Political science and theory Books
Basic Books The Sum of the People: How the Census Has Shaped
Book SynopsisIn April 2020, the United States will embark on what has been called "the largest peacetime mobilization in American history": the decennial population census. It is part of a long, if uneven, tradition of counting people that extends back at least three millennia. Tracing the remarkable history of the census from ancient China, through the Roman Empire, revolutionary America, and Nazi-occupied Europe, right up to today's Supreme Court battles, The Sum of the People shows how the impulse to count ourselves is universal, how the census has evolved with time, and how it has always profoundly shaped the societies we have built. As data scientist Andrew Whitby reveals, the earliest censuses in ancient China and the Fertile Crescent had purely extractive aims: taxation and conscription. Later, as Enlightenment-era governments began to answer to citizens, the census was reinvented to support political representation and to delimit the boundaries of new nation-states. As the role of government grew through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, censuses became more complex and scientific. Census bureaus spun out dozens of other surveys, which formed the statistical foundation of modern, technocratic, data-driven government. For the first time, counting every person on the planet became a real possibility-and debates about who was counted, who was not, and what questions they were asked became the subject of intense political controversy in places from Australia to South Africa to the United States. The census at its best is a marvel of democracy, but it has at times been an instrument of exclusion, and, as in the case of Nazi Germany, a tool of tyranny and genocide.Today, governments and businesses alike now routinely collect "big data" that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago, prompting fears similar to those the census once provoked and leading to some to suggest that traditional censuses will soon be obsolete. The Sum of the People closes by making the case that, for all its past faults, the census can be an alternative and an antidote to a future of constant, invasive surveillance.
£22.50
Basic Books Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided
Book SynopsisA distinguished religious leader''s stirring case for reconstructing a shared framework of virtues and values. With liberal democracy embattled, public discourse grown toxic, family life breaking down, and drug abuse and depression on the rise, many fear what the future holds. In Morality, respected faith leader and public intellectual Jonathan Sacks traces today''s crisis to our loss of a strong, shared moral code and our elevation of self-interest over the common good. We have outsourced morality to the market and the state, but neither is capable of showing us how to live. Sacks leads readers from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment to the present day to show that there is no liberty without morality and no freedom without responsibility, arguing that we all must play our part in rebuilding a common moral foundation. A major work of moral philosophy, Morality is an inspiring vision of a world in which we can all find our place and face the future without fear.
£24.00
Basic Books Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided
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£18.04
Basic Books American Anarchy: The Epic Struggle Between
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£31.50
PublicAffairs,U.S. Shatter the Nations: ISIS and the War for the
Book SynopsisThe war against ISIS and the so-called caliphate it declared across Syria and Iraq was a battle to define not just the Middle East but the wider world. Growing from the aftermath of the U.S. war in Iraq and a brutal civil war in Syria, ISIS sought to usher in a new era of conflict as it launched terrorist attacks across Europe, while inflicting a savage extremism on the population in controlled. And the U.S. developed a new kind of war to stop it - one that that relied heavily on the sacrifices of local soldiers who fought on behalf of the American cause. This struggle came to a climax in the Iraqi city of Mosul, the crown jewel of the caliphate, in the deadliest urban combat the world had seen in a generation. Few journalists got as close to the war, and to protagonists on both sides of it, as Mike Giglio, who spent six years reporting on the rise and fall of the ISIS proto-state. He travelled along the Turkey-Syria border with the smugglers and operatives who worked in ISIS's criminal and financial networks, accompanied antiquities traders to visit stolen artefacts that helped to fund the ISIS war effort, sat with human traffickers at the heart of the migrant crisis, and met with ISIS defectors as they tried to free their minds from its grip. He also embedded often with the local soldiers on the front lines of the international effort to stop ISIS, tracking a war effort that saw these soldiers take heavy casualties as U.S. special forces worked in the shadows and U.S. pilots and drone operators dropped bombs. In Mosul, the war's central battle, he travelled in the attacking convoys of elite Kurdish and Iraqi commandos as car bombs plunged into their ranks and ISIS drones dropped grenades. Behind the drama on the battlefield, the suspense was in how much ISIS might change the world before its cities fell and how many of America's allies it could kill along the way. The story is a chilling portrait of the destructive power of extremism and of the tenacity and astonishing courage required to defeat it.
£20.69
SAGE Publications Inc Political Science Research Methods
Book Synopsis"This is a solid text that walks students through the entire process of empirical, quantitative research methods in political science without being too math-heavy. Students will be able to read this book and come away with an increased understanding of how we use research methods in political science." —Amanda M. Rosen, Webster University Understand the "how" and the "why" behind research in political science. Political Science Research Methods helps students to understand the logic behind research design by guiding them through a step-by-step process that explains when and why a researcher would pursue different kinds of methods. The highly anticipated Ninth Edition of this trusted resource provides more international examples, an increased focus on the role ethics play in the research process, increased attention to qualitative research methods, and expanded coverage on the role of the internet in research and analysis. A Complete Teaching & Learning Package SAGE coursepacks FREE! Easily import our quality instructor and student resource content into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. . SAGE edge FREE online resources for students that make learning easier. Trade Review"I like the focus on empiricism and the attempt to illustrate numerous research puzzles throughout." -- Anna Brigevich"A great overview of research methods written by and for political scientists." -- Ewa Golebiowska"This textbook is an informative and broad first foray into political science research methods that is appropriate for any early undergraduate student." -- Ronald J. McGauvran "This is a solid text that walks students through the entire process of empirical quantitative research methods in political science without being too math-heavy. Students will be able to read this book and come away with an increased understanding of how we use research methods in political science." -- Amanda M. RosenTable of ContentsTables, Figures, and Features Preface About the Authors Chapter 1 • Introduction Research on Income Inequality Politics and the Gender Gap The Case of Italian (Non) Tax Compliance Protests and Repression in New Democracies The Observer Effect in International Politics: Evidence from a Natural Experiment Conclusion Terms Introduced Chapter 2 • The Empirical Approach to Political Science Elements of Empiricism The Importance of Theory A Brief Overview of the Empirical Research Process Reactions to the Empirical Approach: Practical Objections Competing Points of View Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 3 • Beginning the Research Process: Identifying a Research Topic, Developing Research Questions, and Reviewing the Literature Specifying the Research Question Sources of Ideas for Research Topics Why Conduct a Literature Review? Collecting Sources for a Literature Review Writing a Literature Review Anatomy of a Literature Review Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 4 • The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, Variables, and Measurement Proposing Explanations Formulating Hypotheses Defining Concepts Devising Measurement Strategies The Accuracy of Measurements The Precision of Measurements Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 5 • Sampling The Basics of Sampling How Do We Use a Sample to Learn About a Population? Sampling Methods Types of Samples Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 6 • Research Design: Establishing Causation Verifying Causal Assertions Qualitative and Quantitative Methods and Analysis: Causes-of-Effects and Effects-of-Causes Approaches Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 7 • Qualitative Research: Case Study Designs Case Study Methods Case Study Types Using Cases to Explore Causal Mechanisms: Process Tracing Generalizing from Cases Studies Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 8 • Making Empirical Observations: Qualitative Analysis Types of Data and Collection Techniques Data Collection in Qualitative Research Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 9 • Quantitative Research Designs Randomized Experimental Designs Natural Experiments Nonrandomized Designs: Quasi-Experiments Observational Studies Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 10 • Quantitative Methods The Wide Variety of Quantitative Projects Sources of Data for Quantitative Studies Data Management Ethical Concerns with Quantitative Methods Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 11 • Making Sense of Data: First Steps The Data Matrix Descriptive Statistics Graphs for Presentation and Exploration Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 12 • Testing Relationships The Normal Distribution and z Scores Confidence Intervals Hypothesis Testing Testing a Relationship with Two Samples Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 13 • Analyzing Relationships for Categorical Data The Basics of Identifying and Measuring Relationships Table Summaries of Categorical Variable Associations Measuring Strength of Relationships in Tables Measures of Association: Statistics for Reporting the Strength of Relationships in Tables Chi Square Test for Independence Multivariate Analysis of Categorical Data Analysis of Variance: Analyzing the Difference between Means for More Than Two Means Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 14 • Regression Logic of Regression Minimizing the Sum of the Squared Error The Linear Regression Model Maximum Likelihood Models for Dichotomous Dependent Variables Conclusion Terms Introduced Suggested Readings Chapter 15 • The Research Report: An Annotated Example Annotated Research Report Example Appendixes Appendix A: Normal Curve Tail Probabilities Appendix B: Critical Values from t Distribution Appendix C: Chi-Squared Distribution Values for Various Right-Tail Probabilities Appendix D: F Distribution Glossary Index
£999.99
Sage Publications Bundle Pollock The Essentials of Political
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£179.55
Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc Political Liberalization and Democratization in
Book SynopsisThe Arab world is experiencing a variety of factors - internal and external - that are leading to change. This work examines such factors that are shaping political liberalisation and democratisation in the Arab context, as well as the role played by particular social groups.
£28.81
Fulcrum Inc.,US Take Back your Government: A Citizen's Guide to
Book SynopsisAn inside look at how state legislatures really work and a hands-on guide to how ordinary citizens can make and change law and policy in their state. The book includes practical tips, checklists and resources to empower any citizen to help make government work for YOU. The book can teach anyone how to be an effective citizen advocate.
£17.05
University of Arkansas Press The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle
Book SynopsisIn The Blood of Abraham, originally published in 1985 with updates to the afterword in 1993 and 2007, President Carter explains his understanding of the Middle East and seeks to provide an enlightening and reconciling vision for greater peace in the region.Trade ReviewThe book's main lesson is one that Carter taught so well at Camp David: that adversaries in the Middle East can make giant steps toward peace if America's president acts as a 'trusted mediator' and an 'unwavering, enthusiastic' partner in the process." —Newsweek"A caring, well-researched and closely informed book . . . can be read by the non-expert without fear of arcane overload, yet can be read profitably by experts for its clearness of thought." —Atlanta Journal and Constitution
£24.26
Paragon House Publishers Global Justice: Seminal Essays
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£24.69
Paragon House Publishers Global Ethics: Seminal Essays
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£23.39
Thunder's Mouth Press Genocide of the Mind
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£18.07
Bold Type Books Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet - And
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£24.00
PublicAffairs,U.S. Radicals Chasing Utopia
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£16.14
£13.25
Seven Stories Press,U.S. Right & Wrong & Palestine: and Palestine, 9-11,
Book SynopsisPhilosopher Ted Honderich insightfully relates four shattering current events in this articulate, well-reasoned moral and political analysis. Exploring the war in Iraq, the controversy in Palestine, and the tragic events of 9-11 and London’s 7-7, Honderich elucidates the great questions of right and wrong in a conflict-ridden era.
£16.11
New York University Press The Postmodern Prince: Critical Theory, Left
Book SynopsisThis work provides a historically grounded critique of postmodernism, and a history of how the socialist left has helped to create its ideas. In the course of this two-sided critique, it develops an account of a Marxism that sets itself the task of building a collective political subject.
£73.10
Monthly Review Press,U.S. The World We Wish to See: Revolutionary
Book Synopsis"The World We Wish to See" presents a sweeping view of twentieth-century political history and a stirring appeal to take political culture seriously. Samir Amin offers a provocative analysis of resistance to capitalism and imperialism and calls for a new politics of opposition. Capitalism is a global system, so ultimately any successful challenge to it must be organized on the same level: an "internationalism of peoples."Throughout the twentieth century the socialist and communist internationals, national liberation movements, and great revolutions have presented challenges to the world order. Amin provides a succinct discussion of the successes and failures of these mobilizations, in order to assess the present struggle. Neoliberalism and the drive for military hegemony by the United States have spawned new political and social movements of resistance and attempts at international organization through the World Social Forum. Amin assesses the potential and limitations of these movements to confront global capitalism in the twenty-first century. "The World We Wish to See" makes a distinction between "political cultures and conflict" and "political cultures of consensus." A new politics of struggle is needed; one that is not afraid to confront the power of capitalism, one that is both critical and self-critical.In this persuasive argument, Amin explains that effective opposition must be based on the construction of a "convergence in diversity" of oppressed and exploited people - whether they are workers, peasants, students, or any other opponent of capitalism and imperialism. What is needed is a new "international" that has an open and flexible organizational structure to coordinate the work of opposition movements around the world."The World We Wish to See" is a bold book, calling for an international movement that can successfully transcend the current world order, in order to pursue a better world. Amin's lucid analysis provides a firm basis for furthering this objective.
£72.60
North Atlantic Books,U.S. The Ascent of Humanity: Civilization and the
Book SynopsisThe author of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible explores the history and potential future of civilization, tracing the converging crises of our age to the illusion of the separate self Our disconnection from one another and the natural world has mislaid the foundations of science, religion, money, technology, economics, medicine, and education as we know them. It has fired our near-pathological pursuit of technological Utopias even as we push ourselves and our planet to the brink of collapse. Fortunately, an Age of Reunion is emerging out of the birth pangs of an earth in crisis. Our journey of separation hasn''t been a terrible mistake but an evolutionary process and an adventure in self-discovery.Even in our darkest hour, Eisenstein sees the possibility of a more beautiful world—not through the extension of millennia-old methods of management and control but by fundamentally reimagining ourselves and our systems. We must shift away from our Babelian efforts to build ever-higher towers to heaven and instead turn out attention to creating a new kind of civilization—one designed for beauty rather than height.
£24.30
Autonomedia State and Politics: Deleuze and Guattari on Marx
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£15.29
Georgetown University Press Rethinking Rights and Responsibilities: The Moral
Book SynopsisAs members of various and often conflicting communities, how do we reconcile what we have come to understand as our human rights with our responsibilities toward one another? With the bright thread of individualism woven through the American psyche, where can our sense of duty toward others be found? What has happened to our love - even our concern - for our neighbor? In this revised edition of his magisterial exploration of these critical questions, renowned ethicist Arthur Dyck revisits and profoundly hones his call for the moral bonds of community. In all areas of contemporary life, be it in business, politics, health care, religion - and even in family relationships - the "right" of individuals to consider themselves first has taken precedence over our responsibilities toward others. Dyck contends that we must recast the language of rights to take into account our once natural obligations to all the communities of which we are a part. Rethinking Rights and Responsibilities, at the nexus of ethics, political theory, public policy, and law, traces how the peculiarly American formulations of the rights of the individual have assaulted our connections with, and responsibilities for, those around us. Dyck critically examines contemporary society and the relationship between responsibilities and rights, particularly as they are expressed in medicine and health care, to maintain that while indeed rights and responsibilities form the moral bonds of community, we must begin with the rudimentary task of taking better care of one another.Trade Review"Offers a wise and compelling interpretation of the nature, role, and limits of modern human rights discourse. Linking rights talk with the rhetoric of responsibility, Dyck contends that the abstract rationalism and individualism of our regnant liberal theory belie the very moral bonds that sustain such discourse. One of the book's many virtues is its attention to the vexed issues of euthanasia, assisted suicide, and universal access to health care. His analysis is erudite, yet lucid; a rich and original contribution that should enjoy a wide and appreciative audience." - William O'Neill, S.J., associate professor of social ethics, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley/Graduate Theological Union; "This is an eminently readable work that is thorough and undeniably profound and original. Dyck unearths kernels of simple, brilliant truths out of this vast and often inaccessible area. Readers will rediscover human rights through Dyck's mastery of this subject." - The Honourable Michael J. Bryant, Attorney General, Minister Responsible for Native Affairs, and Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal, Ontario, Canada"Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Conception of Rights ReexaminedHistorical and Contemporary Views that Undermine Communal Bonds 1. RightsA Historic Break with the Past2. From Natural Rights to Calculated Rights 3. Natural RightsAutonomy vs. Interdependence Part II: Rights ReconceptualizedGrounding Rights in Responsibilities, Community, and Moral Knowledge 4. Moral Bonds as Requisites of Community 5. Rights ReconceptualizedJustice, Nurture, and Divorce in Western Law6. Requisites of Morality, Freedom,adn Community7. Moral Knowledge Experiential Bases of Responsibilites and Rights 8. Moral Knowledge Loving Impartiality9. Moral Knowledge Ideal Companionship Part III: Reconceptualized RightsHomicide Law and Health Care 10. The Moral Bases of Homicide LawThe Case against Assisted Suicide 11. Justice and NurtureRescue and Health Care as Rights and Responsibilities EpilogueBibliographyIndex
£48.00
Georgetown University Press Revisiting Waldo's Administrative State:
Book SynopsisThe prevailing notion that the best government is achieved through principles of management and business practices is hardly new - it echoes the early twentieth-century "gospel of efficiency" challenged by Dwight Waldo in 1948 in his path-breaking book, "The Administrative State". Asking, "Efficiency for what?", Waldo warned that public administrative efficiency must be backed by a framework of consciously held democratic values. "Revisiting Waldo's Administrative State" brings together a group of distinguished authors who critically explore public administration's big ideas and issues and question whether contemporary efforts to "reinvent government", promote privatization, and develop new public management approaches constitute a coherent political theory capable of meeting the complex challenges of governing in a democracy. Taking Waldo's book as a starting point, the authors revisit and update his key concepts and consider their applicability for today. The book follows Waldo's conceptual structure, first probing the material and ideological background of modern public administration, problems of political philosophy, and finally particular challenges inherent in contemporary administrative reform. It concludes with a look ahead to "wicked" policy problems - such as terrorism, global warming, and ecological threats - whose scope is so global and complex that they will defy any existing administrative structures and values. Calling for a return to conscious consideration of democratic accountability, fairness, justice, and transparency in government, the book's conclusion assesses the future direction of public administrative thought. This book can stand alone as a commentary on reconciling democratic values and governance today or as a companion when reading Waldo's classic volume.Trade ReviewThe book's major strength lies in its application of public administration theories to tomorrow's social problems that we, as a planetary society, have not widely discussed ... [it] advances Waldo's work into the twenty-first century and serves as an excellent graduate text in public administration theory or as a supplement in an introductory course. Political Studies ReviewTable of Contents1. Introduction: Dwight Waldo's The Administrative State David H. Rosenbloom and Howard E. McCurdy 2. The Material Background Donald F. Kettl 3. The Cultural and Ideological Background Howard E. McCurdy 4. The Criteria of Action Norma M. Riccucci 5. Who Should Rule? Patricia W. Ingraham 6. The Separation of Powers David H. Rosenbloom 7. The Thinning of Administrative Institutions Larry D. Terry 8. Competition for Human Capital John Cadigan 9. Business and Government Barbara S. Romzek 10. Institutional Values and the Future Administrative State Robert F. Durant 11. Conclusion: Additional Notes on the Present Tendencies Howard E. McCurdy and David H. Rosenbloom Contributors Index
£84.00
The New York Review of Books, Inc The Shipwrecked Mind: On Political Reaction
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£13.49
Lantern Books,US Concepts of Nonlethal Force: Understanding Force
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£17.09
Select Books Inc You Can Change the World: The Global Citizen's
Book SynopsisYou Can Change the World: The Global Citizen's Handbook for Living on Planet Earth should be required reading for anyone who cares about the future of the planet. Written by renowned scientist, futurist and Club of Budapest founder Ervin Laszlo, You Can Change the World answers two pertinent questions-first, what is at the root of all the conflict and crisis in today's world? And second, what can actually be done to move toward a world where we can live in peace, without marginalizing and killing each other and destroying the environment?A handbook that urges readers to become global citizens who aspire to live responsibly on this precious but highly exploited and crisis-prone planet, You Can Change the World provides a simple and basic message: in today's world it is neither wealth nor power, nor the control of territory and technology that make the crucial difference. How we think and act shapes our present and decides our future.
£16.16
Select Books Inc Turning Point: Picking Up the Pieces after Eight
Book SynopsisEach political cycle, candidates vying for public office warn that the upcoming election is the most important event of the millennium. For many whose names appear on a ballot, the statement is at least partially accurate: their political future rides on the outcome. The rest of us take such forebodings with a grain of salt. After all, how much damage can a single candidate (even a president) inflict given our time tested system of checks and balances? Turning Point makes the case for “plenty”; Barack Obama’s transformative agenda has indeed remade America – to the detriment of our economy and culture. In his third book, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich details the considerable damage inflicted to date, while analyzing how progressive policy has made America a far more insecure and weaker country. Culled from published opinion pieces authored by the Governor over the last eight years, Turning Point is a concise, articulate indictment of Western European style progressivism brought to America by its most charismatic (and dangerous) salesman. The presidential election of 2016 is a pivotal one. As such, Ehrlich asks whether Obama’s agenda is indeed America’s future. In other words, has the cumulative impact of progressivism reached the point of no return – or – will the next election cycle be a turning point for the return of common sense conservatism? Those of you who subscribe to the former point of view will appreciate Turning Point’s conclusions, if not the accompanying analysis, while readers belonging to the loyal opposition will find plenty of material to keep them up at night. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you may identify with, however, all will find Governor Ehrlich’s new book an enlightening, if not entertaining read. Enjoy…Trade Review"According to Ehrlich (America: Hope for Change), former Republican Governor of Maryland, the presidency of Barack Obama has been detrimental to the economy and foreign policy of the United Statesnot to mention race relations, family structure, health care, and many other aspects of American life. That is the pessimistic premise of this collection of weekly Baltimore Sun and Washington Post columns spanning President Obama's term in office. They chronicle such noteworthy moments as the optimistic period following the 2012 presidential election, the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, and the barbs and mudslinging of the 2012 election and its aftermath. The author captures, in honest, albeit alarmed, fashion, one conservative American's impressions of living under a progressive presidency. However, he never loses his sense of humor, concluding with satirical "what-if" pieces, including an article detailing a news day in an alternate-universe America with President Mitt Romney and an Obama diary entry revealing the "truth" behind the Benghazi terrorist attack. This comprehensive collection will be a necessary read for right-leaning audiences as 2015 begets 2016 and election season gets into full swing." Publishers Weekly
£22.46
Select Books Inc Battlefield America: The War On The American People
Book SynopsisPolice forces across the United States have been transformed into extensions of the military. Our towns and cities have become battlefields, and we the American people are now the enemy combatants to be spied on, tracked, frisked, and searched. For those who resist, the consequences can be a one-way trip to jail, or even death. Battlefield America: The War on the American People is constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead’s terrifying portrait of a nation at war with itself. In exchange for safe schools and lower crime rates, we have opened the doors to militarized police, zero tolerance policies in schools, and SWAT team raids. The insidious shift was so subtle that most of us had no idea it was happening. This follow-up to Whitehead’s award-winning A Government of Wolves is a brutal critique of an America on the verge of destroying the very freedoms that define it. Hands up!—the police state has arrived.Trade Review"The loss of personal liberty, the growth of big government, and the death of government respect for persons rarely occur overnight. It takes a fine eye and a fearless manner to discover and reveal these dangers before it is too late. No one in American today does this better than John Whitehead. In his latest magnum opus, Battlefield America: The War on the American People , he paints the case that Fascism is already here, liberty is already lost, we are in more danger from the government than from bomb throwers, and it is nearly too late for hope. I challenge anyone to read this book and then try to go to sleep. I found that impossible." -- Hon. Andrew P. Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst, Fox News Channel; Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School"Once again, John W. Whitehead shows himself to be a thorough reporter, an insightful scholar and a tireless defender of the Constitution. Battlefield America is the most penetrating, eye-opening proof to date of the imperialist government's desecration of our constitutional personal liberties. Battlefield America is not only a warning of the danger ahead but also a detailed, systematic illustration of how a once freedom-loving nation can descend into tyranny. A must-read for anyone concerned about how to get us back on the road to becoming a self-governing republic. Citizens, journalists, activists, government officialsany and all Americans who have so little inkling about what it really means to be an American and actively safeguard our freedoms against all dangers, foreign and domestic -- should take the time to become acquainted with this book. Students and teachers, especially, should make it a priority to debate and discuss this book in their classrooms." -- Nat Hentoff, syndicated columnist and historian
£17.05
Temple University Press,U.S. Labor's Time: Shorter Hours, The Uaw, And The
Book SynopsisThe movement for a shorter workweek that once defined the labor movement in the United States was largely displaced by the new corporatist structure of organized labor in the post-New Deal era. Labor's Time examines the changes that occurred within organized labor and traces their influence on the decline of the shorter hours movement. Focusing on the internal union politics of the influential United Automobile Workers and Local 600, its chapter at Henry Ford's massive River Rouge factory, Jonathan Cutler demonstrates how an all-but-forgotten interracial movement for a shorter workweek during the 1950s and 1960s became a casualty of an increasingly top-heavy union bureaucracy that lost touch with the desires, fears, and aspirations of rank and file workers and dug its own grave in the process. Jonathan Cutler examines the political context in which the shorter hours movement emerged within Local 600 in the 1940s, then chronicles the attempts by Walter Reuther, the head of the UAW, to suppress it. Cutler also reviews the role the Communist Party played in the controversy. Finally, he documents the UAW response to rank and file pressure for a shorter workweek, and how the local's own organizational flaws allowed Reuther and the national union to wrest control from the dissidents. Fresh and boldly written, Labor's Time recreates a moment when unions—as a movement, not as an amalgam of leaders—could have transformed the landscape of work in the United States.Trade Review"This is, quite simply, the most brilliant and original study of American labor to appear in a generation. Jonathan Cutler shows that the ascendancy of labor 'statesmen' and their ideology of political and industrial responsibility has meant not just the death of the shorter-hours movement, but also the end of the labor movement as a dynamic force in American life. Introducing entirely new conceptions of work, power, desire, and freedom, Labor's Time is a monumental achievement."—Thaddeus Russell, Barnard College, and author of Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Remaking of the American Working Class"The fight for shorter hours! Now there's a lost bit of American history that is in sore need of remembrance. Jonathan Cutler's perceptive and thoroughly researched history of one key part of that struggle deserves to be read and debated so that the fight against 'overwork' is once more near the top of America's social agenda."—Nelson Lichtenstein, author of Labor's War at Home: The CIO in World War II"Jonathan Cutler's book is essential reading for those concerned about the fate of America's overworked and underpaid workers. Labor's Time is an engaging and well-researched account of union struggles over work hours. At a moment when many employers are demanding longer workdays and 'shaving' hours from employees' time sheets, Cutler's book makes an important scholarly intervention into an issue whose history has profound implications for the present."—Thomas J. Sugrue, Bicentennial Class of 1940 Professor of History and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania"This is a very readable, engaging account of a critical moment in labor history."—Industrial Worker"In telling the story, Cutler raises bigger questions about democracy, power, and direction for the labor movement. His book is fascinating and informative, and it made me think."—Against The Current"Cutler is an expert guide... [his] enormous research into the intricacies of the internecine battles with the UAW over the thirty-hour workweek is important in its own right. His insightful and deeply researched study into the struggles compose the majority of his book."—Working USA"[B]rings a welcome focus to a very interesting issue in economic history... the author is quite good at establishing the political climate within the union and Local 600 where much of the story takes place."—EH.Net"Jonathan Cutler's spirited history of the fight for shorter hours in the auto industry offers us a combative narrative.... my hat is off to him for coming closer than any other scholar in tracing the fortunes of the anti-Reuther left-communist, opportunist, syndicalist, African American-what for many years proclaimed itself the largest local union in the world."—DissentTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Thirty Hours Work for Forty Hours' Pay2. The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit3. The Collapse of Communism4. Future Perfect5. False Promises6. Retreat and DefeatConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex
£999.99
Counterpoint Open Letters to America: Essays by Kevin Powell
Book SynopsisAfter eight years of George Bush’s America, we are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history, when we can put forth a new and bolder kind of democracy. Just as the Civil Rights Movement opened the doors for blacks and other people of color, for women, for the LGBT community, the rise of Barack Obama to the presidency and the post-Bush society we now encounter opens new possibilities for our democracy. And it also prompts us to re-examine from a new perspective the old issues around poverty, class, gender, and race. In other words, can the progressive multicultural coalition Barack Obama put together to win the presidency be translated into a progressive multicultural movement?Open Letters to America is writer Kevin Powell’s celebration of the sudden, mass political engagement of America's youth, and Americans in general; his thoughts in the aftermath of Obama's magical and historic presidential campaign; and his open acknowledgment that if 21st-century America is going to be the great world democracy it promises to be, it will be Generations X and Y that make it so.
£9.99
The Library of America John Marshall: Writings (LOA #198)
Book Synopsis"It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department," John Marshall wrote in Marbury v. Madison, "to say what the law is." As its Chief Justice from 1801 to 1835, Marshall made the Supreme Court a full and equal branch of the federal government. In so doing, he joined Washington, his mentor, and Jefferson, his ideological rival, in the first rank of American founders. His legacy extends far beyond Marbury, which held for the first time that the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. Under his leadership, the Court upheld the constitutionality of a national bank, established the supremacy of the federal judiciary over state courts and legislatures in matters of constitutional interpretation, and profoundly influenced the economic development of the nation through vigorous interpretation of the contract and interstate commerce clauses. His major judicial opinions are eloquent public papers, written with the conviction that "clearness and precision are most essential qualities," and designed to inform and persuade the citizens of the new republic about the meaning and purpose of their Constitution. This volume collects 200 documents written between 1779 and 1835, including Marshall's most important judicial opinions, his influential rulings during the Aaron Burr treason trial, speeches, newspaper essays, and revealing letters to friends, fellow judges, and his beloved wife, Polly. It follows Marshall's varied career before becoming Chief Justice: as an officer in the Revolution, a supporter of the ratification of the Constitution, an envoy to France during the notorious "XYZ Affair," a congressman, and secretary of state in the Adams administration. The personal correspondence gathered here reveals the conviviality, good humor, and unpretentiousness that helped him unite the Court behind many of his landmark decisions, while selections from his biography of George Washington offer vivid descriptions of battles he fought in as a young man. Charles F. Hobson, editor, is the author of The Great Chief Justice: John Marshall and the Rule of Law. He is the editor of The Law Papers of St. George Tucker at the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and was the editor of The Papers of John Marshall. "A marvelous and much-needed single-volume collection of the writings of America's greatest Chief Justice, selected by the scholar who knows him best." -Gordon Wood, author of Empire of LibertyLIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
£30.00
The Library of America Democracy in America: The Arthur Goldhammer
Book SynopsisDemocracy in America is arguably the most perceptive and influential book ever written about American politics and society. The Library of America now presents Arthur Goldhammer's acclaimed translation in a two-volume Paperback Classics edition. Winner of the 2004 Translation Prize awarded by the French-American Foundation, Goldhammer's elegant rendering is the first to capture fully the precision and grace of Tocqueville's style and the full force of his profound ideas and observations. Volume One (1835) and Volume Two (1840) are published separately, each with its own introductory essay by historian Olivier Zunz (Why the American Century?) exploring the creation and evolution of Tocqueville's masterpiece.
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. New Threats to Freedom
Book Synopsis New Threats to Freedom In the twentieth century, free people faced a number of mortal threats,ranging from despotism, fascism, and communism to the looming menace of global terrorism. While the struggle against some of these overt dangers continues, some insidious new threats seem to have slipped past our intellectual defenses. These often unchallenged threats are quietly eroding our hard-won freedoms and, in some cases, are widely accepted as beneficial. In New Threats to Freedom, editor and author Adam Bellow has assembled an all-star lineup of innovative thinkers to challenge these insidious new threats. Some leap into already raging debates on issues such as Sharia law in the West, the rise of transnationalism, and the regulatory state. Others turn their attention to less obvious threats, such as the dogma of fairness, the failed promises of the blogosphere, and the triumph of behavioral psychology. These threats are very real and very urgent, yet this collection avoids projecting an air of doom and gloom. Rather, it provides a blueprint for intellectual resistance so that modern defenders of liberty may better understand their enemies, more effectively fight to preserve the meaning of freedom, and more surely carry its light to a new generation. What are the new threats to freedom? when has authority not claimed, when imposing trammels and curbs on liberty, that it does so for a wider good and a greater happiness?” —Christopher Hitchens “The regulatory state amounts to a regressive tax that penalizes small independent producers and protects the status quo.” —Max Borders “Europe tends to favor stability over democracy, America democracy over stability.” —Daniel Hannan “The value of free expression is perceived to be at odds with goals that were considered ‘more important,’ like inclusiveness, diversity, nondiscrimination, and tolerance.” —Greg Lukianoff “The masses cannot ultimately be free: only the individual can be.” —Robert D. Kaplan “That old bugbear of postwar sociology—the mob-self—is now a reality. In a participatory/popularity culture, the freedom to think and act for ourselves becomes harder and harder to achieve.” —Lee Siegel “As traditional marriage declines, the ranks of single women are growing, and increasingly these women are substituting the security of a husband with the security of the state.” —Jessica Gavora “Ending the freedom to fail is a mean-spirited attack on the freedom to succeed.” —Michael Goodwin “The only solution to the new threats to American press freedom lies in organized resistance.” —Katherine Mangu-Ward “The new behaviorism isn’t interested in protecting people’s freedom to choose; on the contrary, its core principle is the idea that only by allowing an expert elite to limit choice can individuals learn to break their bad habits.” —Christine Rosen “There’s a world of Travis Bickles out there, and they’re not driving cabs. They’re reading blogs.” —Ron Rosenbaum “The first amendment ensures not that speech will be fair, but that it will be free. It cannot be both.” —David Mamet Join the conversation about these issues at www.newthreatstofreedom.com
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. A Nation of Takers: America’s Entitlement
Book SynopsisIn A Nation of Takers: America’s Entitlement Epidemic, one of our country’s foremost demographers, Nicholas Eberstadt, details the exponential growth in entitlement spending over the past fifty years. As he notes, in 1960, entitlement payments accounted for well under a third of the federal government’s total outlays. Today, entitlement spending accounts for a full two-thirds of the federal budget. Drawing on an impressive array of data and employing a range of easy-to-read, four-color charts, Eberstadt shows the unchecked spiral of spending on a range of entitlements, everything from Medicare to disability payments. But Eberstadt does not just chart the astonishing growth of entitlement spending, he also details the enormous economic and cultural costs of this epidemic. He powerfully argues that while this spending certainly drains our federal coffers, it also has a very real, long-lasting, negative impact on the character of our citizens. Also included in the book is a response from one of our leading political theorists, William Galston. In his incisive response, he questions Eberstadt’s conclusions about the corrosive effect of entitlements on character and offers his own analysis of the impact of American entitlement growth.
£10.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading
Book SynopsisIn 1987, Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind was published; a wildly popular book that drew attention to the shift in American culture away from the tenants that made America—and Americans—unique. Bloom focused on a breakdown in the American curriculum, but many sensed that the issue affected more than education. The very essence of what it meant to be an American was disappearing. That was over twenty years ago. Since then, the United States has experienced unprecedented wealth, more youth enrolling in higher education than ever before, and technology advancements far beyond what many in the 1980s dreamed possible. And yet, the state of the American mind seems to have deteriorated further. Benjamin Franklin’s “self-made man” has become a man dependent on the state. Independence has turned into self-absorption. Liberty has been curtailed in the defense of multiculturalism. In order to fully grasp the underpinnings of this shift away from the self-reliant, well-informed American, editors Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow have brought together a group of cultural and educational experts to discuss the root causes of the decline of the American mind. The writers of these fifteen original essays include E. D. Hirsch, Nicholas Eberstadt, and Dennis Prager, as well as Daniel Dreisbach, Gerald Graff, Richard Arum, Robert Whitaker, David T. Z. Mindich, Maggie Jackson, Jean Twenge, Jonathan Kay, Ilya Somin, Steve Wasserman, Greg Lukianoff, and R. R. Reno. Their essays are compiled into three main categories: States of Mind: Indicators of Intellectual and Cognitive Decline These essays broach specific mental deficiencies among the population, including lagging cultural IQ, low Biblical literacy, poor writing skills, and over-medication. Personal and Cognitive Habits/Interests These essays turn to specific mental behaviors and interests, including avoidance of the news, short attention spans, narcissism, and conspiracy obsessions. National Consequences These essays examine broader trends affecting populations and institutions, including rates of entitlement claims, voting habits, and a low-performing higher education system. The State of the American Mind is both an assessment of our current state as well as a warning, foretelling what we may yet become. For anyone interested in the intellectual fate of America, The State of the American Mind offers an accessible and critical look at life in America and how our collective mind is faring. Trade Review“Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow have edited a superb collection of essays on different aspects of American culture and life that extends, deepens, and updates Hofstadter’s critique of the naïve and feckless naturalism of John Dewey that now pervades and eviscerates our culture.” —M. D. Aeschliman, National Review Online“In their new book titled The State of the American Mind, Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow, through a compendium of essays written by experts, have outlined using empirical detail and ironclad analysis what exactly has happened to the American mind and what the “new anti-intellectualism” has done to put it in such a pitiful state. What does this deconstruction of thought look like at a systematic level? The State of the American Mind, by providing a prismatic analysis of the dereliction of education, psychiatry and public discourse, gives the reader a roadmap to destruction and a trail of breadcrumbs back. . . . . The State of the American Mind, while far from being light enough to read on an airplane or at the beach, is a 2015 summertime must-read for any conservative who finds him or herself at odds with the state of public discourse in the United States. . . . . While we may be intellectually lazy, clouded, unmotivated and driven by unbridled emotion devoid of right reason, Bellow and Bauerlein provide thin spaces of light and hope. From start to finish, the carefully curated selection of experts keeps the reader engaged, informed and constantly stimulated. Finally, and most hopefully, among the flotsam and jetsam of a discarded intellectual tradition, one can discern what steps need to be taken to save us from destruction by our own hand…or perhaps by our own mindset.” —Nate Madden, Conservative Review “This anthology will be a distressing but worthwhile read for those who believe traditional American values are endangered and must be preserved.” —Daniel Dreisbach, Publisher's Weekly “The State of the American Mind, is a ‘must read,’ especially the chapter written by the political economist and Wall Street Journal columnist, Nicholas Eberstadt." —The Motley Monk“Enhanced with the inclusion of an engaging Foreword (America: Are We Losing Our Mind?); an informative Introduction (The Knowledge Requirement: What Every American Needs to Know); and a concluding Afterword by the editorial team of Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow, The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism is an inherently fascinating read that is exceptionally well organized and presented throughout. Very highly recommended.” —Willis M. Buhle, Midwest Book ReviewTable of ContentsForeword—America: Are We Losing Our Mind? Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow / vii Introduction—The Knowledge Requirement: What Every American Needs to Know E. D. Hirsch Jr. / 1 Part One—States of Mind: Indicators of Intellectual and Cognitive Decline 1 The Troubling Trend of Cultural IQ / 19 Mark Bauerlein 2 Biblical Literacy Matters / 33 Daniel L. Dreisbach 3 Why Johnny and Joanie Can’t Write, Revisited / 49 Gerald Graff 4 College Graduates: Satisfied, but Adrift / 65 Richard Arum 5 Anatomy of an Epidemic / 77 Robert Whitaker Part Two—Personal and Cognitive Habits/Interests 6 A Wired Nation Tunes Out the News / 97 David T. Z. Mindich 7 Catching Our Eye: The Alluring Fallacy of Knowing at a Glance / 111 Maggie Jackson 8 The Rise of the Self and the Decline of Intellectual and Civic Interest / 123 Jean M. Twenge 9 Has Internet-Fueled Conspiracy-Mongering Crested? / 137 Jonathan Kay Part Three—National Consequences 10 Dependency in America: American Exceptionalism and the Entitlement State / 153 Nicholas Eberstadt 11 Political Ignorance in America / 163 Ilya Somin 12 In Defense of Difficulty: How the Decline of the Ideal of Seriousness Has Dulled Democracy in the Name of a Phony Populism ‘ 175 Steve Wasserman 13 We Live in the Age of Feelings / 189 Dennis Prager 14 How Colleges Create the “Expectation of Confirmation” / 205 Greg Lukianoff 15 The New Antinomian Attitude / 217 R. R. Reno Afterword Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow / 231 Contributors / 243 Index / 247
£999.99
Pathfinder Press The Communist Manifesto
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£999.99
University Press of Colorado Reshaping New Spain: Government and Private
Book SynopsisOriginally published in Mexico as "Gobierno y Sociedad en Nueva Espana", Ethelia Ruiz Medrano's seminal study "Reshaping New Spain" is now available in an updated English edition. Drawing on extensive archival research, Ruiz examines the developing colonial institutions in Mexico and how they changed indigenous land ownership and lobar laws to favour the new bureaucrats. This portrait of the emerging government in New Spain fills a critical niche in Latin American studies.
£999.99
University of New Orleans Press Migration in Austria
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£32.00
ISI Books Cooperation and Coercion: How Busybodies Become
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£999.99
PublicAffairs The Spoils of War
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£18.04
Michigan State University Press Intertextuality and the 24-Hour News Cycle: A Day
Book SynopsisOn a cold Wednesday morning in February 2003 Colin Powell argued before the United Nations Security Council that Iraq harboured weapons of mass destruction. Before the speech, nearly 90 per cent of Americans reported that Powell’s speech would help them determine their view about invading Iraq. In the days after the speech, a strong majority of Americans reported that they found Powell’s evidence convincing enough to justify war. But most American adults did not watch Powell’s speech. Instead, they learned about it from journalists — and to a large extent formed their opinions about war with Iraq based on news coverage of his address.In Intertextuality and the 24-Hour News Cycle John Oddo investigates the "rhetorical life" of Colin Powell’s address as it was extended across several media reports. Focusing on one day of pre- and postspeech news coverage, Oddo examines how journalists influenced Powell’s presentation — precontextualizing and recontextualizing his speech, and prepositioning and repositioning audiences to respond to it.The book surveys a variety of news media (television, newspaper, and Internet) and systematically integrates several methodological approaches (critical, rhetorical, discourse - analytic, and multimodal). This revealing text shows the decisive role that journalists played in shaping American attitudes about Powell, his presentation, and the desirability of war in Iraq.
£999.99
Chicago Review Press America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward
Book SynopsisThe presidential election of 1844 was one of the two or three most momentous elections in American history. Had Henry Clay won instead of James K. Polk, we'd be living in a very different country today. It cemented the westward expansion that brought Texas, California, and Oregon into the union. It also took place amid religious turmoil that included anti-Mormon and anti-Catholic violence, and the "Great Disappointment" in which thousands of followers of an obscure preacher named William Miller believed Christ would return to Earth in October 1844. Author and journalist John Bicknell details even more compelling, interwoven events that occurred during this momentous year—the murder of Joseph Smith, the religious fermentation of the Second Great Awakening, John C. FrÉmont's exploration of the West, Charles Goodyear's patenting of vulcanized rubber, the near-death of President John Tyler in a freak naval explosion, and much more. All of these elements illustrate the competing visions of the American future—Democrats v. Whigs, Mormons v. Millerites, nativists v. Catholics, those who risked the venture westward and those who stayed safely behind—and how Polk's victory cemented the vision of a continental nation.
£14.20
North Atlantic Books,U.S. A New Republic of the Heart: Awakening into
Book SynopsisA vision to address our environment, economy, politics, culture, and to catalyze the radical whole-system change we need nowRecasting current problems as emergent opportunities, Terry Patten offers creative responses, practices, and conscious conversations for tackling the profound inner and outer work we must do to build an integral future. In practical and personal terms, he discusses how we can all become active agents of a transformation of human civilization and why that is necessary to our continued survival. Patten''s narrative focuses on two aspects of existence--our dynamic but fractured and threatened world, and our underlying wholeness and unity. Only by honoring both of these realities simultaneously can we make sustainable changes in ourselves, our communities, our body politic, and our planetary life-support system. A New Republic of the Heart provides a comprehensive understanding and inspiring vision for "being the change" in a way that can address the most intractable problems of our time. Patten shows how we can come together in our communities for conversations that matter and describes new communities, enterprises, and forms of dialogue that integrate both inner personal growth work with outer awareness, activism, and service.
£15.29
Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc Connecting Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation
Book SynopsisCan postconflict states achieve both peace and justice as they deal with a traumatic past? What role does reconciliation play in healing wounds, building trust, and rectifying injustices? This provocative book, incorporating the frameworks of both peace/conflict studies and transitional justice, explores the core challenges that war-torn states confront once the violence has ended.The book is organized around a series of questions, each one the subject of a chapter, with each chapter presenting a wide range of practical examples and case studies. The author also stakes out a position on each question, encouraging readers to evaluate and respond to ideas, practices, and strategies. Narratives are a notable feature of the work, with the human consequences of war and peace highlighted throughout.Trade Review“Porter creates space for theorists, researchers, and practitioners as well as students, grassroots activists, and organizations to see the possibilities and promise of peace and justice in post-conflict zones afresh.... [She] weaves scholarship and personal experiences of victim-survivors in a way that illumines both theory and the particular, situational experience regarding the grave consequences of war and violence.... Porter's multidisciplinary, sound scholarly presentation of research and narratives is humanizing, regardless of one’s position or social location.” - Karen D. Crozier, Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies “An overdue and thoughtful articulation of the complex interrelationship [among] peace, working for justice, and building postconflict reconciliation.... As an undergraduate text in peace and conflict studies, this book serves an important purpose.” - Jeremy A. Rinker, Peace & ChangeTable of ContentsConnecting Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation.Why Are War Narratives Important?How Does War Damage Humanity?Do Truth Commissions Work?Can Trust Be Built in Divided Societies?What Can Apology and Forgiveness Achieve?Can Compassion Be Practiced in Postconflict Contexts?What Happens in Reconciliation?Conclusion.
£21.95
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) In It to Win Electing Madam President
Book SynopsisWhen will the United States elect its first woman president? Many political observers believed that Hillary Clinton would win the White House in 2008, and many still believe she is a strong contender for 2016. Yet, while many believe that electing the first woman president is not a question of if, but who and when, media speculation on the topic has yet to move it from an interesting talking point to political reality. The question remains: Just how close are we to breaking this final political glass ceiling? By merging the two literatures of women and politics (especially women as candidates) and presidential campaigns and elections, a winning strategy for women candidates can emerge by analyzing what political science research tells us from past campaigns and what we can expect in the future.
£37.95
WW Norton & Co The Handover: How We Gave Control of Our Lives to
Book SynopsisCountless books, news reports, and opinion pieces have announced the impending arrival of artificial intelligence, with most claiming that it will upend our world, revolutionizing not just work but society overall. Yet according to political philosopher and historian David Runciman, we’ve actually been living with a version of AI for 300 years because states and corporations are robots, too. In The Handover, Runciman explains our current situation through the history of these “artificial agents” we created to rescue us from our all-too-human limitations—and demonstrates what this radical new view of our recent past means for our collective future. From the United States and the United Kingdom to the East India Company, Standard Oil, Facebook, and Alibaba, states and corporations have gradually, and then much more rapidly, taken over the planet. They have helped to conquer poverty and eliminate disease, but also unleashed global wars and environmental degradation. As Runciman demonstrates, states and corporations are the ultimate decision-making machines, defined by their ability to make their own choices and, crucially, to sustain the consequences of what has been chosen. And if the rapid spread of the modern state and corporation has already transformed the conditions of human existence, new AI technology promises the same. But what happens when AI interacts with other kinds of artificial agents, the inhuman kind represented by states and corporations? Runciman argues that the twenty-first century will be defined by increasingly intense battles between state and corporate power for the fruits of the AI revolution. In the end, it is not our own, human relationship with AI that will determine our future. Rather, humanity’s fate will be shaped by the interactions among states, corporations, and thinking machines. With clarity and verve, The Handover presents a brilliantly original history of the last three centuries and a new understanding of the immense challenges we now face.Trade Review"[W]itty and refined . . . Runciman’s basic argument, which unfolds in the elegantly shaggy manner of a Peripatetic seminar, is that the alignment problem is not in fact an anomaly, and that the coming singularity might best be historicized as the Second Singularity. . . . he turns a standard argumentative form on its head. It’s not that we can look to the past to help us solve the alignment problems of the future. It’s that the alignment problems of the future help clarify our existing sense that everything is intractable and wrong. . . . Runciman’s point is that the alliance between even a democratic government and a safe-ish A.I. could derail civilization." -- Gideon Lewis-Kraus - New Yorker"Ingenious . . . a well-informed and provocative read about the essence of political power." -- John Thornhill - Financial Times"[A] searching meditation on creeping dehumanization . . . Runciman’s approach to these issues is less technological than social and psychological . . . The result is a shrewd and stimulating look at society’s drive toward an inhuman perfection." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"A thoughtful, learned contribution to the fevered conversation now surrounding AI." -- Kirkus Reviews"Amid a headlong international panic about a looming robot insurrection, David Runciman offers a searching history of earlier takeovers by other artificial creatures of our own making—states and corporations—and a stirring call for a new and fortified commitment to all that is human." -- Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States"David Runciman is always fascinating." -- Adam Tooze"One of the great modern writers of democracy." -- Anne Applebaum"Surely one of the most luminously intelligent [writers] on politics to have been published for many years." -- New Statesman (UK)
£18.99
Bloomsbury Publishing USA One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is
Book SynopsisAs featured in the documentary All In: The Fight for DemocracyPEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award Finalist, Longlisted for the National Book Award, NPR Politics Podcast Book Club ChoiceBest Books of the Year--Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, Bustle, NYPLFrom the award-winning, NYT bestselling author of White Rage, the startling--and timely--history of voter suppression in America, with a foreword by Senator Dick Durbin, now with a new afterword by the author.In her New York Times bestseller White Rage, Carol Anderson laid bare an insidious history of policies that have systematically impeded black progress in America, from 1865 to our combustible present. With One Person, No Vote, she chronicles a related history: the rollbacks to African American participation in the vote since the 2013 Supreme Court decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision effectively allowed districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice.Focusing on the aftermath of Shelby, Anderson follows the astonishing story of government-dictated racial discrimination unfolding before our very eyes as more and more states adopt voter suppression laws. In gripping, enlightening detail she explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. In a powerful new afterword, she examines the repercussions of the 2018 midterm elections. And with vivid characters, she explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans.
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing USA Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and
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£17.00
