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Book SynopsisIn 2009 Beppe Grillo, a well-known Italian comedian, established the Five Star Movement with the aim of sending a handful of citizens to municipal councils to act as the watchdog of a professional political class often perceived as corrupt and self-interested. However, in the Italian general elections of February 2013, despite still largely being considered a small protest movement, the party gained the undisputed role of leading political actor gaining just under 9 million votes and sending 163 Deputies and Senators to the Italian parliament. The birth and rapid rise of the Five Star Movement represents an electoral earthquake with no parallels in Italy and the whole of post-1945 Western Europe and a phenomenon likely to shape the Italian political scene for many years to come. Drawing on an extensive array of data and face-to-face interviews, this volume offers an empirically grounded explanation of the surprising electoral success of the Five Star Movement and presents a realistic pTrade Review’The Five-Star Movement is one of the most interesting political phenomena in contemporary Europe. Filippo Tronconi has put together a fine volume that looks in detail at the factors underpinning the remarkable success of this movement. It is essential reading not only for those interested in Italy, but for all students of party politics.’ Duncan McDonnell, Griffith University, Australia ’The Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo was the great surprise of the 2013 elections in Italy. Understanding what kind of "political animal" it is, and what its future role in Italian politics will be is a major puzzle for Italy watchers. The book edited by Filippo Tronconi is the best guide so far for anyone seriously interested in understanding this new phenomenon.’ Maurizio Cotta, University of Siena, Italy '... is there something so special about M5S (Movimento 5 Stelle) that accounts for its unprecedented success? Using a wide range of research tools the contributors to this volume offer a comprehensive approach to the party, describing and often deconstructing the characteristics and paradoxes that account for its unexpected popularity that could eventually determine its future political viability. ... a comprehensible guide to the rise of the M5S and an essential reading for those interested not only in Italian politics, but also in anti-system, Euro-sceptic and populist movements in Europe.' LSE Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction, FilippoTronconi; Chapter 1 Beppe Grillo and the Movimento 5 Stelle, RinaldoVignati; Chapter 2 The Organization of the Movimento 5 Stelle, RinaldoVignati; Chapter 3 Between Blog, Social Networks and Territory, Maria ElisabettaLanzone, FilippoTronconi; Chapter 4 The Electoral Base, AndreaPedrazzani, LucaPinto; Chapter 5 From ‘Citizens’ to Members of Parliament, LucaPinto, AndreaPedrazzani; Chapter 6 An Internet-Fuelled Party? The Movimento 5 Stelle and the Web, LorenzoMosca, CristianVaccari, AugustoValeriani; Chapter 7 The Movimento 5 Stelle and Social Conflicts, LorenzoMosca; Chapter 8 A Vote(r) Like Any Other? Exploring the Protest Component in the Vote for the Movimento 5 Stelle, GianlucaPassarelli, DarioTuorto; Chapter 9 Beyond Protest, PasqualeColloca, PiergiorgioCorbetta; Chapter 10 Conclusion, FilippoTronconi;

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Book SynopsisDespite a decade of rapid economic development, China’s western borderlands have experienced a wave of ethnic unrest not seen since the 1950s. Through on-the-ground interviews and firsthand observations, this volume creates an invaluable record of the conflicts and protests as they have unfolded—the most extensive chronicle of events to date.Trade ReviewEthnic unrest in Tibet and among the Uyghurs in Xinjiang is very much in the news and is a subject of great academic and public interest. It is hard to research because the Chinese government limits access to these areas. Nonetheless, these resourceful and courageous scholars have managed to access these regions, find out what is troubling the ethnic minority residents there, and assess how deep the trouble is. -- Andrew J. Nathan, coauthor of China's Search for SecurityEthnic Conflict and Protest in Tibet and Xinjiang is a terrific book. Ten experts take a balanced and clear-eyed view of the conditions and politics behind the recent wave of ethnic unrest in China. It should be required reading for those who would understand the interlocking causes of conflict, including decision makers in Beijing. -- June Teufel Dreyer, author of China's Political SystemThese studies of contemporary China's relations with the Tibetans and the Uyghurs offer insights on a wide variety of issues, including the Chinese state's policies toward Buddhism and Islam, the causes of conflicts between China and these so-called minority nationalities, the government's economic policies and the ensuing environmental effects, and the possible economic synergies between Chinese and Tibetan and Uyghur entrepreneurs. The authors differ in their opinions about the future, with some providing negative predictions while others are more optimistic, but each furnishes informed analyses. -- Morris Rossabi, author of The Mongols and The Mongols and Global HistoryThese essays provide detailed study of ethnopolitics in contemporary China based on solid fieldwork and scholarly analysis of regional peculiarities and standardizing policies. -- Tsering Shakya, coauthor of The Struggle for TibetHighly recommended. * Choice *A welcome contribution to the field and essential reading for specialists, policy makers, and graduate students interested in these important regions. * Journal of Asian Studies *An excellent resource: the contributions are consistently strong and empirically rich, and examine a wide range of complementary features of society across the two autonomous regions. * International Affairs *A short review cannot do justice to the subtlety of the arguments in this volume, which will be of interest to anyone seeking lucid, innovative explanations of politics, economy, and society in Xinjiang and Tibet. . . . This volume is a model for productive cross-regional scholarship and demonstrates the value of combining deep area knowledge with disciplinary rigor. * Pacific Affairs *A useful and timely contribution to our understanding of these complex and important regions. -- Michael Dillon * Ethnic and Racial Studies *This is an excellent and well researched book. -- Colin Mackerras, Department of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith University Brisbane, Australia * Journal of Contemporary Asia *This well presented and important collection of chapters explores aspects of the recent and continuing disturbances in Tibet and Xinjiang based upon research undertaken by academics at various stages in their careers. * Asian Affairs *The body of research produced is undoubtedly of a very high standard, and makes a valuable contribution to the study of the ongoing conflicts in Xinjiang and Tibet. * Asian Review of Books *An important and highly useful book. * BizIndia *A much-needed contribution to the canon of literature on interethnic relations in China. * A much-needed contribution to the canon of literature on interethnic relations in China. *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Understanding the Current Wave of Conflict and Protest in Tibet and Xinjiang, by Ben Hillman1. Unrest in Tibet and the Limits of Regional Autonomy, by Ben Hillman2. Propaganda in the Public Square: Communicating State Directives on Religion and Ethnicity to Uyghurs and Tibetans in Western China, by Antonio Terrone3. Discussing Rights and Human Rights in Tibet, by Françoise Robin4. The Chinese Education System as a Source of Conflict in Tibetan Areas, by Clémence Henry5. Lucrative Chaos: Interethnic Conflict as a Function of the Economic "Normalization" of Southern Xinjiang, by Thomas Cliff6. Environmental Issues and Conflict in Tibet, by Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh7. Fringe Existence: Uyghur Entrepreneurs and Ethnic Relations in Urban Xinjiang, by Tyler Harlan8. Prosperity, Identity, Intra-Tibetan Violence, and Harmony in Southeast Tibet: The Case of Gyalthang, by Eric Mortensen9. Interethnic Conflict in the PRC: Xinjiang and Tibet as Exceptions?, by James LeiboldContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisMohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar traces half a century of shifting Islamist doctrines, demonstrating that religious narratives in Iran can change rapidly, frequently, and dramatically in accordance with elites’ threat perceptions. Religious Statecraft constructs a new picture of Iranian politics in which power drives Islamist ideology.Trade Review[An] important and innovative book....a new take on an old puzzle. -- Ray Takeyh * Survival *A welcome new study on Iranian politics and the complex relationship between religion and state since the country's 1979 revolution. * Digest of Middle East Studies *Tabaar depicts Ayatollah Khomeini's nimble ability to tailor religious and nationalist ideology to outmaneuver the Shah, the Iranian Left, and factional opponents. Though unabashed in arguing that political expediency has determined the regime's selections from its toolkit of revolutionary religious doctrine, Religious Statecraft subtly portrays how factions struggle not so much to "tell people what to think" as "what to think about." -- Jack Snyder, Columbia UniversityContinually changing narratives—based on individual, factional, or regime interests rather than on any consistent or immutable commitment to Islamic teachings and principles—define the ebbs and flows of Iran’s postrevolutionary politics. As Tabaar puts it, ‘there is no such thing as political Islam. There is, however, a politics of Islam.’ Through meticulous and extensive use of official, semiofficial, independent, and oppositional media, both in Iran and abroad, Religious Statecraft illustrates and persuasively proves this argument. -- Ali Banuazizi, Boston CollegeThe politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been characterized by ideological inconsistency from its beginning. But Tabaar goes beyond describing the way in which leaders change core ideas. He advances a provocative argument that ideology does not guide decision making directly. Instead, leaders mold their principles to meet the political needs of the moment, restrained not by the contents of those ideas but largely by the need to mobilize followers. -- Nathan J. Brown, George Washington UniversityThe author constructs a refreshing, if somewhat dense and detailed, picture of Iranian politics in which power drives Islamist ideology. * Choice *The main thrust of the book is important and worth repeating, considering the world we live in. A misunderstanding of how the Iranian political system works might lead to adoption of policies by powerful regional and global actors with irreparable outcomes. * Middle East Journal *An important and timely contribution...It ought to be on the reading list of any policy maker who wants to better understand the Islamic Republic's foreign policy. * Perspectives on Politics *This book can be of value to a variety of readers. Obviously scholars and students of Iran and Middle East politics will benefit from its insights, as will those scholars of religion and international relations to whom the above theoretical insights apply. But the book could easily be used in courses on a variety of topics in international security, from nuclear proliferation to revolutions. Finally, while I may have preferred more theoretical discussions, the focus on empirics and avoidance of jargon will make this book accessible for non-academics with an advanced interest in Iran. * Terrorism and Political Violence *As historians and foreign policy scholars continue to study Iran’s recent modern era especially since the Green movement, Tabaar’s groundbreaking work describing internal factional conflicts and religious narrative creation will come into an even clearer view. Furthermore, while Tabaar’s book focuses largely on internal Iranian dynamics, its insights within the context of politics, religion, and ideology are applicable across many academic disciplines. * H-War *Stand[s] out among the existing studies of the Islamic Republic and its supposedly unfathomable political behavior. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: The Politics of Islam1. The Factional Causes and Religious Consequences of Politics2. A Shi’a Theory of the State3. The “Islamic” Revolution4. Institutionalizing Velayat-e Faqih5. The Hostage Crisis: The Untold Account of the Communist Threat6. Religion and Elite Competition in the Iran–Iraq War7. The Metamorphosis of Islamism After the War8. The Factional Battle Over Khomeini’s Velayat-e Faqih9. Media, Religion, and the Green Movement10. Historical Revisionism and Regional Threats11. The Domestic Sources of Nuclear PoliticsConclusionNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisOn 10 August 1519, five ships departed from Seville for what was to become the first circumnavigation of the globe. Linked by fame to the name of its captain, Magellan, much of the expedition is known through the travelogue of one of the few crew members who returned to Spain, Antonio Pigafetta. A narrative and cartographic record of the journey (including 23 hand-drawn watercolour charts) from Patagonia to Indonesia, from the Philippines to the Cape of Good Hope, Pigafetta''s The First Voyage around the World is a classic of discovery and exploration literature. This volume is based on the critical edition by Antonio Canova. It includes an extensive introduction to the work and generous annotations by Theodore J. Cachey Jr who discusses the marvelous elements of the story through allusions to Magellan''s travels made by writers as diverse as Shakespeare and Gabriel García Márquez. However, Cachey is careful to point out that Pigafetta''s book is far from just a marvTable of ContentsIntroduction Bio-bibliographical Note Note on the Text and Translation Chronology of the Voyage THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis text offers a complete critical translation and commentary for Ge Hong's (283-343 ce) "Traditions of Divine Transcendents" which gathered together the narratives of those who strove to become transcendents - deathless beings with supernormal powers - in early medieval China.Trade Review"This book marks a new milestone in the study of Chinese religious history. Only a scholar as intelligent and dedicated as Campany would dare tackle and so eloquently translate one of the most important and difficult works of early Chinese religious history."-Paul Katz, author of Images of the Immortal: The Cult of Lu Dongbin at the Palace of Eternal Joy; "A pathbreaking work of lasting significance to the field of Chinese religious history. The scholarship is solid and current, drawing upon the best research from America, Europe, China, and Japan. The translation is accurate, clear, and elegant, based upon an innovative analysis of surviving sources."-Terry Kleeman, author of Great Perfection: Religion and Ethnicity in a Chinese Millennial Kingdom; "Campany's annotated translation of Ge Hong's (283-343) classic, the first in English, admirably captures the book's rich evocation of the religious culture of Southern China in the fourth century. Ge Hong here offers a series of case studies of what he regarded as the historical and exemplary evidence for the existence of immortals. This translation of Traditions of Divine Transcendents conveys a lively and multifaceted vision of the Taoist conception of physical immortality. The book's emphasis on practices related to the cult of the immortals and the hope for transcendence squarely places its subject in the religious life of traditional Chinese society."-Franciscus Verellen, co-editor of The Taoist Canon: A Historical GuideTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword Preface Acknowledgments PART ONE: TRADITIONS OF DIVINE TRANSCENDENTS AND ITS CONTEXT Opening Ge Hong and the Writing of Traditions of Divine Transcendents The Nature of the Religion Reflected in Ge Hong's Works Text-Critical Matters PART TWO: A CRITICAL, ANNOTATED TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY Group A: Earliest-Attested Hagiographies Group A: Earliest-Attested Fragments Group B: Early-Attested Hagiographies Group B: Early-Attested Fragments Group C: Later-Attested Hagiographies PART THREE: TEXT-CRITICAL NOTES On the Source Tests and the Temporal Differentiation of Passages Group A: Sources of Earliest-Attested Hagiographies Group A: Sources of Earliest-Attested Fragments Group B: Sources of Early-Attested Hagiographies Group B: Sources of Early-Attested Fragments Group C: Sources of Later-Attested Hagiographies Items Attributed to Shenxian zhuan Excluded from This Translation Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEvery country, every subnational government, and every district has a designated population, and this has a bearing on politics in ways most citizens and policymakers are barely aware of. Population and Politics provides a comprehensive evaluation of the political implications stemming from the size of a political unit ? on social cohesion, the number of representatives, overall representativeness, particularism (''pork''), citizen engagement and participation, political trust, electoral contestation, leadership succession, professionalism in government, power concentration in the central apparatus of the state, government intervention, civil conflict, and overall political power. A multimethod approach combines field research in small states and islands with cross-country and within-country data analysis. Population and Politics will be of interest to academics, policymakers, and anyone concerned with decentralization and multilevel governance.Trade ReviewThe size of a polity is crucial to its politics. Political scientists have known this since Plato, but the impact of population size is complex because affects many political outcomes. Gerring and Veenendaal offer the authoritative account of the impact of scale by bringing together the results and ideas of a large and diverse literature with new empirical evidence on thirteen important aspects of how democracy thrives in small and large political communities. Søren Serritzlew, Aarhus UniversityScale matters in profound ways for politics. That is the conclusion of this bold, wide-ranging, data rich, and strikingly original book. The book shows empirically the extent to which size matters for dozens of outcomes ranging from cabinet size to extent of steel production. In discovering various scale effects, the authors provide new data for answering the fundamental question that intrigued the classical theorists: What is the optimal size for political communities? James Mahoney, Northwestern University'This book will shake up what you think you know about governance. Scale effects – which we rarely reflect on – turn out to be pervasive in their effects on political institutions. Bigger states are more powerful, but are they better governed? Better places to live? Gerring and Veenendaal confront these questions and more and deliver powerful findings on how polity size shapes politics.' Jack A. Goldstone, Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr Professor of Public Policy and Eminent Scholar, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University'… a big book on the association between population size and a wide range of political outcomes.' Michael Laver, Department of PhilosophyTable of ContentsPart I. Framework 1; 1. Scaling the Political World; 2 Approaches; Part II. Scale Effects; 3 Cohesion; 4 Representatives; 5 Representativeness; 6 Particularism; 7. Participation; 8. Contestation; 9. Institutionalized Succession; 10. Professionalism; 11. Concentration; 12, Intervention; 13.Power; 14. Civil Conflict; 15. Other Outcomes; Part III. Conclusions; 16. How Scale Matters.

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Book SynopsisThis title attempts to look at some of the key theoretical and empirical debates in the fields of urbanization, industrialization and stratification in India. It engages with the problems of typologies - tribal, peasant and industrial - in order to understand the problem of modernity and tradition in India.

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Book SynopsisThe grace of fiction combined with the power of historyTrade Review"Don Akenson has a lengthy track-record in new approaches to history. He has already written extensively and seminally on everything that is touched upon in this book, so he has the pedigree and the intellect to withstand the criticism which will invariably come. The approach is probably too quirky for the po-faced, but will thrill most readers. It is great fun, terrifically written and down to earth: scholarship and the Irish diaspora as you have never seen them before." Marianne Elliott The Irish Times "If James Joyce had studied the Talmud as assiduously as the Odyssey and been as enamoured of Saint Paul and Saint Patrick as he was of Nora Barnacle, he might have produced as overwhelmingly mordant a work as An Irish History of Civilization - but only if he'd had Conor Cruise O'Brien and Roddy Doyle as re-write men. Don Akenson has one-upped Joyce and forged the consciousness of a race." T.F. Rigelhof, Contributing Reviewer, The Globe and Mail "Akenson's astonishing series of vignettes, mini-biographies and running jokes features Irish pirates, missionaries, colonial governors, slaves and slave owners... it mingles history and fiction, the horrifying and the hilarious... This is a very odd book, but a genuinely brilliant achievement." Stephen Howe, The Independent "Stand by to be ticker-taped by scholarship; by dazzle, wit, and amplitude of knowledge as rare as it's painless and provocative". Tom Adair, The Scotsman "There is a novel here. In fact, there are thousands... (an) inimitable bricolage of reflection, jokes and mordant ironies. It might not be every historian's cup of tea, but I relished every word." Roy Foster, The Scotsman "Historian Don Akenson's monumental work begins with Paul in 16 BC and ends with the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington in 1970: Billy Graham and Richard Nixon. What's between requires four books in two volumes, divided into chapters on particular places and periods, themselves divided into numerous brief stories, each with its own point. Iconoclastic, original and eclectic, Akenson has produced a unique opus that is absorbing and entertaining, sometimes exhilarating and occasionally exhausting. The sheer vitality and mulitiplicity of these thousand and one stories produces a cumulative richness of imagery and narrative unmatched in much conventional fiction. It is an extraordinary feat of writing." Peter Hart The Globe & Mail "An Irish History of Civilization is a book like no other." Michael Enright, The Sunday Edition, CBC "While the breadth of An Irish History of Civilization is impressive, its depth is more so. Each portion deserves to be lingered over, savoured slowly, and allowed to reveal itself before fully moving on to the next." Robert J. Wiersema Quill & Quire "The stories are so absorbing that it was dangerous to begin reading the book late at night. The next thing I knew, it was close to morning and I began to develop what is known as Akenson-lag. I suspect that many other readers will have a similar experience. " David Wilson, author of Ireland, a Bicycle, and a Tin Whistle and professor of Celtic studies, St Michael's College, University of Toronto "Deliciously fresh and imaginative and a truly wondrous accomplishment from a unique and profound mind that is too lively and too quick to be bound by the limits of history or fiction." Peter Ward, professor of history, University of British ColumbiaTable of ContentsBook three Half the globe's our home God's Lethal Spur. Famine 1845-1852; An Old World Becoming New? Ireland 1852-1900; Not Far, But Not Home. England 1845-1900: Nearly Normal. Australia 1845-1900; Earnest Accommodation. New Zealand and Outer Polynesia 1845-1900; Mourn The Wild Colonial Boys? 1845-1900; Land of the Terminally Victorian. Upper Canada 1845-1900; The Advent of the Belated Irish. The USA 1845-1898 Book four America's century The Road Home. Ireland 1900-1923; Ever Farther. Australasia and Polynesia 1900-1969; Still the Cavaliers Ride 1900-1969; The Lord Has Mersey, and Lots More. England 1900-1969; So Far, So Fast, So So Far. Ireland 1922-1969; The Creation of the American Century 1898-1969 Recessional; Postlude

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Book SynopsisThis book provides the conceptual framework for documenting the history of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, West Africa. The Institute was established in 1961 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of the newly independent nation of Ghana. It was the first Institute of African Studies (IAS) at a major university in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nkrumahs vision was to incorporate national development into the mission of educational institutions in Ghana and throughout Africa. The role of African Studies was to provide direction through research, knowledge production and applications for development. This book begins with two historical contexts: (1) the global context, and (2) the establishment of the University of Ghana, formerly the University College of the Gold Coast, which was founded in 1948. This book relies heavily on archival materials at the Institute, the University Archive, and interviews with many of the architects and Directors of the Institute, as well as faculty, students, alumni, and others who contributed to and were impacted by the Institute for more than 50 years. This book documents key milestones in the history of the Institute from its establishment in 1961; its mission as envisioned by its founder, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and his address at the official opening of the Institute on October 25, 1963; the development of research and postgraduate teaching curricula (MA, MPhil, and PhD in African Studies); the incorporation of six credit hours of African Studies courses as a requirement in the curricula of all undergraduate majors at the University of Ghana (current enrollment is 40,000 students); a worldwide recognition of the study of African music and dance through the works of the renowned ethnomusicologist J. H. K. Nketia; the production of Ghanaian leaders on multiple levels in both public and private sectors; the founding of the academic research Journal of Contemporary African Studies; the African Thinkers Program; research focus on African traditional leadership and chieftancy; the establishment of the Kwame Nkrumah Endowed Chair in African Studies funded by the international mining conglomerate AngloGold Ashanti; the development of external linkages with universities on five continents; and the creation of the first continental African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) in 2013, a major historical achievement that culminated in the International Conference on African Studies at the University of Ghana. Moving forward, the Institute promises to build on its past and present to promote Pan-African Studies for national development in Africa and the African Diaspora; a collaboration with the Global African Studies academic community; the advancement of indigenous African knowledge production; the regeneration of African life, history, and culture; and the study of Qualify of Life in Africa.

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Book SynopsisUrban planners today are biased towards a model of neighbourhood planning that may be leading them down the wrong path in the design and approval of neighbourhood developments. Many urban planners working today tend to promote a grid pattern of streets for neighbourhoods under the mantra of connectivity, resilience, and sustainability while altogether forsaking the cul-de-sac pattern as an anomaly within the past five decades when compared to the rationality of the grid as a planning tool. The general purpose of this book is to contribute towards restoring the balance between these two opposed models of development: the enclave model of the cul-de-sac and the encounter model of the grid. This book suggests viewing neighbourhoods along a continuum of gated-ness rather than a polar opposition between open encounter models and enclosed enclave models. Differences in degree of gated-ness of neighbourhoods would cater to different personalities and types of residents. Adhering strictly to one model of design while eliminating consideration of the other is a form of symbolic violence because, as research demonstrates, people choose which neighbourhood to live in based on two widely different perspectives - the interactive perspective and the affective perspective - which rarely, though occasionally, overlap. To make a case for the social sustainability of suburban neighbourhoods, this book compares single access neighbourhoods with multiple access neighbourhoods in two Western Canadian metropolitan areas. The primary focus of the study was to discover the sense of cohesion residents feel within their neighbourhoods. The work employs a variety of subjective data and objective indicators to show how these neighbourhoods exhibit different degrees of gated-ness and use different modes of private governance. The book explores how these features are manifest in different intensities of social cohesion and place attachment. The work challenges planners and developers to consider the design and morphology of communities, and the way people variably experience this through the notion of a monadic space, can be an important driver of neighbourhood social cohesion.Table of ContentsList of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; Introduction; Enclave Urbanism or Encounter Urbanism?; The Neighborhood as Place; Single-access Neighborhoods in Calgary, AB; Multiple Access Neighborhoods in Surrey, BC; Comparison of the Four Neighborhoods; Conclusion; Bibliography; Annex 1. Survey Questionnaire; Annex 2. Interview Questions.

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Book SynopsisThis volume explores the key issues facing Russia as she lurches from one major crisis to another.

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Book SynopsisThe focus of this book is on history, guide books, directories, politics and government, race relations, social conditions and life, economic conditions and biographies of selected American cities. The cities covered are: New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. Access is through title, subject and author indexes.

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Book SynopsisThe focus of this book is on history, guide books, directories, politics and government, race relations, social conditions and life, economic conditions and biographies of selected American cities. The cities covered are: Boston, Houston, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Denver, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Access is through title, subject and author indexes.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a comprehensive listing of resources on Jerusalem''s history, politics and government, ethnic relations, social conditions, and international status.

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Book SynopsisThe United States has a long-maintained strong affiliation with South Korea. On the other hand, North Korea, a country on President Bush''s ''axis of evil'' list, and the United States have been negotiating for years about preventing North Korea from producing weapons of mass destruction. Under the current conditions, the United States sends aid to North Korea each year and in return North Korea does not build these weapons. Are we being blackmailed and are we entirely sure they are sticking to their end of the bargain? This book discusses North Korea''s military capabilities and the desperate attempt by the United States to curtail that progress. Also this book will address the struggle of democracy happening in South Korea, along with the United States'' role in that effort.

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Book SynopsisColombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. It has a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to the United States. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than a decade. Until 1997, Colombia had enjoyed a fairly stable economy. The first 5 years of liberalisation were characterised by high economic growth rates of between 4% and 5%. The Samper administration (1994-98) emphasised social welfare policies which targeted Colombia''s lower income population. However, these reforms led to higher government spending which increased the fiscal deficit and public sector debt, the financing of which required higher interest rates. An over-valued peso inherited from the previous administration was maintained. The economy slowed, and by 1998 GDP growth was only 0.6%. In 1999, the country fell into its first recession since the Great Depression. During the period 1988-96, the United States provided about $765 million in assistance to Colombia. In 1999, U.S. assistance exceeded $200 million. This funding supported Colombia''s counter-narcotics efforts, such as arresting drug traffickers, seizing drugs and illegal processing facilities, and eradicating coca and opium poppy. This book offers a comprehensive presentation of current issues in Colombia and presents an important analysis of the country''s historical background.

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Book SynopsisChina is a country in the midst of a transition which is inscrutable to almost all observers. The leadership has changed from the ''old guard'' to the ''new guard'' with hardly a slip. Capitalism is roaring but somehow at the same time doesn''t exist. The economy is booming in virtually all areas. The military is growing more powerful each year, many industries are at world level, and China is taking more and more steps to join the international community while being sure as she doesn''t snuggle up too closely. Still, with a population of 1.3 billion and staggering poverty in the rural areas making up the vast part of the country, the face of China remains centuries old. Where she goes, nobody knows. This series examines the issues, policies and progress of China''s transition.

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Book SynopsisChina is a country in the midst of a transition which is inscrutable to almost all observers. The leadership has changed from the ''old guard'' to the ''new guard'' with hardly a slip. Capitalism is roaring but somehow at the same time doesn''t exist. The economy is booming in virtually all areas. The military is growing more powerful each year, many industries are at world level, and China is taking more and more steps to join the international community while being sure that she doesn''t snuggle up too closely. Still, with a population of 1.3 billion and staggering poverty in the rural areas making up the vast part of the country, the face of China remains centuries old. Where she goes, nobody knows. This series examines the issues, policies and progress of China''s transition.

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Book SynopsisLebanon - Current Issues & Background

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Book SynopsisAmerica and Mexico share a continent with Canada and as the world continues to grow smaller find more and more issues which both bind and separate them. The major ones are border issues, immigration and economic issues but the minor ones continues to pile up as well. This new book presents some of the major current issues and places them in context.

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Book SynopsisThis book on Iraq focuses on the post-Saddam government, women in Iraq and the potential oil wealth remaining unrealised. Iraq, which was attacked by the United States to force a regime change, faces an uncertain future because of internal strife, outside forces such as the US and anti-US entities, and the effects of government inexperience and lack of legal and institutional infrastructures.

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Book SynopsisFriend or foe? Pakistan was extremely instrumental in supplying guns to Afghanistan to fight Russia. On the other hand, some of the world''s worst terrorists live seemingly in peace in Pakistan with little if any threat to their activities. Pakistan has developed a nuclear capability and is therefore a force in the world. But the population is kept extremely poor and often emigrates for better opportunities to Europe, America and England. A certain subgroup of this population forms the base of a great deal of the known terrorists in the world and forms the foundations for terrorist attacks in the countries they emigrate to. Other subgroups become important parts of the social, medical and scientific communities.

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Book SynopsisThis book is part of a broad study on Confucianism and its implications for the modernisation of East Asia. The Opium War symbolises the beginning of foreign humiliations, and the Cultural Revolution represents the apex of self-oppression, self-intimidation and self-humiliations. China vainly strove under the guns of many countries until the end of World War II, and since then, has suffered from many civil wars. Immediately after New China was established in 1949, the CCP closed the door to the outside (democratic) world, thus creating self-humiliations. Since economic reform was launched in 1978, New China has been developed from the verge of nationwide self-murder to the track for prosperity and freedom. The long march from self-destructiveness to social and economic progresses raises many challenging questions about human survival and processes. Philosophical, historical, political and economic perspectives are discussed. An open and enriching New China could dramatically affect the world in the not-so-distant future. This book describes the history of New China as a dynamic process from the pole of central planning, anti-Americanism and anti-Confucianism towards market economy, Americanisation and modernising Confucian manifestations.

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Book SynopsisVery few countries in the world can be considered economically on the move forward but India, as well as China, is one of them. This book presents a country profile, several issue papers including those dealing with nuclear issues and a chronology of recent events.

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Book SynopsisIs really "Islam" to blame for many of the ills of the world, like stagnation, gender inequality, social inequality, human rights violations and ecologically unsustainable development? In this book, the authors will present a Barro-type of cross-national development accounting framework for the weight that the variable "Muslims per total population" has in comparison to standard world economic openness, political geography and political history indicators for 17 key economic, political, social and environmental variables in 134 countries. This is a ''first of its kind'' to develop a quantitative assessment of the "global Lisbon process" of the convergence or divergence of living conditions across the globe since the 1990''s. The authors draw come optimistic, socio-liberal conclusions about Islam in the world system while we show, at the same time, that membership in the EU-15, by comparative standards, has dire long-term consequences in the world economy, and globalisation does not fulfill many of its promises.

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Book SynopsisZimbabwe is a newly independent southern African country having gained political independence from Great Britain almost three decades ago. The country is still going through a process of political, economic and socio-cultural change as it attempts to shed some of its colonial traditions and embrace a new postcolonial African identity. This book captures reflections of students caught up in that process as they struggle with issues central to development. These include how to balance traditional culture with the entrenched European culture in their education system, how to redress the racial imbalances inherited from the colonial past, and the lack of democracy and the role of the schools in the process of social change. The students highlight their hopes and frustrations in trying to preserve their traditional culture and in reconceptualising their own African identity through an education system which has been criticised for creating an Europeanized African elite whose relationship to their indigenous cultural heritage becomes petrified in the very process of that education. The student voices in this collection raise more questions than answers, questions which all newly independent African governments must ultimately address in order to promote sustainable development premised on equality, democracy, and reaffirmation of African cultural heritage. The concerns expressed in this work bridge continents and cultures and speak directly to students in the United States who are struggling to understand their relationship to the global community. We hear voices in this collection that are full of the hope and the promise, which is the future of Zimbabwe and indeed the entire African continent. The principal audience for this book is students, scholars and researchers in the fields of postcolonial and subaltern studies, International affairs, African studies, education and the humanities. The book gives scholars and researchers new raw data to help find answers to questions and issues of African development and education.

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a variety of research related to the future of the federal budget. Significant uncertainty surrounds long-term fiscal projections, but under any plausible scenario, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path- that is, federal debt will grow much faster than the economy over the long run. In the absence of significant changes in policy, rising costs for health care and the ageing of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to grow rapidly. If federal revenues as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) remain at their current level, that rise in spending will eventually cause future budget deficits to become unsustainable. To prevent deficits from growing to levels that could impose substantial costs on the economy, this book examines the revenues that must rise as a share of GDP, or the projected spending that must fall -- or some combination of the two which must be achieved. This book consists of public domain documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisThe first section of the book is all about Indonesia''s democratic transformation -- as it is the main theme of the book. It looks at the ways in which political parties in Indonesia have been formed and how they function in Indonesia''s society, which is rich, diverse in culture, religion and ethnicity. Voter behaviour and electoral patterns are also examined herein. Included is a review of Indonesia''s democratic transformation since the fall of Suharto. As the economy is the most crucial factor determining Indonesia''s democratic and national progress, the second section of the book examines financial, trade, and industrial issues in Indonesia. Southeast Asia economic professor Hal Hill provides a comprehensive analysis of the Indonesian economy since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98, which started a decade ago and of which Indonesia was one of the most prominent victims. Hill also shows where Indonesia is with its macro- and micro-economic managements and reforms.

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Book SynopsisSacramento Bee journalist Sam McManis spent five years on the road trying to find the real California. He discovered that there is more than one California, but every different California is equally weird and wonderful. Worlds collide and commingle: the neo-hippies with the rednecked farmers; the urban sophisticates with the quirky desert dwellers; the Hollywood power brokers with the outsider artists. Brought together in a bouillabaisse of voices, ''Crossing California'' will make you see the state in an entirely new light. From the briny scent of Fisherman''s Wharf to the fragrant sage scrub of Imperial County; from the otherworldly starkness of Death Valley to the crashing waves and flexing muscles at Venice Beach, ''Crossing California'' gives readers a first-hand experience. McManis has stalked the tony aisles of the newly minted Broad Museum in gentrified downtown Los Angeles, and quick-footed it through the International Banana Museum along the desiccated shores of the moonscaped Salton Sea. He has inadvertently gotten his car stuck in a tree at a cheesy drive-thru giant Sequoia roadside attraction along the hemp highway between Mendocino and Humboldt, and witnessed, with both fascination and can''t-look-away horror, grown men and women, sans children and sans inhibitions, belt out full-throated versions of Let It Go at a Disneyland sing-along. All told, ''Crossing California'' is a trip.

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Book SynopsisIn many ways, this book is very different from almost all other books on this topic, not because this book does not depend on any individual case, personal sufferings, anecdotes and secret documents, but because its analyses and conclusions are different. For example, the analysis shows that Mao Zedong had no need to launch the Cultural Revolution to defeat Liu Shaoqi because Mao Zedong had many options; the Cultural Revolution was well-designed, well-prepared, well-organized, and well-controlled because . . ; Why the Cultural Revoluiton was so brutal because . . ; Most surprisingly, the analysis suggests that Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping might co-design the Cultural Revolution because . . Finally, this book discusses the pros for and cons against the reoccurrence of Cultrual Revolution in the future.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the current political and economical climates of Pakistan and the People''s Republic of China. It explores China''s foreign aid activities in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In the past several years, China has bolstered its diplomatic presence and garnered international goodwill through its financing of infrastructure and natural resource development projects, assistance in the carrying out of such projects, and large economic investments in many developing countries. Examined here is China''s economic impact in three regions; Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Also explored in this book is Pakistan, whose stability, democracy and prosperity are considered vital to U.S. interests.

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Book SynopsisAs an emerging market economy, China has been the fastest-growing major nation for the past quarter of a century. The rapid economic growth of China results in enormous market capacity and potentials for further growth. Undoubtedly, it is ascribed to the continuous market-oriented economic reforms in various fields of China. The economic entity behaviours are becoming increasingly regularised, tending to follow or be guided by the market economy principles. The enterprises, even the state-owned ones, make their own production and operation decisions gearing to market demands instead of the administrative arrangements. This book presents an objective analysis on China''s economic reform and practices in these fields.

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Book SynopsisAfter communist North Vietnam''s victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.-Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen until the mid-1990''s. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded to the point where the relationship has been virtually normalised. Indeed, since 2002, overlapping strategic and economic interests have compelled the U.S. and Vietnam to improve relations across a wide spectrum of issues. For years, human rights have been the biggest thorn in the side of the relationship. Vietnam is a one-party, authoritarian state ruled by the VCP, which appears to be following a strategy of permitting most forms of personal and religious expression while selectively repressing individuals and organisations that it deems a threat to the party''s monopoly on power. This book explores the current issues and implications in U.S.-Vietnam relations.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of Jordanian politics and current issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations; Jordan''s government and economy and its co-operation in promoting Arab-Israeli peace and other U.S policy objectives in the Middle East. Several issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations include the stability of the Jordanian regime, the role of Jordan in the Arab-Israeli peace process, Jordan''s role in stabilising Iraq, and U.S.-Jordanian military and intelligence co-operation are discussed. The country''s small size and lack of major economic resources have made it dependent on aid from Western and friendly Arab sources. U.S. support, in particular, has helped Jordan deal with serious vulnerabilities, both internal and external.

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Book SynopsisLebanon is a religiously diverse, democratic state transitioning toward independence after a ruinous civil war and the subsequent Syrian and Israeli occupations. The United States and Lebanon have historically enjoyed a good relationship due in part to cultural and religious ties, the democratic character of the state, a large, Lebanese-American community in the United States, and the pro-western orientation of Lebanon, particularly during the Cold War. Current U.S. concerns in Lebanon include strengthening the weak democratic institutions of the state, limiting the influence of Iran, Syria, and others in Lebanon''s political process, and disarming Hezbollah and other militant groups in Lebanon. This book provides an overview of Lebanese politics, recent events in Lebanon, and the current issues in U.S.-Lebanon relations.

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Book SynopsisWith limited natural resources, a crippling illiteracy rate, and high population growth, Yemen faces an array of daunting development challenges that some observers believe make it at risk for becoming a failed state. Yemen is largely dependent on external aid from Persian Gulf countries, Western donors, and international financial institutions. As the country''s population rapidly rises, resources dwindle, and terrorist groups take root in the outlying provinces, the Obama Administration is left to grapple with the consequences of Yemeni instability. This book is an overview of Yemen''s history, U.S. relations and the role of Al Qaeda in the region.

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