Politics, Philosophy & Society Books

Book Synopsis''though a great many men and not a few women knew Ferdinand Lopez very well, none of them knew whence he had come''Despite his mysterious antecedents, Ferdinand Lopez aspires to join the ranks of British society. An unscrupulous financial speculator, he determines to marry into respectability and wealth, much against the wishes of his prospective father-in-law. One of the nineteenth century''s most memorable outsiders, Lopez''s story is set against that of the ultimate insider, Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium. Omnium reluctantly accepts the highest office of state; now, at last, he is ''the greatest man in the greatest country in the world''. But his government is a fragile coalition and his wife''s enthusiastic assumption of the role of political hostess becomes a source of embarrassment. Their troubled relationship and that of Lopez and Emily Wharton is a conjunction that generates one of Trollope''s most complex and substantial novels. Part of the Palliser series, The Prime Mi

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Book SynopsisOpen, honest and upbeat, this book gives personal insight into both the ups and downs of an Asperger relationship. Seeking to challenge the bad press that people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) get as partners, Sarah and Keith tell their story of how they are making it work - and also how they got it wrong - with disarming frankness and humour.When Sarah and Keith met in 2003 neither knew much about Asperger Syndrome. Sarah thought Keith was `weird' and couldn't work out why; and Keith thought Sarah was obsessed with diagnosing him with something-or-other. Difficulties ensued that brought the relationship to an end. Slowly, however, they each built up their knowledge of AS and in the meantime developed a mutual understanding, mutual acceptance and a desire to be together again.This personal account is supplemented with professional knowledge and anecdotes gained from Sarah's work with adults with AS - a career which started as a result of her experiences with Keith. She swears that she didn't take her work home with her! It is inspiring reading for couples in Asperger relationships as well as for counselling professionals.Trade ReviewAsperger Syndrome - A Love Story is one of those lovely treats, a book one should read for work and personal development but can't put down. I quickly became absorbed by the story of Keith who has Asperger's Syndrome and Sarah who does not. The book is beautifully collaborative as it alternates from paragraphs written on a topic by Sarah from her perspective and Keith from his. This approach works well combined with the authors' warmth and honesty... Sarah and Keith have done more than achieve a relationship and challenge stereotypes. They have also made a really positive contribution to the resources on Asperger's by identifying the things that helped them. Their story is one that will inspire, give hope and a sense of solidarity to those with Autistic Spectrum Conditions, their partners and those supporting them. It might also come in quite handy for some non-Asperger relationships who struggle to see the point of view of the opposite gender. -- Journal of Family TherapyAsperger Syndrome: A Love Story was written to provide both insight into the thinking of each partner in an unconventional relationship, and constructive strategies to lead to a more satisfying relationship for both parties...The reader very quickly appreciates the difficulties faced by Sarah and Keith and their biography of their relationship is engaging, informative and encouraging. -- From the Foreword by Tony Attwood, author of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and ProfessionalsA personal insight into a relationship where one partner has AS, but this was only slowly discovered and understood. -- Current Awareness ServicesI have worked with couples where one is affected by Asperger syndrome for over ten years; reading this book was like being an observer of a world I am very familiar with. Any woman who has loved a man with Asperger syndrome will relate to this book and find her own experiences totally validated. This book offers hope and encouragement to both partners in an Asperger relationship; it is realistic, unbiased and heart-warming. I recommend this book to all who wish to develop an understanding of the effect that both having and living with Asperger syndrome can have upon a relationship. -- Maxine Aston, author of Aspergers in Love and The Other Half of Asperger SyndromeAnyone whose partner has AS will find it extremely valuable as a source of ideas and information to build a relationship based on their partner's strenghts rather than on social expectations of how relationships should be. -- Clinical Psychology ForumThis is the first time that such a frank account has been written and should be seen as a must read for anyone wishing to understand what it's like, not only having Aspergers, but also living with someone that has it. -- bfkbooks.comTable of ContentsForeword. Preface. Introduction - Setting The Scene 1. How Did I Get Here? 2. Diagnosis 3. Relationship Mk I - Who Is This Weirdo/Crazy Woman? 4. The End of the Beginning - Splitting Up 5.Relationship Mk II - Not so Weird/Crazy After All 6. Practicalities 7. Speaking Asperger as a Second Language. 8. The World According to Keith. 9. Change, Certainty and Cantankerousness. 10. Communication. 11. Pay-offs, Sad Days and Thoughts. 12. Conclusion. References. Resources.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPart of the pleasure of reading this lively, friendly, and truly unique book on academic writing is getting a sense of the pleasure with which the author obviously wrote it. With intelligence, generosity, and dare I say love, Eric Hayot makes us pay attention to that which we tend most to overlook or to give short shrift in scholarly practice-the act of style and its integral relation to critical thought-and moreover shows us how to enjoy the act of reclaiming it. Academic writers at all stages of experience will return to these pages again and again. -- Sianne Ngai, author of Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting My only criticism of The Elements of Academic Style is that it wasn't around thirty years ago, when I needed to learn everything, micro and macro, that this book teaches in its inimitable ways about the nature of scholarly writing. But I need it today just as much for its provocative suggestion that we unlearn what we believe we already know about seminar papers, chapters, dissertations, and books as kinds of writing. Challenging us to rethink what we ask our students to do (and why), Hayot links the demands of academic style to the possibilities of institutional reform. How long are seminar papers, and why do we need them anyway? Thanks to The Elements of Academic Style, we'll be debating these and many other questions for years to come. -- Andrew Parker, Professor of French and Comparative Literature, Rutgers University The Elements of Academic Style is an utter tour de force, a guide to scholarly writing in the humanities that manages to be at once lively, funny, absorbing, rigorous, and immensely insightful. It offers a wealth of advice from the minute and grammatical to the disciplinary and career-changing, even as it probes deeply into the humanities as they are actually practiced, in the nitty gritty of our writing. Intended for graduate students, who will benefit in untold ways from its wisdom, it is a boon for faculty as well, so acute are its observations and so intelligent its maxims. Like its progenitor, Elements of Academic Style has sweep, lucidity, and pitch-perfect style. But what most distinguishes this remarkable book are more unexpected qualities: its intimacy, and especially its generosity. Eric Hayot has given us all a gift. -- Sarah Cole, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University For literary critical postgraduates and their teachers this is a useful book. Times Literary Supplement [The Elements of Academic Style] has the potential to transform how we teach and practice academic writing, and it invites the kind of reading and engagement that makes such a transformation possible... A book well worth reading and rereading. -- Carla Nappi New Books Network Seminar A needed contribution to the literature on academic writing, Hayot's book will be invaluable to any writer in the humanities. CHOICE Excellent... The book is a comprehensive, incisive, and staggeringly overdue guide to writing humanistic scholarship... Written in assured, engaging prose, possessed of personality but not overbearing, The Elements should be required reading for everybody-students, faculty, even administrators-in the orbit of a humanities Ph.D. program. -- Louis Bury HyperallergicTable of Contents1. Why Read This Book? Part I. Writing as Practice 2. Unlearning What You (Probably) Know 3. Eight Strategies for Getting Writing Done 4. Institutional Contexts 5. Dissertations and Books 6. A Materialist Theory of Writing 7. How Do Readers Work? Part II. Strategy 8. The Uneven U 9. Structure and Subordination 10. Structural Rhythm 11. Introductions 12. Don't Say It All Early 13. Paragraphing 14. Three Types of Transitions 15. Showing Your Iceberg 16. Metalanguage 17. Ending Well 18. Titles and Subtitles Part III. Tactics 19. Citational Practice 20. Conference Talks 21. Examples 22. Figural Language 23. Footnotes and Endnotes 24. Jargon 25. Parentheticals 26. Pronouns 27. Repetition 28. Rhetorical Questions and Clauses 29. Sentence Rhythm 30. Ventilation 31. Weight Part IV. Becoming 32. Work as Process 33. Becoming a Writer 34. From the Workshop to the World (as Workshop [as World]) 35. Acknowledgments Appendix: A Writer's Workbook Works Cited Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThere are many ways to try to improve our lives - we can turn to the wisdom of philosophers, the teachings of religions or the latest experiments of psychologists. But we rarely to look to history for inspiration - and when we do it can be surprisingly powerful. Showing the lessons that can be learned from the past, cultural historian Roman Krznaric explores twelve universal topics, from work and love to money and creativity, and reveals the wisdom that we've been missing. There is much to be learned from Ancient Greece on relationships, from the industrial revolution on job satisfaction, and from Ming-dynasty China on bringing up our children. Just as a Renaissance 'Wunderkammer' was a curiosity cabinet full of fascinating objects, each with a story behind it, The Wonderbox is full of stories and ideas from history, each of which sheds invaluable light on the decisions we make every day, whether we think about the different uses of the senses or changing attitudes to time. History is usually read for pleasure or for insight into current affairs, but The Wonderbox, stepping into the territory of Alain de Botton and Theodore Zeldin, is 'practical history' - using the past to think about our day to day lives.Trade ReviewA fascinating rattlebag of intelligent, stimulating essays. The Wonderbox is very much in the mould of Alain de Botton's bestsellers * Financial Times *Entertaining and instructive * The Times *A cornucopia of delights. Completely fascinating, beautifully written and brimming with insights -- Michael Wood, historian, film maker and author of The Story of EnglandThe author's enthusiasm for direct solutions to modern dilemmas is infectious. -- Sue Gerhardt, author of Why Love Matters and The Selfish SocietyThink Alain de Botton meets Niall Ferguson ... a wonderful mix of social history and good ideas for everyday living. -- Robert Kelsey, author of What’s Stopping You?Taking one hefty theme per chapter - such as love, work or home - Krznaric serves up a fascinating series of accounts of how we got where we are now, sifting the valuable from the worthless with an impressive indifference to current fashions. After reading The Wonderbox, endlessly shopping for stuff you already have will seem distinctly strange * Reader's Digest *Ranging from such lofty issues as love and death to the finer points of carpentry, Krznaric offers a compendium of fascinating and quirky anecdotes and character studies, refiguring them as practical fables for everyday life. Though a pleasure to read cover-to-cover, this book lends itself perfectly to the occasional reader looking for workable solutions to any dilemma. The scope of the stories and the versatility of Krznaric's interpretations are at once fascinating and illuminating. -- Emily Best * We Love This Book *A guaranteed pick-me-up for the early days of January! And a book I'm going to be returning to for years. -- Clare English * BBC Radio Scotland Book Cafe *Inspiration for bold experiments in living. * The Oxford Times *An intriguing upmarket self-help guide. * The Guardian *Roman Krznaric delves into the wonderbox of history...and reveals how the past can prompt us to aim higher than we do. Four star review * Metro *Brim-full of insights drawn not from philosophy, religious teachings or psychology but drawing on the writing and lives of great writers including Tolstoy, Thoreau and Orwell. Krznaric weaves together a compelling, fresh argument about how we conduct our relationships, make decisions about the life we lead and the crucial importance of empathy. -- Steve Moore, CEO * The Big Society Network *The Wonderbox is a treasury of history and philosophy that manages also to be truly, practically motivational -- John-Paul Flintoff, author of Sew Your OwnAlmost like an opera, it begins with love and ends with death. But it isn't operatic in style. It is earthy and literate in an old-fashioned style, iconoclastic and realistic. It throws light into the world of personal fulfilment and issues a call to ethical action on a global context. * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisFollowing on from the hugely successful Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, comes the next bumper encyclopedia celebrating all facets of witchcraft. This definite book is the most comprehensive, authoritative and entertaining guide you''ll ever find on the mythology, folklore and traditions of magic.In this mammoth magical treasure trove, Judika Illes explores the history, folklore, spirituality, and mythology of witchcraft. A feast of facts and curiosities, rooted in magical and spiritual traditions, from all over the world, there are recipes from the witch''s cauldron, magical sacred dates, and methods of witches'' flights. Discover how witchcraft has inspired popular culture from Shakespeare to Harry Potter, and how witches have suffered persecution and death in centuries past.Packed full of amazing facts, bizarre information and fascinating stories, you will also be introduced to mythic witches, modern witches, sacred goddess witches, even demon witches, male and female witches, and witches from all over the globe.Ideal for both the dedicated follower and casual reader, as a perfect gift for yourself or someone else to treasure, this definitive encyclopedia is essential reading for anyone interested in folklore, mythology and magic.Trade ReviewPrevious publications:Earth Mother Magic: Ancient Spells for Modern Belles (Fair Winds Press, 2001) Emergency Magic! 150 Spells for Surviving the Worst-Case Scenario (Fair Winds Press, 2002) Spells: The Anthology (Seventh House Publications, 2002) Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells (Element, 2004)

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Book SynopsisNations are not trapped by their pasts, but events that happened hundreds or even thousands of years ago continue to exert huge influence on present-day politics. If we are to understand the politics that we now take for granted, we need to understand its origins. Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order. This book starts with the very beginning of mankind and comes right up to the eve of the French and American revolutions, spanning such diverse disciplines as economics, anthropology and geography. The Origins of Political Order is a magisterial study on the emergence of mankind as a political animal, by one of the most eminent political thinkers writing today.Trade ReviewFukuyama remains as prominent as ever * FT *Elegant, honest, persuasive ... he attacks his former academic allies and friends ... with a relentless and awesome force * Glasgow Herald *It should be read by every democrat - and every dictator. -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *Thoroughly worthwhile ... [the book] will give many thoughtful people a sensible path forward * Spectator *This is that rare work of history with up-to-the-minute relevance * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *No longer the neocon of former days, Fukuyama seems a more flexible and discerning thinker, and as always, his mastery of the literature is daunting. This exceptional book should be in every library * Library Journal *Sweeping, provocative big-picture study of humankind's political impulses ... Endlessly interesting - reminiscent at turns of Oswald Spengler, Stanislaw Andreski and Samuel Huntington, though less pessimistic and much better written * Kirkus Reviews (starred) *Societies that learn from mistakes rather than punish them have an inherent resilience...It is confirmed by this ambitious work. -- Oliver Kamm * The Times *

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Book SynopsisRelated to the key areas of Pauli''s and Jung''s joint interests, the book covers overlapping issues from the perspectives of physics, philosophy, and psychology. Of primary significance are epistemological questions connected to issues such as realism, measurement, observation, consciousness, and the unconscious. The contributions assess the extensive material that we have about Pauli''s and Jung's ideas today, with particular respect to concrete research questions and projects based on and related to current knowledge.

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Book Synopsis''Dazzling... Pinker''s big idea is that language is an instinct...as innate to us as flying is to geese... Words can hardly do justice to the superlative range and liveliness of Pinker''s investigations''- Independent''A marvellously readable book... illuminates every facet of human language: its biological origin, its uniqueness to humanity, it acquisition by children, its grammatical structure, the production and perception of speech, the pathology of language disorders and the unstoppable evolution of languages and dialects'' - Nature

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Book SynopsisAdopted in 1938 and remaining in British service until 1991, the popular and reliable Bren was an iconic light machine gun, and arguably the most recognizable Commonwealth weapon of World War ll. Gas-operated and magazine-fed, it was based on a Czech design and was issued in large numbers during and after World War ll, as a section-level automatic weapon. Offering remarkable accuracy for an LMG, the Bren had an effective range of 600 yards, but could reach out to over 1,500 yards. It was generally fired from the prone position using a bipod, but could be fired from the hip when necessary. If kept clean, the Bren gave a reliable service in the harshest of environments, from the deserts of Libya to the Korean mountains in winter. As well as widespread infantry use, the Bren was widely supplied to resistance movements in Occupied Europe. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and based on meticulous research, this is an engaging story of the iconic light machine gun that equipped British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and in a host of postwar conflicts, right up to the Falklands and beyond.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Development /Use /Impact /Conclusion /Select Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisThe con artist: from Bernie Madoff to Clark Rockefeller to Lance Armstrong. How do they get away with it? And what keeps us falling for them, over and over again? In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova investigates the psychological principles that underlie each stage of the swindle, from the put-up all the way to the fix, and how we can train ourselves to spot a story that isn't all it seems.Trade ReviewA fascinating look at the psychology behind every hustle * * Economist * *The story of the con artist may be unmatched for combining human interest with insight into human nature, and star psychology writer Maria Konnikova explains their wiles to us with her characteristic clarity, flair and depth -- STEVEN PINKERRemarkable . . . The Confidence Game will widen your eyes and sharpen your mind -- DANIEL H. PINKIn a world of pseudoscience, Maria Konnikova's calm rationality is comforting and smart -- JON RONSONAs an invaluable resource for understanding the conditions that create the scammer, the mechanics of the scam and the inherent vulnerability of the mark, The Confidence Game should be required reading . . . Given the current state of democracies around the globe, it should also be a prerequisite for voting * * Times Literary Supplement * *If you liked Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, you'll love this lucid and revelatory look into our oh-so-susceptible selves -- ERIK LARSON * * author of The Devil in the White City * *Fascinating stories of some fantastically elaborate cons * * Spectator * *One of the best science writers of our time * * Forbes * *There's a lot to be learned about human nature from the con's enduring success. And Konnikova is an insightful analyst of the dark art of ­the scam. Konnikova has learned at least one thing from the con artists she studied: Always leave your marks wanting more * * New York Times * *Maria Konnikova breaks down the psychology of schemes, scams, tricks and frauds across the centuries in The Confidence Game an unnerving manual for conning and getting conned . . . fortunately, the cons are usually entertaining and the studies revealing * * Washington Post * *A gripping examination of exactly why so many of us are such suckers for schemes that shut down our saner instincts * * Vice * *Konnikova covers wide-ranging studies in social psychology and illustrates them with colorful stories about real-life con men and women in action * * New York Magazine * *A thrilling psychological detective story investigating how con artists prey on our propensity for believing what we wish were true and how this illuminates the inner workings of trust and deception in our everyday lives . . . a tapestry of riveting real-life con artist profiles interwoven with decades of psychology experiments. What makes the book especially pleasurable is that Konnikova's intellectual rigor comes with a side of warm wit . . . thoroughly fascinating * * Brainpickings * *An engaging read: between studies and statistics, Konnikova threads her examination with rich narratives of historical swindles * * Los Angeles Review of Books * *A compelling, engrossing account of the world of the con. I stayed up far too late reading it. Beautifully written, and filled with stories and thought-provoking psychological research, The Confidence Game will teach you how confidence artists operate - and how to outwit them -- CHARLES DUHIGG * * author of The Power of Habit * *An enthralling read about why we're all vulnerable to deception, by one of the truly gifted social science writers of our time. This book shook my confidence in my ability to detect fraud - and then showed me how to improve my skills -- ADAM GRANT * * author of Give and Take and Originals * *What magic takes place when a smooth talking stranger convinces you to part with everything you have? Maria Konnikova is a superb storyteller and her tales of conmen and their victims will blow your mind. The Confidence Game is a masterful exploration of human psychology - Konnikova uses the art of the con to explore some striking claims about kindness and cruelty, memory and reputation, the power of stories, and the very nature of the self. This is a brilliant and often unsettling book, and it leaves me with mixed feelings - I'd like everyone to read it, but at the same time, it scares me to think of it falling into the wrong hands -- PAUL BLOOM * * author of Just Babies * *Gripping . . . Konnikova has a gift for bringing out the drama, poignancy and (if you're not the victim) the humor in the elaborate deceptions she describes * * Jacksonville.com * *Exceptional . . . a brisk, engaging overview of the ways these skilled tricksters masterfully manipulate us to their own ends * * Boston Globe * *Fantastical . . . a quick and enjoyable read about con-artistry * * Spiked * *Irresistably fascinating * * Sunday Herald * *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBreath-taking and thought-provoking * The New York Times *Truly intriguing and inspiring * Los Angeles Times *Gladwell's most enjoyable book so far. It is a feel-good extravaganza, nourishing both heart and mind. Each of its stories ... has an ending that is both happy and surprising. What ostensibly unites the stories are the twin ideas that an advantage can sometimes be a disadvantage and that a disadvantage can sometimes be an advantage. Yet there is something more powerful and more uplifting that also links them. It is that good beats bad - just when you least expected it * Financial Times *When you read it, you feel like you can topple giants -- Jon Ronson

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Book Synopsis'Literally impossible to put down’ New York Times Book Review Gordon Thomas has a grasp of history… this is one of the few books to have captured the true nature of the Israeli Government and the thorough process of the Israeli power elite. Ari Ben-Menashe, Former Adviser on Intelligence to the Israeli Government Created in 1951 to ensure an embattled Israel’ s future, the Mossad has been responsible for the most audacious and thrilling feats of espionage, counterterrorism and assassination ever ventured. Gideon’ s Spies has been created from closed-door interviews with Mossad agents, informants and spymasters, and drawing from classified documentsand top-secret sources, revealing previously untold truths about the Israeli intelligence agency. Bang-up-to-date, this new paperback edition of this best-selling book includes startling new information on subjects ranging from Weapons of Mass Destruction, international terrorism, North Korea’ s bird-flu war games and ‘ ethnic bombs’ . The riveting text is supported by glossaries, appendices and shows a Mossad as it has historically been: brilliant, ruthless, flawed but ultimately fascinating.

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Book SynopsisQuiz your family at home with crosswords, puzzles and games.The Times2 jumbo crossword is an entertaining test of word power and general knowledge. The 60 crosswords in this collection offer the same challenge as The Times2 daily crossword but the larger grid means there are more clues to enjoy and some longer words and phrases to muse on.The Times 2 jumbo crossword now appears weekly in the Saturday edition of The Times. It provides a constant alternative to The Times jumbo cryptic crossword.The Times 2 jumbo crosswords are intended to be exactly the same type as the normal daily crossword in The Times 2 section with the same mixture of reasonably-challenging but not too recondite words and references.The Times 2 crossword editor, John Grimshaw, has selected 60 of the best crosswords from The Times to form this enjoyable collection.

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Book SynopsisMost of us believe that we possess a self - an internal individual who resides inside our bodies, making decisions, authoring actions and possessing free will. The feeling that a single, unified, enduring self inhabits the body - the 'me' inside me - is compelling and inescapable. This is how we interact as a social animal and judge each other's actions and deeds. But that sovereignty of the self is increasingly under threat from science as our understanding of the brain advances. Rather than a single entity, the self is really a constellation of mechanisms and experiences that create the illusion of the internal you. We only emerge as a product of those around us as part of the different storylines we inhabit from the cot to the grave. It is an ever changing character, created by the brain to provide a coherent interface between the multitude of internal processes and the external world demands that require different selves.Trade ReviewFascinating, timely and important ... Hood's presentation of the science behind our supersense is crystal clear and utterly engaging. New Scientist Wonderful. Illuminating. Full of insight, beauty, and humor. Get to know thyself. -- David Eagleman, author of Sum Startling and engrossing... -- Robin Ince Hood has amassed a mountain of support for his argument, covering brain development through social interaction such as attachment, the importance of social mimicry, the illogicality of free will, on-line and off-line selves and much, much more. Nature a fascinating and beautifully written book. The Biologist

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Book SynopsisHighly controversial when it was first published in 1981, Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue has since established itself as a landmark work in contemporary moral philosophy. In this book, MacIntyre sought to address a crisis in moral language that he traced back to a European Enlightenment that had made the formulation of moral principles increasingly difficult. In the search for a way out of this impasse, MacIntyre returns to an earlier strand of ethical thinking, that of Aristotle, who emphasised the importance of 'virtue' to the ethical life. More than thirty years after its original publication, After Virtue remains a work that is impossible to ignore for anyone interested in our understanding of ethics and morality today.Table of ContentsPrologue to the Third Edition \ Preface \ 1. A Disquieting Suggestion \ 2. The Nature of Moral Agreement Today and the Claims of Emotivism \ 3. Emotivism: Social Content and Social Context \ 4. The Predecessor Culture and the Enlightenment Project of Justifying Morality \ 5. Why the Enlightenment Project of Justifying Morality Had to Fail \ 6. Some Consequences of the Failure of the Enlightenment Project \ 7. ‘Fact', Explanation and Expertise \ 8. The Character of Generalizations in Social Science and their Lack of Predictive Power \ 9. Nietzsche or Aristotle? \ 10. The Virtues in Heroic Societies \ 11. The Virtues at Athens \ 12. Aristotle's Account of the Virtues \ 13. Medieval Aspects and Occasions \ 14. The Nature of the Virtues \ 15. The Virtues, The Unity of a Human Life and the Concept of a Tradition \ 16. From the Virtues to Virtue and After Virtue \ 17. Justice as a Virtue: Changing Conceptions \ 18. After Virtue: Nietzsche or Aristotle, Trotsky and St Benedict \ 19. Postscript \ Bibliography \ Index.

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Book SynopsisWidely regarded as the father of modern Western philosophy, Descartes sought to look beyond established ideas and create a thought system based on reason. In this profound work he meditates on doubt, the human soul, God, truth and the nature of existence itself.GREAT IDEAS. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisJust after the iron curtain fell on Eastern Europe John Steinbeck and acclaimed war photographer, Robert Capa ventured into the Soviet Union to report for the New York Herald Tribune. This rare opportunity took the famous travellers not only to Moscow and Stalingrad - now Volgograd - but through the countryside of the Ukraine and the Caucasus. A RUSSIAN JOURNAL is the distillation of their journey and remains a remarkable memoir and unique historical document. Steinbeck and Capa recorded the grim realities of factory workers, government clerks, and peasants, as they emerged from the rubble of World War II. This is an intimate glimpse of two artists at the height of their powers, answering their need to document human struggle

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Book SynopsisCovering the biggest names, including Socrates, Seneca, St Augustine, Descartes, Marx and Nietzsche, I Think Therefore I Am provides a handle for all the main -isms and -ologies of western philosophy.Philosophers certainly like to make life sound awfully complicated – whether they're wondering if a falling tree still makes a sound if there's nobody around to hear it (Berkeley) or declaring that everything in the universe is in a state of flux (Heraclitus) – but is philosophy really so complicated? And is it really as irrelevant as it sometimes seems?I Think, Therefore I Am is the ideal way to take the fear out of philosophy. Written in an accessible and highly entertaining style, this book explains how and why philosophy began, and how, from Greek democracy to Communism, the ways in which we live, learn, argue, vote and even spend our money have their origins in philosophical thought.Trade ReviewDelves into all the principle 'isms' and 'ologies' with humour, knowledge and plenty of useful thinking * Lancashire Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisA unique new volume illuminating the philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman Cynics  The Greek Cynics owned no property and rejected fame and fortune, living almost entirely out of doors while surviving on wild plants and water from natural springs. They promoted ideals such as self-sufficiency, freedom, detachment, shamelessness, and toughness, and their philosophy penetrated not only Greek but also Roman civilization. This unique anthology draws together the writings on and by various Cynic philosophers, from founding figures Antisthenes and Diogenes of Sinope to Hipparchia, one of the few female philosophers in antiquity, and fourth-century Roman emperor Julian the apostate. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers t

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Book SynopsisSAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training examines what it takes to be as mentally fit as a special forces soldier. The book explains why it is equally important to focus on stress management and mental discipline as it is to concentrate on push-ups, sit-ups and other physical exercises. Using simple steps, the book shows the reader how they can build up their endurance over a matter of weeks and months, and how their quality of life will benefit. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training demonstrates how you can gain the psychological edge over your opponent, as well as ready yourself for critical challenges ahead. Whether you are competing in unarmed combat sports, running a marathon or just looking to get ahead, SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training will have helpful and practical advice for you. The book includes a number of military training programmes designed to assess a trainee’s fitness for the arduous life of a combat soldier, as well as chapters on leadership, battle tactics, escape and survival techniques, and improving intelligence and concentration. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training is an essential guide to testing and improving mental agility and resilience in the modern combat environment. Table of Contents1. Will to Survive 2. Handling Combat Stress 3. Recruitment and Training 4. Intelligence and Concentration 5. Building a Team Mind 6. Leadership 7. Battle Tactics 1: Handling Major Manoeuvres 8. Battle Tactics 2: Counter-insurgency 9. Detention, Escape, Survival 10. Peacekeeping and Diplomacy 11. Future Wars

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Book SynopsisJohn Berger broke new ground with his penetrating writings on life, art and how we see the world around us. Here he explores how the ancient relationship between man and nature has been broken in the modern consumer age, with the animals that used to be at the centre of our existence now marginalized and reduced to spectacle.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction, by Rosalind C. Morris Part 1 Text "Can the Subaltern Speak?" revised edition, from the "History" chapter of Critique of Postcolonial Reason, by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Part 2 Contexts and Trajectories Reflections on "Can the Subaltern Speak?" Subaltern Studies after Spivak, by Partha Chatterjee Postcolonial Studies: Now That's History, by Ritu Birla The Ethnical Affirmation of Human Rights: Gayatri Spivak's Intervention, by Drucilla Cornell Part 3 Speaking of (Not) Hearing: Death and the Subaltern Death and the Subaltern, by Rajeswawri Sunder Rajan Between Speaking and Dying: Some Imperatives in the Emergence of the Subaltern in the Context of U.S. Slavery, by Abdul JanMohamed Subalterns at War, by Michele Barrett Part 4 Contemporaneities and Possible Futures: (Not) Speaking and Hearing Biopower and the New International Division of Reproductive Labor, by Pheng Cheah Moving from Subalternity: Indigenous Women in Guatemala and Mexico, by Jean Franco Part 5 In Response In Response: Looking Back, Looking Forward, by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Appendix Can the Subaltern Speak? Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisNow using pinyin romanization, this classic translation captures the visionary thought and stylistic brilliance of a seminal Daoist text.Trade ReviewBurton Watson...possesses all the qualities which distinguish a master translator. As a craftsman and as a poet, he has inspired and challenged two generations. ASIAN AFFAIRS Translation of any of the classics...from the hand of Burton Watson is an event to be welcomed with gratitude. JOURNAL OF ASIAN STUDIESTable of ContentsIntroduction Outline of Early Chinese History 1. Free and Easy Wandering 2. Discussion on Making All Things Equal 3. The Secret of Caring for Life 4. In the World of Men 5. The Sign of Virtue Complete 6. The Great and Venerable Teacher 7. Fit for Emperors and Kings 8. Webbed Toes 9. Horses' Hoofs 10. Rifling Trunks 11. Let It Be, Leave It Alone 12. Heaven and Earth 13. The Way of Heaven 14. The Turning of Heaven 15. Constrained in Will 16. Mending the Inborn Nature 17. Autumn Floods 18. Supreme Happiness 19. Mastering Life 20. The Mountain Tree 21. Tian Zifang 22. Knowledge Wandered North 23. Gengsang Chu 24. Xu Wugui 25. Zeyang 26. External Things 27. Imputed Words 28. Giving Away a Throne 29. Robber Zhi 30. Discoursing on Swords 31. The Old Fisherman 32. Lie Yukou 33. The World Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA masterpiece and rare achievement; a completely new and convincing reading of a body of politicized knowledge that has dominated much of the field in the last thirty years. The entire concept of Orientalism will have to be totally rethought following Boone's book. -- Moshe Sluhovsky, Vigevani Chair in European Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem This book offers an erudite and timely interpretation of the phenomenon of homoeroticism in orientalism in the Near and Middle East. Treating a broad range of Western representations of the "Orient", Boone provides an important corrective to Edward Said's Orientalism by addressing the powerful ways in which Europeans writers' and artists' representations of homoeroticism in the "Orient" have covertly enabled the appeal of orientalism as a predominantly male mode of discourse. -- Ali Behdad, John Charles Hillis Professor of Literature at UCLA; author of Belated Travelers and A Forgetful Nation. Joseph Boone has opened a triple dialogue between Western perceptions (and fantasies) of Middle-Eastern homoeroticism, queer theory as it has evolved over the past decade, and the growing field of sexual studies in the Islamic world. Read The Homoerotics of Orientalism and discover that Boone has taken the necessary steps in offering oneself up to unsuspected, multiple ways of being. As he says, "how might the terms 'homoeroticism' and 'Orientalism', the two operative words of my title, each find itself refigured, wrenched apart and re-conjoined to create new meanings? -- Richard Howard, Poet, Columbia University A veritable tour de force. Boone's groundbreaking, timely book challenges us to revisit a wide range of orientalist visual and textual artifacts produced over the last four hundred and fifty years in which the recurrence of homoerotic desire contests heterosexual norms, colonial control, and race and gender hierarchies. The wealth of textual and visual materials and the broad selection of figures are, in and of themselves, extraordinary contributions to scholarship. A must read for scholars both of Anglo-European-American and Middle-Eastern and Islamicate gender and sexuality studies. -- Sahar Amer, Professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Sydney Orientalism will never be the same after Boone's extraordinary book, which disrupts the heterosexual template implicit in Edward Said's and refashions the cultural traffic between East and West as inescapably reciprocal, dialectical, and multiple-in a word, global. As much an intervention in visual culture as it is a revelatory history of the literatures of both West and East, The Homoerotics of Orientalism with its staggering erudition and critical finesse courageously recasts the stark divide of Occident and Orient that produced Orientalism as mutually constitutive, creative, and informing as it has been destructive, and it does so in the form of a critical gift-a book of utmost generosity, judiciousness, and political imagination- that carries its own charge of love. -- Jennifer Wicke, Professor of English, University of Virginia Boone shatters the old binaries of Western Orientalist discourses AND the field of postcolonial studies and offers much needed insight for the field of sexuality studies in the Muslim world. A remarkable achievement! -- Janet Afary, Mellichamp Chair in Global Religion and Modernity and Professor of Religious Studies and Feminism, University of California, Santa Barbara Once every decade or so, a book appears that revolutionizes the field of GLBT studies... [The Homoerotics of Orientalism] is a book that post-colonialists will seize immediately and argue over endlessly--but one that will also permeate the wider GLBT intellectual landscape. Every reader will benefit. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide This remarkable study models an ethics of cross-cultural reading that exposes, with nuance and economy, the crucial role played by the homoerotics of Orientalism in shaping the world as we know it today. -- Christopher Harrity The Advocate [A] substantial and fascinating book. -- Robert Aldrich H-Histsex The Homoerotics of Orientalism is an outstanding and bold intellectual discussion of transgressive sexualities in both the Islamic and the Western worlds... A well-researched book that puts forth a new thinking on Orientalism... Highly recommended. Choice Important and engaging volume. Journal of Modern History Meticulously researched. Modern PhilologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface: Re-Orienting Sexuality Part I: Theory and History 1. Histories of Cross-Cultural Encounter, Orientalism, and the Politics of Sexuality 2. Beautiful Boys, Sodomy, and Hamams: A Textual and Visual History of Tropes Part II: Geographies of Desire 3. Empire of 'Excesse,' City of Dreams: Homoerotic Imaginings in Istanbul and the Ottoman World 4. Epic Ambitions and Epicurean Appetites: Egyptian Stories I 5. Colonialism and Its Aftermaths, Gide to Chahine: Egyptian Stories II Part III: Modes and Genres 6. Queer Modernism and Middle Eastern Poetic Genres: Appropriations, Forgeries, and Hoaxes 7. Looking Backward: Homoeroticism in Miniaturist Painting and Orientalist Art 8. Looking Again: Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Visual Cultures Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn the Laws, Plato describes in fascinating detail a comprehensive system of legislation in a small agricultural utopia he named Magnesia. His laws not only govern crime and punishment, but also form a code of conduct for all aspects of life in his ideal state - from education, sport and religion to sexual behaviour, marriage and drinking parties. Plato sets out a plan for the day-to-day rule of Magnesia, administered by citizens and elected officials, with supreme power held by a Council. Although Plato''s views that citizens should act in complete obedience to the law have been read as totalitarian, the Laws nonetheless constitutes a highly impressive programme for the reform of society and provides a crucial insight into the mind of one of Classical Greece''s foremost thinkers.Table of ContentsThe LawsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionUtopianismPlato's Life and WorkPlato's Political ThoughtThe RepublicThe StatesmanThe LawsThe Relationship Between the Republic and the LawsMagnesia: the New Utopiaa. Size and Situationb. Population and Occupationsc. Educationd. Religione. Lawf. Government and AdministrationPlato and TotalitarianismThe Modern Reaction to PlatoComposition and Structure of the Laws: SummaryFurther ReadingNote on the TranslationThe Laws1. The Inadequacy of Spartan and Cretan LegislationIntroductory ConversationThe Aim of Spartan and Cretan LawsCourage and Pleasure2. Drinking Parties as an Educational DeviceTeetotallers MisguidedCan Drinking Parties be Educational?Interlude: The Athenian Pressed for an AnswerThe Nature and Purpose of EducationThe Educational Effect of Drinking Parties3. The Arts in the Service of EducationThe Nature and Purpose of Educationhow the Arts should reinforce EducationIs Pleasure the Proper Criterion in the Arts?Artistic Censorship in EgyptJustice and Happiness for TogetherChildren are Easily PersuadedThe Three ChorusesQualifications of the Third Chorus, and an Attack on Contemporary Trends in the ArtsThe Educational Effects of Drinking PartiesSumming-up on the Uses of Drink4. The Lessons of History: Legislation and the Balance of PowersLife after the FloodAutocracyThe Primitive City and the Origin of LegislationTroyThe Dorian LeagueWhy did the League Fail?Seven Titles to AuthorityThe Reasons for Sparta's Success5. The Lessons of History (2): Monarchy and DemocracyTwo Mother-ConstitutionsThe Persian MonarchyAthens and the Persian WarsThe Corruption of the Athenian DemocracyRecapitulationThe Proposed New Cretan Colony6. Magnesia and Its PeopleNatural ResourcesThe ColonistsThe Need for a Benevolent DictatorWhat Constitution is to be Imposed?The Age of CronusLaw should be SupremeAddress to the New Colonists7. The Correct way to Legislate: Laws and PreamblesIntroductionPhysical FitnessWealthThe Correct Treatment of ChildrenDuties to Relatives, Friends and StateDuties to ForeignersPersonal MoralityHow to Handle CriminalsSelfishnessExtremes of Emotion to be AvoidedVirtue and Happiness9. The Foundation of the New StatePreliminary Analysis of the StateThe Selection of the CitizensDistributing the Land (1)The Size of the Population (1)Religious and Social OccasionsStates Ideal and Real: Community of PropertyDistributing the Land (2)The Size of the Population (2)Holdings are InalienableThe Possession of MoneyThe Four Property-ClassesAdministrative Units of the StateTheory to be Modified by FactsThe Pre-eminence of MathematicsInfluences of Climate10. Civil and Legal AdministrationProblems of Appointing the First OfficialsThe Election of the Guardians of the LawsDuties and Tenure of the Guardians; Registration of PropertyMilitary OfficialsGeneralsCompany-CommandersThe ElectionsCavalry-CommandersDisrupted VotesThe Election of the CouncilThe Notion of EqualityThe Executive Committee of the CouncilOther Officials; PriestsThe Election of the ExpoundersTresurersThe Protection of the TerritoryThe Rural CourtsHow the Country-Wardens are to LiveThe City-WardensThe Market-WardensEducation OfficalsThe Minister of EducationDeath in OfficeThree Grades of CourtElection of the Supreme CourtCorrupt VerdictsThe Court of the PeopleThe Tribal CourtsOur Scheme is only a Sketch11. Marriage and Related TopicsThe Younger LegislatorsThe Organization of Religious FestivalsMarriage: Choosing a Partner (1)Changing the LawsThe Law of MarriagePreamble to the Law of Marriage: Choosing a Partner (2)Failure to MarryDowriesThe Wedding-FeastCorrect Procreation (1)The Life of the Newly-WedsThe Problem of SlaveryThe Buildings of the StateWomen must join the Communal MealsThree Instictive Drives: Food, Drink, SexCorrect ProcreationAdulteryRegistration of Births and DeathsAge Limits12. EducationWritten and Unwritten RulesEducation in the WombThe Importance of Movement: the Evidence of Corybantic Ritualhow far should a Child be Humoured?Unwritten Rules: a ReminderEarly EducationAmbidexterityPhysical Training (1)The Dangers of Innovation in EducationCome Model RulesThe Regulation of MusicThe Right Use of LeisureAttendance at SchoolThe Education of FemalesHow to Live a life of LeisureFurther Duties of the Minister of EducationThe Legislator's Instuctions to the Minister of Education: the CurriculumLiteratureA Set Text: Selections from the Laws of PlatoMusicComedy and TragedyMathematicsAstronomyHunting: Written and Unwritten Rules again13. Sport and Military TrainingArrangements for FestivalsMilitary TrainingObstacles to Correct Military TrainingRacesContests in ArmsHorse-RacingConclusion14. Problems of Sexual ConductThe Problems StatedThree Kinds of FriendshipHow to Discourage Unnatural Sexual IntercourseThe Importance of Self-ControlTwo Alternative Laws15. Agriculture, Economics and TradeThe Food SupplyAgricultural LawsDuties to NeighborsThe Water Supply (1)The harvestThe Water Supply (2)Bringing in CropsArtisansImports and ExportsThe Food Supply (2)Dwelling HousesThe MarketsResident Aliens16. Capital OffencesPreliminary DiscussionRobbery from TemplesProcedure in Capital CasesSubversionTreason17. The Theory of PunishmentTheft: Should all Thefts Attract the Same Punichment?Philosophical Legislation JustifiedA 'Terminological Inexactitude'The Attack on the Distinction between 'Voluntary' and 'Involuntary'The New Distinction, and the Purpose of PunichmentA Fuller Account of Injustice18. Homicide LawPersons Unfit to PleadInvoluntary HomicideHomicide in AngerVoluntary HomicideSuicideAnimals and Inanimate Objects as KillersMurder by Persons UnknownJustifiable Homicide19. WoundingsPreliminariesThe Courts' DiscretionVoluntary Wounding, and a Digression on Adopting an Heir in Cases of ChildlessnessWoundings Inflicted in AngerInvoluntary Woundings20. Assault21. ReligionThree Sources of ImpietyThe Case of the OppositionAddress to the Young HereticNature and Chance versus DesignThe Difficulties of Refuting AtheistsThe Priority of Soul (1)Ten Kinds of MotionSoul Moves ItselfThe Priority of Soul (2)Soul moves the Heavenly BodiesAddress to the Believer in the Indifference of the GodsProof that the Gods care for MankindThe Justice of the Gods, and the Fate of the SoulTransition to the Law of ImpietyTwo Kinds of OffendersThe Punishment for ImpietyPrivate Shrines22. The Law of PropertyRespect for PropertyRemoval of Buried TreasureRemoval of Property in GeneralThe Treatment of Slaves and Freedom23. Commercial LawThe Law of Sale and ExchangeRetail TradeContractsDealings with CraftsmenMilitary 'Craftsmen'24. Family LawMaking a WillTestamentary and Inheritance LawHow to Mitigate the Harshness of the LawThe Care of OrphansDisinheritanceSenilityDivorce and RemarriageDeath of a Wife or HusbandChildren of Mixed StatusRespect for Parents25. Miscellaneous LegislationNon-fatal Injuries by Drugs and CharmsThe Purpose of PunishmentLunacyAbuseThe Censorship of ComediesBeggarsDamage by SlavesFurther Rules of Legal ProcedureUnscrupulous AdvocacyOffences Committed by Members of Diplomatic MissionsTheft of Public PropertyMilitary ServiceAbandonment of WeaponsThe Need for ScrutineersThe Funeral of a ScrutineerProsecutions of ScrutineersOathsRefusal to Contribute to Public ExpensesRelations with the Outside WorldForeign TravelThe ObserversForiegn VisitorsSuretiesSearching a HouseTime Limits for Disputing TitlePrevention of Attendance at CourtPrevention of Participation in ContestsReceiving Stolen GoodsHarbouring an ExileWaging Private WarBribesTaxationOfferings to the GodsThe Three Grades of CourtThe Minor Points of Legal Procedure, and the Importance of Legal StudiesThe Execution of JudgementFuneral Regulations26. The Nocturnal CouncilHow can the State be Preserved Intact?Membership and Functions of the CouncilThe Unity and Plurality of VirtueThe Council's Duty to TeachThe Higher Education of the CouncilThe Importance of TheologyRecruitment of the Council, and its Course of StudiesClosing RemarksDepartures from the Budé TextMap of Central CreteList of CrimesAppendix: Plato's LettersNotesIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisTang Shuxiu and her husband are on an 800-mile train journey from Beijing to Shifang, where they believe their only child has perished in a recent earthquake. Three days after the event, Tang is too dehydrated to cry. Liu Ting becomes a national hero when he brings his mother to college, a celebration of filial piety in a nation that now legally compels adult children to visit their elderly parents. Tian Qingeng and his parents are deeply in debt. They have bought an apartment they hope will improve his eligibility in a nation that has 30 million bachelors, or ‘bare branches’. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mei Fong has spent eight years documenting the effects of the one-child policy across all of Chinese society. In this critically acclaimed account, she weaves together personal stories, history and politics to produce an extraordinary, evocative investigation into how the policy has changed China and why the repercussions will be felt across the world for decades to come.Trade Review‘A deeply moving account of a policy of that looks set to haunt China (and the world) for decades: Fong highlights how, despite its relaxation to two children, the repercussions of the past thirty-five years will only be felt more acutely in the future.’ * Independent *‘Vivid and thoroughly researched...a moving and at times harrowing account of the significance of decisions taken by a small coterie of men with too much faith in science and ideology, and too little in humanity.’ * Observer *'An interesting and intriguing read'. * Press Association *'Welcome bits of new information'. * Literary Review *'A…moving history of the policy…fascinating…Fong, a Singaporean Chinese living in Beijing…adds a fine human touch'. * Telegraph *'Outside China, there are still vocal admirers of the one-child policy. Perhaps after reading this book and doing the sums they won’t be such strident supporters'. * The Herald *'Fong's moral outrage is as understandable as her empathy is affecting…One Child draws thoughtful attention to the ethical and moral risks of regulating human reproductive rights'. * Asian Review of Books *'Combines tough, broad economic analysis with individual stories'. * Economist *'Mei Fong has travelled widely across China, and has produced a vivid account of the multifarious ways whereby a hugely unpopular policy was implemented...One Child is a timely reminder of how the recent relaxation of the policy is unlikely to avert a self-inflicted demographic disaster'. * Sunday Times *'There really could be no one better than Fong, a western journalist with an insider's knowledge of China, to make this story come alive'. * Times *'Gripping, balanced and well-documented'. * Spectator *‘With its vivid character portrayals and incredible stories, One Child is an eye-opening book.’ -- Xinran Xue, author of The Good Women of China and Buy Me the Sky: The Remarkable Truth of China’s One-Child Generations‘Fong’s moving and highly personal account of the one-child policy will teach you more about the dysfunction and cruelty of modern-day China than any other.’ -- Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy‘One Child is a riveting read, written with the flair and compassion of a novel. But it is also a critically important book about the future of China, necessary reading both for policy experts and anyone interested in the future of one of the most important nations of the 21st century.’ -- Anne-Marie Slaughter, author of Unfinished Business‘Eye-opening, powerful and utterly gripping, One Child had me hooked from page one. Mei Fong possesses a rare eye for the details that truly illuminate a story, the ones that most of us overlook. She writes beautifully and vividly, revealing sides of China I’d never imagined to exist.’ -- Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and The Triple Package‘A highly impressive account of one of the controversial aspects of today’s China combining policy analysis, extensive on-the-ground reporting and personal experience.’ -- Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China and Tiger Head, Snake Tails‘Reveals the dark underbelly of China’s one-child policy... its implementation led to heartache, human rights abuses and forced coercion of women across the country.’ -- Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking‘One Child is a timely and informative look into China’s infamous effort to control its enormous population. But Mei Fong has also given us a wry, bittersweet, and often very personal look at how courtship, marriage, birth, and death interact in the post-Mao Chinese family. A lovely antidote to decades of chillingly cold Party-speak from Beijing.’ -- Orville Schell, author of Wealth and Power‘[One Child] must change the way we talk about China’s rise... It not only clarifies facts and retires myths, but also confronts the deepest questions about the meaning of parenthood.’ -- Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition

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Book SynopsisMarx's major work was the product of 30 years' close study of the most advanced industrial society of his day. Marx devoted most of his adult life to analyzing theTable of ContentsCapital Introduction by Ernest MandelTranslator's PrefacePreface to the First EditionPostface to the Second EditionPreface to the French EditionPostface to the French EditionPreface to the Third Edition (by Engels)Preface to the English Edition (by Engels)Preface to the Fourth Edition (by Engels)BOOK I: THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION OF CAPITAL Part One: Commodities and MoneyChapter 1: The Commodity1. The Two Factors of the Commodity: Use-Value and Value (Substance of VAlue, Magnitude of Value)2. The Dual Character of the Labour Embodied in Commodities3. The Value-Form, or Exchange-Value(a) The Simple, Isolated, or Accidental Form of Value(1) The two poles of the expression of value: the relative form of value and the equivalent form(2) The relative form of value(i) The content of the relative form of value(ii) The quantitative determinacy of the relative form of value(iii) The equivalent form(iv) The simple form of value considered as a whole(b) The Total or Expanded Form of Value(1) The expanded relative form of value(2) The particular equivalent form(3) Defects of the total or expanded form of value(c) The General Form of Value(1) The changed character of the form of value(2) The development of the relative and equivalent forms of value: their interdependence(3) The transition from the general form of value to the money form(d) The Money Form4. The Fetishism of the Commodity and Its SecretChapter 2: The Process of Exchange Chapter 3: Money, or the Circulation of Commodities1. The Measure of Values2. The Means of Circulation(a) The Metamorphosis of Commodities(b) The Circulation of Money(c) Coin. The Symbol of Value3. Money(a) Hoarding(b) Means of Payment(c) World MoneyPART TWO: THE TRANSFORMATION OF MONEY INTO CAPITAL Chapter 4: The General Formula for CapitalChapter 5: Contradictions in the General FormulaChapter 6: The Sale and Purchase of Labour-PowerPART THREE: THE PRODUCTION OF ABSOLUTE SURPLUS-VALUEChapter 7: The Labour Process and the Valorization Process1. The Labour Process2. The Valorization ProcessChapter 8: Constant Capital and Variable Capital Chapter 9: The Rate of Surplus-Value1. The Degree of Exploitation of Labour-Power2. The Representation of the Value of the Product by Corresponding Proportional Parts of the Product3. Senior's "Last Hour"4. The Surplus ProductChapter 10: The Working Day 1. The Limits of the Working Day2. The Voracious Appetite for Surplus Labour. Manufacturer and Boyar3. Branches of English Industry without Legal Limits to Exploitation4. Day Work and Night Work. The Shift System5. The Struggle for a Normal Working Day. Laws for the Compulsory Extension of the Working Day, from the Middle of the Fourteenth to the End of the Seventeenth Century6. The Struggle for a Normal Working Day. Laws for the Compulsory Limitation of Working Hours. The English Factory Legislation of 1833-647. The Struggle for a Normal Working Day. Impact of the English Factory Legislation on Other CountriesChapter 11: The Rate and Mass of Surplus-Value PART FOUR: THE PRODUCTION OF RELATIVE SURPLUS-VALUEChapter 12: The Concept of Relative Surplus-ValueChapter 13: Co-operationChapter 14: The Division of Labour and Manufacture1. The Dual Origin of Manufacture2. The Specialized Worker and His Tools3. The Two Fundamental Forms of Manufacture - Heterogeneous and Organic4. The Division of Labour in Manufacture, and the Division of Labour in Society5. The Capitalist Character of ManufactureChapter 15: Machinery and Large-Scale Industry 1. The Development of Machinery2. The Value Transferred by the Machinery to the Product3. The Most Immediate Effects of Machine Production on the Worker(a) Appropriation of Supplementary Labour-Power by Capital. The Employment of Women and Children(b) The Prolongation of the Working Day(c) Intensification of Labour4. The Factory5. The Struggle between Worker and Machine6. The Compensation Theory, with Regard to the Workers Displaced by Machinery7. Repulsion and Attraction of Workers through the Development of Machine Production. Crises in the Cotton Industry8. The Revolutionary Impact of Large-Scale Industry on Manufacture, Handicrafts and Domestic Industry(a) Overthrow of Co-operation Based on Handicrafts and on the Division of Labour(b) The Impact of the Factory System on Manufacture and Domestic Industries(c) Modern Manufacture(d) Modern Domestic Industry(e) Transition from Modern Manufacture and Domestic Industry to Large-Scale Industry. The Hastening of this Revolution by the Application of the Factory Acts to those Industries9. The Health and Education Clauses of the Factory Acts. The General Extension of Factory Legislation in England10. Large-Scale Industry and AgriculturePART FIVE: THE PRODUCTION OF ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE SURPLUS-VALUE Chapter 16: Absolute and Relative Surplus-ValueChapter 17: Changes of Magnitude in the Price of Labour-Power and in Surplus-Value1. The Length of the Working Day and the Intensity of Labour Constant; the Productivity of Labour Variable2. The Length of the Working Day and the Productivity of Labour Constant; the Intensity of Labour Variable3. The Productivity and Intensity of Labour Constant; the Length of the Working Day Variable4. Simultaneous Variations in the Duration, Productivity and Intensity of LabourChapter 18: Different Formulae for the Rate of Surplus-Value PART SIX: WAGESChapter 19: The Transformation of the Value (and Respectively the Price) of Labour-Power into WagesChapter 20: Time-WagesChapter 21: Piece-WagesChapter 22: National Differences in WagesPART SEVEN: THE PROCESS OF ACCUMULATION OF CAPITALChapter 23: Simple ReproductionChapter 24: The Transformation of Surplus-Value into Capital1. Capitalist Production on a Progressively Increasing Scale. The Inversion which Converts the Property Laws of Commodity Production into Laws of Capitalist Appropriation2. The Political Economists' Erroneous Conception of Reproduction on an Increasing Scale3. Division of Surplus-Value into Capital and Revenue. The Abstinence Theory4. The Circumstances which, Independently of the Proportional Division of Surplus-Value into Capital and Revenue, Determine the Extent of Accumulation, namely, the Degree of Exploitation of Labour-Power, the Productivity of Labour, the Growing Difference in Amount between Capital Employed and Capital Consumed, and the Magnitude of the Capital Advanced5. The So-Called Labour FundChapter 25: The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation 1. A Growing Demand for Labour-Power Accompanies Accumulation if the Composition of Capital Remains the Same2. A Relative Diminution of the Variable Part of Capital Occurs in the Course of the Further Progress of Accumulation and of the Concentration Accompanying It3. The Progressive Reduction of a Relative Surpluse Population or Industrial Reserve Army4. Different Forms of Existence of the Relative Surplus Population. The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation5. Illustrations of the General Law of Capitalist Accumulation(a) England from 1846 to 1866(b) The Badly Paid Strata of the British Industrial Working Class(c) The Nomadic Population(d) Effect of Crises on the Best Paid Section of the Working Class(e) The British Agricultural Proletariat(f) IrelandPART EIGHT: SO-CALLED PRIMITIVE ACCUMULATION Chapter 26: The Secret of Primitive AccumulationChapter 27: The Expropriation of the Agricultural Population from the LandChapter 28: Bloody Legislation against the Expropriated since the End of the Fifteenth Century. The Forcing Down of Wages by Act of ParliamentChapter 29: The Genesis of the Capitalist FarmerChapter 30: Impact of the Agricultural Revolution on Industry. The Creation of a Home Market for Industrial CapitalChapter 31: The Genesis of the Industrial CapitalistChapter 32: The Historical Tendency of Capitalist AccumulationChapter 33: The Modern Theory of ColonizationAppendix: Results of the Immediate Process of Production Introduction by Ernest MandelI. Commodities as the Product of CapitalII. Capitalist Production as the Production of Surplus-ValueIII. Capitalist Production is the Production and Reproduction of the Specifically Capitalist Relations of ProductionIV. Isolated FragmentsQuotations in Languages Other than English and GermanIndex of Authorities QuotedGeneral IndexNote on Previous Editions of the Works of Marx and EngelsChronology of Works by Marx and Engels

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Book SynopsisElgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.In this Advanced Introduction, Christopher Pollitt starts a penetrating account of the theories, methods and possible trajectories of the study of public management, also examining the academic community itself, and its relationship to the world of practice. There is no more authoritative - or lively - text of such scope and focus.This is a stimulating analysis by a leading international scholar. It includes:- a global overview- a critical and authoritative analysis of the current state of the field- the location of academic research firmly in the real world context of austerity, climate and demographic change, and technological transformation- an examination of the relationship between academic study and the practice of public management- a look inside the ivory tower , at the forces changing the way the subject is studied and practisedThis truly unique work will be of particular interest to graduate students, advanced scholars, lecturers and trainers in public administration, public management, government, public policy, political science and development administration. Middle level and senior practitioners in public administration and public management will also find this an invaluable and sophisticated introduction.Trade ReviewThis masterly introduction reflects Christopher Pollitt's decades of experience as a practitioner, adviser and top international scholar. It offers a balanced and judicious account of how this complex and fascinating subject has developed, how it can be approached and its possible futures. And above all, it shows us why public management and administration is so important in our world today. --Christopher Hood, All Souls College, Oxford, UKChristopher Pollitt's new book is a bright contribution to the literature on Public Management and Administration. The overall picture of the academic field is written from a pluralistic variety of interesting and relevant perspectives. His endeavour to picture relevant megatrends in the field, and to draw some sketches of the future, shows his wide-ranging and thorough-going mastering of the subject. Pollitt's humorous and eloquent writing style makes it a true pleasure to read the book. --Walter Kickert, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the NetherlandsThis truly is an advanced introduction, by one of the field's great masters. It's a book we've long needed and, in a style that's eminently accessible and enjoyable, plows important new ground. It's a must-read for students just starting out and for scholars charting the field's future. --Don Kettl, University of Maryland, College ParkTable of ContentsContents: 1. What Kind of a Subject is Public Management/Public Administration? 2. Theory 3. Methods and Approaches 4. The Public Management Community 5. The Relationship with Practice 6. Current and Future Issues (’Megatrends’) 7. Public Management in Interesting Times References Index

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Book SynopsisHundreds of words to learn and rememberCollins Work on your Vocabulary Advanced (C1) is a new practice book that covers the key vocabulary needed by learners of English at Advanced level (CEF level C1).This book is an essential resource for learners who want to improve their English vocabulary. Each of the 30 units presents vocabulary relating to a particular topic using clear language and examples. This is followed by practice exercises to ensure the learner will remember and be able to use what they have learnt with confidence in their written and spoken English.The vocabulary covered in Collins Work on your Vocabulary Advanced (C1) has been carefully selected based on Collins Corpus research and the experience of our language experts. As a result, this book provides plenty of useful practice with authentic, up-to-date examples of language usage in context. A carefully structured layout makes sure the language is always clear and the book is easy to navigate. Collins Work on your VTrade Review.

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Book SynopsisA scientific expose that will shatter our knowledge of ancient human history. Scholars have told us that the first civilisation on Earth emerged in a land called Sumer some 6000 years ago. New archaeological and scientific discoveries made by Michael Tellinger, Johan Heine and a team of leading scientists, show that the Sumerians and even the Egyptians inherited all their knowledge from an earlier civilisation that lived at the southern tip of Africa more than 200,000 years ago mining gold. These were also the people who carved the first Horus bird, the first Sphinx, built the first pyramids and built an accurate stone calendar right in the heart of it all. Adam''s Calendar is the flagship among millions of circular stone ruins, ancient roads, agricultural terraces and thousands of ancient mines, left behind by a vanished civilisation which we now call the FIRST PEOPLE. They carved detailed images into the hardest rock, worshipped the sun, and are the first to carve an image of the Egyptian Ankh -- key of life and universal knowledge, 200,000 years before the Egyptians came to light. This book graphically exposes these discoveries and will be the catalyst for rewriting our ancient human history. The book is a continuation of Tellinger''s previous books Slave Species of God and Adam''s Calendar which have become favourites with readers in over 20 countries.

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Book SynopsisWhen Anne Darwin told the world and her family that her husband, John, had disappeared while canoeing in the North Sea, her life changed forever.She had just lied to the police, the press, her friends and neighbours, insurance companies and her own sons.While her husband hid in a bedsit in their rental house next door, Anne had to face the music. She claimed the life insurance payouts, endured the police questioning, accepted the consolations and left the country she loved to start her life again.But why, when she had been perfectly happy with her lifestyle, knowing her actions would hurt those she held most dear, did she do it?After years of remaining silent, Anne Darwin finally reveals the truth behind the crime that tore her family apart.

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Book SynopsisA Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different. Conor thought he was an average teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him. After that, things get pretty weird. Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and will have a broad appeal beyond the fantasy sections.Trade Review‘If Percy Jackson were to be hurled across dimensions into Middle Earth, you might hope to see a story like this one evolve.’ Mark Robson, author of the Dragon Orb and Imperial Spy books

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Book SynopsisNow a major TV seriesA masterpiece that reads like a thriller' Time OutA gripping and probing account of the biggest criminal manhunt in British history.It is over 40 years since Peter Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking 7 more. Still, he remains a killer of almost mythical proportions; his surviving victims, and their families, forever attached to his infamy.Michael Bilton's acclaimed account is a powerful indictment of the calamitous investigation that logged over 2 million man-hours of police work the biggest criminal manhunt in British history. With exclusive access to the detectives involved, the pathologist's archives and declassified documents, this account reads like the most gripping of thrillers.Trade Review‘A masterpiece that reads like a thriller.’ Time Out ‘There is unlikely to be a more cmprehensive or carefully researched account of the case. To read ‘Wicked Beyond Belief’ is to have a sense of being physically present at the day-to-day investigation, experiencing the frustrations, the stress and the public outrage at its lack of success as the years passed and murder followed.’ P.D.James, Mail on Sunday ‘Bilton knows more about the Ripper case than anyone living.’ Blake Morrison, Guardian

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Book SynopsisWhy is it that the behaviour of teenagers can be so odd? As they grow older, young children steadily improve their sense of how to behave, and then all of a sudden, they can become totally uncommunicative, wildly emotional and completely unpredictable.We used to think that erratic teenage behaviour was due to a sudden surge in hormones, but modern neuroscience shows us that this isn't true. The Teenage Brain is a journey through the new discoveries that show us exactly what happens to the brain in this crucial period, how it dictates teenagers' behaviour, and how the experiences of our teenage years are what shape our attitudes, and often our happiness in later life.Many of our ideas about our growing brains are completely re-written. They don't stop developing at the end of our teens they keep adapting until we are in our mid-twenties. They are wired back to front, with the most important parts, the parts that we associate with good judgement, concentration, organization and emotionaTrade Review“Dr. Jensen uses her considerable expertise as a neuroscientist and a mother to explain the recent explosion of adolescent brain research and how this research can help us better understand and help young people. This book also highlights biologically inherent opportunities to enhance the health and well-being of young people during the second decade of life… opportunities we should not be missing.”— Carol A. Ford, M.D. President, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; Professor of Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania; and Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia “Jensen has brilliantly translated academic science and clinical studies into easily understandable chapters to highlight the many changes in connections and plasticity of the brain. The book is a ‘must read’ for parents, teachers, school nurses, and many others who live with or interact with teens. Understanding the susceptibility of the brain to drugs and stressors is not presented as an excuse but rather as a new framework for readers to approach parenting or teaching with more science and more evidence-based, practical advice.” — S. Jean Emans, MD. Chief, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital; Professor of Paediatrics, Harvard Medical School

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Book SynopsisDervla Murphy's first epic journey from Ireland to India by bicycle, "Full Tilt", is a complete adventure in itself. It is also the first volume of a trilogy of experience that continues with Tibetan Foothold. For the young Irish woman, once she had got herself to India by July 1963, immersed herself in the life of the sub-continent, working for six months in an orphanage for Tibetan children in the refugee camps of Northern India. Here, she fell in love with the 'Tiblets' - the cheerful, tough, uncomplaining, independent and affectionate children of the new Tibet-in-exile. Dervla vividly describes day-to-day life in the camps where hundreds of children are living in squalor while a handful of dedicated volunteers do their best to feed and care for them, attempting to keep disease at bay with limited resources. She pitches in with a helping hand wherever it is needed and finds time to visit the Dalai Lama and his entourage. Dervla's heart-rending account is interwoven with her own observations on the particular cultural and social problems associated with trying to help a people who have lived in isolation from the rest of the world and she becomes a perceptive witness to the inner realities and sometime inadequacies of aid-work. First published in 1966, "Tibetan Foothold" not only confirmed Dervla's status as a traveller, but also revealed her to be a truly independent voice and an acute observer of politics and society.

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Book SynopsisLearn how to tell stories for entertainment, teaching, coaching, healing or making meaning. It contains a wealth of stories, exercises, questions, tips and insights to guide your storytelling path, offering time-tested and trusted ways to improve your skills, overcome blocks and become a confident and inspirational storyteller.

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Book SynopsisBeloved and contemplated by philosophers, architects, writers, and literary theorists alike, this book examines the places in which we place our conscious and unconscious thoughts and guides us through a stream of cerebral meditations on poetry, art, and the blooming of consciousness itself.Trade ReviewPraise for Gaston Bachelard:"[Bachelard] is neither a self-confessed and tortured atheist like Satre, nor, like Chardin, a heretic combining a belief in God with a proficiency in modern science. But, within the French context, he is almost as important as they are because he has a pseudo-religious force, without taking a stand on religion. To define him as briefly as possible – he is a philosopher, with a professional training in the sciences, who devoted most of the second phase of his career to promoting that aspect of human nature which often seems most inimical to science: the poetic imagination ..."– J.G. Weightman, The New York Times Review of Books"[Bachelard] reminds me of skilled chess players who take the biggest pieces with pawns."-Michel Foucault (trans.)Praise for Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves:"Any hope or fear that the experimental novel was an aberration of the twentieth century is dashed by the appearance of Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves, the first major experimental novel of the new millennium. And it's a monster. Dazzling."-Washington Post Book World"An intricate, erudite, and deeply frightening book." - The Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisLong-term thinking and planning is such an ingrained part of everyday life that we tend either not to see it or merely take it for granted. From pensions, retirement, holiday planning, marriage (or divorce) to corporate strategy and choosing the right school for our kids - the assumptions we make about tomorrow tend to be sketchy at best! Why do we so often underplay such important future plans in our lives? One of the main reasons is that we have never been given the right tools with which to think and plan ahead. Futurology - the art of thinking ahead - has often been relegated to science fiction writers and witch doctors. In fact, it's a tool that can actually help us understand and plan for a better future for ourselves. This book, by a leading futurologist, presents the practical tools of long-term thinking and planning to the everyday situations that we all face.Table of Contents1.Seduced by the future 2.A future-thinking world 3.The fine art and questionable science of predicting the future 4.Futurological fallacies and predictive pitfalls 5.Creating and changing the future 6.Future friends and future foes 7.The eternal promise

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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of essays, reflections and poems by Nora Bateson, the noted research designer, film-maker, writer and lecturer. She is the daughter of Gregory Bateson and president of the International Bateson Institute (IBI). Building on Gregory Bateson's famous book Towards an Ecology of Mind and her own film on the subject, Nora Bateson here updates our thinking on systems and ecosystems, applying her own insights and those of her team at IBI to education, organisations, complexity, academia, and the way that society organizes itself. She also introduces the term symmathesy to describe the contextual mutual learning through interaction that takes place in living entities at larger or smaller scales. While she retains her father's rigorous attention to definition, observation and academic precision, she also moves well beyond that frame of reference to incorporate more embodied ways of knowing and understanding. These are reflected in her essays and poems on food, Christmas, love, honesty, environmentalism and leadership. [Subject: Systems thinking, education, social anthropology, environmentalism, Bateson, symmathesy]Trade Review"The way we see affects what we do," writes Nora Bateson near the start of this exploratory, far- ranging foray into "unauthorized knowledge." In a series of premise-investigations undertaken by way of essays, conference talks, autobiographical story, quotes and poems, ranging through linguistics, biology, semantics, cognitive theory, justice awareness and embrace of paradox, Bateson invites and advocates suppleness of perception, rigor of mind, and depth of feeling. In this book that moves above all by its questions, Bateson embodies that rarity, a truly free thinker also fully engaged with the fates of all." Jane Hirshfield, Chancellor of The Academy of American Poets

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Book SynopsisThe M1 Garand gave the US infantryman a marked edge during World War II. It shot faster and further than enemy infantry rifles and hit harder. No less an authority on killing the enemy than General George S. Patton called the Garand, “The greatest battle implement ever devised.” At a time when opposing forces were armed with bolt-action rifles, US troops had a highly reliable self-loader. The eight-round clips which were used to load the M1 Garand were, however, viewed with mixed emotions by the troops on the ground. Some Army and Marine Corps troops allegedly felt that the distinctive “twang” as the Garand's clip was ejected when empty alerted the enemy that the soldiers were reloading and resulted in an attack. But the Garand became the defining mankiller of the war, despite its weight and magazine problems, and many US combat veterans consider it one of the key reasons they survived the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Development /Use /Impact /Further Reading

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