS."--Colin Wight, Australian Book Review "This hugely important study is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the powerful political, sectarian and religious forces currently convulsing the Arab Middle East."--P. D. Smith, The GuardianTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: Down the Rabbit Hole and into the History of ISIS 1 1 The World According to ISIS 23 2 Where ISIS Came From: Zarqawi to Baghdadi 50 3 How Broken Iraqi Politics Fueled the Revival of ISIS 98 4 Baghdadi's Evolution: From Invisible to Infamous 129 5 Baathists and ISIS Jihadists: Who Converted Whom? 144 6 How the Syrian War Empowered ISIS 170 7 Misappropriating the Arab Spring Uprisings 202 8 ISIS versus Al Qaeda: Redefi ning Jihad and the Transition from the Global to the Local 222 Conclusion: The Future of ISIS 260 Notes 295 Index 353

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on ethnographic fieldwork, this book examines the impact of economic development on ethnic minority people living along the upper-middle reaches of the Nu (Salween) River in Yunnan.Trade Review"Harwood brings up questions that are applicable to situations beyond the communities in Gongshan, such as conservation of minority cultures and livelihoods against the background of globalization, as well as structured inequalities in the process of urbanization and market-oriented economic development." * Choice *"[Q]uite usable for introducing undergraduates to concepts of political ecology and critical development studies, as well as a suite of important social issues in contemporary China including minzu politics, the discussion of quality (suzhi), rural-urban and geographical disparities, and migration....[It] is a valuable contribution and will be of particular interest for use in the classroom." -- Emily T. Yeh * The China Quarterly *Table of ContentsForeword by Stevan Harrell Acknowledgments Equivalents and Abbreviations Introduction 1. Life at the Periphery of the Chinese Party-State: An Introduction 2. Nature Reserves and Reforestation: The Impacts of Conservation Programs upon Livelihoods 3. All Is Not as It Appears: Education Reform 4. Migration from the Margins: Increasing Outward Migration for Work Conclusion Notes Glossary of Chinese Terms Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis highly illustrated guide expands on the practical benefits of FEA, such as the analysis of complex problems, overall increased productivity and revenue, and explains the complex theory behind the decisions that need to be made at each stage of a project.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine brings his life's work together to discuss how the region can find peaceTrade Review'For almost half a century ... Falk has brought powerful moral and legal insights to debates about order and justice in world politics' -- Foreign Affairs'Falk's contributions combine unparalleled experience and scholarship. This is a wonderful synthesis of his work on Palestine and Israel in a single and accessible volume' -- Noura Erekat, Human Rights Attorney and Assistant Professor, George Mason University'For anyone desiring a comprehensive and detailed insight into the dynamics of legitimate Palestinian struggle against Israeli colonial violence, this book is highly recommended' -- Middle East Monitor'Offers a dose of much needed optimism and hope to the cause' -- Middle East JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Part I: Palestine’s Emergent Imaginary 1. Parameters of Struggle 2. Oslo Diplomacy: A Legal Historical Perspective 3. Rethinking the Palestinian Future 4. The Emergent Palestinian Imaginary Part II: Palestine’s Legitimacy War 5. Violence and Nonviolence in the Palestinian Human Rights Struggle (co-authored with Victoria Mason) 6. International Law, Apartheid, and Israeli Responses to BDS 7. Palestinian Lawfare and the Search for a Just Peace 8. Palestine Becomes a State 9. Seeking Vindication at the International Criminal Court Part III: Zionism and Anti-Semitism in the International Arena 10. Zionism and the United Nations 11. The US State Department, the Definition of Anti-Semitism, and Edward Said’s Humanism Part IV: Edward Said’s Voice and Legacy 12. The Failed Peace Process: A Prophetic Indictment 13. Palestine as a “Lost Cause” Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe debate about globalisation and its discontentsTrade Review'The Global Political Economy of Israel ... provides a wealth of information and is a very interesting read' Thomas J. Butko, Augustana University CollegeTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Capital and Power: Breaking the Dualism of ‘Economics’ and ‘Politics’ 3. The History of Israel’s Power Structure 4. The Making of Stagflation 5. The Weapondollar-Petrodollar Coalition 6. From Foreign Investors to Transnational Ownership References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisExploring the tension between Queerness and Islamophobia, and how the elite reinforce the politics of homonationalism.Trade Review'A smart, courageous, and at times unsettling indictment of LGBTQ complicity with xenophobic violence. If you care deeply about social justice, read this brilliant book' -- Julia Chinyere Oparah is Professor of Ethnic Studies at Mills College and co-editor of Activist Scholarship: Antiracism, Feminism and Social Change'A brilliant analysis which shatters the singularity of the universal gay/trans subject to expose hir collusion in the production of the 'homophobic Muslim'. This highly engaging book is a must read for all concerned with issues of justice, demilitarisation and radical transformation in global politics' -- Sunera Thobani, Associate Professor at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia'This exciting book by one of the most brilliant emerging scholars today brings a novel approach to 'queer gentrification' and a host of new concepts pertaining to space, queer and trans subjects of colour, race, sexuality and violence' -- Paola Bacchetta, Associate Professor of Gender & Women's Studies at University of California, Berkeley'An original and highly impactful contribution to critical race and ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies and urban studies' -- Dylan Rodríguez, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies at University of California, Riverside'Seamlessly synthesises the relationships between Islamaphobia, racism within Europe and the United States, and how the global war on terror serves to reinforce the politics of homonationalism. Brilliant and fierce, a must-read for all those interesting in imagining new liberatory politics' -- Andrea Smith, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and Media & Cultural Studies at the University of California, Riverside.A crucial text that does so much work that queer theory desperately needs. Taking urban spaces in Berlin as a primary site, Haritaworn shows how the production of respectable queers emerges against supposedly degenerate non-white others' -- Karma R. Chávez is author of Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities (University of Illinois Press, 2013) and member of the collective, Against Equality'Constitutes a sophisticated masterpiece of decolonial queer/transgender theory' -- Ramón Grosfoguel, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, Berkley'A trenchant and unrelenting critical gaze at the tensions between a nascent people of colour consciousness and the swirling turbulence of homophobia and xenophobia in 21st Century Germany. More than just a sensitive portrait of lives, sites, and energies, this book is an incitement to think queerly, to dream otherwise.' -- Martin F. Manalansan IV, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian American Studies'In an exemplary intersectional cultural analysis, Haritaworn explores racial and sexual formations in contemporary and historical Berlin.' -- Gloria Wekker is emeritus professor in Gender and Ethnicity at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and author of The Politics of Passion (2006) and White Innocence (forthcoming 2016, Duke University Press).'Shifts critical debates about rights, recognition, diversity, coalition, homonationalism, necropolitics, migration policies, and citizenship in important new directions' -- Eithne Luibheid, Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, University of ArizonaTable of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: Queer Regenerations 1. Setting the Scene 2. Love 3. Hate 4. Queer Nostalgia 5. Conclusion: Kiss Good Morning, Kiss Good Night 6. Epilogue: Beyond the ‘Most Homophobic’ Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines Israel as a colonial society, making comparisons with South Africa, French Algeria and Australia.Trade Review'Veracini presents a thoughtful interpretation of the dynamics of colonialism, offering a clear framework within which to understand the Middle East crisis' -- The Middle East'This book portrays Israel as a settler society that can best be understood by comparing its development to apartheid South Africa, French Algeria and Australia' -- Middle East JournalTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION: COMPARING COLONIAL CONDITIONS 1. THE GEOGRAPHY OF UNILATERAL SEPARATION: ON ISRAELI APARTHEIDS a) Comparing Colonial Settler Projects b) The Bantustanisation of Palestinian Space c) The Racialisation of Palestinian Mobility 2. THE TROUBLE OF DECOLONIZATION: FRANCE/ALGERIA, ISRAEL/PALESTINE a) Comparing Wars of Decolonization b) Winning the Wars of Decolonization c) Narratives of the Wars of Decolonization 3. FOUNDING VIOLENCE AND SETTLER SOCIETY IN ISRAEL AND AUSTRALIA a) The ‘New’ Israeli History b) Australian History and Aboriginal History c) History Writing and Deadlocked Reconciliations CONCLUSION: IMPERIAL ENGAGEMENTS AND THE NEGOTIATION OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE Endnotes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisReassesses conventional notions of crime by examining potential categories of social harm inflicted by globalisationTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Beyond criminology? by Paddy Hillyard and Steve Tombs 3. Towards a political economy of harm: states, corporations and the production of inequality by Paddy Hillyard and Steve Tombs 4. Violence in democratic societies: towards an analytic framework by Jamil Salmi 5. A theory of moral indifference: understanding the production of harm by capitalist society by Simon Pemberton 6. State harms by Tony Ward 7. Re-orientating miscarriages of justice by Michael Naughton 8. The victimised state and the mystification of social harm by Joe Sim 9. The war on migration by Frances Webber 10. Workplace injury and death: social harm and the illusions of law by Steve Tombs 11. Prime suspect: murder in Britain by Danny Dorling 12. Gendering harm through a life course perspective by Christina Pantazis 13. Heterosexuality as harm: fitting in by Lois Bibbings 14. Children and the concept of harm by Roy Parker 15. Poverty, death and disease by Dave Gordon 16. Conclusion Notes on Contributors Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review[…] this book, without wasting words, persuasively demonstrates its major thesis. It will be of great interest for historians of literature, medicine and theology in the Enlightenment.- H-France Review, Vol. 12, No. 76‘[Kozuls’s] evidence is impressively wide-ranging, well marshalled, and convincing. Eleven thematic chapters move confidently among medical treatises, theological commentary, and libertine fiction, exploring the articulation of images of the body in a cross-section of texts […]’- Oxford Journals, French StudiesCette remise en perspective par la littérature du corps érotique et religieux au XVIIIe siècle peut […] constituer un apport intéressant pour une meilleure compréhension des confrontations autour de la définition morale du corps, qui finalement, transposées dans un registre plus moderne, demeurent encore actuellement.- Bulletin bibliographique des Archives de science sociale des religionsTable of ContentsIntroduction I. Corps sacré, corps érotisé1. Histoire de la sexualité et roman érotique2. Le religieux, le romanesque, l’érotique: amour de Dieu, amour de la créature3. Oraisons sublimes et intrigues de Vénus: de Pierre-Valentin Faydit à Lenglet Du Fresnoy4. Agapè et éros5. De la polémique antireligieuse à la fiction libertine: Voltaire, d’Holbach, Parny et l’érotisme sacré6. L’attrait du corps religieux: séduction et conversion dans Les Liaisons dangereusesConclusion de la première partieII. Corps peccamineux, corps jouissif, corps malade7. Physiologies érotiques et religieuses8. Délires hybrides: mélancolie et inceste dans Cleveland de Prévost9. Physiologie, interdits et violences: autour du corps christique10. L’attrait du corps déchiré: humorisme, érotisme et pénitence11. Toxicologie et épidémiologie sadiennesConclusion de la deuxième partieConclusion généraleBibliographieIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis In The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, 27 of the world’s leading coaches cover the keys to a successful swim program—from establishing priorities and leading a program to its full potential to teaching technique and training for optimal performance. This is the ideal guide to competitive swimming for coaches and swimmers alike. Trade Review “The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, offers essential tactics to make training sessions more successful. It should be on every coach’s desk.” Gregg Troy-- Head Swimming and Diving Coach, University of Florida, U.S. Men’s 2012 Olympic Swimming Coach "Dick Hannula and Nort Thornton are two of the most thought-provoking coaches of our time. In The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, they have secured a cast of authors second to none to provide an ideal resource for improving swimmers’ performance.” John Leonard-- Executive Director, American Swimming Coaches Association Table of ContentsPart I Establishing Priorities Chapter 1 Developmental Stages of Competitive Swimmers John Leonard Chapter 2 From Youth to Senior in Competitive Swimming Bill Sweetenham Chapter 3 Putting the We in Team Jack Bauerle Chapter 4 Mastering Swimming Through the Years Bob Miller Chapter 5 Building a Team in a Disadvantaged Area Jim Ellis Part II Leading Your Program to Its Full Potential Chapter 6 Applying Science to Your Coaching Jan Prins Chapter 7 The X Factor Revisited George Block Chapter 8 Planning for Success Stephan Widmer Chapter 9 Making Your Program Fun for Swimmers Bob Steele Part III Teaching Stroke Technique Chapter 10 Trends and Techniques in Freestyle Mike Bottom Chapter 11 Trends and Techniques in Backstroke Teri McKeever Chapter 12 Trends and Techniques in Butterfly Bob Bowman Chapter 13 Trends and Techniques in Breaststroke Nort Thornton Chapter 14 The Fifth Stroke: Underwater Kicking Bob Gillett Chapter 15 Better Starts, Turns, and Finishes Dick Hannula Part IV Training for Optimal Performance Chapter 16 The Art of Training Sprinters David Marsh and Bill Pilczuk Chapter 17 Middle Distance Training for All Strokes Jon Urbanchek Chapter 18 Freestyle Distance Training Bill Rose With Mike Lewis Chapter 19 Training for Open Water Sid Cassidy Chapter 20 Individual Medley Training Gregg Troy Chapter 21 Training for Relays David Durden Chapter 22 Dryland Training Vern Gambetta Chapter 23 Power Training in the Pool Dick Shoulberg Part V Final Touches for Peak Performance Chapter 24 Positive Communication, Positive Results Lanny Landtroop Chapter 25 Mind Over Body in Competition Brett Hawke

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReviews ‘an impressive and authoritative volume addressing the complex and various ways in which the eighteenth-century style persists as an alluring echo long after it was deemed redundant.’Ceræ: an Australian journal of medieval and early modern studies‘Uprootedness, global dislocations, and eccentric visions of time are at the centre of this edited collection, which seeks to reframe the rococo as a discursive style perennially reactivated and reformulated from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries […] Ranging in scope beyond painting and interior decoration, the subjects discussed are refreshingly diverse’.French Studies‘Le lecteur est invité à s’interroger tout d’abord au niveau méthodologique, sur les limites et les potentialités propres à certaines catégories historiographiques, puis au niveau philosophique, à remettre en question la notion d’art elle même, notamment dans ses liens avec la politique et la société’.Dix-huitième siècleTable of ContentsForeword. Rococo echo: style and temporality, Katie ScottI. Rococo revivals: the nineteenth century1. The uncomfortable Frenchness of the German Rococo, Michael Yonan2. Rococo republicanism, elizabeth mansfield3. Scavenging Rococo: trouvailles, bibelots and counter-revolution, Tom Stammers4. Vive l’amateur! The Goncourt house revisited, Andrew McClellan5. Pierrot’s periodicity: Watteau, Nadar and the circulation of the Rococo, Marika T. Knowles6. Remembrance of things past: Robert de Montesquiou, Emile Gallé and Rococo revival during the fin de siècle, Meredith Martin7. Irregular rococo Impressionism, Anne HigonnetII. Rococo: the eighteenth century8. Was there such a thing as rococo painting in eighteenth-century France?, Colin B. Bailey9. ‘A wild kind of imagination’: eclecticism and excess in the English rococo designs of Thomas Johnson, Brigid von Preussen10. Out of time: Fragonard, with David, Satish Padiyar11. Rococo and spirituality from Paris to Rio de Janeiro, Gauvin Alexander BaileyIII. New Rococo: the twentieth century and beyond12. Sedlmayr’s Rococo, Kevin Chua13. Warhol’s Rococo: style and subversion in the 1950s, Allison Unruh14. The new Rococo: Sofia Coppola and fashions in contemporary femininity, Rebecca Arnold15. Post-colonial Rococo: Yinka Shonibare MBE plays Fragonard, Sarah Wilson16. The Rococo revival and the old art history, Carol DuncanAfterword. The Rococo dream of happiness as ‘a delicate kind of revolt’, Melissa Lee HydeList of illustrationsSummariesSelect bibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBarbara J. Shapiro traces the surprising genesis of the "fact," a modern concept that, she convincingly demonstrates, originated not in natural science but in legal discourse. She follows the concept's evolution and diffusion across a variety of...Trade ReviewShapiro has written an excellent work in intellectual and cultural history. * Virginia Quarterly Review *The book is filled with quotes and references to a very wide range of primary as well as secondary sources. It will be of much heuristic value in studying the changing meanings of 'fact' in this period, quite apart from Shapiro's strong argument concerning the special role of the law. -- Peter Dear, Cornell University * Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences *This nutshell presentation does far from justice to the nuances of the basic argument of the book, still less to the striking nature of the supporting detail... It should be given a hearty welcome as a trenchant and well illustrated contribution to an ongoing debate. -- Paul Dukes * Journal of European Studies *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book, featuring stunning photographs by Gregory Basco, a professional Costa Rica nature photographer, provides an unparalleled glimpse into the treasures of Costa Rica's parks. Its stunning images and informative text, impart an appreciation for the richness of nature and the importance of environmental conservation.Trade Review(Starred Review) Basco's stunning photography offers a visual testament to the wisdom of the Costa Rican government in preserving natural resources.... VERDICT This inspirational volume can be used in science and environmental studies classes as well as enjoyed by general readers. The nature preserves of Costa Rica are the national park ideal which was born in the United States at its very best. * Library Journal *Table of ContentsFOREWORD BY RODRIGO GÁMEZ-LOBO INTRODUCTION GUANACASTECENTRAL PACIFICOSAARENAL AND TENORIOCENTRAL HIGHLANDSSOUTHERN HIGHLANDSSARAPIQU LOWLANDSTORTUGUEROSOUTHERN CARIBBEANCOCOS ISLANDACKNOWLEDGMENTS FURTHER READING ABOUT THE PHOTOS AND PHOTO CREDITS SPECIES INDEX ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND AUTHOR

Read more less

Book SynopsisCertain Sainthood draws on the insights of a new generation of scholarship that integrates both lived religion and intellectual history into the study of theology and canon law.Trade ReviewCertain Sainthood focuses on the expansion of papal authority in the Middle Ages during the Gregorian reform. Well-written and persuasively argued, Donald S. Prudlo asserts that papal infallibility developed organically during this period in tandem with papal canonizations. * READING RELIGION *Prudlo argues that from the modern perspective, Catholics concentrate on canonical or theological history, with little appreciation for the social or cultural meaning of saints and canonization, especially during the medieval period.... But [he] integrates it with cultural history and lived religion during the period when papal centralization led to claims of infallibility in canonization. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. "By the authority of Blessed Peter" Making Saint-Making2. "They trust not in the suffrages of the saints": Saintly Skirmishes3. "That the Perversity of Heretics Might Be Confounded": From Practice to Theory4. "Hark, Hark, the Dogs Do Bark...": The Assault on Mendicant Holiness(1234–60)5. "That God Might Not Permit Us to Err": The Articulation of Infallibility in Canonization6. Sancti per fi dem vicerunt regna: "The Saints, by Faith, Conquered ;Kingdoms"Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Chinese Economic Statecraft, William J. Norris introduces an innovative theory that pinpoints how states employ economic tools of national power to pursue their strategic objectives. Norris shows what Chinese economic statecraft is, how it works, and why it is more or less effective.Trade ReviewAn impressive scholarly addition to our study of the contemporary Chinese foreign policy. It should be of great interest to both China Studies scholars as well as anyone interested in foreign policy analysis and international political economy. * Journal of Chinese Political Science *Norris’ new book is one of the first to focus on Chinese state-directed economic activities and their political effectiveness.... Norris sets a very ambitious research objective by not only selecting and examining seven extremely different cases, but also trying to build a new analytical framework based on principal-agent theory. * PERSPECTIVES ON POLITICS *Table of ContentsPart I ON ECONOMIC STATECRAFT 1. What Is Economic Statecraft? 2. The Challenge of State Control 3. Economics and China's Grand Strategy Part II SECURING STRATEGIC RAW MATERIALS 4. "Going Out" and China’s Search for Energy Security 5. Rio Tinto and the (In)visible Hand of the State Part III CROSS-STRAIT ECONOMIC STATECRAFT 6. Coercive Leverage across the Taiwan Strait 7. Interest Transformation across the Taiwan Strait Part IV CHINA’S SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS 8. State Administration of Foreign Exchange 9. What Right Looks Like 10. The China Investment Corporation Concluding Implications

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarcia M. Gallo provides a sensitive and multifaceted exploration of one of America's most infamous true-crime stories: the 1964 rape and murder of Catherine "Kitty" Genovese.Trade ReviewGallo [is] successful in her quest to restore Genovese's 'personhood.' In a chapter evocatively titled 'Hidden in Plain Sight,' Gallo does a wonderful job placing Genovese within the context of her times as a vibrant, successful, homosexual woman. Gallo’s interviews with Genovese’s lover, Mary Ann Zielonko, and some of Genovese’s friends add poignant and touching details to a life cut tragically short. -- Mariah Adin * H-Net Reviews *After reading Gallo's solidly researched book, readers can no longer simply accept the standard narrative about Kitty Genovese's murder and the claims of urban apathy.... She asks us to think more broadly about the ways in which historical narratives build up around important events and sometimes cloud our view of the past.... With this book, Gallo has at least brought the real Kitty Genovese back to life. * Italian American Review *Gallo's insightful and important book about the Genovese murder is both a provocative history of the ways apathy continues to challenge our popular memory of social activism and an engaging history of the postwar years that highlights the intersection of a range of social issues and political problems. It deserves a wide audience. -- Randy D. McBee * Journal of American History *Several books and numerous articles have marked the 50th anniversary of the infamous murder of Kitty Genovese on the night of March 13, 1964 in the borough of Queens in New York City. Marcia M. Gallo offers a valuable addition to this literature in a well-written, intelligent, comprehensive, and provocative new account of the often-told story. I believe it will be of interest to a broad range of readers, including social psychologists, other social scientists, and to lay and professional readers interested in any of the many questions raised by the case for policy making, journalism, social planning, and more. -- Robert Levine * PsycCRITIQUES *Table of ContentsPrologue: A New York Story1. Urban Villages in the Big City2. Hidden in Plain Sight3. Thirty-Eight Witnesses4. The Metropolitan Brand of Apathy5. The City Responds6. Surviving New City Streets7. Challenging the Story of Urban ApathyEpilogue: Kitty, Fifty Years LaterNotes Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe atlas of contemporary capitalism is curious indeed. A desperately poor and civil-war-wracked nation, Liberia, is the world's shipping superpower; the Cayman Islands the fifth-largest financial center in the world; land-locked Zurich a venerable...Trade Review"What is the offshore world? When and why did it develop? Who supported its development? Where and how does it operate? How important is it in international commerce and finance today? To find answers to those questions, Palan (International relations and politics, Univ. of Sussex, UK) examines the offshore phenomenon in a broad sense of social and economic change. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate and Research Collections."—Choice, Dec. 2003."This practice of sovereign bifurcation, by which states divide their sovereign space into heavily and lightly regulated realms, suggests a radical redrawing of state boundaries and an important transformation in the nature of sovereignty and the relationship between state and capitalism. Offshore may be at the very heart of the transformation of modern politics: is it the beginning of 'postglobalization?'"—Future Survey 26:1, January 2004"Ronen Palan asks bold, provocative questions regarding the relationship between sovereignty and the offshore economy and its relevance to state formation, globalization, and the fate of the nation-state. The 'commercialization of sovereignty' is a very effective underlying theme."—Peter Andreas, Brown University"The Offshore World explores the important concept of 'offshore' with a high level of detail and theoretical sophistication. Ronen Palan illuminates aspects of state sovereignty that have not been fully described elsewhere. This book will extend our understanding of how contemporary international society emerged over the last century, while providing insight into how concepts like 'offshore' reshape our thinking about economic phenomena."—Peter Dombrowski, The Naval War College"The Offshore World is a subtle and intriguing look at one of the global economy's most prominent features."—Debora Spar, Harvard Business School

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Fanon was consummately incapable of telling the story of himself. He lived in the immediacy of the moment, with an intensity that embodied everything he evoked. Fanon's discourse pertained to a present tense that was unburdened by its narrative past...Trade ReviewThis is a book of interest and importance, and it comes at a moment when events have arguably made Fanon a contemporary thinker. Students of Fanon will surely want to read it, as will those comparing anti-colonial struggles around the globe. -- Benjamin Claude Brower * Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn amnesia victim asking "Who am I?" means something different from a confused adolescent asking the same question. Marya Schechtman takes issue with analytic philosophy's emphasis on the first sort of question to the exclusion of the second. The...Trade ReviewSchechtman has greatly enriched the discussion of personal identity. This stimulating book enlarges our sense of the philosophically possible. -- Christopher Williams, University of Nevada at Reno * The Philosophical Review *This excellent and engaging book succeeds in raising questions about the dominant approach to asking questions about our identities and our concern for the future, as well as in offering... the beginnings of an alternative way to ask and answer such questions. That's quite a lot of philosophical work in such a short book. * Ethics *

Read more less

Book SynopsisContemporary feminist critics have often described Surrealism as a misogynist movement. This work addresses this issue, confirming some feminist allegations while qualifying and overturning others. Through insightful analyses of works by a range of writers and artists, it develops a complex view of Surrealist portrayals of woman.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOsiris, Horus, Isis, Thoth, Anubis - the many strange and compelling figures of the Egyptian gods and goddesses seem to possess endless fascination. The renowned Egyptologist Erik Hornung here studies the ancient Egyptians' conceptions of god, basing his account on a thorough reappraisal of the primary sources. His book, now available in...Trade ReviewAfter surveying the approaches to Egyptian religion from antiquity through twentieth-century scholarship, Hornung... considers aspects of divinity, the iconography and characteristics of the gods, and the relationship between gods and believers.... A masterly, scrupulously documented work that combines close attention to textual and artifactual evidence with penetrating theological insights. * Library Journal *An excellent historical overview of the gods... It is a recommended necessary reading for those studing Ancient Egyptian religion. * Frankie's Reviews in Egyptology *Hornung asks usually neglected questions concerning what the Egyptians themselves thought about their gods, thus meeting these people on their own terms. Along the way he carefully examines evidence that has been marshaled in favor of monotheism or monotheistic tendencies within what appears to be a vast Egyptian pantheon. Adding to the pleasure and usefulness of this work is the fine translation by John Baines.... Containing a full index, a glossary of gods, and appropriate illustrations, this is a significant volume. * Choice *It is not often that an introduction to the thorny topic of ancient Egyptian religion can be recommended unreservedly.... Over the past thirty-five years the acceptable introductions to Egyptian religion can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and all are from the pens of scholars trained in a Germanic tradition! The present work by Erik Hornung maintains this excellent, though rare, standard. * American Historical Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a...Trade ReviewIt is her own dissatisfaction with the usual strategies that philosophy and theology have adopted in the face of evil—strategies that she feels underestimate either the horror of evil or the goodness of God—that led her to mount her own philosophical alternative.... She proposes an entirely different approach. Instead of seeking reasons why a good God might permit evil, philosophy should seek an explanation of how God might 'make good' on evil. * New York Times Book Review *Adams argument is an important contribution to recent philosophical and theological discussions on the problem of evil.... Whether one agrees with... Adams' answer to the problem of evil, it is hard not to think that we are better off for the ways that her attempts to think about evil encourage and challenge us to take evil seriously. * The Hedgehog Review *In this post-Holocaust world, much that passes for philosophical analysis of the problem of evil seems beside the point, if not culpably irrelevant. It is to Adams's great credit that in her often insightful discussion of the issue, she puts the emphasis where it belongs: on the victims' point of view.... A provocative book. * Theological Studies *It would be difficult to take offense at a book which is so manifestly honest in its search for the truth, and which so clearly expresses a deep awareness of, and compassion for, the suffering and moral frailty of human beings.... Whatever their own views on the problem of evil, most readers will find insights here that they will want to hold on to. * Religious Studies *Marilyn Adams... makes a compelling argument at several levels. * First Things *This book is based on work on God and evil that Adams did over a period of more than a decade.... But the book is by no means a mere collection of previously published essays.... The book integrates them into a unified whole that highlights their coherence and displays connections among them. So even those who are very familiar with her earlier work on God and evil will profit from reading the book carefully.... This is a brave book. It has something fresh to say on a difficult and important philosophical topic. It deserves readers who will debate its challenging claims. * The Philosophical Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe psychiatric profession in Germany changed radically from the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of World War I. In a book that demonstrates his extensive archival knowledge and an impressive command of the primary literature, Eric J. Engstrom...Trade ReviewEngstrom... reveals how the various dimensions of academic psychiatry—its cognitive content, its treatment and research practices, its curriculum, its tools, its workspaces (clinics, laboratories, lecture halls), and its institutional (medical departments, universities, mental health care in general) and political and social contexts—were all closely interrelated.... Engstrom's interpretations are... nicely detailed. -- Harry Oosterhuis, University of Maastricht * Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences *Engstrom... has produced a fascinating history of the professionalizing of psychiatric practice in modern Germany in this extensively researched book. * Choice *Here we get a detailed look at the beginnings of the professionalization of psychiatry in Germany in the nineteenth century, a concomitant of the medicalization of madness that took place at the same time. -- Michale Beldoch * Cornell Studies in the History of Psychiatry, 2003-2004 *The nineteenth century can rightly be called the century of medicine and biology. With the support of national and provincial governments, clinical medicine and the human sciences flourished in Germany. By century's end, scholars in fields such as pathology, neurology, epidemiology, and experimental psychology could lay claim to being the best in the world. In no other field was the influence of German medicine and science more palpable than in psychiatry.... Eric Engstrom's book is the first to explore this important moment in the intellectual and social history of Germany. With Engstrom, this rather daunting venture is in able hands. To those scholars working in the field of the history of German psychiatry, Engstrom is well-known as a thoughtful and insightful historian, particularly well-informed about the scope of archival materials available to scholars. -- Greg Eghigian, Penn State University * H-Soz-u-Kult *The primary focus of Eric J. Engstrom's book on psychiatry in Germany from roughly the mid nineteenth century to the First World War is the tension between alienists—clinicians whom Engstrom defines as 'an ambiguous blend of physician, judge, father and teacher,' resident with their 'family' of staff and patients in large isolated rural asylums—and the new breed of 'scientific' psychiatrists based in urban clinics affiliated to university medical schools. This tension—never entirely resolved—led to a fundamental shift in asylum culture.... Engstrom must be given credit for achieving what he set out to do. He is a very thorough, undogmatic historian and the book is formidably footnoted and referenced. The prose is serviceable and straightforward, and, while it features much jargon from the social sciences, is never deformed by it. * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this introduction to Hermeticism and its mythical founder, Florian Ebeling provides a concise overview of the Corpus Hermeticum and other writings attributed to Hermes, tracing their influence on Western thought from the ancient world to the present.Trade ReviewDemonstrating mastery of both primary texts and secondary sources, the author has constructed a convincing account of the origin, development, and influence of Hermeticism.... In addition to offering this very helpful guide, which includes lapidary synopses of the primary texts, the author is the first to recognize that by the early modern period two distinct subtraditions existed within Hermeticism, one philosophical-theological and the other alchemical. Recommended. * Choice *Florian Ebeling's The Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus should be lauded for its innovative approach to the study of Hermeticism. The text is not only informative about areas of study often left neglected but also provides insight into the ideologies and processes that went into the development of various forms of Hermetic thought. -- J. S. Kupperman * Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition *Table of ContentsForeword by Jan AssmannIntroductionChapter 1. Prehistory and Early History of a Phantasm What Are Hermetic Texts? — The Hermetic Texts of Late Antiquity — Hermes as Preacher of Theology and Philosophy — Hermes: Astrologer, Magus, and Alchemist — What Was Ancient Hermeticism?Chapter 2. The Middle Ages: Christian Theology and "Antediluvian" Magic Christian Hermeticism — Arab Hermeticism — Hermes Latinus — Traditions of Medieval HermeticismChapter 3. Renaissance: Primeval Wisdom for a New World Tradition or Rediscovery? — Hermeticism and Paracelsism — Religious Hermeticism — Two Paths of Hermeticism in the Early Modern PeriodChapter 4. Seventeenth Century: High Point and Decline Casaubon and the Dating of the Hermetic Texts — Hermeticism and the Modern Natural Sciences — Hermeticism and Pietism — The Decrepitude of Hermeticism?Chapter 5. Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Between Occultism and Enlightenment Two German Editions of the Corpus Hermeticum — Hermes Trismegistus in Freemasonry — From Historical to Systematic HermeticismChapter 6. Twentieth Century: Systems and Esoterica Julius Evola and Esoteric Hermeticism — Umberto Eco's Hermetic Semiosis and Heinrich Rombach's HermeticismChronology Glossary Select Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisJervis examines the politics and psychology of two of the more spectacular intelligence failures in recent memory: the mistaken belief that the regime of the Shah in Iran was secure and stable in 1978, and the 2002 claim that Iraq had active WMD programs.Trade ReviewIn Why Intelligence Fails, Jervis examines two important U.S. intelligence lapses—the fall of the Shah in Iran and WMDs in Iraq—and tries to account for what went awry. After both, the CIA hired Jervis—a longtime student of international affairs—to help the agency sort out its mistakes. He thus brings an invaluable perspective as a smart outsider with sufficient inside access to appraise the agency's blind spots. -- Gabriel Schoenfeld * Wall Street Journal *In this cogently argued and revealing book, Jervis, a veteran CIA consultant, uses the Iranian and Iraqi cases to dissect why, in some circumstances, intelligence fails to provide accurate analysis to policymakers.... The section on Iran... identifies a number of errors with respect to intelligence on Iran, ranging from the mistaken belief that the shah was strong enough to undertake decisive and sustained action against his opponents to underestimating the role played by religion and nationalism in Iranian society. In the section on Iraq... Jervis contends that the fundamental reason for the WMD intelligence failure was that it made the most sense to assume that the country possessed WMD, given the Iraqi government's previous behavior. Highly recommended for all interested academic and general readers. * Library Journal *Jervis's practical experience is as a consultant with the CIA, and he offers a refreshing analysis and defense of this engagement with a government agency. Why Intelligence Fails feels like a reflection on a lifetime of thinking about intelligence.... The case studies (one of which is a slightly redacted version of the lessons-learned report Jervis wrote for the CIA about the Iranian Revolution, complete with comments made on it by senior CIA figures) ably highlight the lessons Jervis wishes us to take away from his study. Most importantly, he argues that further reforms of the intelligence machinery—a favorite reflex of politicians—will not necessarily produce improvements to intelligence product. -- Robert Dover * International Affairs *Table of Contents1. Adventures in Intelligence2. Failing to See That the Shah Was in Danger: Introduction, Postmortem, and CIA CommentsA. Analysis of NFAC's Performance on Iran's Domestic Crisis, Mid-1977–7 November 1978B. CIA Comments on the Report3. The Iraq WMD Intelligence Failure: What Everyone Knows Is Wrong4. The Politics and Psychology of Intelligence and Intelligence ReformNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisSmith recovers a surprising array of discussions about extramarital sexuality, women's financial autonomy, and respectability in ate Wilhelmine and Weimar Germany.Trade ReviewBerlin Coquette is well written—an ever-rarer feature of academic writing, it seems—and well researched (Smith's footnotes are especially impressive).... This is an important contribution to a variety of fields (German studies, gender studies, history, urban studies, and theater/film studies come immediately to mind) and certainly one that will change the way we understand prostitution. * H-Net Reviews *Berlin Coquette is an innovative interdisciplinary work that succeeds in illustrating the complicated nature of the urban German prostitution trade in the years before and after World War I....With the intent of moving beyond the standard dichotomy of victim/villain, Smith uses myriad sources to sketch a vibrant picture of women in Berlin's sex trade from the Kaiserreich to the end of the Weimar Republic. * The Journal of Interdisciplinary History *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Berlin's Bourgeois Whores1. Sex, Money, and Marriage: Prostitution as an Instrument of Conjugal Critique2. Righteous Women and Lost Girls: Radical Bourgeois Feminists and the Fight for Moral Reform3. Naughty Berlin?: New Women, New Spaces, and Erotic Confusion4. Working Girls: White-Collar Workers and Prostitutes in Late Weimar FictionConclusion: Berlin CoquetteBibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscussing a variety of postcolonial narratives written by women, Lionnet offers a comparative feminist approach that can provide common ground for debates on such issues as multiculturalism, universalism, and relativism.

Read more less