Political control and freedoms Books

Book Synopsis''Nathan Law''s agonising account of China''s ruthless takeover of Hong Kong provides a terrible insight into Beijing''s ambitions - the world needs to read this.'' - Jon Snow ''In Freedom, Nathan Law paints a deeply personal portrait of sheer courage... An essential and timely read.'' - Speaker Nancy PelosiWhat does it mean to be truly free? And can any of us be free until all of us are?Nobel Peace Prize nominee Nathan Law has experienced first-hand the shocking speed with which our freedom can be taken away from us, as an elected politician arrested simply for speaking his mind. He remembers what it is like to lack freedom - and his father''s precarious three-day escape from China in a small rowing boat.When authoritarianism makes gains around the world, demanding our silence as the price of doing business, it poses a challenge to democracy everywhere.In this passionate rallying

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Book SynopsisNever in human history was there such a chance for freedom of expression. If we have Internet access, any one of us can publish almost anything we like and potentially reach an audience of millions. Never was there a time when the evils of unlimited speech flowed so easily across frontiers: violent intimidation, gross violations of privacy, tidal waves of abuse. A pastor burns a Koran in Florida and UN officials die in Afghanistan.Drawing on a lifetime of writing about dictatorships and dissidents, Timothy Garton Ash argues that in this connected world that he calls cosmopolis, the way to combine freedom and diversity is to have more but also better free speech. Across all cultural divides we must strive to agree on how we disagree. He draws on a thirteen-language global online project - freespeechdebate.com - conducted out of Oxford University and devoted to doing just that.With vivid examples, from his personal experience of China's Orwellian censorship apparatus to the controversy around Charlie Hebdo to a very English court case involving food writer Nigella Lawson, he proposes a framework for civilized conflict in a world where we are all becoming neighbours.Trade ReviewA major piece of cultural analysis, sane, witty and urgently important. Timothy Garton Ash exemplifies the "robust civility" he recommends as an antidote to the pervasive unhappiness, nervousness and incoherence around freedom of speech, rightly seeing the basic challenge as how we create a cultural and moral climate in which proper public argument is possible and human dignity affirmed. -- Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and former Archbishop of CanterburyParticularly timely. . . Garton Ash argues forcefully that. . . there is an increasing need for freer speech. . . A powerful, comprehensive book * The Economist *Garton Ash has two virtues that are rarely combined. The ability to theorise and the ability to work. His research is wide-ranging. He covers all the great controversies of our time and many more illuminating conflicts you are unlikely to know about... An urgent and encyclopedic work -- Nick Cohen * Observer *Illuminating and thought-provoking... [Garton Ash's] larger project is not merely to defend freedom of expression, but to promote civil, dispassionate discourse, within and across cultures, even about the most divisive and emotive subjects. -- Faramerz Dabhoiwala * Guardian *Timothy Garton Ash aspires to articulate norms that should govern freedom of communication in a transnational world. His work is original and inspiring. Free Speech is an unfailingly eloquent and learned book that delights as well as instructs. -- Robert Post, Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law, Yale Law SchoolThere are still countless people risking their lives to defend free speech and struggling to make lonely voices heard in corners around the world where voices are hard to hear. Let us hope that this book will bring confidence and hope to this world-as-city. I believe it will exert great influence. -- Murong Xuecun, author of LEAVE ME ALONE: A NOVEL OF CHENGDUA thorough and well-argued contribution to the quest for global free speech norms. * Kirkus Reviews *A master class in political and historical analysis * Publishers Weekly *Free Speech is a resource, a weapon, an encyclopedia of anecdote, example and exemplum that reaches toward battling restrictions on expression with mountains of data, new ideas, liberating ideas. -- Diane Roberts * Prospect *Admirably clear... wise, up-to-the-minute and wide-ranging... Free Speech encourages us to take a breath, look hard at the facts and see how well-tried liberal principles can be applied and defended in daunting new circumstances. -- Edmund Fawcett * The New York Times Book Review *Timothy Garton Ash rises to the task of directing us how to live civilly in our connected diversity. -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *A brave and admirable attempt to construct a platform on which more people can find common ground, even if only on how to disagree without killing each other. Whether the ten principles are used or not, they are a considerable achievement. -- George Brock * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisSince 1954, a discrete and select group of wealthy and powerful individuals have attended a private, yearly conference to discuss matters of their choosing. This group represents European and North American elites, as well as new talent and rising stars, from the worlds of politics, business, media, academia, the military and even royalty, and has included household names such as Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger and even Prince Philip. In recent years their number have featured David Cameron, Tony Blair, Angela Merkel, Bill Clinton and David Rockefeller. These are 'the Bilderbergers', named after the hotel where their secret gatherings were first hosted. What is their purpose, why do they meet, and what do they want? Investigative writer Gerhard Wisnewski explores the numerous claims of conspiracy that swirl around the group, revealing names of participants, their agendas and their goals. The scene opens in the sun-kissed seaside resort of Vouliagmeni, Greece, where Wisnewski attempts to observe and report on a Bilderberg conference. He soon attracts aggressive attention from police and undercover security, and it is made abundantly clear he is not welcome. From this rude introduction, Wisnewski works backwards to the founding of the Bilderbergers in 1954 by a shadowy Jesuit with secret service allegiances. Examining records and hidden reports, Wisnewski uncovers the true history of the organization, the alliances among key individuals and their common interests. Are the Bilderbergers puppet-masters, pulling strings behind the scenes? Are plans afoot to create a global government and a new political system? To what extent do they represent a clandestine super-government? This book offers a unique view into the workings of power, and the secret methods of those who seek to govern and control behind the scenes.Trade Review'It is teeming with police. Every second person around you is an agent. You are secretly photographed, your phone is tapped and your colleagues are arrested. You are made to feel as if you are totally transparent. Yes, you are in the vicinity of a Bilderberg conference...' - Kopp Online

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Book SynopsisA long-term resident and expert observer of dissent in Hong Kong takes readers to the frontlines of Hong Kong’s revolution. Through the long, hot summer of 2019, Hong Kong burned. Anti-government protests, sparked by a government proposal to introduce a controversial extradition law, grew into a pro-democracy movement that engulfed the city for months. Protesters fought street battles with police, and the unrest brought the People’s Liberation Army to the doorstep of Hong Kong. Driven primarily by youth protesters with their ‘Be water!’ philosophy, borrowed from hometown hero Bruce Lee, this leaderless, technology-driven protest movement defied a global superpower and changed Hong Kong, perhaps forever. In City on Fire, Antony Dapiran provides the first detailed analysis of the protests, and reveals the protesters’ unique tactics. He explains how the movement fits into the city’s long history of dissent, examines the cultural aspects of the movement, and looks at what the protests will mean for the future of Hong Kong, China, and China’s place in the world. City on Fire will be seen as the definitive account of an historic upheaval.Trade Review‘Antony Dapiran’s City on Fire combines relentless on-the-ground reporting with a deep understanding of the city’s political, economic and social undercurrents … Dapiran’s style is energetic and vivid, transporting the reader to the middle of a riot police baton charge or a panicked, tear-gassed crowd capturing the broad community support and new-found solidarity of the movement in a city that had a reputation for being cold and distant.’ -- Sue-Lin Wong * Financial Times *‘Ground-level reportage and erudite analysis.’ -- Isabel Hilton * TLS *‘Illuminates every phase, trigger and turning point, skirmish and tactic in what became ‘a fight for the very soul of the city’.’ -- Bron Sibree * South China Morning Post *‘It gives a sense of immediacy and lived experience which is powerful and compelling; there is a rawness to passages of the book, and a sense of the unresolved trauma that last summer marked.’ * Asian Review of Books *‘The events that have rocked Hong Kong over 2019 have bewildered and surprised people inside and outside the city. This is a timely, well-informed attempt to make sense of everything that has happened - critically important in view of the confusion, and contention, that this event has caused.’ -- Professor Kerry Brown, Director, Lau China Institute, King’s College London‘Instructive.’ -- Matthew Partridge * Money Week *‘City on Fire by Antony Dapiran, a lawyer and writer, offers a firsthand analysis and description of one of the 21st century's most significant struggles. China's authoritarian interference in Hong Kong was met by a unique and unprecedented popular uprising. This book provides a clear narrative and frontline perspective of a complex issue. It is the most comprehensive book about the Hong Kong protests from a professional observer.’ -- Ai Weiwei‘Excellent reportage that is of critical importance in understanding contemporary Chinese politics.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *‘His scrupulous account looks at the history, the legal dimensions and the likely future for the region under Beijing.’ FIVE STARS -- Robyn Douglass * The Advertiser *‘[A]n engaged and authoritative account of the movement.’ -- Linda Jaivin * Sydney Review of Books *‘Dapiran shows how the protests brought worldwide attention to Hong Kong and civil liberties in an autonomous region. Readers will appreciate how the author places the events of 2019 in the context of earlier episodes in Hong Kong’s history such as the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 1967 riots. This fascinating read is essential for anyone interested in the current affairs of Hong Kong, specifically, and China, generally.’ STARRED REVIEW * Library Journal *‘City on Fire is Dapiran's follow-up to his earlier book about the Umbrella Movement in 2014. The much-longer sequel is deeply personal, based on riveting first-hand accounts and historical insights on the turmoil that erupted last summer. It is helpful that Dapiran, who is impressively versed in the nuances of Hong Kong's local dialect and culture, was present at both watershed moments.’ * Reuters, BreakingViews *‘[M]agnificent … [A] gifted writer who tells a compelling story of what the protesters have been up against, what they are fighting for, and how their tactics and goals have evolved over time … In addition to his strong descriptive powers, the author shows a keen understanding of human psychology and sociology, which adds another layer of depth to the reader’s understanding of the urgency of the demonstrations.’ * National Review *‘In smooth, heady prose that blends legal scholarship with the romanticism of a battle for independence, Dapiran shows … a city unhinged, on the verge of breakdown.’ * Japan Times *‘City on Fire provides a clear and authoritative account of the unfolding events, well-seated in Hong Kongese history, culture, and politics.’ -- David Ferrell * The Canberra Times *‘Readers interested in Hong Kong’s history and politics and the history of social movements will find this engaging, engrossing book to be crucial in understanding the role of political demonstration in contemporary Hong Kong.’ * Booklist *‘Dapiran goes right to the frontline to capture the unrest that plagued Hong Kong in 2019. He writes with journalistic prowess of what he witnessed among protestors and police, the tension mounting in each chapter.’ -- Will Higginbotham * Australian Book Review *‘In City on Fire, Antony Dapiran gives a rousing account of the protest movement from its beginnings in 2014 to the long showdowns in 2019 … Dapiran takes readers through the streets, alleyways, and subways of the city alongside the black-clad, yellow-hardhat-wearing, gas-masked protesters. He gets inside their skin, signing in to Telegram, an online social network used by the protesters to organise. Because Dapiran is with the crowds, he describes with great verve how the protesters operate without leaders, instead moving ‘like water’ to pop up and then evade the police.’ -- Jane Perlez * Foreign Affairs *‘What sets City on Fire apart most from books on both Beijing’s 1989 and Hong Kong’s 2019 is the unique mix of skills and experiences of its author. To say that Dapiran was well positioned to write City on Fire is the height of understatement — and not just because he did graduate work in Chinese cultural studies and wrote City of Protest. He spent day after day on the streets between June and November of 2019, a constant observer of everything from a vigil-like march by lawyers clad in black on 6 June (held to symbolise the idea that the extradition bill’s implementation would sound the death knell of judicial independence and true rule of law), to clashes months later between frustrated protesters and police itching for confrontation.’ -- Jeffrey Wasserstrom * Mekong Review *‘In his book City on Fire, an eloquent up-close account, Antony Dapiran is as focused on the aesthetics of the protests as on their political meaning. Hong Kong protesters, he observes admiringly, come up with the cleverest puns and make brilliant use of lanterns, candles, laser pointers, and Post-it Notes … He sees in the exceptionally rich protest culture a mash-up of themes from Hollywood action movies, Cantonese pop music, Japanese anime, and classical Chinese mythology.’ -- Barbara Demick * New York Review of Books *‘[A]n extensive narrative of the anti-extradition protests that shook Hong Kong [in 2019] … As it looks for the meaning of the resistance campaign, it goes beyond the simplistic binaries of optimism and pessimism as it ponders the future … one of [2020's] most crucial reads, not just because of its timeliness, but also its analysis of the historical and cultural significance of the act of dissent, which offers ways of thinking about the event in relation to the ongoing development of political awareness in Hong Kong … an urgent record that will sharpen our sensitivity to the past and what to look forward to in the years to come.’ -- Garfield Chow * Cha *

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Book SynopsisHow insurgencies—enabled by digital devices and a vast information sphere—have mobilized millions of ordinary people around the world. In the words of economist and scholar Arnold Kling, Martin Gurri saw it coming. Technology has categorically reversed the information balance of power between the public and the elites who manage the great hierarchical institutions of the industrial age: government, political parties, the media. The Revolt of the Public tells the story of how insurgencies, enabled by digital devices and a vast information sphere, have mobilized millions of ordinary people around the world. Originally published in 2014, The Revolt of the Public is now available in an updated edition, which includes an extensive analysis of Donald Trump’s improbable rise to the presidency and the electoral triumphs of Brexit. The book concludes with a speculative look forward, pondering whether the current elite class can bring about a reformation of the democratic process and whether new organizing principles, adapted to a digital world, can arise out of the present political turbulence.Trade Review“All over the world, elite institutions from governments to media to academia are losing their authority and monopoly control of information to dynamic amateurs and the broader public. This book, until now only in samizdat (and Kindle) form, has been my No. 1 handout for the last several years to anyone seeking to understand this unfolding shift in power from hierarchies to networks in the age of the internet.” —Marc Andreessen, cofounder, Netscape and Andreessen Horowitz “We are in an open war between publics with passionate and untutored interests and elites who believe they have the right to guide those publics. Gurri asks the essential question: Can liberal representative democracy survive the rise of the public?” —Roger Berkowitz, founder and academic director of the Hannah Arendt Center, professor of politics and human rights at Bard CollegeTable of ContentsPRELUDE TO A TURBULENT AGEHODER AND WAEL GHONIMMY THESISWHAT THE PUBLIC IS NOTPHASE CHANGE 2011A CRISIS OF AUTHORITYTHE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENTNIHILISM AND DEMOCRACYCHOICES AND SYSTEMSFINALE FOR SKEPTICSRECONSIDERATIONS: TRUMP, BREXIT, AND FAREWELL TO ALL THAT

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of a 2008 Lannan Notable Book Award, Lannan Foundation "[A] comprehensive diagnosis of our failings as a democratic polity by one of our most seasoned and respected political philosophers... Democracy Incorporated is a devastating critique of the contemporary government of the United States--including what has happened to it in recent years and what must be done if it is not to disappear into history along with its classic totalitarian predecessors."--Chalmers Johnson, Truthdig "[Democracy Incorporated provides] a rare, chilling analysis of intellectual critics of democracy. If democracy means more than occasional elections and protection of those rights that are compatible with economic and political elites' interests, Wolin's analysis of our democratic predicament is shocking, solid, and fundamentally correct."--C. P. Waligorski, Choice "Sheldon Wolin has produced an ambitious and broad-ranging book that examines the current state of democracy in America... Wolin argues that the unquestioned faith in the virtues of free market capitalism has dramatically narrowed the range of policy options that are on the table when debate turns to resolving the US's ills...[T]his is a trenchant and powerful volume."--Alex Waddan, International Affairs "Of the many books I've read or skimmed in the past seven years that attempted to get inside the social and political debacles of the present, none has had the chilling clarity and historical discernment of Sheldon S. Wolin's Democracy Incorporated. Building on his fifty years as a political theorist and proponent of radical democracy, Wolin here extends his concern with the extinguishing of the political and its replacement by fraudulent simulations of democratic process."--Jonathan Crary, Artforum "[W]e need to understand the deep roots of our present troubles ourselves and Wolin's book is an excellent beginning."--Toby Grace, Out in Jersey "Democracy Incorporated acts as an antidote to unconstrained corporate power and an elitist obsession and should be widely read by all those who cherish democracy and civil liberty."--Shih-Yu Chou, Political Studies Review "[Wolin] provides a rich narrative of the struggle of elites and the demos from ancient Greece through the writing of the U.S. Constitution and into the present, and the corporate-managed politics that has emerged will survive no matter which party holds Congress or the presidency."--Coleman Fannin, Journal of Church and State "Despite being written shortly before both the financial crisis and the Obama victory, the main lineaments of his analysis are still alarmingly cogent."--Tom Angier, Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

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Book SynopsisA firsthand account and incisive analysis of modern protest, revealing internet-fueled social movements’ greatest strengths and frequent challengesTrade Review“Tufekci believes that digital-age protests are not simply faster, more responsive versions of their mid-century parents. They are fundamentally distinct.”—Nathan Heller, New Yorker"This comprehensive, thought-provoking work makes a valuable contribution to understanding recent political developments and provides a clear path by which grassroots organizers can improve future efforts."—Publishers Weekly"Twitter and Tear Gas is packed with evidence on how social media has changed social movements, based on rigorous research and placed in historical context."—Hannah Kuchler, Financial Times“Tufecki has written an important book that offers a granular assessment of contemporary digital protest. . . Altogether, Tufecki offers a textured chronicle of the dynamics of several movements and the hopes of activists.”—Silvio Waisbord, Social Forces"A striking and original conclusion: today’s low barrier for organizing a movement can also lead to its long-term frustrations. Tufekci’s superb book will define the debate on social protest for years to come."—Dani Rodrik, author of Economic Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science"Tufekci is undoubtedly the most qualified person in the world to explain the meaning of political collective actions catalyzed and coordinated by social media. She knows the technology, the social science, and the politics—and she is the rare academic observer who was at the scene, from Istanbul to Cairo to New York."—Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution"Incisive and illuminating, Tufekci’s book arrives at the perfect moment, right when we desperately need our activism to become smarter and more effective than ever before, or else."— Astra Taylor, author of The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and co-founder of the Debt Collective"Many have asked why people rebel, but few describe how. Here, Tufekci uses firsthand observation to offer an intelligent and informed examination of the tools and nature of today’s political protests."—Vali Nasr, author of The Dispensable Nation and The Shia Revival"For all the claims that new technologies afford grassroots movements new power, research on the topic is rare. Tufekci's book provides just that—and a cautionary conclusion."—Doug McAdam, author of Deeply Divided: Racial Politics and Social Movements in Postwar America

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Book SynopsisTrump has it. Obama owned it. Putin would kill for it; if you've got Spinfluence, then you can twist the truth, influence opinion and control the masses. The new Fake News Special Edition of the Spinfluence comes fully loaded with the latest highly-classified information about the most toxic propaganda on the planet. Is Fake News responsible for a conman winning the Whitehouse? Who is really guilty of pedalling alternative facts'? The first edition of Spinfluence was banned in dozens of countries around the world, so get your hands on a copy of the new Fake News Special Edition and discover the secrets behind the spin before it's too late. Spinfluence will appeal to crooked politicians, media manipulators and corporate big-wigs alike, in fact anyone interested in how to exploit people for profit or power. Covering fun techniques and tactics such as emotional hijacking, brainwashing and hysteria harnessing - Spinfluence is a glorious and insightful read about how to bend the truth and subvert the will of the herd.

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Book SynopsisCan a woman have a penis? Is the West forever stained by racism? Are we all going to die from climate change? To the liberal establishment of London, New York or Sydney, the answer to all of these questions is 'Yes'. And anyone who disagrees is a racist, climate-denying transphobe. Our elites have become convinced of some very strange and extreme ideas. And yet there is precious little pushback against them. Critics are cowed by the threat of shaming, cancellation, even arrest. The new orthodoxies of our age are risible, and yet the space for dissent is shrinking. We need more heretics. Throughout history, it has been those brave enough to puncture the prevailing groupthink who have propelled society forward. But they are in shockingly short supply today. In this collection of original essays, Brendan O'Neill remakes the case for heresy - and commits a few heresies of his own along the way.Trade Review"Brendan O'Neill brings a sharp eye and cutting wit to the follies of our times. You must read this book before it's banned by the new inquisition." - Tony Abbott, former prime minister of Australia; "Brendan O'Neill is the reincarnation of Christopher Hitchens, a devil's advocate who is willing to always state his case clearly, convincingly and courageously." - Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large for Reason; "A timely and powerful defence of Enlightenment values written by one of the most notable free thinkers of our time." - Andrew Doyle, author of The New Puritan; "The best, and funniest, writer we have on the multiple insanities gripping the Western world." - Rod Liddle, columnist for the Sunday Times; "One of the world's funniest and fiercest critics of groupthink." - Andrew Bolt, columnist and Sky News Australia host; "One of Britain's sharpest social commentators." - Daily Telegraph; "An obnoxious intellectual wind-up merchant." - Guardian

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Book SynopsisMultiple New York Times best-selling author Dr. Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins, founder and director of the Organic Consumers Association, team up to expose the truth—and end the madness—about COVID-19. Since early 2020, the world has experienced a series of catastrophic events—a global pandemic caused by what appears to be an engineered coronavirus; international lockdowns and border closings causing widespread business closures, economic collapse, and massive unemployment; and an unprecedented curtailment of civil liberties and freedoms in the name of keeping people safe by locking them up in their homes. We are now living in a world that is increasingly ruled, not by our democratic systems and institutions, but by public health fiat, carried out by politicians who rule by instilling fear and panic. In The Truth About COVID-19, Dr. Mercola and Cummins reveal new and emerging evidence that: The SARS-CoV-2 virus was, indeed, lab-engineered and emerged from a negligently managed bioweapons lab in Wuhan, China The global pandemic was long anticipated by global elites who have used it to facilitate and hide the largest upward transfer of wealth in human history PCR testing, case counts, morbidity, and vaccine safety and efficacy data have been widely manipulated and misrepresented Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are known to worsen COVID-19 outcomes, but the junk food industry continues to push its agenda at the expense of public health Safe, simple, and inexpensive treatment and prevention for COVID-19 have been censored and suppressed to create a clear path for vaccine acceptance Effectiveness of the vaccines has been wildly exaggerated and major safety questions have gone unanswered The good news in all of this is that we can take control of our health and that, together, we have the power to unite and fight back for our health, democracy, and freedom. The time is now for a global awakening. As Dr. Mercola and Cummins remind us, this is the fight of our lives.Trade Review"The most mind-blowing book I've read lately."—Ben Greenfield, New York Times bestselling author

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Book SynopsisThe most powerful story in stamp history, revealing the little icons at the heart of wartime propaganda

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Book SynopsisFrom the much-loved, witty and excoriating voice of journalist Nick Cohen, a powerful and irreverent dissection of the agonies, idiocies and compromises of mainstream liberal thought.Nick Cohen comes from the Left. While growing up, his mother would search the supermarket shelves for politically reputable citrus fruit and despair. When, at the age of 13, he found out that his kind and thoughtful English teacher voted Conservative, he nearly fell off his chair: ''To be good, you had to be on the Left.''Today he''s no less confused. When he looks around him, in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, he sees a community of Left-leaning liberals standing on their heads. Why is it that apologies for a militant Islam that stands for everything the liberal-Left is against come from a section of the Left? After the American and British wars in Bosnia and Kosovo against Slobodan Milosevic''s ethnic cleansers, why were men and women of the Left denying the existence of Serb concentration camps? Trade Review'A roaring polemic of outrage against the moral and political crisis of the liberal tradition. It is already one of the most discussed current affairs books of the new year…At the very least it forces anyone on the left to think carefully about where their movement has ended up in the modern world.' The Guardian ‘The book is a superbly sustained polemic.' Sunday Times ‘Exceptional and necessary…Do not feel you have to be a leftist or liberal to read it, because it engages with an argument that it crucial for all of us, and for our time.’ Christopher Hitchens, Sunday Times ‘This is a brave, honest and brilliant book. Every page has a provocative insight that makes you want to shake the author's hand or collar him for an argument. Who could ask for more?’ The Observer '(He writes with) a genuine passion and human sympathy about people who have experienced appalling suffering.' Michael Burleigh, The Evening Standard ‘Undoubtedly controversial and provocative “What’s Left?” is, as its title suggests, a bleakly witty but perhaps dimly hopeful examination of what it means to be liberal in an age where the lines that have been drawn in the sand are in danger of being washed away.’ Waterstones Books Quarterly ‘One of the most powerful denunciations of the manner in which the Left has lost its way…Cohen's is a brave voice.'Michael Gove, The Spectator 'Nick Cohen explains how contemporary liberals have lost their way with his usual polemical brio.' The Observer 'An essay of wide reference and great brilliance.' John Lloyd, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2017How do we discuss serious ideas in the age of 24-hour news? What was rhetoric in the past and what should it be now? And what does Islamic State have in common with Donald Trump?We've never had more information or more opportunity to debate the issues of the day. Yet the relationship between politicians, the media and the public is characterised by suspicion, mistrust and apathy. What has gone wrong?Enough Said reveals how political, social and technological change has transformed our political landscape and how we talk about the issues that affect us all. Political rhetoric has become stale and the mistrust of politicians has made voters flock to populists who promise authenticity, honesty and truth instead of spin, evasiveness and lies.Featuring Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin, Tony Blair and George Osborne, Silvio Berlusconi and many more star performers, Enough Said shows how public laTrade Review[A] superb book… Thompson’s own experience in the media is brilliantly deployed throughout for insight… Thompson is a sharp and entertaining analyst of political language itself. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *He writes restlessly and compellingly… [An] intricately but also urgently argued book. -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *Thompson’s great virtue in this book is his steady and cool-headed historicism… Thompson is lucid, well read, level-headed and thoughtful. His range of reference is wide…He has a robust familiarity with the history of scholarship on rhetoric, and scatters his text with easeful and on-point references to Max Weber, Martin Heidegger and Marshall McLuhan… The detail is excellent. Enough Said’s particular glories, to this reader, are Thompson’s frequent and sensitive close readings of particular instances of public language. -- Sam Leith * Prospect *[An] important study ... [Thompson] usually advances his case in cool, nuanced and forensic prose, but he is a blistering flame-thrower about the consequences of the digital revolution. -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer *Ranging masterfully from Aristotle and Pericles to the age of Trump and Twitter, Mark Thompson makes the case for political rhetoric as a democratic art. This vividly-written, trenchant book is a much-needed antidote to the miasma of spin, incivility, and "truthiness" that afflicts politics today. -- Michael Sandel, author of What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

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Book Synopsis''We need books like this'' Literary Review''Western Europe became a multiethnic society in a fit of absence of mind.''Taking us from English suburbs to Parisian housing estates, this provocative, unflinching and engrossing book tackles uncomfortable questions about immigration and Islam head-on, and asks: why can''t we face the truth?Trade ReviewCaldwell is a bracing, clear-eyed analyst of European pieties . . . this book pulsates with ideas * Observer *The most rigorous and plainspoken examination of Muslim immigration in Europe to date . . . well researched, fervently argued and morally serious * New York Times *Dispenses a sharp common sense . . . If his book sharpens a so far sluggish debate, it will have served an important purpose -- Martin Woollacott * Guardian *Reflections on the Revolution in Europe will inspire some readers, infuriate others and leave very few indifferent. That's exactly as it should be - because wherever you stand on this debate, it's one we can't afford to ignore. * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisAs the world evolves in increasingly unpredictable directions, one of the key determinants of the future global order will surely be the impact of China. No country and no society can escape China''s reach-indeed many seek its embrace. China brings benefits to many-but it''s also a problematic interlocutor for others. In China and the World, one of the world''s leading China specialists David Shambaugh has assembled fifteen leading international authorities on China to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date scholarly assessment of China''s foreign relations and roles in international affairs. The volume covers China''s contemporary position in all regions of the world, with all major powers, and across multiple arenas of China''s international interactions. It also explores the sources of China''s grand strategy, how the past shapes the present, and the impact of domestic factors that shape China''s external behavior. China and the World is a uniquely focused and well-organized volume that provides many insights into China''s calculations and behavior, and identifies a number of challenges China will face in the future.Trade ReviewChina and the World is an impressive volume on a vital subject at a critical time. For the coming generation of (American) students, China will be the single most important international topic in their textbooks; relations with this dynamic behemoth will profoundly affect their lives as well as the world. * Winston Lord, Former US Ambassador to China. *An outstanding scholar of China in his own right, David Shambaugh has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to obtain original contributions to coherently organized volumes on Chinese foreign policy and US-China relations. China and the World is another triumph. It will become a standard textbook on the subject but can also be read with interest by anyone seeking a comprehensive and balanced introduction to a rising power with increasing influence yet enigmatic goals. * Harry Harding, University of Virginia. *This book is closing a gap in the literature on China and a must read for anyone trying to understand China's growing global role. The authors offer a comprehensive view on all major aspects of China's rise. Impressive reading! * Eberhard Sandschneider, Professor for Chinese Politics, Free University of Berlin. *Table of ContentsDedication Preface & Acknowledgements I. INTRODUCTION 1. China's Long March to Global PowerII. HISTORICAL SOURCES 2. Legacies of the Past3. China's National Experiences and the Evolution of PRC Grand StrategyIII. DOMESTIC SOURCES 4. Nationalism, Social Influences, and Chinese Foreign Policy5. China's Foreign Policy Making Process: Players and InstitutionsIV. DOMAINS OF CHINA'S GLOBAL INTERACTIONS 6. China's Global Economic Interactions 7. China's Global Cultural Interactions8. China's Global Governance Interactions9. China's Global Military-Security InteractionsV. CHINA'S BILATERAL & REGIONAL RELATIONSHIPS10. China's Relations with the United States11. China's Relations with Russia12. China's Relations with Europe13. China's Relations with Asia: Continuity Amid Change14. China's Relations with the Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East15. Regional Multilateralism with Chinese CharacteristicsVI. PATTERNS & PROSPECTS 16. China & the World: Future Challenges

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Book SynopsisSince the start of the twenty-first century, the political mainstream has been shifting to the right. The liberal orthodoxy that took hold in the West as a reaction to the Second World War is breaking down. In Europe, populist political parties have pulled the mainstream in their direction; in America, a series of challenges to the Republican mainstream culminated in the 2016 election of Donald Trump. In Key Thinkers of the Radical Right, sixteen expert scholars explain sixteen thinkers, providing an introduction to their life and work, a guide to their thought, and an explanation of their work''s reception. The chapters focus on thinkers who are widely read across the political right in both Europe and America, such as Julius Evola, Alain de Benoist, and Richard B. Spencer. Featuring classic, modern, and emerging thinkers, this selection provides a good representation of the intellectual right and avoids making political or value judgments. In an increasingly polarized political envirTrade ReviewSixteen expert scholars explain sixteen thinkers, providing an introduction to their life and work, a guide to their thought, and an explanation of their work's reception. The book thus provides an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to the thought behind the stunts and the resurgence, the thought of the radical Right * Kirk Meighoo, New Books Network *Table of ContentsIntroduction by Mark Sedgwick Section I: Classic Thinkers Chapter 1: Oswald Spengler and the Decline of the West by David Engels Chapter 2: Ernst Jünger and Storms of Steel by Elliot Y. Neaman Chapter 3: Carl Schmitt and the Concept of the Political by Reinhard Mehring Chapter 4: Julius Evola and Tradition by H. Tomas Hakl Section II: Modern Thinkers Chapter 5: Alain de Benoist and the New Right by Jean-Yves Camus Chapter 6: Guillaume Faye and Identitarianism by Stéphane François Chapter 7: Paul Gottfried and Paleoconservatism by Seth Bartee Chapter 8: Patrick J. Buchanan and the Death of the West by Edward Ashbee Chapter 9: Jared Taylor and White Identity by Russell Nieli Chapter 10: Alexander Dugin and Eurasianism by Marlene Laruelle Chapter 11: Bat Ye'or and Eurabia by Sindre Bangstad Section III: Emergent Thinkers Chapter 12: Mencius Moldbug and Neoraction by Joshua Tait Chapter 13: Greg Johnson and Counter-Currents by Graham Macklin Chapter 14: Richard B. Spencer and the Alt Right by Tamir Bar-On Chapter 15: Jack Donovan and Male Tribalism by Matthew N. Lyons Chapter 16: Daniel Friberg and Metropolitics by Benjamin Teitelbaum Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDemocratization is the most comprehensive volume on this critical field of contemporary politics, with insightful coverage of all the key theories, actors, dynamics, and developments. Unrivalled in its up-to-date empirical material and range of expert contributors, this text is an invaluable resource to all students of democratization.Trade ReviewAn important and brilliant book which will be essential reading for students and scholars of democracy and democratization. * Yosef Kamal Ibssa, University of Copenhagen *Review from previous edition Authoritative, clearly written, and well integrated, this book will be an invaluable resource to students at all levels, from undergraduates to practicing scholars in related fields and disciplines. * Sarah Birch, University of Essex *The book is the new Bible of democratization research, offering an intellectual adventure for both scholars of democratization studies in their further research, and university students eager to learn about the current practices of democratizing states. * Attila Agh, Budapest Corvinus University *Table of Contents1: Christian Welzel, Ronald Inglehart, Patrick Bernhangen, and Christian W. Haerpfer: Introduction Part One: Theoretical and Historical Perspectives 2: Christian Welzel: Theories of Democratization 3: Richard Rose: Democratic and Undemocratic States 4: Patrick Bernhagen: Measuring Democracy and Democratization 5: Dirk Berg-Schlosser: Long Waves and Conjunctures of Democratization 6: John Markoff and Daniel Burridge: The Global Wave of Democratization Part Two: Causes and Dimensions of Democratization 7: Hakan Yilmaz: The International Context 8: Patrick Bernhagen: The Political Economy of Democracy 9: Christian Welzel and Ronald F. Inglehart: Political Culture, Mass Beliefs and Value Change 10: Pamela Paxton and Kris Velasco: Gender and Democratization 11: Natalia Letki: Social Capital and Civil Society 12: Federico M. Rossi and Donatella della Porta: Social Movements and Contention in Democratization Processes Part Three: Actors and Institutions 13: Ian McAllister and Stephen White: Conventional Citizen Participation 14: Leonardo Morlino: Political Parties 15: Matthijs Bogaards: Institutional Design in New Democracies 16: Katrin Voltmer and Gary Rawnsley: The Media 17: Larry Diamond and Zak Whittington: Social Media 18: Laura Jakli, M. Steven Fish, and Jason Wittenburg: A Decade of Democratic Decline and Stagnation Part Four: Regions of Democratization 19: Richard Gunther: Southern Europe 20: Andrea Oelsner and Mervyn Bain: Latin America 21: Christian W. Haerpfer and Kseniya Kizilova: Post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe Europe 22: Christian W. Haerpfer and Kseniya Kizilova: Post-Soviet Eurasia 23: Francesco Cavatorta: The Middle East and North Africa 24: Michael Bratton: Sub-Saharan Africa 25: Doh Chull Shin and Rollin F. Tusalem: East Asia Part 5: Conclusions and Outlook 26: Christian Welzel, Ronald F. Inglehart, Patrick Bernhagen, and Christian Haerpfer: Conclusions: The Future of Democratization

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Book SynopsisDisrupt and Deny is the untold story behind Britain''s secret scheming against both enemies and friends from 1945 to the present day. British leaders use spies and Special Forces to interfere in the affairs of others discreetly and deniably. Since 1945, MI6 has spread misinformation designed to divide and discredit targets from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and Northern Ireland. It has instigated whispering campaigns and planted false evidence on officials working behind the Iron Curtain, tried to foment revolution in Albania, blown up ships to prevent the passage of refugees to Israel, and secretly funnelled aid to insurgents in Afghanistan and dissidents in Poland. MI6 has launched cultural and economic warfare against Iceland and Czechoslovakia. It has tried to instigate coups in Congo, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and elsewhere. Through bribery and blackmail, Britain has rigged elections as colonies moved to independence. Britain has fought secret wars in Yemen, Indonesia, and Oman - and discreetly used Special Forces to eliminate enemies from colonial Malaya to Libya during the Arab Spring. This is covert action: a vital, though controversial, tool of statecraft and perhaps the most sensitive of all government activity. If used wisely, it can play an important role in pursuing national interests in a dangerous world. If used poorly, it can cause political scandal - or worse. In Disrupt and Deny, Rory Cormac tells the remarkable true story of Britain''s secret scheming against its enemies, as well as its friends; of intrigue and manoeuvring within the darkest corridors of Whitehall, where officials fought to maintain control of this most sensitive and seductive work; and, above all, of Britain''s attempt to use smoke and mirrors to mask decline. He reveals hitherto secret operations, the slush funds that paid for them, and the battles in Whitehall that shaped them.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Revelatory and meticulously researched. Rory Cormac moves in the forensic footsteps of Peter Hennessy, patiently sleuthing his way through forgotten archives and private papers, finding disturbing documents that Whitehall civil servants hoped had long been buried. Half a century after we began to learn about SOE and Bletchley Park, there are still surprises. * Richard Aldrich, The Times Literary Supplement *A welcome and most timely book [which] provides plenty of evidence to show why it is time [that policy makers and spy chiefs] absence of accountability and freedom to break the law with impunity must end. * Richard Norton-Taylor, Literary Review *A work of outstanding scholarly originality. * Richard Davenport-Hines, Times Literary Supplement *Disrupt and Deny is a bold study of the postwar history of British covert action [and] Cormac attacks the subject with impressive energy and industry. The result is an engrossing journey through the history of a stubbornly opaque area of the secret world. * Huw Dylan, BBC History Magazine *A ground-breaking book ... It reads like a thriller and shines valuable light on how Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, M16, has spread misinformation designed to divide and discredit targets from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. * Francis Ghiles, ES Global *This excellent book relies on a high amount of archival material and represents the first detailed history of British covert action. * Lucy Trenta, Intelligence and National Security *An enthralling, well-written and authoritative history of Britain's role in covert operations from the Second World War to the present day. * Geraint Hughes, International Affairs *An important book about an important subject Disrupt and Deny should be read by anyone, citizens, scholars or those in government interested in Britain's place in the world, past and present. * Calder Walton, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University *A pioneering and highly readable book uncovering how Britain secretly used spies and special forces to stem national decline. * Professor Michael Goodman, King's College, London *Rory Cormac is one of the brightest rising stars in the expanding firmament of Intelligence Studies. Here he takes on one of the most difficult of research endeavors: probing the ins-and-outs of covert action as practiced by the British. He comes up with a balanced assessment written in lovely prose that is a pleasure to read. This book is a valuable dissection of an important topic that few have had the audacity to address. * Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor of International Affairs, University of Georgia *This is a ground-breaking book--the first history of British covert action ever published, from wartime SOE to new and unacknowledged adventures in Syria." * Richard J. Aldrich, University of Warwick and author of GCHQ:The Uncensored Story of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Covert Action Part I - Cold War 1: False Starts: From Counter Attack to Liberation 2: Operation Valuable: Defending Greece; Detaching Albania 3: Pinpricks: The Early Cold War 4: A Long Game: Exploiting Rifts Behind the Iron Curtain Part II - End of Empire 5: Operations Boot: Regime Change in Iran 6: Expansion: Covert Action Before Suez 7: Interdependence: Covert Action After Suez 8: Decolonisation and Drift: The Battle for Influence after Empire 9: Militarisation: Secret Wars in Yemen and Indonesia Part III - Age of Illusions 10: Operation Storm and Beyond: From Latin America to Oman 11: Troubles: Covert Action in Northern Ireland 12: Containment: The Second Cold War 13: Transition: The New Agenda 14: Counter-Terrorism: Disrupting Threats; Managing Risk Conclusion: The British Way Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Culture of Control charts the dramatic changes in crime control and criminal justice that have occurred in Britain and America over the last 25 years. It then explains these transformations by showing how the social organization of late modern society has prompted a series of political and cultural adaptations that alter how governments and citizens think and act in relation to crime. The book presents an original and in-depth analysis of contemporary crime control, revealing its underlying logics and rationalities, and identifying the social relations and cultural sensibilities that have produced this new culture of control. In developing a history of the present in the field of crime control, David Garland presents an intertwined history of the welfare state and the criminal justice state, a theory of social and penal change, and an account of how social order is constructed in late modern societies. Drawing on extensive research in the UK and the USA, he shows in detail how the Trade ReviewGarland's book is more than just an important contribution to criminology. It is also a major work of social analysis, which deserves to be read more widely...his account of changes in crime control also provides one of the clearest and most convincing characterizations of contemporary society in general. * Robert Reiner, The Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. A History of the Present ; 2. Modern Criminal Justice and the Penal-Welfare State ; 3. The Crisis of Penal Modernism ; 4. Social Change and Social Order in Late Modernity ; 5. Policy Predicament: Adaptation, Denial and Acting Out ; 6. Crime Complex: The Culture of High Crime Societies ; 7. The New Culture of Crime Control ; 8. Crime Control and Social Order ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisUncovers the gripping untold story of how the US government used comic books as propaganda tools to help wage World War II and the Cold War.Trade Review"I'll be frank: I love this book. Hirsch's writing is crisp and exciting and it's a joy to see the history of comic books and the Cold War United States told from such a fresh angle. This fun, sharp book is one I'll be thinking about for a while."-- "Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States"Table of ContentsIntroduction: Making an American Monster 1 This Is Our Enemy 2 The Wild Spree of the Laughing Sadist 3 Donald Duck’s Atom Bomb 4 The Devil’s Ally 5 American Civilization Means Airstrips and Comic Strips 6 The Free World Speaks 7 Thor Battles the Vietcong Conclusion: The Ghosts among Us Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume provides materials for active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations. Today, America faces security challenges unlike any it has faced before, many of which requiring lengthy U.S. involvement in stability operations. These challenges are exceedingly dynamic and complex because of the ever changing mix and number of actors involved, the pace with which the strategic and operational environments change, and the constraints placed on response options. This volume presents a series of case studies to inspire active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations. The case studies highlight dilemmas pertaining to the story of the case (case dilemma) and to its larger policy implications (policy dilemma). The cases stimulate readers to get inside the heads of case protagonists with widely differing cultural backgrounds, professional experiences, and individual and organisational interests. Overall, Understanding Complex Military Operations challenges the reader to recognize the importance of specific national security related issues and their inherent dilemmas, deduce policy implications, and discern lessons that might apply to other â perhaps even non-security related â areas of public policy, administration, and management. This volume will be of much interest to students of conflict prevention, transitional justice, peacebuilding, security studies and professionals conducting field-based operations in potentially hazardous environments. Trade Review'The case method is a natural addition to training and education for complex operations. When the Case Center of the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy was asked to participate, we shared an analytical technique that would apply experiential learning in a new way. The central question for students of complex operations is: confronted by a new environment, how does an expert practitioner interpret the situation and reach new insights? There are many similarities that practitioners face in Iraq and Afghanistan, but successful operations in one environment is not wholly a recipe for success in the other. Teaching with the case method builds the analytical, decision-making skills that are not case, or lesson, dependent. The case study method and the practitioners who contributed to this volume have established a solid foundation for future complex operations' --- Charles Dolgas, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University'The origins of this case studies volume was a collaboration between the nascent Center for Complex Operations and the Naval Post Graduate School, with the aim of improving the ability of the U.S. Government to prepare for civil–military cooperation in counterinsurgency, irregular warfare and stability operations. Complex operations are tough! As soldiers, policy makers, peacekeepers, academics and other experts engaged in complex operations, we continue to face challenges, even after a decade of civilian-military cooperation in Iraq and Afghanistan. These case studies are designed to enhance the learning and analytical processes and better prepare professionals for the range of complex operations. And maybe, the next time we find ourselves shoulder-to-shoulder doing the difficult and necessary work inherent in complex operations, things will be just a little bit easier' ---David A. Sobyra, Office of the Secretary of Defense'Table of ContentsForeword, Ambassador John E. Herbst (Ret.) 1. Complex Operations: Connecting Scholarship and Practice, Karen Guttieri and Volker Franke Part I: Policy Questions 2. The Road to Good Intentions: British Nation-building in Aden, Scott Smitson 3. The Declarations of Independence: The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, Rudy L. Hightower II 4. Mozambique: A Chance for Peace, Ann L. Phillips 5. Basra: Strategic Dilemmas and Force Options, John Hodgson Part II: Security Providers 6. Security by Contractor: Outsourcing in Peace and Stability Operations, Volker Franke 7. Leading Healing in a Broken Unit, Edward H. Powley and Scott N. Taylor 8. Right and Wrong, Balanced on the Edge of a Spear: U.S. Forces at a Mosque in Baghdad, Joshua Potter Part III: Coordination Challenges 9. The Kuwait Task Force: Postconflict Planning and Interagency Coordination, Dennis Barlow 10. Dynamics of Humanitarian Assistance: Civil Affairs in the Horn of Africa, Jessica Piombo 11. CORDS Campaign of Pacification, Rufus Phillips 12. Security by Drones: The Global Market for Remote-Controlled Warfare, Rebecca LeFebvre Part IV: Security and Development Program Challenges 13. Dynamic Tension: Security, Stability, and the Opium Trade, Peter Curry 14. A Penny for Your Thoughts, a Nickel for Your Heart: Buying Popular Support for Counterinsurgency, Justin Gorkowski 15. Reintegrating Child Soldiers, Kim Fletcher Part V: Analytic Cases 16. Whole of Society Conflict Prevention: A Case Study on Kenya’s Success Contrasted with Failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, Lisa Schirch 17. Military Intervention and Diplomatic Engagements in Libya: A Collage of Policy, Force and Law, Anna F. Triponel and Paul R. Williams 18. The Iraq War: Efforts during Conflict to Address Past Atrocities and Seek Accountability, Sandra L. Hodgkinson

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Book SynopsisPropaganda is inescapable. It's everywhere. Students need to analyse, resist, critiqueand create.

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Book SynopsisIsaiah Berlin was born in Riga, now capital of Latvia, in 1909. When he was six, his family moved to Russia, and in Petrograd in 1917 Berlin witnessed both Revolutions - Social Democratic and Bolshevik. In 1921 he and his parents emigrated to England, where he was educated at St Paul's School, London, and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Apart from his war service in New York, Washington, Moscow and Leningrad, he remained at Oxford thereafter - as a Fellow of All Souls, then of New College, as Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory, and as founding President of Wolfson College. He also held the Presidency of the British Academy. His published work includes Karl Marx, Russian Thinkers, Concepts and Categories, Against the Current, Personal Impressions, The Sense of Reality, The Proper Study of Mankind, The Roots of Romanticism, The Power of Ideas, Three Critics of the Enlightenment, Freedom and Its Betrayal, Liberty, The Soviet Mind and Political Ideas in Trade ReviewThese lectures are astonishing for their lucidity and power * Wall Street Journal *Berlin at his best: forceful without being bombastic, energetic without exaggerating, erudite without showing off -- Peter Watson * Times Higher Educational Supplement *This is one of the most important books on the history of ideas in Berlin's oeuvre... Extremely compelling -- Mark Lilla, University of Chicago

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Book SynopsisA powerful, forensic critique of the mainstream media in the era of 'Fake News'Trade Review'A great book. I've been recommending it.' -- Noam Chomsky'To devastating effect, Media Lens compiles the evidence that the 'mainstream media' betrays us, its readers, not just because most of it is owned by rightwing billionaires but because even 'liberal' oases are not what they seem. ... As Media Lens proves, the liberal media is our enemy, not our ally.' -- Jonathan Cook, writer and journalist, winner of the 2011 Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism'Exposing and challenging how the corporate media promote elite interests is one of the most significant issues of our time, without which fundamental change may not be possible. This essential, must-read book dissects this system of mass thought control in a forensic, authoritative and engaging way' -- Mark Curtis, author of 'Secret Affairs: Britain's Collusion with Radical Islam'Table of ContentsForeword by John Pilger Preface: The Devil's Greatest Trick 1. Anatomy of a Propaganda Blitz 2. Killing Corbyn 3. Smearing Assange, Brand and Chavez 4. Israel and Palestine: 'We Wait in Fear for the Phone Call from the Israelis' 5. Libya: 'It is All About Oil' 6. Syria: Instant Certainty Promoting War 7. Yemen: Feeding the Famine 8. The BBC as a Propaganda Machine 9. Dismantling the National Health Service 10. Scottish Independence: An 'Amazing Litany' of Bias 11. Climate Chaos: An Inconvenient Emergency 12. 'Fake News', Objective Journalism and the No-Business Model Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA fully illustrated study of the notorious Nuremberg rallies and the part they played in the Nazis’ quest to establish the 1000 Year Third Reich.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the National Book Award for PoetryBeginning with long poem of these States, The Fall of America is the follow up book to Ginsberg''s Planet News ? chronicle tape-recorded scribed by hand or sung condensed, the flux of car bus airplane dream consciousness Person during Automated Electronic War years, newspaper headline radio brain auto poesy & silent desk musings, headline flashing on road through these states of consciousness.Includes Ginsberg''s condemnation of America''s actions in Vietnam, along with commentary about the moon landing, the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the death of Che Guevera, and more personal events such as the passing of Ginsberg''s friend and former lover Neal Cassady. Many of the poems were initially composed on an Uher Tape recorder, purchased by Ginsberg with the help of Bob Dylan.Poems in the collection include: Beginning of a Poem of These States; Elegy For Neal Cassady; On Neal''s Ashes, Please Master, Hum Bom! and September on Jessore Road.[Ginsberg] is never negligible, and he is often (the only true test) unforgettable.?Helen Vendler, New York Times Book ReviewFollowing in the footsteps of legendary photographer Robert Frank''s groundbreaking The Americans and Jack Kerouac''s opusOn the Road, Allen Ginsberg gives us deep insight into his poems in The Fall of America ? every poem this book refers to is a prismatic hall of mirrors ? ?Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky

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Book SynopsisHow three key figures in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran built ruthless irregular warfare campaigns that are eroding American powerTrade Review"Three Dangerous Men is a brilliantly conceived exposé of modern conflict through the lives of three warrior-innovators. Seth Jones dug deep into Russian, Iranian, and Chinese sources, and breaks new ground by portraying the evolution of irregular warfare, finally, in its proper cultural and historical context. An invaluable book." -- Thomas Rid, Johns Hopkins University, author of Active Measures"This impeccably researched book explains how Russia, China, and Iran employ new technologies and irregular warfare tactics to avoid US strengths and exploit weaknesses. Three Dangerous Men is important because US leaders tend to mirror adversaries and define future war as they might prefer it to be. Seth Jones provides recommendations that will appeal to policy makers. General readers will appreciate the author’s use of anecdotes that are as entertaining as they are illuminating." -- H. R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds"Three Dangerous Men provides an unparalleled look at how Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran are competing with the United States—through their eyes. It is a cogently argued, well-researched, and elegantly written book on one of the US’s most important challenges ahead." -- General Michael Hayden, US Air Force (Ret.) and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency"Seth Jones is one of the world’s sharpest defense theorists. This is an invaluable guide to the coming era of geopolitical competition, which will largely take place off the traditional battlefield, and a timely warning that the United States is not doing" -- Hal Brands, Johns Hopkins University and American Enterprise Institute

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Book SynopsisThis book describes the background to and the development of the Nazi Party Rallies held at Nuremberg each September from 1933 to 1939. These Reichsparteitage (National Party Days) were vast and meticulously staged managed extravaganzas in which ritual and ceremony played an important part.The Rallies had two key objectives. The first was to focus public attention on the successes of the Nazi Party and connect with the public conscience and build a close bond between Party and people.Even more important was the Rallies role in presenting Adolf Hitler as the saviour of the German nation sent to restore national pride, power and prosperity after the shame and economic disaster of the post war years and the deeply resented Versailles Treaty. The Hitler Cult was blatantly promoted with revolutionary use of propaganda by the latest technology and iron control of the media.Using the authors superb collection of postcards and images, The Nazis Nuremberg Rallies takes the reader on a visual jo

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Book SynopsisWritten in the context of the #BlackLivesMatter protests, this book explores why law enforcement responses to a public health emergency are prioritised over welfare provision and what this tells us about the state's criminal justice institutions.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Policing 'the public' as a virus 2. The order of public health 3. Safety without police: an abolitionist provocation

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Book SynopsisOffers a new perspective on Arendt as a political thinker as well as a political actor

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Book SynopsisFly, Zeppelin! Help us in the war. Fly to England, England shall be destroyed by fire. Zeppelin, fly!' Such was the hymn which the children sang; such the refrain which greeted the aged inventor, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, wherever he went. Why was there this reaction across Germany? How did a handful of aircraft giving pleasure cruises become a fearsome fleet of rapacious giants encouraged to punish Germany's enemies? What were the images that became part of the public's wartime consciousness? Books on the Zeppelin raids during the First World War have, traditionally, focused on the direct impact of Britain, from the devastating effects on undefended towns and cities, the psychological impact of this first weapon of total war to the technological and strategic advances that eventually defeated the Baby Killers'. Now, drawing on the largest postcard collection of its kind and other period memorabilia, David Marks tells the story of the Zeppelin during the First World War from a viewpoint that has rarely been considered: Germany itself. From its maiden flight in July 1900, the Zeppelin evolved into a symbol of technology and national pride that, once war was declared, was at the forefront of German's propaganda campaign. The Zeppelin links the rampant xenophobia at the outbreak of the conflict against England (it almost never called Britain), France, Russia and their allies to the political doctrines of the day. The postcards that profusely illustrate this book show the wide-ranging types of propaganda from strident Teutonic imagery, myths and legends, biting satire and a surprising amount of humour. This book is a unique contribution to our understanding of the place of the Zeppelin in Germany's culture and society during the First World War.

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Book SynopsisA Revelatory Account Of The 2020 Election—The Most Secure, Verifiable, And Transparent In American History—And The Heroes Brave Enough To Get It RightThe Big Truth illuminates a crowning achievement in America’s quest for a robust democracy in the face of slander by sore losers and opportunists. Filled with interviews of the guardians of democracy—election workers, January 6th Committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and more—it is an overpowering counterattack against the Big Lie. CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and National Election Expert David Becker, the Executive Director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, reveal why Big Lie “fraud” allegations evaporate under scrutiny. They report what actually happened in 2020 while calling out each Trumpian misdirection designed to con and beguile Americans into chasing phantom allegations of election crimes. The 2020 election was not what Trumpist deniers claim. Our political parties knew the rules and procedures. We had record turnout and few election snarls. The result: an accurate count, a seven-million-vote margin of victory, 306 electoral votes for Joe Biden, and Republican gains in congressional and state races. But then-President Trump stoked paranoia—never looking for evidence, contesting results even before anyone cast a ballot, and seeking to bend our system until it almost broke with a violent Capitol riot. The Big Lie—the true corruption of American democracy—has shaken our confidence in stable self-government. On the heels of voter-fraud claims, the Capitol siege, and damaging voting laws, the next midterm and presidential election will test our democracy more severely than at any time since the Civil War. How we react may well determine if we are led into another war against ourselves. The Big Truth debunks the 2020 election conspiracy myth once and for all, while celebrating those who held up our democracy under arguably the most intense scrutiny in American electoral history. Trade Review“A second civil war? What once was the plot device of fiction writers now seems all too thinkable. In a deeply reported look at the corrosion of American democracy, Major Garrett and David Becker see a nation on a ‘springboard’ to civil war—and describe what can be done to stop it, before it’s too late. The Big Truth is provocative and sobering, but it’s not hopeless.” —Susan Page, Washington Bureau chief, USA TODAY, and New York Times bestselling author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power “The Big Truth shows with precision and depth why elections—including those held in 2020 that produced President Biden and sizable down-ballot Republican gains—can and should be believed. And it challenges all political actors to step back from the abyss of election denialism, which spread like wildfire in 2020. Ultimately, The Big Truth poses the grand question we all must ask ourselves as Americans: do we really want to be a democracy, or do we just want our side to win?” —Chris Krebs, Former United States Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency “The Big Truth provides us with a compass to navigate through the minefield of partisan agendas and hyperbole that permeate our political discourse and equips us with the tools we need to identify and share truthful, trusted information. It is one of the most definitive accounts of what really happened in 2020 and essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the depths and nuances of the challenges facing our American democracy and what we can collectively do to overcome them.” —Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State “Will America survive as a unified nation until its 300th birthday in 2076? In this urgent, timely and passionate book, Major Garrett and David Becker persuasively argue that the answer will turn on what happens between now and its 250th in 2026. With razor-sharp argument and encyclopedic command of the evidence they dismantle Donald Trump’s wild claims of 2020 fraud and document the full sweep of what they accurately call his ‘attempted coup.’” —Ron Brownstein, Senior Political Analyst at CNN and New York Times bestselling author of Rock Me on the Water: 1974—The Year Los Angeles Transformed Music, Movies, Television and Politics “If American democracy has a modern mirror, Major Garrett and David Becker hold it up and brazenly stand behind it. From its very first page, the authors argue the fragility of the American experiment and the need to defend it, connecting the past to our turbulent present. From their posts in journalism and election law, Garrett and Becker narrate the facts of the election and call out the lies perpetrated by the craven grifters seeking to undermine our democracy.” —Kyung Lah, Senior National Correspondent, CNN “Concerned that the sanctity of the 2022 midterm elections are at stake, if not democracy itself, Major Garrett, CBS’s Chief Washington Correspondent and elections expert David Becker have written one of the definitive books on the subject. Vivid, doggedly researched, and deeply important, it is a crucial work at an important time. It will be of interest to citizens of all parties and political persuasions alike.” —Jay Winik, historian and New York Times bestselling author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America and 1944: FDR and the Year That Changed History “The Big Truth shows how American democracy is threatened, even as everyone claims to be defending and protecting it. This book is a stark warning for every American who thinks that it can’t happen here, that our nation cannot turn against itself. Major Garrett and David Becker show that our union is closer to dissolving than we might think and our democracy is very much at risk. The political project of our time is to rebuild national trust and defend democracy.” —Jennifer Mercieca, award-winning historian and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump "A thoughtful consideration of how and why to protect the vote—and, with it, American democracy."—Kirkus Reviews "The story of our times...Essential reading."—Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°

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Book SynopsisFollowing a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism. If the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging. The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times. At the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite, the clerisy, which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks, universities, media and culture, and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information. These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates. Below these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate. This includes the yeomanry, which is made up largely of small businesspeople, minor property owners, skilled workers and private-sector oriented professionals. Ascendant for much of modern history, this class is in decline while those below them, the new Serfs, grow in numbers—a vast, expanding property-less population. The trends are mounting, but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them.Trade Review“Kotkin has written an essential and critical study of emerging class structures at the intersection of technological determinism and post-industrial capitalism. He suggests that technological oligarchs are already controlling our economic future while creating a high-tech neo-feudal society that undermines democracy and economic mobility for the middle and working classes.” --John Russo, Visiting Scholar, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and Working Poor at Georgetown University, Co-editor, Working-Class Perspectives “Our society and economy is no longer progressing but regressing into a kind of “neo-feudalism.” As Joel Kotkin describes it, our once-great middle class is being eviscerated and America is dividing into a small group of uber-wealthy oligarchs who have colonized luxury cities like San Francisco and New York. A gripping cautionary tale by one of the most provocative and original thinkers of our time, this book is a must read for all those concerned about the future of our cities and our society.” --Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban Crisis.

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Book SynopsisWhat does contemporary China's diverse and exciting fiction tell us about its culture, and the relationship between art and politics? The Subplot takes us on a lively journey through a literary landscape like you’ve never seen before: a vast migrant-worker poetry movement, homoerotic romances by “rotten girls,” swaggering literary popstars, millionaire e-writers churning out the longest-ever novels, underground comics, the surreal works of Yu Hua, Yan Lianke, and Nobel laureate Mo Yan, and what is widely hailed as a golden age of Chinese science fiction. Chinese online fiction is now the largest publishing platform in the world. Fueled by her passionate engagement with Chinese literature and culture, Megan Walsh, a brilliant young critic, shows us why it’s important to finally pay attention to Chinese fiction—an exuberant drama that illustrates the complex relationship between art and politics, one that is increasingly shaping the West as well. Turns out, writers write neither what their government nor foreign readers want or expect, and they work on a different wavelength to keep alive ideas and events that are either overlooked or off limits. The Subplot vividly captures the ways in which literature offers an alternative—perhaps truer—understanding of the contradictions that make up China itself.Trade ReviewA New Yorker Best Book of 2022 An Economist Best Book of 2022 “Engaging, informative and — considering the ground it covers in 135 pages — astonishingly nuanced, The Subplot primes us to dig into her list of suggested further reading.” —The Wall Street Journal “A lively, lucid survey of contemporary Chinese fiction.... Walsh delivers a wry cornucopia, inviting for general readers who don’t know Mo Yan from Han Han.” —The New York Times “Illuminating...offers a superb introduction to Chinese publishing and the clever, subversive ways it’s thriving.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post “A wonderful, pacy tour of contemporary Chinese literature.” —The Economist “A portal into people’s hearts and minds by exploring contemporary Chinese literature.” —GlobalAsia “Concise and fast-paced.... The Subplot will make you want to read more Chinese fiction.” —The New Statesman “An illuminating insight into the web fiction, sci-fi and subtle dissent read by one-fifth of humanity.” —Financial Times “A sharp, revealing portrait of contemporary China.... Elegantly written and fascinating.” —Adam Foulds, author of The Quickening Maze “An eye-opening glimpse into China’s ‘intentionally hazy’ authoritarian political climate of censorship and propaganda…. A succinct, fascinating overview of literary ambivalence in China.” —Kirkus Reviews “Drawing on a rich field of research, The Subplot not only crosses the language barrier, opening a window for the world to see contemporary Chinese literature, but it could also be an invaluable record for young Chinese people, both in China and overseas, to think about how society is affected by China's fast-pace of change.” —Xinran, author of The Good Women of China “In The Subplot, Megan Walsh showcases the diversity and vitality of contemporary Chinese literature. With economy and wit, she shows us why it’s so necessary to read literature to understand the story of China today.” —Angie Baecker, University of Hong Kong “A jaw-dropping look at what mainland Chinese are reading right now. Megan Walsh tells us why, in this time of China’s economic ascension, its literature is both liberating—and soul-crushing.” —Jan Wong, author of Red China Blues “We are what we read. As China is rising, people are naturally interested in what the Chinese are reading. This overview of the literature in China offers an interesting perspective of a country that is reshaping the world.” —Lijia Zhang, author of the novel Lotus and of Socialism Is Great!: A Worker’s Memoir of China

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Book SynopsisPoppies of Iraq is Brigitte Findakly s nuanced tender chronicle of her relationship with her homeland Iraq, co-written and drawn by her husband, the acclaimed cartoonist Lewis Trondheim. In spare and elegant detail, they share memories of her middle class childhood touching on cultural practices, the education system, Saddam Hussein s state control, and her family s history as Orthodox Christians in the arab world. Poppies of Iraq is intimate and wide-ranging; the story of how one can become separated from one s homeland and still feel intimately connected yet ultimately estranged. Signs of an oppressive regime permeate a seemingly normal life: magazines arrive edited by customs; the color red is banned after the execution of General Kassim; Baathist militiamen are publicly hanged and school kids are bussed past them to bear witness. As conditions in Mosul worsen over her childhood, Brigitte s father is always hopeful that life in Iraq will return to being secular and prosperous. The family eventually feels compelled to move to Paris, however, where Brigitte finds herself not quite belonging to either culture. Trondheim brings to life Findakly s memories to create a poignant family portrait that covers loss, tragedy, love, and the loneliness of exile.

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Book SynopsisThe Age of Assassins describes in gripping detail Vladimir Putin?s ruthless rise to power in Russia from his earliest rise to power in 1991 as an insignificant former KGB officer in Berlin. He gained power over the entire country and its economy by determining elections through business deals and criminal intervention ? from sophisticated cheating right up to murder and poisoning.

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Book Synopsis"Nina Schick is alerting us to a danger from the future that is already here." - Adam Boulton, Editor at Large, Sky News"Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse is an urgent, thoughtful and thoroughly-researched book that raises uncomfortable questions about the way that information is being distorted by states and individuals... A must-read." - Greg Williams, Editor in Chief of WIRED UK"Essential reading for any one interested about the shocking way information is and will be manipulated." - Lord Edward Vaizey"Schick's Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse is a short, sharp book that hits you like a punch in the stomach." - Nick Cohen, The Observer"Deep Fakes is an uncomfortable but gripping read, probing the way in which the internet has been flooded with disinformation and dark arts propaganda." - Jim Pickard, Chief Political Correspondent, Financial Times"A searing insight into a world so many of us find difficult to understand. I was gripped from the first page." - Iain Dale, Broadcaster"With this powerful book, Nina Schick has done us all a great public service...It's your civic duty to read it." - Jamie Susskind, author of Future Politics"Gripping, alarming and morally vital." - Ian Dunt, Host of Remainiacs PodcastDeep Fakes are coming, and we are not ready. Advanced AI technology is now able to create video of people doing things they never did, in places they have never been, saying things they never said. In the hands of rogue states, terrorists, criminals or crazed individuals, they represent a disturbing new threat to democracy and personal liberty. Deep Fakes can be misused to shift public opinion, swing Presidential elections, or blackmail, coerce, and silence individuals. And when combined with the destabilising overload of disinformation that has been dubbed 'the Infocalypse', we are potentially facing a danger of world-changing proportions.Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse is International Political Technology Advisor Nina Schick's stark warning about a future we all need to understand before it's too late. Deep Fake technology at its most insidious can currently be seen in the BBC drama series The Capture. Trade ReviewNina Schick is alerting us to a danger from the future that is already here. Deepfakes mean that we can't trust our eyes and ears. Listen to this vital warning. -- Adam Boulton * Sky News *Schick's Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse is a short, sharp book that hits you like a punch in the stomach. -- Nick Cohen * The Observer *A searing insight into a world so many of us find difficult to understand. I was gripped from the first page and read the book in one sitting. The lessons I learned from it will stay with me for a long time. * Iain Dale, Broadcaster, LBC *With this powerful book, Nina Schick has done us all a great public service. It's a brilliant guide to the challenges facing our information ecosystem. It's your civic duty to read it. * Jamie Susskind, Author of Future Politics *Deep Fakes is an uncomfortable but gripping read, probing the way in which the internet has been flooded with disinformation and dark arts propaganda dubbed by Schick as "the Infocalypse" - and how that has undermined democracies in the world. The book sketches out an alarming future where convincing fakes will make it even harder for citizens to disentangle truth from lies, and I would advise policy-makers to read it. * Jim Pickard, Chief Political Correspondent, The Financial Times *Gripping, alarming and morally vital. Reading this book is like being ushered into a terrifying new world where nothing can be trusted. Thankfully Nina Schick guides us through it in a reassuringly old-fashioned way: with diligence, breezy storytelling, expert insight and a tried-and-tested commitment to accuracy. * Ian Dunt, Author: Brexit What the Hell Happens Next? *Those concerned with the criminal side of technology will learn from Schick's well-mounted argument. * Kirkus Reviews *Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse is an urgent, thoughtful and thoroughly-researched book that raises uncomfortable questions about the way that information is being distorted by states and individuals. Schick expertly outlines the key challenges that liberal democracies face to ensure the primacy of veracity and trust in public discourse. A must-read for anyone who cares about how the world is represented and an important addition to the discussion around the polarisation of contemporary politics. * Greg Williams, Editor in Chief of WIRED UK *This is essential reading for any one interested about the shocking way information is and will be manipulated - essential not just for policy makers but also CEOs and corporations having to navigate this new landscape. * Lord Edward Vaizey *Schick is a world-leading authority on the ways that warped information flows have broken our shared sense of reality. Deep Fakes is an urgent, illuminating, fast-paced read, making clear that if we break reality, we break democracy too. * Brian Klaas, Author, How to Rig an Election *If you are freaked out by this stuff and you want to see what the background is, and what the future can look like, this is the book for you. I learned a lot from it. * Andrew Yang, Yang Speaks Podcast *Disinformation is no longer a small element of the political landscape. In an era when political campaigns can be based on entirely false versions of reality, it is the political landscape. Schick's book helps explain how this has happened, and warns that it will get worse. * Anne Applebaum, Author, The Twilight of Democracy *This thought-provoking, well-written book finishes with a rallying call: we need to understand, defend and fight back, and Schick tells us how. -- Brian Maye * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisOn the morning of 15 August 1947, when Jawaharlal Nehru, heir to Mahatma Gandhi, the Buddha and the European Enlightenment, raised the Indian Tricolour on the ramparts of the Red Fort, the seventeenth-century palace of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, India was free to make experiments with freedom. In the seven decades since Independence, the country gradually changed from Nehru''s democratic socialism to Narendra Modi''s democratic entrepreneurial digital India, dealing with its internal contradictions by playing the game of democracy and in the process becoming the sixth-largest global economy. And with Chandrayaan exploring the Moon, a space nation was born. India overlooks the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean, abridging Southeast Asia with the Middle East. With its immense brainpower and young demographics, India is geopolitically an indispensable nation. Indians play the game of democracy any which way they can: through massive elections; parliamentary debates and no-confidence motions; coalition forming and horse-trading; hartals, bandhs, dharnas, fast-unto-death; and finally, when nothing works, they knock at the doors of the Supreme Court. India in a New Key attempts to offer an insight into questions like: -How has India been experimenting with freedom to solve its socio-economic problems? -Can Modi-like Nehru-create a unified Indian consciousness?

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Book SynopsisWhat can hip-hop tell us about Egypt today? A decade ago, millions of Egyptians took to the streets in a people-led revolution that captivated the world’s attention and sent ripples across the Middle East. But the so-called “Arab Spring” quickly faded, and a return to the status quo—of authoritarian rule—was cemented. What happened to the energy and desire for change? In Egypt, the answer lies in its youth, who comprise the bulk of the country’s fast-growing 106 million citizens. Sixty percent of the population is under the age of twenty-five, and their world views are very much influenced by social media: TikTok is their primary language and medium of choice. Music is their means of expression—in particular, a thriving hip-hop scene known as mahraganat. This music has given voice to deep dissatisfaction with the Egyptian state and the overall conditions of Egyptian society and culture. Could this be the start of a force for change? Laughter in the Dark is a riveting portrait of a country that is being transformed, for good or bad, by the rise of a fresh youth culture.

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Book SynopsisThis book will appeal to anyone interested in the complex meanings of the idea of 'freedom', especially as it relates to other fundamental social values. It will be of interest to philosophers and political theorists, legal scholars, feminists, people in disability studies and other social theorists and critics.Trade Review'This is a very rich volume exploring the notion of 'positive freedom' from a variety of angles: historical, conceptual, normative, and related to applied debates. Highly recommended to any reader who wants to know what thinking about 'positive freedom' has to offer us.' Ingrid Robeyns, Utrecht UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Multiple Dimensions of Positive Freedom John Christman; 1. Unity and Disunity in The Positive Tradition Michael Garnett; 2. Positive Liberty as Realizing the Essence of Man Michael Quante; 3. Moral and Personal Positive Freedom Maria Dimova-Cookson; 4. Positive Freedom and Freedom of Contract: Fairness, Fairing Well, and Freedom Avital Simhony; 5. Recognition and Positive Freedom David Ingram; 6. Self-Mastery and the Quality of a Life Steven Wall; 7. Basic Freedom in the Real World John Christman; 8. Reframing Democracy with Positive Freedom: The Power of Liberty Reconsidered Carol C. Gould; 9. Positive Liberty, Feminism and Disability Nancy Hirschmann; 10. Positive Liberty and Paternalism Horacio Spector; 11. Beyond Positive and Negative Liberty: Habermas and Honneth on Freedom in the Political Public Sphere Maeve Cooke; 12. Property and Political Power: Neo-Feudal Entanglements Rutger Claassen; 13. Public Reason, Positive Liberty, and Legitimacy Chad Van Schoelandt.

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Book SynopsisCraig Calhoun, Dilip Gaonkar, and Charles Taylor argue that democracies have embraced individual freedom at the expense of equality and solidarity, economic growth at the expense of democracy. Rebuilding local communities and large-scale institutions is now crucial, with attention to the public good beyond private advantage or ingroup loyalty.Trade ReviewMany scholars have traced the crisis of Western liberal democracy to the rise of authoritarian and populist leaders. Three distinguished theorists argue that the problems run deeper…Wealth inequality and economic stagnation have exacerbated political divisions, but the bigger problem is the fraying of the civic solidarity that knits citizens together across lines of difference. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs *[The authors] set out to dissect in detail the long-term degenerations of the democratic structures that have occurred in three major democratic countries: the United States, Canada and India…Stimulating and refreshing. -- Simone Benazzo * Democratization *Democracies around the world are in crisis. This important book by three social theorists…analyzes the underlying causes of these interrelated crises, focusing mostly on the United States, Europe, and India…At stake are the quality of public life, social institutions, and, in many cases, people’s lives. -- Don Schweitzer * Critical Theology *Written by three world-class thinkers, the book provides a fresh and well-argued diagnosis of what must be done to save democracy from itself. No other book can offer something remotely similar to what this book has to offer in terms of historical detail, conceptual argument, moral outlook, and political acuity. -- Lars Tønder, University of CopenhagenDemocracy in the twenty-first century is degenerating from within rather than being attacked externally as was totalitarianism. We consequently need to reinvent it, not just preserve it. This book defines the task ahead of us. Written by three key figures of political philosophy and social theory, it makes a conceptually powerful contribution to the rebuilding of democracy at a time when the sovereignty of the people and the promise of equality are understood in a trivializing way by populist governments and neoliberal regimes. -- Pierre Rosanvallon, author of Good Government: Democracy beyond ElectionsQuestions about what ails democracy today get a new lease on life in this captivating book. Calhoun, Gaonkar, and Taylor blend their voices well to produce a series of deep and insightful reflections remarkable for their combination of lucid prose, critical diagnoses, reasoned optimism, and perspectives that are strikingly fresh. A must-read for all students of contemporary politics. -- Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of The Climate of History in a Planetary Age

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