Politics and government Books

Book SynopsisTrade Review“Limits of the Numerical shows with compelling detail, theoretical vision, and political urgency just how and why numbers matter. As J. L. Austin and Judith Butler showed us how we do things with words, the authors of Limits of the Numerical show us how we do things with numbers.” * Chad Wellmon, University of Virginia *“The availability and power of numbers in our ‘data-driven world’ have never been greater, and, for just that reason, are greatly contested. Limits of the Numerical explores the paradoxes of quantitative reasoning that have arisen as a corollary of its power and recognizes that a blind reverence for numbers undermines expertise as much as it supports it. These stories of numbers are inescapably human ones.” * Theodore M. Porter, University of California, Los Angeles *“In the confusing context of both the pandemic and global warming, this compelling book is a timely unraveling of the uses and abuses of statistical models, quantified measures, big data, and numerical targets. Limits of the Numerical paves the way for renewed scientific controversies and public debates on the work of quantification and its politics.” * Isabelle Bruno, University of Lille and Academic Institute of France (IUF) *Table of ContentsList of Figures, Tables, and Box Introduction: The Changing Fates of the Numerical Christopher Newfield, Anna Alexandrova, and Stephen John Part I Expert Sources of the Revolt against Experts 1. Numbers without Experts: The Populist Politics of Quantification Elizabeth Chatterjee 2. The Role of the Numerical in the Decline of Expertise Christopher Newfield Part II Can Narrative Fix Numbers? 3. Audit Narratives: Making Higher Education Manageable in Learning Assessment Discourse Heather Steffen 4. The Limits of “The Limits of the Numerical”: Rare Diseases and the Seductions of Qualification Trenholme Junghans 5. Reading Numbers: Literature, Case Histories, and Quantitative Analysis Laura Mandell Part III When Bad Numbers Have Good Social Effects 6. Why Five Fruit and Veg a Day? Communicating, Deceiving, and Manipulating with Numbers Stephen John 7. Are Numbers Really as Bad as They Seem? A Political-Philosophy Perspective Gabriele Badano Part IV The Uses of the Numerical for Qualitative Ends 8. When Well-Being Becomes a Number Anna Alexandrova and Ramandeep Singh 9. Aligning Social Goals and Scientific Numbers: An Ethical-Epistemic Analysis of Extreme Weather Attribution Greg Lusk 10. The Purposes and Provisioning of Higher Education: Can Economics and Humanities Perspectives Be Reconciled? Aashish Mehta and Christopher Newfield Acknowledgments References Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume analyzes changing relationships between religion and national identity in the course of European integration. Examining elite discourse, media debates and public opinions across Europe over a decade, it explores how accelerated European integration and Eastern enlargement have affected religious markers of collective identity. Trade Review“This is a book that traces, conceptually, theoretically and empirically, the impact of EU institutions on identity – and more specifically, religious identity. Much of the strength of the book derives from a research design that combines rich analysis of individual case studies with the identification of broad patterns and common themes. … editors have contributed to our understanding of the ways in which EU integration has shaped the development of national – and mainly religious – identity in different member states.” (Daphne Halikiopoulou, Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe, Vol. 9 (1), 2017)“This book sets out to redress the neglect of religion as an element of collective identities in the study of European integration from 1990–2010. … it makes a valuable contribution to the study of the entanglement of religion with national identities as they are effected by the processes of European integration. Hopefully this will provide a solid foundation for further research in this area, incorporating other cases, engaging with greater varieties of religion and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and debate.” (Liam Sutherland, Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 22 (4), October, 2016)Table of Contents1. Religion, Nationalism and European Integration Introduction; Matthias Koenig and Wolfgang Knöbl 2. The (Fragile) Normalization of German Identity within Europe; Willfried Spohn 3. Changing Frameworks of National Identity in Post-communist Poland; Miko?aj Lewicki and S?awomir Mandes 4. Greek Identity and Europe Entanglements and Tensions; Effie Fokas and Evangelos Karagiannis 5. Turkey in Europe, Europe in Turkey History, Elites, and the Media; Levent Soysal, Saime Özçürümez and Ça?la Diner 6. Religious Dimensions of National and European Identities: Evidence from Cross-national Survey Research; Sabine Trittler, Slawomir Mandes and Matthias Koenig 7. Varieties of Religious Nationalism; Matthias Koenig and Wolfgang Knöbl

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Book SynopsisWhat is populism? Is communism the same in China and Cuba? What makes a democracy? If you''re not sure, this is the book for you!Whether you''re studying politics or not, if you''re not sure whether politics matters or why your vote counts, get your hands on this thought-provoking book--it defines the big ideas you need to know and provides inspiration for analysing, interrogating, and changing your world.This introduction-to-politics book offers: - An easy-to-understand guide to politics by topics broken down by political thinkers and branches of government.- Bright visuals alongside digestible text makes the subject of politics engaging and accessible.- In-depth information to help you understand the ideas that shape our world.How do ideas make the world go round? What are the political left and right? What''s the difference between capitalism and communism, or democracy and dictatorship? Who really holds the power? Look inside

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Book SynopsisA radical and urgent new approach to how we can solve the problems of hunger and poverty in the US.Most people think hunger has to do with food: researchers, policymakers, and advocates focus on promoting government-funded nutrition assistance; well-meaning organizations try to get expired or wasted food to marginalized communities; and philanthropists donate their money to the cause and congratulate themselves for doing so. But few people ask about the structural issues undergirding hunger, such as, Who benefits from keeping people in such a state of precarity? In The Painful Truth about Hunger in America, Mariana Chilton shows that the solution to food insecurity lies far beyond food and must incorporate personal, political, and spiritual approaches if we are serious about fixing the crisis.Drawing on 25 years of research, programming, and advocacy efforts, Chilton compellingly demonstrates that food insecurity is created and maintained by people in power. Taking the reader back to the original wounds in the United States caused by its history of colonization, genocide, and enslavement, she forces us to reckon with hard questions about why people in the US allow hunger to persist. Drawing on intimate interviews she conducted with many Black and Brown women, the author reveals that the experience of hunger is rooted in trauma and gender-based violence?violence in our relationships with one another, with the natural world, and with ourselves?and that if we want to fix hunger, we must transform our society through compassion, love, and connection. Especially relevant for young people charting new paths toward abolition, mutual aid, and meaningful livelihoods, The Painful Truth about Hunger in America reinvigorates our commitment to uprooting the causes of poverty and discrimination, and points to a more generative and humane world where everyone can be nourished.

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Book SynopsisIn recent years the modern world has developed a brave new concept: ''soft power''. It is the power of friendly persuasion rather than command, and it invites nations to compete (as they did in the nineteenth century) to expand their ''sphere of influence'' as brands in a global marketplace. In Bloody Foreigners and The Last Wolf, Robert Winder explored the way Britain was shaped first by migration, and then by hidden geographical factors. Now, in Soft Power he reveals the ways in which modern states are asserting themselves not through traditional realpolitik but through alternative means: business, language, culture, ideas, sport, education, music, even food - the texture and values of history and daily life. Moving from West to East, the book tells the story of soft power by exploring the varied ways in which it operates - from an American sheriff in Poland to an English garden in Ravello, a French vineyard in Australia, an Asian restauTrade ReviewWinder is a highly knowledgeable guide to this slippery subject. His book is also beautifully written in an enviably easystyle. There is not a redundant sentence in it and the details are expertly chosen and revealing * Literary Review *The book reflects its author's intelligence and wide reading -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Stimulating . . . fascinating * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis**WINNER of the PULITZER PRIZE for NON-FICTION 2016**In a thrilling dramatic narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread to become the world''s greatest threat. When the government of Jordan granted amnesty to a group of political prisoners in 1999, it little realized that among them was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a terrorist mastermind and soon the architect of an Islamist movement bent on dominating the Middle East. In Black Flags, an unprecedented character-driven account of the rise of ISIS, Joby Warrick shows how the zeal of this one man and the strategic mistakes of Western governments led to the banner of ISIS being raised over huge swathes of Syria and Iraq. Zarqawi began by directing terror attacks from a base in northern Iraq, but it was the allied invasion in 2003 that catapulted him to the head of a vast insurgency. By falsely identifying him as the link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, Western officials inadvertently spurred like-minded radicals to rally to his cause. Their wave of brutal beheadings and suicide bombings persisted until American and Jordanian intelligence discovered clues that led to a lethal airstrike on Zarqawi's hideout in 2006. His movement, however, endured. First calling themselves al-Qaeda in Iraq, then Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, his followers sought refuge in unstable, ungoverned pockets on the Iraq-Syria border. When the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, and the rest of the world largely stood by, ISIS seized its chance to pursue Zarqawi's dream of an ultra-conservative Islamic caliphate. Drawing on unique high-level access to global intelligence sources, Warrick weaves gripping, moment-by-moment operational details with the perspectives of diplomats and spies, generals and heads of state, many of whom foresaw a menace worse than al Qaeda and tried desperately to stop it. Black Flags is a brilliant and definitive history that reveals the long arc of today's most dangerous extremist threat.Trade ReviewA deeply reported book of remarkable clarity showing how the flawed rationale for the Iraq War led to the explosive growth of the Islamic State. * Pulitzer Prize committee *Compelling and authoritative, with the narrative drive of a thriller. * Guardian *Joby Warrick moves easily through the intelligence warrens of Washington and the shattered landscape of the Middle East to tell this insightful narrative of the rise of the Islamic State. Black Flags is an invaluable guide to an unfolding tragedy that must be understood before it can be ended. * Lawrence Wright, author of Thirteen Days in September and The Looming Tower *A deep, well-balanced and thought-provoking account with a genuine feel for Middle Eastern realities. * Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens *Warrick uses very compelling first-hand testimony to reconstruct Zarqawi's short, violent life. * Literary Review *This is journalism at its best: clear, readable and enlightening. * The Irish Times *Joby Warrick is one of America's leading national security reporters, so it's no surprise that Black Flags is the most deeply reported and well-written account we have about ISIS and its terrorist army. * Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad *Invaluable for anyone struggling to understand the gruesome excesses and inexplicable appeal of ISIS. As this seminal book makes alarmingly clear, Zarqawi's appalling legacy won't fade any time soon. -- Bob Drogin * Los Angeles Times *Gripping … Warrick has a gift for constructing narratives with a novelistic energy and detail, and in this volume he creates the most revealing portrait yet laid out in a book of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the founding father of the organization that would become the Islamic State… For readers interested in the roots of the Islamic State and the evil genius of its godfather, there is no better book to begin with than Black Flags. * The New York Times *Gripping ... a zippy, atmospheric and character-led narrative. It offers a necessary and important backstory to the unfurling of black flags across Syria and Iraq today. -- Shiraz Maher * New Statesman *A page-turner and a flat-out great book. This is the inside account of how we ended up with the Islamic State, with one revelation after another. If you read one book on ISIS, this is it. * Robert Baer, author of See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism *Drawing on his unrivaled sources and access, Joby Warrick has written a profoundly important and groundbreaking book, one that reads like a novel, riveting from the first page to the last. If you want to know the story behind ISIS, and all of us should, this is the book you must read. * Martha Raddatz, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News, and author of The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family *Riveting and detailed... Warrick’s book might be the most thorough and nuanced account of the birth and growth of ISIS published so far. Black Flags is full of personalities, but it keeps its gaze carefully focused on the wider arc of history. -- Thanassis Cambanis * Boston Globe *Joby Warrick is an exceptional storyteller, and Black Flags is both illuminating and spellbinding. No book better explains the miscalculations, wrong turns, and bad luck that led to the rise of ISIS. * Rick Atkinson, author of The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 *Joby Warrick weaves Black Flags with the tradecraft of a spy, the mind of an investigative reporter, and the pen of a novelist. * Dana Priest, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter and author of Top Secret America *Compulsively readable. What makes Warrick’s book unique is its focus on the group’s roots, especially the evolution of its founder. -- Jessica Stern * Washington Post *Warrick charts Zarqawi’s rise from booze-swilling Jordanian street tough to one of the most brutal jihadists in the world. * The New Yorker *[A] crisply written, chilling account … Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Warrick confidently weaves a cohesive narrative from an array of players—American officials, CIA officers, Jordanian royalty and security operatives, religious figures, and terrorists—producing an important geopolitical overview with the grisly punch of true-crime nonfiction … The author focuses on dramatic flashpoints and the roles of key players, creating an exciting tale with a rueful tone, emphasizing how the Iraq invasion's folly birthed ISIS and created many missed opportunities to stop al-Zarqawi quickly. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *A revealing, riveting and exquisitely detailed account of the life and death of Zarqawi, the improbable terrorist mastermind, and the rise of the movement now known as the Islamic State. * San Francisco Chronicle *A detailed, step-by-step narrative demonstrating how repeated miscalculations wound up empowering the Islamic State … Black Flags provides answers in this still-unfolding history. * Dallas Morning News *

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Book SynopsisEvery age has its utopias, from Plato''s Republic to contemporary sci-fi visions. In this spellbinding anthology John Carey charts the course of every conceivable dream world - whether communist, fascist, anarchist, green, golden age, techno-fantastic or hermaphroditic - combining a broad historical sweep with lively variety. An experienced and imaginative anthologist, editor of The Faber Book of Reportage and The Faber Book of Science, Carey has gathered together a vast range of texts from Ancient Egypt to modern California, the authors of which, in different ways, attempt to describe a better world than our own.

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Book SynopsisStunning account of conversations between these two great intellectuals of our timeTrade Review‘A beautifully poised series of dialogues about literature, music and politics, and they're a testimony to the enormous gifts and courage of both men' * Tom Paulin, Guardian *‘Without question, the most original book of the year. A marvellous eavesdrop on the discourse of exchange between two great intellects' * Nadine Gordimer, TLS *‘A fascinating exchange of ideas on music, politics and literature' * Classic FM Magazine *‘An extraordinary meeting of minds in troubled times' * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisThis timely book looks at the role, survival and future of the institution of monarchy.

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Book SynopsisMilitary robots and other, potentially autonomous robotic systems such as unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) could soon be introduced to the battlefield. Look further into the future and we may see autonomous micro- and nanorobots armed and deployed in swarms of thousands or even millions. This growing automation of warfare may come to represent a major discontinuity in the history of warfare: humans will first be removed from the battlefield and may one day even be largely excluded from the decision cycle in future high-tech and high-speed robotic warfare. Although the current technological issues will no doubt be overcome, the greatest obstacles to automated weapons on the battlefield are likely to be legal and ethical concerns. Armin Krishnan explores the technological, legal and ethical issues connected to combat robotics, examining both the opportunities and limitations of autonomous weapons. He also proposes solutions to the future regulation of military robotics through international law.Trade Review'The prospect of intelligent machines rebelling against their human creators is an enduring preoccupation of Western popular culture. Yet most of us know little about the real capabilities of armed robots. In this highly original survey, Armin Krishnan explains the current state of the art in military robotics and explores the implications of the growing use of autonomous weapons. This study is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the battlefield of the future.' Nikolas Gardner, USAF Air War College, USA 'The advent of military or "killer" robots raises profound issues for the future of warfare and arms control. This development, which has become possible due to the combination of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics and information technology, is the principal topic of this path-breaking book. It will therefore be of great significance to those interested in the ethical, legal and military debates about the future use of this technology.' Darryl Howlett, University of Southampton, UK 'Overall, Krishnan's book will be of interest to policymakers and concept developers looking for ideas and education on the 'killer robots' question. It will equally serve academic researchers as a text book for entering the field and as a departure point for their own work. The book would be a useful addition to libraries in applied philosophy, military systems engineering and security policy.' Australian Defence Force Journal 'Krishnan (Univ. of Texas, El Paso) presents one of the greatest ethical questions of modern warfare... This book would be useful for an undergraduate engineering ethics course; it could also accompany a graduate course on unmanned systems. Additionally, it offers roboticists a level of awareness regarding the ethics of these future weapon systems. Includes a solid, thorough bibliography. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and professional audiences, all levels.’ Choice '... the author has made great effort in this "pathTable of ContentsIntroduction; The rise of military robotics; Weapons autonomy and artificial intelligence; The robotics revolution of warfare; The legality of autonomous weapons; Ethical considerations; Dangerous futures and arms control; Military robotics timeline; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThere is continual concern about the ability of governments to perform the duties and responsibilities that their citizens have come to expect from them. Many citizens view government as inept, arthritic, and dedicated to the preservation of the bureaucratic status quo. As we close the twentieth century, the challenge for democratic governments is to become adaptive, flexible, innovative, and creative. In short, they need to become learning organizations. This book explores what it will take for governments to break out of their traditional ways of approaching problems and leam new approaches to finding solutions.Can Governments Learn? examines organizational learning in the public sector. It seeks to understand what role policy and program evaluation information can play in helping governments to learn. Among the democratic societies that are studied are Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Their governmental systems have produced and learned from evaluation information in quite different ways. Significantly, the studies documented here show that the concept of organizational learning has vitality and applicability cross-nationally.Can Governments Learn ? evaluates preconditions for governmental learning as well as the institutional and human resource factors that contribute to the process. This is the third volume in the comparative policy analysis series. It is essential for policymakers, government officials, and scholars interested in improving the performance of governments.

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Book SynopsisThe end of the twentieth century is shaping up as a period of volatile change and transition. As governments the world over work to sustain public policy and develop much needed policy initiatives, there is an increasing need for better budgetary management and sound evaluation of both past and prospective policies. Budgeting, Auditing, Evaluating presents in-depth, comparative examinations of budgetary processes in seven major Western governments.The contributors focus specifically on the important links between budgeting, auditing, and policy evaluation. These are examined as elements of an interactive process that plays a major role in government decision making. Although the three elements are institutionally and functionally distinct, auditing and evaluation generate information that has a measurable impact on government programs and their management. As each chapter demonstrates, national experiences show considerable variation in the development and linkage of budgeting, audi

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Caste, the coming-of-age story of a Dalit individual that illuminates systemic injustice in India and its growing impact on US society?A moving personal story and a useful educational examination of persistent discrimination??Kirkus ReviewsWinner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puruskar, 2020Born into a ?formerly untouchable manual-scavenging family in small-town India,? Yashica Dutt was taught from a young age to not appear ?Dalit looking.? Although prejudice against Dalits, who compose 25% of the population, has been illegal since 1950, caste-ism in India is alive and well. Blending her personal history with extensive research and reporting, Dutt provides an incriminating analysis of caste?s influence in India over everything from entertainment to judicial systems and how this discrimination has carried over to US institutions.Dutt traces how colonial British forces exploited and perpetuated a centuries-old caste system, how Gandhi could have been more forceful in combatting prejudice, and the role played by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, whom Isabel Wilkerson called ?the MLK of India?s caste issues? in her book Caste. Alongside her analysis, Dutt interweaves personal stories of learning to speak without a regional accent growing up and desperately using medicinal packs to try to lighten her skin.Published in India in 2019 to acclaim, this expanded edition includes 2 new chapters covering how the caste system traveled to the US, its history here, and the continuation of bias by South Asian communities in professional sectors. Amid growing conversations about caste discrimination prompting US institutions including Harvard University, Brandeis University, the University of California system, and the NAACP to add caste as a protected category to their policies, Dutt?s work sheds essential light on the significant influence caste-ism has across many aspects of US society.Raw and affecting, Coming Out as Dalit brings a new audience of readers into a crucial conversation about embracing Dalit identity, offering a way to change the way people think about caste in their own communities and beyond.

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Book SynopsisThe ancient ideology - embedded in its religion, politics, social practice and culture - took pivotal role for historical expansion of East Asian states. This study analyses the mechanism of such economic system and its innate danger in today's 'quasi-modern' world. An essential reading to understand the nature of coming crisis in Asia-Pacific.Table of ContentsLists of Maps and Illustrations Preface Introduction - The Trend in Eurasia The Rise and Fall of Nazism PART ONE - THE THEORY Economic Crisis in East Asia The Forgotten Ideology The Chinese Mode for Expansion A Centralized Regime and the Economic Cycle The Nature of Chinese Growth The Prototype - Yin-Zhou 'Revolution' The Political Core Chinese Characters and Its Rationalization What is Arch-Bureaucracy? The Original Chinese Pattern The Korean Pattern The Japanese Pattern Resurgence of Anarchic Japan Two Colliding Civilizations The Political Core Trap Control by Human Network Fragmentation of Power Areal Concept Without Strategy End of expansion PART TWO - THE PRACTICAL TREND I - China and the Chinese Economic Area Why Communism Still Flourish? Problem of Socialist Market Economy Advanced Arch-Bureaucracy Chinese Democracy in Taiwan Increasing Uncertainty in Hong Kong Colonial Power in Singapore Successful Immigration to South East Asia II - South Korea A Faltering Idealism Catching up with Japanese Economy Emerging Democracy III - North Korea A Drifting Autocracy The Failure of People's Democracy An Existing Deterrent in the Peninsula Defeatism as a Major Stumbling Block PART THREE - JAPAN IN CRISIS I - The System A Failed Democracy The Invisible Power of Prime Minister The Decisive Role of Emperor Arch-Bureaucracy Revived Naturally No Spirit of Capitalism The Obscure Civil Liberty The Mounting Obstacle in Front of Japan Pleading Without Oath No Real Sovereignty in the East Factional Politics Must Go The Deepening Division of West and East II - The Origin of the Deflationary Spiral The Established Chinese Ideology Persisting Ancient Economic Cycle Bubble that Failed to be Defined Struggling Japanese Economists Banking Bureaucracy and Its Failure Impossible Ideology for Capitalism A Failing 'Big Bang' in Japan British Democracy with a Japanese Touch MOF Rules Japan in Old Style Quantitative Easing of Different Dimensions Global Capitalism in Danger III - An Impossible Reform The Mandate Given Yasukuni Shrine and Chinese Anger Who Will Take the Responsibility This Time? Surprise Visit to Pyongyang Manifesto For Delay and No Decision The Road Corporation Fiasco A Perception Gap at Postal Corporation The 'Main Castle' Intact Conflicts Amongst Chinese Ideological States Unstoppable Global Democratization PART FOUR - THE CHANGE The Land of Human Gods Factionalism Forbids the Japanese Unification Political Basis of Modern China A Sense of Crisis The Roman Empire and Christianity Ideological Confrontation in Eurasia European Expansion Britain Led the Modern Economy American Growth America on the Alert US Politics Needs a Reinforcement No Valid Social Science The Global Source of Intelligence Can Japan take the Responsibility? How long Must This Ideology Continue? Japan as the Cornerstone for Global Democracy NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisCompletely revised and updated, this textbook continues to offer the most comprehensive resource available. Concise chapters from a diverse mix of established and emerging global scholars offer accessible, in-depth coverage of the history and theories of international organization and global governance and discussions of the full range of state, intergovernmental, and non-state actors.All chapters have been revised and rewritten to reflect the rapid development of world events, with new chapters added on: Chinese approaches to international organization and global governance The UN System The Global South Sustaining the Peace Queering International Organization and Global Governance Post-colonial Global Governance The Sustainable Development Goals The English School Inequality Migration <Trade ReviewPraise for the Third Edition "The theories and perspectives discussed in International Organization and Global Governance provide students, policy makers, and activists with a historical lens to understand where we all come from, together with a large tapestry of inter-related analytical strands to build a vision and strategies for change towards a new global order based on equity, social justice, peace, security, and sustainability. This book should be on the essential reading list for all students studying IR, Politics, Global Governance, Development Studies, International Political Economy, and International Business." —Faizel Ismail, University of Cape Town "In this volume Weiss and Wilkinson deliver a complete 3,000 piece puzzle of global governance. What is exceptionally valuable is that they offer both the 30,000 foot view of the complex and comprehensive landscape and the details behind each piece of international organization." —Maria Ivanova, Northeastern University "In a world riven with war, reeling from a global pandemic, and facing a climate and ecological emergency, it is ever more important to understand the global institutions and actors seeking to respond. In trying to make sense of an ever more complex governance landscape, the latest edition of International Organization and Global Governance brings together top scholars on a bewildering array of key global challenges to provide a timely, authoritative, and accessible guide to the world we live in." —Peter Newell, University of Sussex "The third edition of this important book is a tour de force. Responding effectively to a range of new governance challenges, the volume offers both accessible discussions of theoretical frameworks and rich empirical accounts of governance actors, mechanisms, and processes. The collection enriches our collective understanding of governance and is a must-read for scholars and students alike." —Laura Shepherd, University of Sydney "Too often, the study of international organizations (IGOs) and global governance has been relegated to lower-class status in the discipline of International Relations (IR)—the terrain where idealists tinker while power politics dominate. Weiss and Wilkinson encourage our discipline to rethink, and deepen, its analysis of the relationship between international organizations (IGOs) and global governance. By transcending the separation and confusion between the way that IGOs and global governance have been conceptualized and studied, this fully updated volume provides scholars and students critical tools to navigate the contemporary global governance puzzle in a time of great turbulence and change." —Jennifer Welsh, McGill University Praise for the Second Edition "International Organization and Global Governance is remarkable not just for the breadth and depth of its coverage, but for its ability to stretch our understandings of both organization and governance. It covers classic theories and established institutions (such as the UN and regional organizations) while illuminating the sometimes obscure powers of nongovernmental and "private" entities (ranging from human rights groups to bond rating agencies). This is an indispensable resource for the field." —Michael Doyle, Columbia University "An indispensable resource for any student of contemporary global affairs. This latest edition of a now-classic volume balances breath of coverage with conceptual depth and sophisticated analysis. The editors here have assembled a top-notch team to write an outstanding collection of insightful, accessible essays that span the enormous range of challenges and changes in global governance today." —Martha Finnemore, George Washington University "The first edition of this volume was a land-mark; this second, much-updated volume is most welcome. The editors and authors are all leading authorities on their topics. Highly recommended." —David Malone, United Nations University "In a fracturing world, international cooperation is looking fragile. This book provides a useful overview of how international organizations can help, where they fail, and with what consequences." —Professor Ngaire Woods, University of Oxford Table of ContentsPart I: Introduction From International Organization to Global Governance Thomas G. Weiss and Rorden Wilkinson Part II: Contextualizing International Organization and Global Governance Section Introduction 1. The Emergence of Global Governance Craig N. Murphy 2. The Evolution of International Law Charlotte Ku 3. International Organizations and the Diffusion of Power Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall 4. The Diffusion of Authority David Held and Eva-Maria Nag 5. Who Governs the Globe? Susan K. Sell Part III: Theories of International Organization and Global Governance Section Introduction 6. Realism Jason Charrette and Jennifer Sterling-Folker 7. Classical Liberal Internationalism* Christer Jönsson 8. Liberal Institutionalism Tana Johnson and Andrew Heiss 9.Constructivism Susan Park 10. The English School Ian Hall and Tim Dunne 11. Rational Choice and Indirect Global Governance Henning Tamm and Duncan Snidal 12. Critical Theory Robert W. Cox 13. Marxism Julian Germann 14. Feminism Susanne Zwingel, Elisabeth Prügl, and Gülay Caglar 15. Post-Structuralism James Brassett 16. Post-colonial Global Governance Adekeye Adebajo 17. Chinese Approaches Yongjin Zhang 18. Queer International Organization and Global Governance Ariel Mekler Part IV: States and International Institutions in Global Governance Section Introduction 19. The UN System Natalie Samarasinghe and Giovanna Kuele 20. The UN General Assembly M. J. Peterson 21. The European Union Ben Rosamond 22.The Staying Power of the BRICS Andrew F. Cooper and Ramesh Thakur 23. The Global South Jacquie Braveboy-Wagner 24. US Hegemony W. Andy Knight 25. China and Global Governance Shaun Breslin and Ren Xiao Part V: Non-State Actors in Global Governance Section Introduction 26. Global Corporations Christopher May 27. Civil Society and NGOs Jan Aart Scholte 28. Labor Robert O’Brien 29. Credit Rating Agencies Timothy J. Sinclair 30. Think Tanks and Global Policy Networks James G. McGann with Laura Messner 31. Global Philanthropy Michael Moran 32. Private Military and Security Companies Peter J. Hoffman 33. Transnational Criminal Networks Frank G. Madsen Part VI: Securing the World, Governing Humanity Section Introduction 34. UN Security Council and Peace Operations Paul D. Williams and Alex J. Bellamy 35. Regional Organizations and Global Security Governance S. Neil MacFarlane 36. Weapons of Mass Destruction Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu 37. Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism Peter Romaniuk 38. Human Rights Daniel Braaten and David P. Forsythe 39. The Pursuit of International Justice Richard J. Goldstone 40. Humanitarian Intervention and R2P Simon Chesterman 41. Crisis and Humanitarian Containment Fabrice Weissman 42. Sustaining the Peace Gert Rosenthal 43. Human Security as a Global Public Good Stefanie Neumeier and Mark Raymond Part VII: Governing the Economic and Social World Section Introduction 44. Global Financial Governance Bessma Momani 45. Global Trade Governance Bernard Hoekman 46. Global Development Governance Katherine Marshall 47. Global Environmental Governance Elizabeth R. DeSombre and Andrea Sabau 48. Regional Development Banks and Global Governance Jonathan R. Strand 49. Climate Change Matthew J. Hoffmann 50.Sustainable Development Goals and the Promise of a Transformative Agenda Sakiko Fukada-Parr 51. Global Energy Governance Harald Heubaum 52. Food and Hunger Jennifer Clapp 53. Global Health Governance Sophie Harman and Andreas Papamichail 54. Refugees and Migrants Nicholas R. Micinski 56.Global Internet Governance Madeline Carr

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Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the role of popular music in the rise of populism in Europe, centring on the music-related processes of sociocultural normalisation and the increasing prevalence of populist discourses in contemporary society. In its innovative combination of approaches drawing from (ethno)musicology, sociology, and political science, as well as media and cultural studies, this book develops a culture-oriented approach to populism. Based on shared research questions, an original theoretical framework and a combination of innovative methodologies that pay attention to the specific socio-historical contexts, taking into account musical material as well as processes of reception, the five chapters in this volume offer detailed analyses of the nexus of popular music and populism in Hungary, Italy, Austria, Sweden and Germany. All of these countries have seen a marked increase in populist parties and discourses over the last years, as well as significant interactions between populism

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Book SynopsisSurvival, the IISSâs bimonthly journal, challenges conventional wisdom and brings fresh, often controversial, perspectives on strategic issues of the moment.In this issue: Riccardo Alcaro and Nathalie Tocci discuss Giorgia Meloniâs malleable political views Nigel Gould-Davies examines the recent prisoner swap between Russia and the West and its implications for future dealings with Russia HÃloÃse Fayet, Andrew Futter and Ulrich KÃhn analyse French, British and German approaches to developing an effective European nuclear deterrent Thomas Juneau outlines the options available to Israel, Saudia Arabia and the United States in responding to the persistent Houthi threat And nine more thought-provoking pieces, as well as our regular Book Reviews and Noteworthy column. To read free articles from the journal, please visit its homepage at

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Book SynopsisDrawing on mainstream and critical theoretical approaches, International Organizations offers a comprehensive examination of international organizations'' political and structural role in world politics. This text details the types and activities of international organizations and provides students with the conceptual tools needed to evaluate their effectiveness. Surveying key issue areas from international and human security to trade and the environment, International Organizations looks at present and future possibilities for global governance from a broad range of perspectives.New to the Sixth Edition Focused on the seismic shifts caused by the rise of national populism and the effects on the more liberal institutions of global governance. Fully revised throughout with a feature on the EU in the face of Brexit, the Greek financial crisis, and global migration. Adds a new section on the Arab LeaguTrade ReviewPraise for the Sixth Edition Kelly-Kate Pease’s comprehensive and accessible text is an excellent tool for students to develop a good sense of the complexities of global governance. The book’s strengths are many: It goes beyond a purely state-centered analysis to acknowledge the role that non-state actors play in the process of global decision-making; it applies IR theories to help students easily grasp the usefulness of theoretical lenses to interpret real-world events; last but not least, it offers a judicious selection of global case studies that cover the most relevant aspects of present-day international cooperation. Mihaela Anghel, The Hague University of Applied Sciences The new edition of this well-researched, well-written, well-organized text offers students a careful view of modern international organizations: their historical and theoretical roots, decision-making, and policy records. The textbook covers both mainstream and critical theories in addition to a variety of international issues, including development, trade, security, governance, and the environment. It is also very helpful for my Model U.N. students! Houman A. Sadri, University of Central Florida Kelly-Kate Pease has produced a wonderful update of International Organizations, clearly explaining five theoretical perspectives in international relations and illustrating how they can be applied to explain the outcomes of real cases, from Brexit to the Syrian conflict. A valuable resource for both beginning and advanced students, the book also provides a thorough discussion of the issues facing IOs as well as the positive and negative outcomes of global governance. Stacy Taninchev, Gonzaga University This new edition of Kelly-Kate Pease’s text offers an exciting exploration of international politics beyond institutional processes by placing a much-needed emphasis on global action and governance. The enmeshing of theoretical perspectives with a vast selection of case studies results in a dynamic resource that allows students to gain knowledge, test theories competitively, and build an in-depth understanding of the complexity of real-world events. Boyka Stefanova, University of Texas-San Antonio Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: International Organizations: Nuts and Bolts. Chapter 3: Mainstream Theories Chapter 4: Critical Theories Chapter 5: International Security Chapter 6: Regional Security Chapter 7: Trade Chapter 8: Development Chapter 9: Environment Chapter 10: Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Chapter 11: Global Governance in 2030 Appendix: Finding Employment in International Organizations

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Book SynopsisThe new fifth edition of this leading textbook provides a clear and comprehensive account of governance and politics in the Netherlands. The book has been revised throughout to provide full coverage of recent developments and events, including the latest proposals for constitutional reform. The Netherlands has often been characterized as a place of political calm, with a culture of cooperation and compromise in dealing with key political issues. Now, at a time when climate change and immigration are high on the political agenda, the electorate is growing ever more unpredictable and political fragmentation makes forming majority coalitions increasingly difficult, it is vital to question how the Dutch system will continue to achieve consensus. With this in mind, the authors take a comparative and analytical approach as they examine the features of the country's political system that have long made it a subject of study for political scientists. Governance and Politics of the NetherlaTrade ReviewThis is the book that has taught me everything I have needed to know about politics and governance in the Netherlands and kept me fully informed about the latest developments with every new edition. This fifth edition offers accessible and sharp insights into the historical and present-day politics of this intriguing country. * Kris Deschouwer, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium *Rich, multifaceted and up-to-date. Highly recommended for students and scholars who want to get acquainted with Dutch democracy. * Tom van der Meer, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands *Table of Contents1. The Country, the Nation, and the State 2. A Country of Minorities 3. Political Parties and the Party System 4. Elections 5. The Core Executive 6. Parliament 7. The Policy-Making Process 8. Multi-Level Governance 9. Economic and Welfare Policy 10. Foreign Policy 11. Evaluating Consensus Government.

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback - âI have always been a bird. A bit vulture, a bit eagle. I have looked the sun in its face. Born several times - dead several times so that I could be reborn from my ashes.' The extraordinary life of Mariella Novotny, a woman who links John F. Kennedy, the Profumo Affair & a well-known British film producer.Trade Review‘The story gently evokes a time and a place and characters, part Runyonian and part “we know where you live”, that seem to have vanished after their glory days in the sixties and early seventies.’ -- Tom Mangold‘Sex, crime, espionage, betrayal and revenge. They are all present in Lilian Pizzichini’s page turner of the life of Mariella Novotny, a 1960s bad girl gone to worse and then to very worse.’ -- James Morton, author of KRAYS: THE FINAL WORD

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Book SynopsisThe election of Donald Trump as president of the United States sent shockwaves across the globe. How was such an outcome even possible? In two lectures given at American universities in the immediate aftermath of the election, the leading French philosopher Alain Badiou helps us to make sense of this extraordinary occurrence. He argues that Trump's victory was the symptom of a global crisis made up of four characteristics: the triumph of a brutal form of global capitalism, the decomposition of the established political elite, the growing frustration and disorientation that many people feel today, and the absence of a compelling alternative vision. It was in this context that Trump could emerge as a new kind of political figure that was both inside and outside the political order, a member of the Republican Party who, at the same time, represents something outside the system. The progressive political challenge now is to create something new that offers people a real choice, a radical alternative based on principles of universality and equality. This concise account of the meaning of Trump should be read by everyone who wants to understand what is happening in our world today.Trade Review"What is our task today? Reading Trump as the symptom of global capitalism's political crisis, Badiou compellingly argues that our task is to bring into existence a strategic choice between capitalism and communism. Anything less confines us to the present's democratic fascism. This crucial intervention eschews fear and despair as it finds hope in the creation of a divisive, communist politics."—Jodi Dean, author of Crowds and Party "Approachable and insightful, and will satisfy both general readers and readers more knowledgeable about political theory."—Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsTwo Days after the Election of Trump Alain Badiou Speaks in Los Angeles Two Weeks after the Election of Trump Alain Badiou Speaks in Boston

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Book SynopsisChina's growing power and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have thrust geopolitics back to the centre of the global stage, but the old geopolitical frameworks, with their positivist methods and their emphasis on structural determinants, will not enable us to understand the increasingly dangerous world in which we are living today. Bertrand Badie argues that states and the many other actors now operating in the international arena are products of their cultural contexts and political traditions. Their perspectives and motivations are shaped by the narratives, memories and emotions that constitute people's everyday realities; they are therefore profoundly subjective in character and cannot be reduced to the categories of behaviour posited by traditional geopolitical frameworks like realist IR theory. In Badie's view, international disputes in the twenty-first century are better understood through the concept of the battle for meaning', confrontations between different modes of understanding the world. His judgement is that peace and stability depend on greater sensitivity to the worldview and international perspective of other actors in the international arena. A willingness to try to see the world from the subjective perspective of one's friends, rivals and even one's enemies is vital. This timely and engaging book by one of the world's leading scholars of international relations will be of great interest to students and scholars in politics and IR and to anyone concerned about the growing tensions in the world today.

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Book SynopsisExam Board: AQA, Edexcel, WJEC/Eduqas Level: A-level Subject: Politics First teaching: September 2017 First exams: Summer 2019 Master the skills you need to set yourself apart and hit the highest grades; this year-round course companion develops the higher-order thinking skills that top-achieving students possess, providing step-by-step guidance, examples and tips for getting an A grade.Written by experienced author and teacher Sarra Jenkins, Aiming for an A in A-level Politics:Helps you develop the 'A grade skills' of analysis, evaluation, creation and applicationTakes you step by step through specific skills you need to master in A-level Politics, so you can apply these skills and approach each exam question as an A/A* candidateClearly shows how to move up the grades with sample responses annotated to highlight the key features of A/A* answersHelps you practise to achieve the levels expected of top-performing students, using in-class or homework activities and further reading tasks that stretch towards university-level studyPerfects exam technique through practical tips and examples of common pitfalls to avoid Cultivates effective revision habits for success, with tips and strategies for producing and using revision resourcesSupports the major exam boards, outlining the Assessment Objectives for reaching the higher levels under the AQA, Edexcel and WJEC/Eduqas specifications.

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Book SynopsisThis promising addition to the growing literature on the history of late socialism charts the development of youth culture and politics in socialist Yugoslavia, focusing on the 1980s. Rather than examining the 1980s as a mere prelude to the violent collapse of the country in the 1990s, the book recovers the multiplicity of political visions and cultural developments that evolved at the time and that have been largely forgotten in subsequent discussion. The youth of this generation, the author convincingly argues, sought to rearticulate the Yugoslav socialist framework in order to reinvigorate it and 'democratise' it, rather than destroy it altogether.Trade Review‘While the official statistics serve to emphasize the nature of crisis, as well as act as indicators of intergenerational changes of opinion in the YSFR, it is the wide range of interviews that make the book a vivid and fascinating portrait of growing up in a state that ceased to exist over a quarter of a century ago. Spaskovska utilises a wide ranging dramatis personae of the generation, each with a different series of anecdotes that provide a tableaux of the blurred lines between the official political youth organisations and the youthful dissidence of alternative Yugoslav culture. A diversity of voices are heard: from radio DJs fined for playing Laibach records, to early Slovene feminist and LGBT activists, to young JNA officers, all holding different views on political and cultural issues of the decade, some even regretting their youthful rebellion in retrospect.’Benjamin Stephens‘This book makes an essential contribution to the history of the break-up of Yugoslavia and indeed the history of late Cold War Europe.’Catherine Baker, University of Hull, Europe-Asia Studies'Ljubica Spaskovska’s book introduces an innovative and until now rarely explored, generational approach to the complexities of the late Yugoslav socialism of the 1980s.'Southeastern Europe -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction:Revisiting the 1980s through a generation lens1. 'Pockets of freedom' - the youth sphere and its spaces of negotiation and dissent2. Comrades, I don't believe you! - youth culture and the rethinking of historical legacies3. The 'phantom of liberty' - new youth activism4. The eighty-eighters - the arena of youth politics and the break-up of YugoslaviaConclusion: Rethinking youth politics and cultures in late socialist YugoslaviaSelect bibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an audit of fourteen years of Conservative government in Britain, from 2010 to 2024. It examines the rise of populism, the politics of Brexit, the UK's response to the pandemic and the steady erosion of public trust. -- .

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Book Synopsis'Samuel Kasumu has written an important - and very moving - book about the outsider phenomenon.' - Robert Peston' I loved reading about your childhood and your anxieties as a father. The personal is so well mixed with the analytical. Thank you for reflecting our experiences and ideas so well and so sensitively. This is really great to read!' - Kadie Kanneh-MasonSamuel Kasumu was the most senior black advisor in Boris Johnson's government, until he left in April 2021. Throughout his time in Whitehall, Samuel became increasingly aware that he was an outsider - that his own experiences, assumptions and language were so different to many of those he found himself surrounded by in Downing Street.In this book Samuel considers who outsiders are, why they are not talked about enough and how it can be a source of strength that leads them to become high achievers. He argues that the success of many great people can be explained by their outsider status.Drawing on his own experiences in government, growing up and beyond, as well as the stories of other outsiders, famous and lesser known, Samuel shows how outsiders are more likely to be trailblazers and break barriers, how they have a greater sense of perspective and progress and how our differences can be a force for good - in politics and beyond.Trade ReviewWe spend our lives complaining about how insiders have stitched up everything to their advantage. But the biggest winners are often outsiders - who see things others miss and often have superhuman drive. Samuel Kasumu has written an important - and very moving - book about the outsider phenomenon. * Robert Peston *(A) fascinating account of how outsiders can become insiders - a surprisingly moving and personal account of Samuel Kasumu's time as a former race advisor in a Boris Johnson government * Serena Barker-Singh *

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Book SynopsisIn his timely new book, Mikhail Shishkin, argues that Russia is not a 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma': we just don't know enough about it. So what is the real story behind Putin's autocratic regime and its invasion of Ukraine?In My Russia: War or Peace? Shishkin traces the roots of Russia's problems, from the 'Kievan Rus' via the Grand Duchy of Moscow, empire, revolution and Cold War, to the now thirty-year-old Russian Federation. He explores the uneasy relationship between state and citizens, explains Russian attitudes to people's rights and democracy, and proposes that there are really two Russian peoples: the disillusioned and disaffected, who suffer from 'slave mentality', and those who embrace 'European' values and try to stand up to oppression.Both deeply personal and taking a broader historical view, My Russia is a passionate, eye-opening account of a state entangled in a complex and bloody past, as well as a love letter to a conflicted country. Will Russia continue its vicious circle of upheaval and autocracy, or will its people find a way out of history - and how can we help?Trade ReviewShishkin is the most prominent Russian novelist of his generation. To compare him to Solzhenitsyn is no exaggeration... [An] important book * Sunday Times *An elegant blend of history, biography and polemic * Daily Telegraph * Often sings with powerfully estranged, original observations... minutiae and grand philosophy collide on every page. * Boris Fishman, The New York Times Book Review (on The Light and The Dark) *Shishkin is interested in what is most precious and singular in classic Russian fiction: the passionate inquiry into what, in Maidenhair, is called the 'soul, quintessence, pollen.' * Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal (on The Light and The Dark) *

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Book SynopsisAs veteran author Tom Engelhardt argues, despite having a more massive, technologically advanced, and better funded military than any other power on the planet, in the last decade and a half of constant war across the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa, the United States has won nothing. Its unending wars, in fact, have only contributed to a world growing more chaotic by the second. From its founding, the United States has been a nation made by wars. Through incisive analysis and characteristic wit, Engelhardt ponders whether in this century, its citizenry and government will be unmade by them.Trade Review“Unlike the myriad of lesser writers distracted by the latest antics of the man with the orange hair, the brilliant Tom Engelhardt keeps our focus where it should be: on the vast militarized empire whose leaders’s belief that they can control the world drains our tax dollars, undermines our children's future, and sends young men and women to die in an unending series of fruitless wars." —Adam Hochschild, author of Spain in Our Hearts “The mainstream media call it the ‘Age of Trump.’ Tom Engelhardt knows better: It's the ‘Era of America Unhinged.’ This new collection of essays gives us Engelhardt at his very best: incisive, impassioned, and funny even, in a time great darkness.” —Andrew Bacevich, author of America's War for the Greater Middle East “Tom Engelhardt is a tireless analyst of the miseries of American Empire. In this indispensable book he shines an unrelenting spotlight on the steep cost to everyday Americans of the sunny fantasies about Middle East dominance retailed by generals, politicians and think tank rats inside the Beltway--fairy tales intended to obscure the dark failures of this enterprise. “ —Juan Cole, author of The New Arabs “We Americans have learned to sleep through our multiple wars, but Tom Engelhardt relentlessly shakes us awake. For sixteen years now, he has watched in astonishment and written the scene-by-scene review of this imploding empire and he only becomes sharper as old reels rewind and play again. In this volume, the nation wasted at home by its profligate wars abroad picks a big orange emperor, flanked by his very own generals, to lead us on into . . . well, just read the book!” —Ann Jones, author of They Were Soldiers "Since September 11, no one has had a keener eye for American militarism, hypocrisy, and flat-out folly than Tom Engelhardt" —John Dower, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embracing Defeat “The violence, destruction, and suffering resulting from the imperial arrogance of Bush, Cheney, and cohorts have proceeded on their shocking course while most Americans, Tom Engelhardt writes, were “only half paying attention.” Regular readers of his incisive, lucid, and brutally informative columns could not fail to pay attention and to be appalled at what was revealed. Their impact is all the more forceful in this collection, which casts a brilliant and horrifying light on a sordid chapter of history, far from closed.” —Noam Chomsky “In his searing new book, A Nation Unmade by War, Tom Engelhardt has composed a requiem for a nation turned upside down by the relentless pursuit of global power. A devastating critique of the national security state, A Nation Unmade takes the reader from Nixon and Vietnam to Bush and the Iraq War through post-9/11 America, chronicling the errors, deceptions, and policy decisions which have ushered in a state of permanent war, reducing nations to rubble, wreaking chaos and confusion at home, and threatening the very principles upon which the country was founded. A must read for any student of 21st America.” —Karen J. Greenberg, author of Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State "Since 2007, I’ve had the distinct honor of writing for Tom Engelhardt and TomDispatch.com. Tom is a patriot in the best sense of that word: he loves his country, and by that I mean the ideals and freedoms we cherish as Americans. But his love is not blind; rather, his eyes are wide open, his mind is sharp, and his will is unflagging. He calls America to account; he warns us, as Dwight D. Eisenhower did, about the many dangers of an all-powerful national security state; and, as Ike did sixty years ago, he reminds us that only Americans can truly hurt America. I think Ike would have commended his latest book, A Nation Unmade by War. Having read it myself, I highly recommend it to thinking patriots everywhere." —W.J. Astore

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Book SynopsisA bold plan for the United States to regain the lead in infrastructure development through privatization and public-private partnershipsAmerica's infrastructureits essential roads, bridges, ports, airports, power grids, and telecommunications systemswere once the pride of the nation and an example for the world. But now, after years of neglect and oversight, this infrastructure is crumbling and causing catastrophic changes in the US quality of life. Build seeks to explain how American infrastructure collapsed and what can be done to repair it. In a series of colorful, rarely told cases, Build takes readers on a revealing tour behind the scenes of the successes and debacles of key infrastructure projects to show what works, why the United States has failed in recent decades to invest in infrastructure, and how the private sector can help revitalize the sector, spur job growth, and contribute to climate resilience. Sadek Wahba examines the private origins of US infrastructure and the f

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Book SynopsisA classic, controversial book exploring German culture and identity by the author of Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain, now back in print.When the Great War broke out in August 1914, Thomas Mann, like so many people on both sides of the conflict, was exhilarated. Finally, the era of decadence that he had anatomized inDeath in Venicehad come to an end; finally, there was a cause worth fighting and even dying for, or, at least when it came to Mann himself, writing about. Mann immediately picked up his pen to compose a paean to the German cause. Soon after, his elder brother and lifelong rival, the novelist Heinrich Mann, responded with a no less determined denunciation. Thomas took it as an unforgivable stab in the back.The bitter dispute between the brothers would swell into the strange, tortured, brilliant, sometimes perverse literary performance that isReflections of a Nonpolitical Man, a book that Mann worked on and added to throughout the war and that bears an intimate relation to his postwar masterpieceThe Magic Mountain. Wild andungainly though Mann?s reflections can be, they nonetheless constitute, as Mark Lilla demonstrates in a new introduction, a key meditation on the freedom of the artist and the distance between literature and politics.The NYRB Classics edition includes two additional essays by Mann: ?Thoughts in Wartime? (1914), translated by Mark Lilla and Cosima Mattner; and ?On the German Republic? (1922), translated by Lawrence Rainey.

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Book SynopsisRoger Scruton looks at the central ideas of conservatism over the centuries. He examines conservative thinking on civil society, the rule of law and the role of the state on the one hand; and freedom (including freedom of expression and association), morality, equality, property and rights on the other. He traces the origins and development of the conservative ideology in the philosophies and thoughts of, among others, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, John Ruskin, Michael Oakeshott, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman and Robert Nozick. He shows how conservative ideas have worked out in the politics and policies of leading figures people such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Disraeli, the Earl of Salisbury, Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. He also looks closely at the degree to which capitalism and free markets have been, and are integral to, conservative ideology and politics in the UK and in the USA. Professor Scruton's clear, incisive guide is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the politics and policies of the west now and over the last three centuries.

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Book SynopsisReissue of an incisive exploration of the many faces of modern nationalism by the esteemed author of On Consolation In 1993 Michael Ignatieff set out on a journey to the former Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Germany, Quebec, Kurdistan and Northern Ireland in order to explore the many faces of modern nationalism. Why, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, were so many nation states disintegrating into ethnic conflict? What did nationalism promise, that so many were willing to shed blood in the name of an idea of belonging? In a stimulating mix of interviews, history and evocative reportage, Ignatieff provides a searching analysis of the brutal conflicts and powerful fantasies produced by ethnic nationalism, and questions the possibility of a nationalism based on shared civic values. Reissued with a new preface, Blood & Belonging is a nuanced, fascinating account of one of our era's defining political issues.Trade Review'An immensely impressive meditation on the post-Cold War period... powerful and subtle' - Library Journal'Ignatieff is a reporter and thinker, and both his reportage and reflections are useful and often illuminating' - LA Times'Vivid and readable... [It] provides unforgettable impressions of societies that are going in the wrong direction on the highway to brotherhood and unity' - Washington Post

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a comprehensive overview of the current European media in a period of disruptive transformation. It maps the full scope of contemporary media policy and industry activities while also assessing the impact of new technologies and radical changes in distribution and consumption on media practices, organizations, and strategies. Combining a critical assessment of media systems with a thematic approach, it can serve as a resource for scholars or as a textbook, as well as a source of good practices for steering media policy, international communication, and the media landscape across Europe.Table of ContentsWhy Study Media Policy and Regulation? Hannu Neiminen Is Content Still King? Trends and Challenges in the Production and Distribution of Television Content in Europe Tim Raats, Jeanette Steamers and Karen Donders Media Economics and Transformation in a Digital Europe Tom Evens Media Governance: More than a Buzzword Werner A. Meier Subsidies: Fuel for Media Josef Trappel Public Service Media in Western Europe Today: Ten Countries Compared Hilde van den Bulck, Leen d'Haenens and Tim Raats The Europeanization of the European Media: The Incremental Cultivation of the EU Media Policy Stylianos Papathanassopoulos The Council of Europe: Ensuring the Freedom and Independence of Europe's Media Tarlach McGonagle Europe's Internet Policies: The Challenge of Maintaining an Open Internet Christian Möller and Tarlach McGonagle Media and Democracy: A Couple Walking Hand in Hand? Josef Trappel and Hannu Nieminen Media Diversity and Pluriformity: Hybrid 'Regimes' across Europe Leen d'Haenens, Elke Ichau, Hanne Vadenberghe and Pascal Verhoest Testing the Boundaries: Evolving Norms and Troubling Trends for Journalism Auské Balčytiene, Karin Raeymackers and Elena Vartanova

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Book SynopsisProfessor Ashton has lifelong hands-on experience and a deep scholarly understanding of the science of public health, a discipline invented in Britain. In this scathing critique he notes that nothing that the UK government has done to deal with COVID-19 is recognisable against two centuries of knowledge. Instead, it is designing untested methods at exceptional expense that have created a public-health and economic crisis never seen before. The government should urgently return to the science as set out in Blinded by Corona. From February, Professor Ashton has applied its precepts to Bahrain, where he was appointed special COVID-19 adviser, and the country topped the WHO league in August. It also suffered the least disruption of the economy and social life and did not have a general lockdown.Trade Review'Everyone should read this book. Its powerful and penetrating insight holds our leaders to account - and finds them wanting.' PROFESSOR ROGER KIRBY, PRESIDENT, ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE;;'Professor Ashton's counsel and knowledge has proven him to be an authoritative figure on how the threat of COVID-19 should be responded to. His early calls for mass testing were quickly heeded to in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and established him as one of the world's leading public health experts on countering COVID-19.' SALMAN BIN KHALIFA, FINANCE MINISTER BAHRAIN;;'Once you start reading this book, it is hard to put down. It puts COVID-19 into the wider trajectory of public health within Britain, and is absolutely devastating on the response of the UK government to the COVID-19 crisis. A must-read for all those interested in understanding what went wrong and why.' DEVI SRIDHAR, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH;;'As with the Hillsborough disaster, the fuel crisis, needle exchange and other crises John Ashton is calling this one correctly here. He was speaking out on COVID-19 before any politician was awake.' GABRIEL SCALLY, MEMBER OF INDEPENDENT SAGE, PRESIDENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY & PUBLIC HEALTH ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE;;'John Ashton has public health in his bones. His views are erudite, uncompromising, and humane. He has judged how this pandemic would unfold better than computer simulations and politicians. The answers are in these pages and governments should listen.' PROFESSOR KAMRAN ABBASI, EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL;;'This is an important book. John Ashton shows how and why the catastrophic actions of Boris Johnson's government failed its people and led to many thousands of unnecessary deaths. If we are to avoid similar disasters, read this scorching indictment of those in power.' KEN LOACH;;'In 1847 the much celebrated and revered Doctor William Henry Duncan was appointed as Liverpool's first Medical Officer of Health. Like Dr Duncan, and motivated by a passion for the common good, John Ashton sees the world through the lens of public health. From the outset of the Coronavirus pandemic he has offered trenchant and coherent arguments about how the Government and public-health authorities needed to respond. His insightful book provides a valuable compass and road map as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic. He also offers sound advice on how to be better prepared for fresh waves of Covid and other potential threats to public health. As Dr Duncan might have said-just what the doctor ordered.' LORD ALTON;;'John Ashton has been the voice of Cassandra throughout the pandemic. He has earned the right to be the first to tell the whole story, showing that we had both experience and knowledge, but failed to use it. But in the face of the arrogance of centralisation, Ashton gives us hope that local communities and expertise are equipped to bring the 2020 pandemic to its conclusion.' CRISPIN PAILINGTable of ContentsBlinded by Corona 1 Plagues in History 2 Straws in the Wind 3 A Disaster Waiting to Happen 4 Rising Tide in Wuhan, China 5 The Virus Arrives in the UK 6 News from Bahrain 7 A Wasted Month and an Absentee Prime Minister 8 A Floating Petri Dish 9 Where There Is No Vision, the People Perish 10 SAGE 11 Left to Die, 'Herd Immunity' 12 Chickens Coming Home to Roost 13 The Last Stop 14 Politically-Led Science and the Numbers Game 15 Lockdown 16 The Forgotten 17 Dying Matters 18 Independent SAGE to the Rescue? 19 Cummingsgate and After Afterword Acknowledgements Glossary Select Bibliography

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Book Synopsis‘Urgent, compulsively readable and powerfully resonant’ Sinclair McKay You know Oppenheimer, the man who created the atomic bomb… Now meet the men who detonated it, and the extraordinary weight of their decisions… Road to Surrender by New York Times bestselling author Evan Thomas is a riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan – a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history. At 9:20 a.m. on the morning of May 30, General Groves receives a message to report to the office of the secretary of war “at once.” Stimson is waiting for him. He wants to know: has Groves selected the targets yet? So begins this suspenseful, impeccably researched history that draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender. They are Henry Stimson, the American Secretary of War, who had overall responsibility for decisions about the atom bomb; Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, head of strategic bombing in the Pacific, who supervised the planes that dropped the bombs; and Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo, the only one in Emperor Hirohito’s Supreme War Council who believed even before the bombs were dropped that Japan should surrender. Henry Stimson had served in the administrations of five presidents, but as the U.S. nuclear program progressed, he found himself tasked with the unimaginable decision of determining whether to deploy the bomb. The new president, Harry S. Truman, thus far a peripheral figure in the momentous decision, accepted Stimson’s recommendation to drop the bomb. Army Air Force Commander Gen. Spaatz ordered the planes to take off. Like Stimson, Spaatz agonized over the command even as he recognized it would end the war. After the bombs were dropped, Foreign Minister Togo was finally able to convince the emperor to surrender. To bring these critical events to vivid life, bestselling author Evan Thomas draws on the diaries of Stimson, Togo and Spaatz, contemplating the immense weight of their historic decision. In Road to Surrender, an immersive, surprising, moving account, Thomas lays out the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings, motivations, and decision-making of three people who changed history. ‘This dramatic, you-are-there masterpiece provides a convincing explanation of one of the great moral questions of 20th century history: was America right to drop the atom bomb on Japan at the end of World War II? … This is an indispensable book for those who want to understand the moral issues surrounding the use of great power.’ Walter Isaacson ‘In this meticulously crafted and vivid account, Evan Thomas tells the gripping and terrifying story of the last days of the Second World War in the Pacific. Writing with insight and understanding, he recreates for us those critical moments when, for better or worse, the decisions, from the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the Japanese surrender, were made.’ Margaret MacMillanTrade Review‘Urgent, compulsively readable and powerfully resonant’ Sinclair McKay ‘This dramatic, you-are-there masterpiece provides a convincing explanation of one of the great moral questions of 20th century history: was America right to drop the atom bomb on Japan at the end of World War II? … This is an indispensable book for those who want to understand the moral issues surrounding the use of great power.’ Walter Isaacson ‘In this meticulously crafted and vivid account, Evan Thomas tells the gripping and terrifying story of the last days of the Second World War in the Pacific. Writing with insight and understanding, he recreates for us those critical moments when, for better or worse, the decisions, from the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the Japanese surrender, were made.’ Margaret MacMillan ‘A terrifying, heart-breaking account of three men under unimaginable pressure’ Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Travels with George ‘An indispensable portrait of power, anxiety, and moral ambiguity’ Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of And There Was Light ‘A taut, thrilling narrative, rich, compassionate, and superbly nuanced.’ Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Revolutionary

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Book SynopsisAward-winning journalist - and author of Hello, Shadowlands - Patrick Winn reveals the inside story of a forbidden republic - the narco-state of the Wa The jagged mountains dividing China and Burma belong to the Wa, an indigenous group who have outwitted the CIA to create the world's mightiest narco-state, controlling more territory than Israel and with more troops than Sweden. Are they crime lords? Or visionaries? Wa State has become a real nation with its own highways, anthems, schools and flags. Its leaders promise a utopia, using profits from trafficking heroin and meth to attain what China's other frontier peoples, Tibetans and Uighurs, can only dream of: a state of their own. Patrick Winn (author of Hello, Shadowlands) embarks on a risky journey of discovery, chasing clues about the forbidden republic from Thailand to Burma to the secretive Wa State itself.Trade ReviewThose who fail to read this forsake their chance to know the truth * Roberto Saviano *An outstanding book packed with history, humour, and adventure. America's struggle to thwart them Winn is the perfect guide to these highland outlaws and their incredible, defiant narcostate. This is the best reportage to come out of Southeast Asia in years. * Graeme Wood, author of The Way of Strangers *A riveting portrait of a little-known and often vilified people; a harrowing tale of Asia's epic, multibillion-dollar drugs trade. * Thant Myint-U, author The Hidden History of Burma *Winn has made a riveting read out of the largely overlooked- but critically important- Wa State .... The history behind it, the masterminds pulling the strings, and the many CIA operations against them. It's a fascinating and incredibly well-researched dive into Asia's underworld and some of the greatest narcotics traffickers in the region. And above all, it's beautifully crafted storytelling. * Isobel Yeung *Unputdownable .... An authentic page-turner revealing why the global drug problem remains unsolved. * Khuensai Jaiyen, former secretary to drug lord Khun Sa *Part gangster saga, part espionage thriller, and part liberation epic, Winn's narrative alternates between rollicking adventure and harrowing violence conveyed in vivid, muscular prose. * Publishers Weekly *At times, Narcotopia reads like a satire from the mind of Joseph Heller ... Winn tells this complex story with admirable clarity and a healthy dose of humour, and has drawn on a huge range of CIA and DEA documents, 'some declassified, others acquired by creative means'. * The Daily Telegraph *

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