Regional / International studies Books

Book SynopsisA vividly written and timely polemic tackling the burning injustices shaping British society today.Intelligently written and powerfully argued.' Paul MasonWitty, scathing, and entertaining.' Danny DorlingJournalist Sam Bright is a Northerner living in London. He is just one of the millions of people clinging on to the coattails of the capital, sucked in by the prospect of opportunities that the rest of the United Kingdom does not enjoy.Our capital is a vast melting pot of languages, cultures, and ideas, and rightly celebrated for it. For many, though, there is no other option. The only place to access the opportunities this country offers is London. Banking, law, politics, advertising, architecture, the arts and the media are all concentrated here. It is almost impossible to reach the heights of any profession without joining the grey hoards queuing for the next tube. As the economic, political, and cultural epicentre of the country, Fortress London acts more like a renaissance city-stTrade Review‘A northerner’s blast against the bloated capital. … Successful books have good timing, and Bright’s challenge to Labour has a keener edge after local elections in which the party advanced further in London but stood still in many other places.’ The Times ‘Witty, scathing, and entertaining. Sam Bright sums up what it would take to begin to turn England from London and its hinterland, into a country where everyone matters.’ Danny Dorling, author of Inequality and the 1% ‘A well informed polemic from a new voice on the left. Bright deftly weaves together his own experience as a Northerner in the capital with a mass of useful data on Britain’s grotesque regional inequality.’ David Goodhart, author of Head Hand Heart ‘Intelligently written and powerfully argued, Fortress London is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how power and wealth has been amassed by Britain’s new oligarchy, and what we might do to solve it.’ Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism ‘A passionately written tour of the damaging social and economic consequences of yawning regional inequalities and an over-dominant capital. Required reading for anyone wanting to understand how London divides us, and what we should do about it.’ Rob Ford, author of Brexitland ‘A brilliant book.’ Owen Jones ‘Sam Bright is one of the best reporters of his generation.' John Sweeney 'I've been really impressed by Sam's work – persistently finding story after story exposing wrongdoing and hypocrisy at the highest level. A name to watch.’ Carole Cadwalladr ‘A new and vital force in journalism, Bright’s well-crafted investigations and political scoops have already won him plaudits. His reports have forced government ministers on to the defensive and left the mainstream media trailing in his wake, playing desperate catch up.’ Matthew Wright

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Book SynopsisIn this riveting account of an area of Appalachia known as the Quiet Zone where cell phones and WiFi are banned, journalist Stephen Kurczy explores the pervasive role of technology in our lives and the innate human need for quiet.“Captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life.” —The NationWith a new afterword to the paperback editionDeep in the Appalachian Mountains lies the last truly quiet town in America. Green Bank, West Virginia, is a place at once futuristic and old-fashioned: It’s home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers search the depths of the universe using the latest technology, while schoolchildren go without WiFi or iPads. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory’s telescopes, Quiet Zone residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity. But a community that on the surface seems idyllic is a place of contradictions, where the provincial meets the seemingly supernatural and quiet can serve as a cover for something darker.Stephen Kurczy embedded in Green Bank, making the residents of this small Appalachian village his neighbors. He shopped at the town’s general store, attended church services, went target shooting with a seven-year-old, square-danced with the locals, sampled the local moonshine. In The Quiet Zone, he introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. There is a tech buster patrolling the area for illegal radio waves; “electrosensitives” who claim that WiFi is deadly; a sheriff’s department with a string of unsolved murder cases dating back decades; a camp of neo-Nazis plotting their resurgence from a nearby mountain hollow. Amongst them all are the ordinary citizens seeking a simpler way of living. Kurczy asks: Is a less connected life desirable? Is it even possible?The Quiet Zone is a remarkable work of investigative journalism—at once a stirring ode to place, a tautly wound tale of mystery, and a clarion call to reexamine the role technology plays in our lives.Trade Review"An expressionistic new work of nonfiction. Part folk history, part gonzo travelogue, The Quiet Zone colorfully annotates an elaborate contradiction: a last bastion of the disconnected world. ... Kurczy finds high drama and dark secrets in the woods, but he also captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life that is dying out at an alarming rate. ... A time capsule of a not-so-distant past, of an approach to life that is rapidly slipping from collective memory." — The Nation “[Readers] needing a reminder of the simple pleasure of reconnecting with real people in real life will enjoy the journey.” — Nir Eyal, New York Times Book Review "Kurczy's deep reporting uncovers... strange things in these hills. ... What makes this book formidable is Kurczy's relentless investigating." — USA Today "What a fascinating book! This corner of America is unique for its electromagnetic silence—but once Stephen Kurczy starts looking he finds that it's unique in other ways too. The Quiet Zone will live on in your memory." — Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Nature "[A] fascinating, deeply reported and slightly eerie look at an unusual corner of America. ... With compassion and a journalist's eye [Kurczy] delivers a compelling portrait." — BookPage (Starred Review) “Captivating. … A multilayered illustration of a unique community where things aren’t always what they seem.” — Kirkus Reviews "A vividly written book that captures an unusual place with a story-teller's touch, perfectly timed to this moment of confronting our complicated relationships to technology." — ELIZABETH CATTE, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia "A quest for our most precious substance—peace and quiet—leaps with exuberant aplomb in to the murk of American kookery—electrosensitives, Nazis, unsolved murders—and reveals that simplicity is far more complicated, far more weird and wonderous, than the self-proclaimed #simplelife." — MARK SUNDEEN, author of The Man Who Quit Money and The Unsettlers "Colorful. ... Kurczy succeeds in unlocking many secrets of this insular community." — Publishers Weekly “Cleareyed and compassionate. … Surprising and deeply enlightening” — Shawangunk Journal "An engaging and sympathetic study of the myriad people who call this unique place home." — Booklist "An enthralling story." — The Parkersburg News and Sentinel (West Virginia) "Readers discover a corner of America relatively untouched by technology's influence. ... The Quiet Zone is more than just a celebration of one of the few quiet places the world might offer those seeking refuge from a tech-driven world: It is a celebration of the unique people and fortitude that shapes an area most outsiders would overlook. ... Gives voice to many memorable people. ... One of the many beauties of Kurczy’s book is the respect and admiration the author gives the people of Pocahontas County." — Southern Review of Books "Gripping." — Daily Mail (UK) "A captivating read. ... A remarkable work of deep reporting." — Engineering & Technology Magazine (UK)

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Book SynopsisIn time for the federal election that promises to be a referendum on Stephen Harper's tenure, Party of One is a scathing look at the majority government of a prime minister determined to remake Canada.     In Party of One, investigative journalist Michael Harris closely examines the majority government of a prime minister essentially unchecked by the opposition and empowered by the general election victory of May 2011. Harris looks at Stephen Harper's policies, instincts, and the often breathtaking gap between his stated political principles and his practices.     He argues that Harper is more than a master of controlling information; he is a profoundly anti-democratic figure. In the F-35 debacle, the government's sin wasn't only in keeping the facts from Canadians, it was in inventing them. He illustrates how Harper has made war on every independent source of information in Canada since coming to power. H

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Book SynopsisThis collection of Abiola Irele's essays examines African literary traditions in the broad sense, and places the work of individual authors in context. Irele presents critical readings of the works of Chinua Achebe, Kamau Braithwaite, Amadou Hapae Ba, and Amadou Kourouma, among others.Trade ReviewAn interesting collection of essays...Well worth the reading time. * African Studies Review *Table of Contents1: The African Imagination 2: Orality, Literacy, and African Literature 3: African Letters: The Making of a Tradition 4: Dimensions of African Discourse 5: A Study in Ambiguity: Amadou Hampaté Bâ's The Fortunes of Wangrin 6: Narrative, History and the African Imagination: Amadou Kourouma's Monnè, outrages et défis 7: The Crisis of Cultural Memory in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart 8: The Return of the Native: Edward Kamau Brathwaite's Masks 9: A National Voice: The Poetry and Plays of John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo 10: Parables of the African Condition: The New Realism in African Fiction Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis study argues that American artistry in the 1960s can be understood as one of the most vital and compelling interrogations of modernity. The author posits that the legacy of slavery has made African-Americans among the most incisive critics and celebrants of the "Enlightenment inheritance".Trade ReviewThe Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts movement are celebrated as critical moments of racial nationalism and cultural awakening. Questioning the critical consensus about this narrative, however, James Hall reframe[s] these two literary periods in light of transnational and anti-modernist paradigms ... provocative [study] disturbing to our common sense about these seminal eras. * American Literature *Hall deftly restores a fuller voice to sixties artists too often straightjacketed within an obligatory hermeneutics of racial protest. * American Literature *James C. Hall invites us to revise our thinking about the 1960s in this thoughtful and generative study of the extraordinary efflorescence of poetry, fiction, autobiography, music, and painting that emerged out of that decade's African American freedom movement ... thoughtful, subtle, and persuasive. * The Journal of American History *

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Book SynopsisHere is one of the most important surviving works of pre-Columbian civilization, Rabinal Achi, a Mayan drama set a century before the arrival of the Spanish, produced by the translator of the best selling Popol Vuh. The first direct translation into English from Quiché Maya, based on the original text, Rabinal Achi is the story of city-states, war, and nobility, of diplomacy, mysticism, and psychic journeys. Dennis Tedlock''s translation is clear and vivid; more than that, it is rooted in an understanding of how the play is actually performed. Despite being banned for centuries by Spanish authorities, it survived in actual practice, and is still performed in the town of Rabinal today. Tedlock provides an introduction and commentary that explain the historical events compressed into the play, the Spanish influence on the Mayan dramatic tradition, and the cultural and religious world preserved in this remarkable play.Trade ReviewI highly recommend this book not only to historians and other scholars, but also to the educated reader interested in the Mayas and other native peoples around the world. It is a fascinating read backed by serious scholarship. * Robert Carmack, Hispanic American Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisBierhorst traces the principle myths from tribe to tribe in seven carefully mapped regions of South America. This book includes samples from mythological stories and some chapters are devoted to special topics such as myth and politics. Bierhorst introduces readers to the female creators of the northern Andes, the male gods of the Ancient Incas, and the shameless tricksters Sun and Moon.The book includes notes, a pronunciation guide, index, maps, and photos. The new afterword focuses on the durability of Indian mythology and the abundant material increasingly available since the mid 80s. Bierhorst offers new information on previously obscure tribes on the mythological map.Trade Review"One of the finest popular works in anthropology and science....The concepts are profound, yet accessible."--The New York Times Book Review "An intriguing, complex tapestry of living folklore."--Booklist "A well-organized, coherent overview."--Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe appearance of religion as a category describing a set of practices and beliefs allegedly an aspect of all cultures dates only from the modern period, emerging as Europe expanded trade abroad and established its first colonial relations in the 17th and 18th centuries. The invention of Hinduism can be seen in the encounter between modernity''s greatest colonial power, Britain, and the jewel of her imperial crown, India. This encounter was deeply shaded by the articulation and development of the concept of religion, and it produced the now common idea that Hinduism is a religion. The Bengal Presidency, home of Calcutta - the capital of colonial India and center of economic gravity in the eastern hemisphere - emerged as the locus of ongoing and direct contact between Indians and colonial officials, journalists, and missionaries. Drawing on a large body of previously untapped literature, including documents from the Church Missionary Society and Bengali newspapers, Brian Pennington offeTrade ReviewPennington gives us an insightful, creative, judicious, critical, and honest book that goes a long way to restoring some balance into the discussion about colonialism and Hinduism. I cannot recommend this book enough. * Carl Olson, International Journal of Hindu Studies *

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Book SynopsisThe Curse of Caste is the earliest published novel by an African American woman yet to be discovered.Trade Review"The groundbreaking research and expert criticism conducted by Andrews and Kachun is re-shaping scholarly discussion of The Curse of Caste itself and early African American literature in general."- Willie J. Harrell Jr., Southern Quaterly "This text enlightens today's reader in matters of representations of race, African American women's authorial venues, and the readership of newspapers during Reconstruction. The editing is careful and clear. Essential."--F. Martin, Choice "This text enlightens today's reader in matters of representations of race, African American women's authorial venues, and the readership of newspapers during Reconstruction. The editing is careful and clear. Essential."--F. Martin, Choice "The Curse of Caste; or The Slave Bride, is believed by some scholars to be the first novel ever published by an African-American woman. Whatever the case, "The Curse of Caste" provides insights into contemporary attitudes about black women's sexuality and miscegenation."--Dinitia Smith, The New York Times "This republication of Julia C. Collins' Civil-War era novel represents a remarkable act of literary recovery. Collins' work and the invaluable supporting material accompanying it here deeply enrich our understanding of American life during her turbulent times."--Dickson D. Bruce, Jr., University of California, Irvine, author of The Origins of African American Literature, 1680-1865 "Following the precedent set by Harriet Wilson's Our Nig, Julia Collins' The Curse of Caste is a compelling, imaginative rendering of the intersections of race and class at the close of the Civil War. William Andrews is the leading scholar of 19th century African American literature, and the work of Andrews and Mitch Kachun on The Curse of Caste is a model of judicious and sensitive editing."--Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsForward by Frances Smith Foster Editors' Introduction Notes to Introduction Editorial Note by Anne Bruder The Curse of Caste; or The Slave Bride, 1865 Two Alternate Conclusions to The Curse of Caste The Essays of Julia C. Collins, 1864-1865 Reading Group Guide Notes Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a systematic account of the role of the personal spiritual ideal of wu-wei--literally no doing, but better rendered as effortless action--in early Chinese thought. Edward Slingerland''s analysis shows that wu-wei represents the most general of a set of conceptual metaphors having to do with a state of effortless ease and unself-consciousness. This concept of effortlessness, he contends, serves as a common ideal for both Daoist and Confucian thinkers. He also argues that this concept contains within itself a conceptual tension that motivates the development of early Chinese thought: the so-called paradox of wu-wei, or the question of how one can consciously try not to try. Methodologically, this book represents a preliminary attempt to apply the contemporary theory of conceptual metaphor to the study of early Chinese thought. Although the focus is upon early China, both the subject matter and methodology have wider implications. The subject of wu-wei is relevant to aTrade Review"The scope of Slingerland's discussion and his mastery of the relevant scholarship make the book a useful and learned introduction to early Chinese thought."--Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies"Slingerland shows that wu-wei is a much richer and more pervasive notion than anyone has ever imagined. His work will convince even the most entrenched skeptic that it is an important and often neglected concern of just about every major religious thinker in traditional China."--Philip Ivanhoe, author of Confucian Moral Self Cultivation and Ethics in the Confucian Tradition"Edward Slingerland is one of a group of exciting and creative young scholars revolutionizing the study of Chinese history, culture, and religion by applying the recently developed tools of cognitive analysis, especially conceptual metaphor analysis. Effortless Action is a remarkable work that explores the meaning of the crucial concept of wu-wei in a depth never before achievable, showing how Chinese metaphorical thought forms a nexus around this most central of ideas. If you care about China, about its culture, history, and religion, you will find this book extremely enlightening. And if you are a humanist seeking a deeper understanding of culture and history, this book will open up new worlds to you."--George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley

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Book SynopsisDrawing on a large body of previously untapped literature, including documents from the Church Missionary Society and Bengali newspapers, Brian Pennington offers a fascinating portrait of the process by which Hinduism came into being. He argues against the common idea that the modern construction of religion in colonial India was simply a fabrication of Western Orientalists and missionaries. Rather, he says, it involved the active agency and engagement of Indian authors as well, who interacted, argued, and responded to British authors over key religious issues such as image-worship, sati, tolerance, and conversion.Trade ReviewThe flourishing of new knowledge of India's past by British and European scholars and administrators, the emergence of a post-theological notion of religion based on an comparative paradigm of universal religiousness in the contexts of cultural specificity, an increasingly insistent Protestant mission movement, a secular utilitarian notion of civilization, and a new discourse of Hindu among Indians in India were taking place simultaneously in the early nineteenth century. Brian Pennington has investigated each of these threads and their interwoven complexity and located them within the matrix of the post-colonial academic study of religion. A worthy and worthwhile contribution to understanding a misunderstood past. * Paul B. Courtright, Professor of South Asian Religions, Emory University *I read this study of cultural encounters between early-19th-century Hindus and British Christians with a sense of profound relief. The work complicates and problematises the simplifications that much of postcolonial studies operate with. By producing a richly textured account of religious debates and evangelical traditions in Britain, it not only provides a historical context for missionary lives, it also teases apart the multiple and contradictory strands within evangelicalism, normally taken to be a seamless monolith. Changes within modern Hinduism, similarly, are shown to be authentically internal developments that accommodate, but are not dictated by, the influence of new cultural encounters. Pennington deftly combines social and doctrinal themes, and his reading of Bengali, colonial, and missionary print cultures is stimulating. This is a book of many histories, all of which are complex and unexpected. * Tanika Sarkar, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University *Pennington has written an important book that redirects attention to historical agents that mainstream postcolonial scholarship has largely either oversimplified or passed over. He helps to advance a new wave of scholarship that rejects the essentialism of stereotypical, unitary visions not only of 'the East' but also of 'the West.' * Steven S. Maughan, Albertson College *Was Hinduism Invented? is a timely and cogent reconsideration of Hinduism as a word, a concept and, refreshingly, a reality that became apparent in sharp focus in 19th-century British India. Penningtons command of primary sources combines with alertness to current issues in the study of religion to demonstrate why Hinduism, properly understood, sheds new light on how and on what terms India and the West discovered one another, why Hindus and Christians relate as they do today, and how religions are best conceived and studied. * Francis X. Clooney, SJ, author of Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary *

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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 SynopsisTrade ReviewPilgrimage, Landscape, and Identity provides a welcome international perspective on pilgrimage in Norway, one of the few monographs on this topic published in English. Grau's circumambulation, combined with attention to international geopolitical and social issues, is commendable in its perspective on economic and ecological factors, as well as for including the voices of minorities in the discussions about the developments of pilgrimage networks. * Hannah Kristine Lunde, Folklore *In this impeccably researched and engagingly-written book, Marion Grau introduces readers to a Norwegian 'pilgrimage network' and its ritualizations of text, landscape, practices, and narratives. Grau brings an ecumenical perspective and a cross-disciplinary approach to bear on this rich study of reconstructed medieval pilgrimages, both at their inceptions and today as they continue to play a formative role in personal, national, and religious identity. Grau is an academic, pilgrim, and guide as she maps these paths for the reader in this important contribution to the ever-growing field of pilgrimage studies. * Kathryn R. Barush, Associate Professor and Thomas E. Bertelsen Jr. Chair of Art History and Religion, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley / Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University *There has been a remarkable revival of pilgrimage shrines and routes in post-Reformation countries across Northern Europe. Marion Grau has made an impressive contribution to the growing, inter-disciplinary study of this revival. She guides us gently along the routes to the St. Olav shrine in Trondheim and sets this particular example within the wider context of a changing nation. * John Eade, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London *Interweaving 'circumambulatory field work,' theological reflection, and historical analysis, Grau has produced a richly textured tapestry of various narratives and vividly present landscapes and bodies. This is an impressive exploration of important issues concerning migration, nationalism, sacred and secular rituals, and climate change within the context of a Norwegian pilgrimage. * Sarah M. Pike, author of For the Wild: Ritual and Commitment in Radical Eco-Activism *It is indeed a fine and novel study of pilgrimage in Norway, with interesting nuances and rich source materials. The book is written in an engaging language free of theological jargon, and it is both thought-provoking and interesting. It's well worth the read. * Peder AnkerGallatin, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 Reconstructing Sacred Geographies: Narrating Routes and Landscapes Chapter 2 Vikings, Saints and Pilgrimage Chapter 3 Mapping The Pilgrimage Network Chapter 4 Encountering Pilgrims Chapter 5 Ocean Pilgrimage and Ocean Plastics: Coastal Activism and the Reopening of the Marine Pilgrim Route Chapter 6 Cathedral and Town: Movable Feasts and Adaptable Spaces Chapter 7 Reconstructing Rituls: Pilgrimage and Sainthood in Contemporary Norway Epilogue Works Cited Notes

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Book SynopsisWhen we think of philosophy that can guide us in our everyday lives, we are more likely to think of Ancient Greece or Rome than we are 20th-century Mexico. But Mexican philosophy, which came into focus in the last century, following the Mexican Revolution, is a rich and wide-ranging tradition with much to offer readers today. Emerging in defiance of the Western philosophy bound up with colonial power--first brought to Mexico with the Augustinians in the 16th century, and, like so much else, imposed on Mexicans for centuries after that--it boasts a range of powerful ideas and advice for modern-day life. A tradition deeply tied to Mexico''s history of colonization, revolution, resistance, and persistence through hardship, this philosophy has much to teach us.Mexican philosophers had to grapple with questions particular to Mexico that have implications that anyone can and should learn from. Given the way we all must contend with life''s unexpected twists and turns, how can we preserve a sense of ourselves, and a coherent way of thinking about the world? If history is really a sequence of accidents, each affecting the next, how can we think about what we should be doing in our lives? How can we understand who we are, if we are the product of such accidents of history? How can we deal with emotions that conflict with one another? How can we keep our spirits up when we feel like we are always on our way to a far-off goal? Mexican philosophy offers a specific, historically- and culturally-rooted way to think about these universal questions. We can appreciate the way its ideas followed from the accidents of history that created modern-day Mexico, while also appreciating that they are as universally profound as those passed down in the Western tradition. Mexican philosophy also offers an array of fascinating concepts and directives, from recommending cultivating a rival as a source of motivation to teaching how to deal with trouble-makers and reminding us to respect other people on their own terms. Mexican philosophy is a varied, dynamic, and deeply modern resource for meaningful, distinctive wisdom to guide us through our lives. Incorporating stories from his family''s and his ancestors'' Mexican and Mexican-American experiences, Carlos Alberto Sánchez provides an intriguing guide for readers of all backgrounds, including those who will be learning about philosophy (or Mexico) for the first time.

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Book SynopsisThe African Development Report 2005 is the seventeenth annual survey of economic and social progress in Africa. The Report provides comprehensive analysis of the state of the African economy, examining development policy issues affecting the economic prospects of the continent.The African Development Bank Group is a regional multilateral development finance institution the members of which are all of the 53 countries in Africa and 25 countries from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America. The purpose of the Bank is to further the economic development and social progress of African countries individually and collectively. To this end, the Bank promotes the investment of public and private capital for development, primarily by providing loans and grants for projects and programs that contribute to poverty reduction and broad-based sustainable development in Africa.The non-concessional operations of the Bank are financed from its ordinary capital resources. In addition, the

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Book SynopsisSherman Jackson offers a trenchant examination of the career of Islam among the blacks of America. Jackson notes that no one has offered a convincing explanation of why Islam spread among Blackamericans (a coinage he explains and defends) but not among white Americans or Hispanics. The assumption has been that there is an African connection. In fact, Jackson shows, none of the distinctive features of African Islam appear in the proto-Islamic, black nationalist movements of the early 20th century. Instead, he argues, Islam owes its momentum to the distinctively American phenomenon of Black Religion, a God-centered holy protest against anti-black racism.Islam in Black America begins as part of a communal search for tools with which to combat racism and redefine American blackness. The 1965 repeal of the National Origins Quota System led to a massive influx of foreign Muslims, who soon greatly outnumbered the blacks whom they found here practicing an indigenous form of Islam. Immigrant Muslims would come to exercise a virtual monopoly over the definition of a properly constituted Islamic life in America. For these Muslims, the nemesis was not white supremacy, but the West. In their eyes, the West was not a racial, but a religious and civilizational threat. American blacks soon learned that opposition to the West and opposition to white supremacy were not synonymous. Indeed, says Jackson, one cannot be anti-Western without also being on some level anti-Blackamerican. Like the Black Christians of an earlier era struggling to find their voice in the context of Western Christianity, Black Muslims now began to strive to find their black, American voice in the context of the super-tradition of historical Islam. Jackson argues that Muslim tradition itself contains the resources to reconcile blackness, American-ness, and adherence to Islam. It is essential, he contends, to preserve within Islam the legitimate aspects of Black Religion, in order to avoid what Stephen Carter calls the domestication of religion, whereby religion is rendered incapable of resisting the state and the dominant culture. At the same time, Jackson says, it is essential for Blackamerican Muslims to reject an exclusive focus on the public square and the secular goal of subverting white supremacy (and Arab/immigrant supremacy) and to develop a tradition of personal piety and spirituality attuned to distinctive Blackamerican needs and idiosyncrasies.Trade ReviewDestined to become a fixture in any course dealing with Islam in America, Jackson's treatment of the subject offers many helpful insights while giving a voice to often-ignored Blackamerican Muslims. ...his work will contribute to the lively and growing debate over the place of Islam in America and the role of Blackamerican Muslims in the contemporary American religious scene. * The Virginia Quarterly Review *No one has ever analyzed the actual dynamics of Blackamerican Muslims with more acute insight, or more palpable good will, than Sherman Jackson. For both black and white Americans, Jackson sets forth a vision of Islam that is at once holistic and pragmatic: a source of inner strength, a builder of human character, and a bridge to salvation. This book is required reading for anyone who has ever pondered how the long span of Muslim history connects to the Blackamerican stake in an ongoing and enabling Islamic identity. * Bruce Lawrence, author of New Faiths, Old Fears: Muslims and Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life *No author is better positioned than Sherman Jackson to write Islam and the Blackamerican. A prominent scholar of Islam and major Muslim leader, Jackson draws on his impeccable scholarship and experience, providing a perspective on the past and charting a future course for Blackamerican Muslims. * John L. Esposito, author of What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam *This seminal examination of Blackamerican Islam is an excellent theoretical seating for and analysis of various communities since the beginning of the twentieth century. What makes this text groundbreaking is that it stands the tradition of the only real religion among African Americans is Christianity on its head. For almost all of the 20th century, Black Christian scholars have claimed hegemony over what is said about religion in the black community without mentioning the influences of Islam or even its increasing adherence. Well, Sherman Jackson has forced a new conversation with a skilled and sophisticated investigation from the point of view of a Blackamerican Islamic scholar. Things will never be the same again in the scholarship around black religion. * Aminah Beverly McCloud, author of African American Islam *A must read for anyone interested in an important and challenging interpretation of Islam and African Americans. * James H. Cone, author of Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Islam and Black Religion ; 2. The Third Resurrection and the Ghost of Edward Wilmot Blyden ; 3. Black Orientalism ; 4. Between Blackamerica, Immigrant Islam, and the Dominant Culture ; 5. Blackamerican Islam Between Religion, Nationalism, and Spirituality ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisBarbara M. Benedict draws on the texts of the early modern period to discover the era's attitudes toward curiosity, a trait which was often depicted as an unsavoury form of transgression or cultural ambition.Trade Review"Robinson Crusoe told us that his head was always filled 'with rembling Thoughts.' That is how he got into such trouble, but it is also the way he survived. Rambling thoughts, as Benedict shows in this exuberant study, were at the center of English literary and cultural experience from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries. Transgressive, uncontrollable, hopelessly vulgar and at the same time exalted and ennobling, the passion of curiosity was the key that unlocked the sensibility of modernity in its great formative age." - Stephen Greenblatt, author of Marvelous Possessions: The Wonder of the New World "Benedict assembles her own gorgeous literary curiosity cabinet crammed with excerpts from novels, poems, journalism, travel narratives, trial transcripts and pornography.... The book is teeming with big questions and fine distinctions." - Ian Sansom, The Guardian "Pithy and wide-ranging.... This study provides a fresh new lens through which to reinvestigate the whole of early modern English literature." - Library Journal

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Book SynopsisThis text chronicles the rise of popular music in the French Caribbean. Based on personal interviews and discussions of song texts, Berrian shows how these musicians express their feelings about current and past events, about themselves, their islands and the French.

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Book SynopsisThis study shows how the feminist movement of the 1960s first found momentum in the seemingly peaceable time of the 1950s. It explores white middle class America and argues that mixed messages given to girls during this decade lent fuel to the fire that would later become known as feminism.

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Book SynopsisThis study offers an interpretation of the political battles that paved the way for reform in Iran. The author argues that the struggle for a more democratic Iran can be traced back to the revolution itself, and to the contradictory agendas of the revolution's founding father, Ayatollah Khomeini.

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Book SynopsisIn the 1970s John Chernoff recorded the story of Hawa, a 16 year old West African girl working as an ashawo, or bar girl. Through Hawa, the reader gains an inside view of life in modern West Africa, for those without money, education or experience.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive analysis of the complex relationship of black political thought to black political identity and behaviour. The book identifies which political ideologies are supported by blacks, then traces their historical roots and examines their effects on black public opinion.

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Book SynopsisOffers a book about Yaya Harouna, a Songhay trader originally from Niger who found a path to America. Combining memoir, ethnography, and philosophy through a series of interconnected narratives, this title tells a story of remarkable friendship and the quest for well-being.Trade Review"Yaya's Story is not only highly original, it is emotionally engaging and profound. Stoller reveals the tensions between the yearning for meaningful relationships in Niger and the clinical care afforded by New York City. In so doing he demonstrates just how complex is the creation of well-being in the modern world. This is a truly remarkable book by a most gifted storyteller." (A. David Napier, author of Making Things Better)"

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Book SynopsisThe Supreme Court's actions during the 2000 American presidential election seem sensible, legally legitimate and pragmatically defensible to some and an egregious abuse of power to others. This book offers a guide to the ultimate consequences and significance of the Supreme Court's decision.

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Book SynopsisMore and more men and women in China are having sex before marriage, creating a new youth sex culture based on romance, leisure and free choice. Farrer explores this change by tracing the basic elements in talk about sex and sexuality in Shanghai.Trade Review"Opening Up conveys a panoramic, vivid, and fully convincing picture of the changing scene in China with remarkable assurance. James Farrer draws on extensive research and interviews with Chinese youth, revealing a rich and deep mastery of his subject. This is an extraordinary new book." - Ann Swidler, author of Talk of Love; "I can think of few books that offer such a layered appreciation for the textures of everyday life in urban China. Written in a hip and contemporary style, Opening Up is a pleasure to read." - Michael Dutton, author of Streetlife China

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Book SynopsisMore and more men and women in China are having sex before marriage, creating a new youth sex culture based on romance, leisure and free choice. Farrer explores this change by tracing the basic elements in talk about sex and sexuality in Shanghai.Trade Review"Opening Up conveys a panoramic, vivid, and fully convincing picture of the changing scene in China with remarkable assurance. James Farrer draws on extensive research and interviews with Chinese youth, revealing a rich and deep mastery of his subject. This is an extraordinary new book." - Ann Swidler, author of Talk of Love; "I can think of few books that offer such a layered appreciation for the textures of everyday life in urban China. Written in a hip and contemporary style, Opening Up is a pleasure to read." - Michael Dutton, author of Streetlife China

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Book SynopsisWhen the Berlin wall fell and the reunification of Germany began, Willy Brandt predicted that 'what belongs together will now grow together.'This study of Berlin's police force in the aftermath of reunification shows that forty years of separation left the nation with deep rifts.Trade Review"A curious puzzle lies at the heart of Glaeser's skillful ethnography.... The dominant reason given for unifying Germany was a shared nationality. Yet as Glaeser convincingly illustrates, the process of unification has foundered on the very shoals of cultural difference.... This book is fascinating, theoretically rich, and empirically rewarding." - Martha Lampland, American Journal of Sociology

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Book SynopsisWhy do Ghanaians suppress the history of enslavement? This book tackles this question by analyzing the slave trade's absence from public versions of coastal Ghanaian family and community histories, its troubled presentation in the country's classrooms and nationalist narratives, and its elaboration by the transnational tourism industry.Trade Review"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fascinating book. Indeed, it is rare to find such a sensitive account of how people deal with painful memories of the past and the complex social forces that dictate the shape and form that those memories of the past take." - Jennifer Cole, author of Forget Colonialism?"

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Book SynopsisMany experts believe that black America consists of two geographically distinct populations: a neglected underclass living in urban poverty, and a middle class of graduates and professionals. Through fieldwork and interviews with denizens of Harlem, this book aims to explode these presumption.

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Book SynopsisHarlem is one of the most famous neighbourhoods in the world - a historic symbol of both black cultural acheivements and of the rigid boundaries separating rich from poor. This work illustrates how Harlem is far more culturally diverse than its cariacature suggests.

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Book SynopsisIn this work, the author discovers that the American character is full of paradoxes. He states that this elusive national character can be found in Americans' faith in moving. He portrays this character through the lives of America's famous and not-so-famous nomads, and facts and statistics.Trade Review"Jasper's thesis... is strong and tantalizing. He does not restrict himself to a single discipline or line of argument, but dazzles readers with a stunning combination of literary critique, cultural analysis and economic estimation." - Publishers Weekly "Jasper travels across the American psyche to explore our unique infatuation with movement and personal reinvention.... To the author, this undergirds the cult of individualism as well as conservative, antigovernment politics in America.... The fluidity contributes to the dynamism of U.S. society but ensures a weak sense of community.... Restless Nation is an engaging essay on why we move so much." - Library Journal

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Book SynopsisIn "Restless nation" James M. Jasper isolates a narrative that lies very close to the core of the American character. From colonial times to the present day, Americans have always had a deep-rooted belief in the 'fresh-start' philosophy, explored in this work.Trade Review"Jasper's thesis... is strong and tantalizing. He does not restrict himself to a single discipline or line of argument, but dazzles readers with a stunning combination of literary critique, cultural analysis and economic estimation." - Publishers Weekly "Jasper travels across the American psyche to explore our unique infatuation with movement and personal reinvention.... To the author, this undergirds the cult of individualism as well as conservative, antigovernment politics in America.... The fluidity contributes to the dynamism of U.S. society but ensures a weak sense of community.... Restless Nation is an engaging essay on why we move so much." - Library Journal

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Book SynopsisAs government agencies have encouraged faith-based organizations to help ensure social welfare, many black churches have received grants to provide services to their neighborhoods' poorest residents. This title demonstrates that this alliance serves as a means for black clergy to reaffirm their political leadership in black civil society.Trade Review"This exceptional book will be crucial for those of us who study black politics. In this era of strange alliances between the Republican right and black Christian fundamentalists, research that illuminates how the formerly contentious and confrontational black church has adapted to certain political realities has cutting-edge relevancy." - Andrea Y. Simpson, University of Richmond"

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Book SynopsisAs government agencies have encouraged faith-based organizations to help ensure social welfare, many black churches have received grants to provide services to their neighborhoods' poorest residents. This title demonstrates that this alliance serves as a means for black clergy to reaffirm their political leadership in black civil society.Trade Review"This exceptional book will be crucial for those of us who study black politics. In this era of strange alliances between the Republican right and black Christian fundamentalists, research that illuminates how the formerly contentious and confrontational black church has adapted to certain political realities has cutting-edge relevancy." - Andrea Y. Simpson, University of Richmond"

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