Social and ethical issues Books

Book SynopsisBrilliant' Jenni Murray'Liberating, intoxicating' Zoe WilliamsWhy, after decades of social progress, is motherhood still so much harder than it needs to be?'Before they become mothers, women are repeatedly reminded that their biological clock is ticking. Once pregnant, a woman's body becomes public property: she is patronised, panicked, and forbidden from exercising her autonomy. In labour, women's wishes are overridden, resulting in potentially life-changing injuries and trauma.When the baby comes home, women begin a life of pay cuts, lost job opportunities, heavier housework, unequal emotional loads, and judgement from all sides. State support and family networks have fallen away, and mothers are censured for every choice' they make if they are given real choices at all.In this searing and vital book, Eliane Glaser asks why mothers are idealised, yet treated so poorly; why campaigns for mothers have become so unfashionable; and what we need to do to shift the needle and improve the Trade Review‘Brilliant: at last a young mother brave enough to challenge the Madonna myth’ Jenni Murray ‘It stopped me in my tracks to see so many things that are never said about the profundity, the consequence, the unprettiness of the maternal experience. Radical honesty is a political act, and also a liberating, intoxicating read’ Zoe Williams ‘Startling, provocative and rigorous, this book explains why mothers are so furious and so tired (SO tired!) and how things might change’ Samantha Ellis, author of Take Courage: Anne Brontë and the Art of Life ‘Eliane Glaser brilliantly blends analysis of the all too contemporary injustices of motherhood with a historical perspective, emerging with fresh and vivid insights articulated with verve and wit’ Rebecca Asher, author of Man Up: Boys, Men and Breaking the Male Rules ‘Reading it is like talking to your super-smart and very sensible best friend who has the facts at her fingertips . . . I wish I’d had this book when I was in the thick of it’ Joanna Pocock, The Spectator ‘Powerfully expressed throughout and a compelling, addictively easy read (while being meticulously researched and effortlessly intelligent), this is a breath of fresh air that blends personal observation with political analysis and proper investigative journalism. This will save you reading hundreds of books on motherhood and child-rearing. And is a damn sight more entertaining’ Viv Groskop, Observer

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Book SynopsisSalman Rushdie is the author of ten novels, one collection of short stories, three works of non-fiction, and the co-editor of The Vintage Book of Indian Writing. In 1993 Midnight's Children was judged to be the Best of the Booker, the best novel to have won the Booker Prize in its forty year history. The Moor's Last Sigh won the Whitbread Prize in 1995 and the European Union's Aristeion Prize for Literature in 1996. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.Trade ReviewStirring and original * New York Times *A vivid and probing introduction for perplexed outsiders * Newsday *Salman Rushdie's extraordinary book...is a masterpiece of sympathetic yet critical reporting, graced with his marvellous wit, quietly assertive style, odd and yet always revealing experiences -- Edward Said

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Book SynopsisA TIMES BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOK OF THE YEARThe award-winning Financial Times columnist exposes the threat that Big Tech poses to our democracies, our economies and ourselves''Powerful'' Sunday Times Google and Facebook receive 90% of the world''s news advertising spend. Amazon takes half of all e-commerce in the US. Google and Apple operating systems run on all but 1% of cell phones globally. And 80% of corporate wealth is now held by 10% of companies - the digital titans. How did these once-idealistic and innovative companies come to manipulate elections, violate our privacy and pose a threat to the fabric of our democracy? Through her skilled reporting and unparalleled access, Rana Foroohar reveals the true extent to which the ''FAANG''s (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google) crush or absorb competitors, hijack our personal data and mental space and offshore their exorbitant profits. What''s more, sTrade ReviewA masterful critique of the tech giants that now dominate our world . . . The great thing about her book is that it breaks the mesmerising spell that the tech giants seem to have cast upon governments, mass media and users everywhere -- John Naughton * Observer, 'Book of the Week' *Frightening . . . a readable and well-marshalled indictment of the sins of these new corporate empires. -- James Marriott * The Times *Powerful -- Best Business Books of the Year * Sunday Times *An insightful and powerfully argued investigation into the murky world of 'Big Tech' and its impact on our lives. * Daily Mail *Rana Foroohar is a savvy and wise commentator and a keen observer of the global economy. This book goes beyond the economic problems and examines the broader implications for society of the untrammeled and under regulated Silicon Valley companies. She demonstrates that while the creed 'don't be evil' may have initially inspired the Silicon Valley giants, its principle has long been left behind -- Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in EconomicsWe are most fortunate to have Foroohar's laser vision and trenchant business analysis turned on the tech giants and the gluttonous anti-democratic surveillance capitalism that is their most far-reaching innovation. A crucial contribution to the growing debate. -- Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism and Professor Emerita, Harvard Business SchoolRana Foroohar's urgent message: 'Yes, we really are living in the Matrix,' and it's time to rise up and resist our algorithmic overlords. This book shows us how. -- Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction and CEO of ORCAA

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn this unforgettable book, Sandro Galea expertly demonstrates that our investing in the healthiest population possible is literally an act of national security against a future pandemic. The Contagion Next Time issues a clear warning, and a clear way forward. This book can save us if we are serious about saving ourselves * Ibram X. Kendi, bestselling author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist *Dr. Galea's book proves it is possible for us to build a healthier world after Covid-19—and the first step is to protect the most vulnerable, whether they're in our own neighborhoods or across the globe. The Contagion Next Time is truly a must read. * Katie Couric, award-winning journalist *Sandro Galea lays out critical steps that we must take as individuals and as a nation to address lessons learned from the pandemic. A must read for policy makers and anyone who wants to shape a healthier future for our country and the world. * Hilary Godwin, Dean, University of Washington School of Public Health *The Contagion Next Time seamlessly weaves personal narrative, historical accounts, and public health expertise to illuminate the importance of re-centering our everyday experiences to create a healthier society. Dr. Galea powerfully calls for greater investment in social systems to produce equitable outcomes in preparation for the inevitable next health crisis like Covid-19. * Thomas LaVeist, Dean, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine *Covid-19 brings into sharp relief the social determinants of health. Sandro Galea, a gifted communicator, uses his considerable skills to tell the story of how our health is embedded in the nature of society, its history and values. Such understanding is vital not only to controlling pandemics but improving the health of the population. * Sir Michael Marmot, author of Build Back Fairer: The COVID-19 Marmot Review *In the wake of a devastating pandemic, Sandro Galea's incisive narrative shows us why we cannot return to the status quo in a post-Covid world. The Contagion Next Time offers a searing commentary on the cracks in our country's foundations, shining a light on longstanding inequities and systemic racism. It also gives us reason to hope by reminding us of the opportunities and possibilities available as we reshape our nation and public health. Sandro Galea's optimism is a necessary tool for the road ahead. * Aletha Maybank, Chief Health Equity Officer, SVP, American Medical Association *The Contagion Next Time offers a prescription for our health and well-being that is nothing less than the 'revolution of values' that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for in 1967. Dr. Galea's diagnosis rightly indicates that we must address poverty, inequality, and systemic racism to ensure good health. Deeply engaging and insightful, this book is required reading to ensure that we not only survive the next pandemic, but thrive for generations to come. * Shailly Gupta Barnes, Policy Director for the Kairos Center and the Poor People's Campaign *Dr. Galea's compelling and compassionate new book shows us how we must create a strong foundation in order to avert further pandemics. He urges us to address our pervasive but neglected nonmedical issues, including the American tradition of proud individualism that prevents us from recognizing how our health is interconnected, and reminds us, vividly, that until we begin to invest in our communal physical and mental health, we will remain vulnerable to future threats. * Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady *The Contagion Next Time brings into clear focus why we have never been able to realize an equitable response during pandemics and what change agents can do to create more healthy, equitable, and empowered communities. Dr. Galea's illuminating and pathbreaking work will shape the global conversation around the forces that shape health for generations to come. * Daniel E. Dawes, Executive Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and author of The Political Determinants of Health *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Section 1. The world we live in 1. A better and healthier time to be alive than ever 2. An unhealthy country 3. An unhealthy world Section 2. The conditions that create health 4. Who we are, the foundational forces 5. Where we live, work, and play 6. Politics, power, and money Section 3. The values that should inform these conditions 7. Compassion 8. Social, racial, and economic justice 9. Health as a public good Section 4. A science for a better health 10. Understanding what matters most 11. Working in complexity and doubt 12. Humility and informing the public conversation Epilogue References

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Book SynopsisA historical study of Chile's twin experiments with cybernetics and socialism, and what they tell us about the relationship of technology and politics.In Cybernetic Revolutionaries, Eden Medina tells the history of two intersecting utopian visions, one political and one technological. The first was Chile's experiment with peaceful socialist change under Salvador Allende; the second was the simultaneous attempt to build a computer system that would manage Chile's economy. Neither vision was fully realized—Allende's government ended with a violent military coup; the system, known as Project Cybersyn, was never completely implemented—but they hold lessons for today about the relationship between technology and politics.Drawing on extensive archival material and interviews, Medina examines the cybernetic system envisioned by the Chilean government—which was to feature holistic system design, decentralized management, human-computer interaction, a n

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Book SynopsisA compelling firsthand investigation of how social media and big data have amplified the close relationship between privacy and inequalityTrade Review“Drawing on rich insights from people trying to negotiate social media in a range of contexts, The Private is Political reveals the complexity and beauty of privacy in practice. Marwick’s book illuminates why privacy is especially important in a networked world.”—danah boyd, author of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens “Alice Marwick has written a richly textured, deeply perceptive account of privacy’s impossible, unending, and profoundly unequal burdens.”—Julie E. Cohen, author of Between Truth and Power: The Legal Constructions of Informational Capitalism “The Private Is Political is an insightful and provocative book about privacy and marginalized individuals. In a vivid, theoretical, and practical way, this excellent book examines the power dynamics at play with privacy and modern technologies.”—Daniel J. Solove, coauthor of Breached! Why Data Security Law Fails and How to Improve It

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Book SynopsisExploring 400 years of protest and resistance in US history?and what the unsung heroes of social movements past can teach us about navigating our chaotic worldIn this timely new book in Beacon?s successful ReVisioning History series, professor Gloria Browne-Marshall delves into the history of protest movements and rebellion in the United States. Beginning with Indigenous peoples? resistance to European colonization and continuing through to today?s climate change demonstrations, Browne-Marshall expands how to think about protest through sharing select historical moments and revealing the role of key players involved in those efforts.Drawing upon legal documents, archival material, government documents and secondary sources, A Protest History of the United States gives voice to those who pushed back against the mistreatment of others, themselves, and in some instances planet Earth. Browne-Marshall highlights stories of individuals from all walks of life, backgrounds, and time periods who helped bring strong attention to their causes. Those examples of protest include those of Wahunsenacock, more commonly known to history as Chief Powhatan, who took on English invaders in pre-colonial America in 1607; legendary boxer Muhammad Ali''s refusal to fight in Vietnam and appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court; and David Buckel, LGBTQ+ rights lawyer and environmental activist who protested against fossil fuels by committing self-immolation in 2018.Regardless of whether these protests accomplished their end goals, Browne-Marshall reminds us that not only is dissent meaningful and impactful but is an essential tool for eliciting long lasting change.

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Book SynopsisPaul Cairney is Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of Stirling, UK.Trade ReviewPaul Cairney has done the near impossible and made an outstanding textbook even better. The public policy landscape is always evolving and this second edition captures the new features, colours and dynamics in rich and vivid detail. It should be the go-to work for experienced scholars and students alike. * Allan McConnell, University of Sydney, Australia *The study and content of public policies are central elements of political science. This volume stands as the essential guide for students who seek to understand the forces that shape political decisions and the policy process. Cairney untangles and demystifies the complex business of policy-making by using theories to take us through the key dimensions of structure, agency , networks and ideas. Clearly written and full of theoretical and empirical insights from contemporary issues, I have no doubt this book will have a prominent place in policy scholars’ reading lists. * Claire A. Dunlop, University of Exeter, UK *Rarely does a policy textbook title match its content better. Understanding Public Policy provides an efficient introduction to complex policy theory that is accessible to new learners by demystifying (necessary) policy jargon through plain language and current examples. Cairney’s work incorporates the views of top scholars across the policy process literature and around the world. New learners and experienced readers will find the book a useful reference for understanding and researching public policy. * Chris Koski, Reed College, USA *Paul Cairney’s book is the essential work for any public policy course. It clearly maps out all the key theories, and is packed with definitions and examples based on the latest research. It also offers a crucial insight into how policy works, and what happens when theory meets reality. It is usable, lucid and very well written. * Ben Worthy, Birkbeck, University of London, UK *Understanding Public Policy does what is says on the tin. It allows students, social scientists and those involved in public policy to access, understand and apply the most important findings of contemporary theories and empirical studies of the policy process. Cairney also outlines extremely valuable suggestions for improving the dialogue between policy researchers, policy-makers and society at large. This volume can be read with different purposes: to rapidly metabolise an impressive amount of knowledge on how policies are made and change; to get inspiration for new research; and, finally, to shape policy. In each of these perspectives, Cairney’s volume delivers with crystal clear language, powerful narratives and a rich repertoire of examples. * Claudio Radaelli, University College London (UCL), UK *The value of Understanding Public Policy comes from the fact it is the only introductory text about public policy that properly locates the subject within the larger theories and ideas of political science. This means that policy and politics can be taught and understood simultaneously through a single high-quality source. By introducing new sections on policy learning, psychology, complexity and narrative, this second edition extends this quality and ensures that Understanding Public Policy remains an essential text for any social science student seeking to understand the relationship between policy, politics and society. * Alastair Stark, University of Queensland, Australia *In the first edition of this text Paul Cairney showed us that the untamed study of public policy could be conveyed in a way that is both accessible and useful, and yet also comprehensive and sophisticated. In this second edition he extends these qualities – notably by incorporating views and knowledge usually boxed out of such discussions. At this point it is safe to say that Cairney’s aerial view of the study of public policy is itself becoming a standard in the field. * Michael D. Jones, Editor-in-Chief, Policy Studies Journal *Cairney’s second edition synthesizes the rich body of scholarship on public policy and policymaking to distil lessons on the multifaceted factors that structure, influence and produce public policy. This book masterfully weaves together insights from decades of policy research into a coherent explanation of both the component parts of policymaking and the functioning of policy processes as a whole. In doing so, this book serves as an essential resource for diagnosing the nature of policymaking while honouring its complexity and the diversity of lenses through which we can explore it. * Tanya Heikkila, University of Colorado Denver, USA *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction to Policy and Policymaking 2. What is Policy and Policymaking? 3. Power and Public Policy 4. Bounded Rationality and the Psychology of Policymaking 5. Institutions and New Institutionalism 6. Structures, Environments, and Complex Systems 7. Collective Action Problems in Public Policy 8. Multi-level Governance and Multi-centric Policymaking 9. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory 10. The Advocacy Coalition Framework 11. Ideas and ‘Multiple Streams’ Analysis 12. Policy Learning and Transfer 13. Conclusion: policy theory as accumulated wisdom.

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Book SynopsisSexual conflict permeates ancient religions, from injunctions about thy neighbor''s wife to the sexual obligations of marriage. It is etched in written laws that dictate who can and cannot have sex with whom. Its manifestations shape our sexual morality, evoking approving accolades or contemptuous condemnation. It produces sexual double standards that flourish even in the most sexually egalitarian cultures on earth. And although every person alive struggles with sexual conflict, most of us see only the tip of the iceberg: dating deception, a politician''s unsavory grab, the slow crumbling of a once-happy marriage, a romantic breakup that turns nasty.Bad Men shows that this battle of the sexes is deeper and far more pervasive than anyone has recognized, revealing the hidden roots of sexual conflict -- roots that originated over deep evolutionary time -- which characterise our sexual psychology. Providing novel insights into our minds and behaviours, Bad Men presTrade Review'Few topics interest us more than the nature of relationships between the sexes, and David Buss has long been a leader in turning that interest into rigorous science based on empirical findings and anchored in evolutionary thinking. Bad Men is a major contribution to the field' - Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave'The public concern with sexual aggression is a great moral advance, but our intellectual culture has floundered in trying to understand it because it clings to myths and dogmas that defy science, common sense, and lived experience. David Buss, one of the world's experts in sexual conflict in human mating, brings these back together in a fascinating and timely book which helps us to understand these evils and better equip us to minimise them' - Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now'Bad Men is a fascinating book that comprehensively examines the roots of sexual conflict between women and men' The Times'It seems that, every week, we hear a new report of atrocious male behaviour ... Buss's book is not only explanatorily powerful and pragmatically useful, but unfortunately very necessary. The book synthesises over 30 years of research showing how evolutionary psychology can illuminate the origins of the sexual conflict that blights many women's lives, and the mechanisms through which it operates. It explores why many men seem unable to grasp the vulnerability that many women feel. It also provides a roadmap for mitigating what Buss calls "the biggest human rights issue in the world": sexual violence against women' - Areo'An unflinching look at sexual conflict and what we can do about it. This accessible book explains why conflict between men and women is inevitable, but sexual coercion and violence are not. Eliminating violence against women is Buss's goal, and this book considers paths toward achieving it' - Leda Cosmides, codirector of the Center for EvolutionaryPsychology, University of California, Santa Barbara'Brilliantly shines a scientific light on our most intimate, and often uncomfortable, entanglements. I highly recommend it' - Dr. Wendy Walsh, 'America's Relationship Expert', host of the podcast Mating Matters and the Dr. Wendy Walsh Show on iHeart Radio, author of The Boyfriend Test, The Girlfriend Test and the 30-Day Love Detox'If you want to understand our minds, you must understand the evolutionary past which forged them. And if you want to understand our sexuality, all the more so. There is no better guide for this than Professor David Buss, one of the country's leading evolutionary psychologists. This theoretically grounded book has countless vivid examples and offers a wide-ranging account of the origins of human sexual behaviour and its modern manifestations, helping to make sense of so many troubling behaviours. Insightful and provocative' - Nicholas Christakis, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society'Buss has untangled the primordial (and eternal) human mating dance with deft, clarity, precision and charm. Want to know your "Mate Value?" And why he did something violent to his beloved, perhaps you? Buss gives us the underlying causes of the battle between the sexes - and how to overcome sexual conflict. It's steeped in science - and an exceptional book' - Helen Fisher, author of Anatomy of Love'Bad Men applies the hard lens of science to the most contentious and painful issues of our time - stalking, malicious seduction, sexual harassment and sexual assault. The result is an eye-opening perspective on the deep history of men harming women. David Buss explains which types of men are most likely to be perpetrators, and why women can be so devastated by the results. He never explains away this behaviour, but instead explains it with the hope that a deeper understanding can help solve these problems and free future generations of women from the ever-present fear that we've been forced to accept as part of life' - Faye Flam, author of The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man'Buss tackles numerous difficult, sensitive, and controversial topics in this book, but throughout he uses a balanced, evidence-driven approach. He relies on clear arguments that build a solid impression of how the sexes have evolved distinct strategies, and how those strategies typically lead to misunderstanding and conflict. The evidence he provides is convincing, and he draws on a commendable range of studies for support. Given the breadth of topics and how they come together repeatedly to highlight patterns of sex-specific behavior, this book will serve as an important springboard for understanding more completely men's (and women's) behavior for years to come. In my opinion, it will be of interest to a diverse readership-everyone from a person who wonders why men and women behave so differently in online dating, all the way to academics who want to learn the nuances of sexual conflict theory. Definitely a provocative and interesting read!' - Dr. Maryanne Fisher, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Women and Competition'In Bad Men, once again David Buss delivers with his ability to take the most complicated and disturbing of topics and make sense of it. In characteristic fashion, he supports his analyses on the mysteries of sexual conflict with solid research yet presents it in an intriguing and entertaining fashion. While demonstrating that bad sexual behaviours have evolved as part of our fundamental psychology of sex differences, Buss underscores such behaviours are not inevitable. Understanding these behaviours and why they evolved is a necessary and critical step in preventing their perpetuation. This bold and honest look at sexual conflict lays the foundation for better behaviour. A must read' - Cindy M. Meston, professor of clinical psychology, University of Texas at Austin and co-author of Why Women Have Sex'Highly informative and engaging, David's Buss' Bad Men is an insightful, sensitive and honest examination of the sources of sexual conflict and ways we might be able to reduce its harms. He does this by elucidating the sex differences in our evolved sexual strategies, the result of sex differences in optimal mating strategies. He delves into the dark side of male mating behaviour but also offers approaches that call attention to the "sex gap" and how a better understanding of it can help craft policies to reduce or prevent harms that women disproportionally bear. An essential read' - Catherine Salmon, author of Warrior Lovers: Erotic Fiction, Evolution, and Female Sexuality'This fascinating book is like the long lost operating manual for men's and women's minds, written tens of thousands of years ago and only just now reconstructed. Buss explains so many of the games people play as they strive to attract, keep, and manipulate mates. Trying to understand and reduce sexual harassment, sexual violence, and ordinary marital misery without Buss's evolutionary lens would be like trying to understand and fight epidemics without germ theory' - Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind'In this powerful, provocative, and thought-provoking book, David Buss takes us through the fundamental reasons for conflicts between men and women. Drawing from the roots of evolutionary biology and psychology, he sets out in scholarly detail the potential for sexual conflicts within and outside relationships. He also shows how, while evolved differences between men and women can be recognized, they should not be equated with inevitability of action or behavior. The book provides an important and in many places deeply troubling journey into ourselves' - Tracey Chapman, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, University of East Anglia'Bad Men brilliantly analyses what has been called the most widespread human rights problem in the world. Authoritative, insightful, and sympathetic, Buss's book is a perfect resource for the #MeToo generation' - Richard Wrangham, author of The Goodness Paradox'Continues to follow the successful formula found in David Buss' earlier books ... the focus on bad male behaviour and what we can do about it certainly makes this book worth reading' - Psychology Today'In a new, ripped-from-the-headlines book ... juxtaposing more than three decades of laboratory research with case studies from the animal kingdom, hunter-gatherer societies, and the Wild West of internet dating, [Buss] lays out a theory of sexual conflict between men and women involving a co-evolutionary arms race' - California magazine

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Book SynopsisAn uncensored account of the obstacles and triumphs of a mixed-race relationship during the biggest civil rights movement in history.''An illuminating book that will challenge what you think you know about relationships, cultural diversity and race.'' Professor Olivette Otele''A must read book that will change the way we see mixed race couples and make us question our own entrenched beliefs.'' Melissa Fleming, award-winning author of A Hope More Powerful than the SeaGrowing up Black in America, Tineka Smith knew she had to behave in a certain way because of the colour of her skin. She faced restrictions imposed upon her by an unfair system; don''t talk back to White people, expect to be stopped by the police and work twice as hard as your White peers.Alex Court, a White British man, moved through his life in a very different way. As s

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Book SynopsisAn explosive popular science book that brings to life the overwhelming evidence contradicting the perception we have of ourselves as independent beingsTrade ReviewConsciousness is one of the greatest of scientific mysteries . . . Fascinating * MAIL ON SUNDAY *The idea of the self as a relatively closed system is a delusion that has often conferred advantage, but is now a dangerous trap. Moving through difficult science with valuable clarity, Oliver tells us why . . . [a] timely, challenging book * GUARDIAN *Ambitious . . . it has several important messages, many of which need to be more widely understood . . . a thought-provoking and worthwhile read * THE TIMES *This book is absolutely fantastic -- Russell BrandHumans are less discrete entities than mash-ups of microbiota and shifting beliefs, declares ecologist Tom Oliver in this rich, intriguing book. We are, he shows, so interfused with the environment that all life might be seen as a web of genes, and all minds a web of memes. Oliver reframes the self as a fleeting union of molecules, a target for manipulation by parasites, a cooperative co-creator who is also destroying the biosphere. But by recognizing our connectedness, he argues, we enable needed societal and environmental change -- Barbara Kiser * NATURE *THE SELF DELUSION is a book of wonders. It articulately explores the infinite web of connection that humans have with one another, as well as with those that lived before them and those yet to be born. But Oliver also takes us beyond the body to tease out our many connections with the world around us and far, far beyond it. How can we really be individuals when trillions of atoms from the farthest reaches of the galaxy can be found in our bodies? A timely, fascinating and quite brilliant bookAs a recovering individualist, I need to be reminded of the dangers of the self delusion and the benefits of dispelling it, and this book is a fascinating and compelling presentation of the scientific evidenceAs Tom Oliver takes us through this enlightening tour of our interconnectedness, from microscopic interactions to our collective cultural mind, he mercilessly dissects the very notion that our cherished individuality exists at all. Entertaining and thought-provoking, this book offers an urgently needed revaluation of our place in the world and what the next steps in our evolution might beUntil you've read Tom Oliver's delightful THE SELF DELUSION you'll never have guessed that, from the ground up, you and your self-identity are constructions, built like an Arcimboldo painting, but of cells from many sources, neurons, ideas and finally connections to others. Read this book for a compelling way of thinking about how and why the 'you' that you see when you look inside yourself arises, and its place in the universeTom Oliver tells a compelling story, firmly rooted in biological evidence, that will make you think differently about yourself and your relationship with the world around youA vision of a connected society - one that is conscious of its dependency on nature - is a glistening beacon in a gloomy ecological present. In an era that will be defined by its planetary action, Oliver's argument is timely and thorough * GEOGRAPHICAL *Interweaving the natural sciences with case studies from neuroscience and psychology, The Self Delusion assembles a compelling thesis.... It's easy to see why he has won awards for communicating science to a general audience * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST, IRELAND *If there was ever a book that connected us to current world it's this one. From how our bodies are made, the life of bacteria and its transmission between us, to how we create identity and what that means, and our connection and relationship to the natural world. Tom Oliver takes us on a revealing and important journey -- Alan Moore, author of DO DESIGNHeraclitus famously said that no man can step in the same river twice. Oliver has the science to back up the philosophy -- Christopher Bray * THE TABLET *

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Book SynopsisA playdate is an organized meeting where parents come together with their children at a public or private location to interact socially or play. Children no longer simply go out and play, rather, play is arranged, scheduled, and parentally-approved and supervised. How do these playdates happen? Who gets asked and who doesn't? What is acceptable play behavior? In The Playdate, Tamara R. Mose focuses on the parents of young children in New York City to explore how the shift from spontaneous and child-directed play to managed and adult-arranged playdates reveals the structures of modern parenting and the new realities of childhood. Mose argues that with the rise of moral panics surrounding child abuse, pedophilia, and fears about safety in the city, as well as helicopter parenting, and over-scheduling, the playdate has emerged as not just a necessity in terms of security and scheduling, but as the very hallmark of good parenting. Based on interviews with parents, teachers, childcare dirTrade Review"Sociologist Mose explores an emerging pattern of child-rearing within the context of declining use of public space, social class and the challenges busy urban families face building a sense of community." * Choice Connect *"While carefully describing the social norms of playdates and birthday parties, and how these norms differ by social class, Mose also writes with a critical eye and welcome sense of humor." * American Journal of Sociology *"The Playdateis a very engaging book . . . this work has deep implications for how we understand the reproduction of class inequality in American life." -- Emily W. Kane,author of The Gender Trap"This is an important book. Tamara Mose shines a piercing light on what we are doing forand toour children, and she effectively situates her analysis within the broader social contexts of race, gender, and class." -- Howard P. Chudacoff,author of Children at Play: An American History"A sociology professor at Brooklyn College, Ms. Mose examines the ritual of the playdate as if she were descending upon some strange tribe on a remote island. But she seems to belong to part of the world she discusses." * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisLove is the most important and intense experience of our life. It pushes us to elation, to heartbreak, to sing for joy and sob in disappointment. Connecting in this way to others is an essential quality of being human: without love, we don't learn and develop properly as children and we don't flourish as adults in short, we're starved of what we need. But love is on the verge of monumental change. Sex robots are already on the market, polyamory is gaining ground, drugs are being developed that can make you fall in love, and AI and robotics are set to revolutionize how we relate to each other. Debates about whether more than two people should be able legally to get married are heating up; at the same time, an increasing number of people have decided to stay single and who go by the name of sologamists. The futures anthropologist Roanne van Voorst spent three years researching love's fluid landscape and immersing herself in today's latest trends to gain insight into the

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Book SynopsisSubstantial claims are made about the extent and impacts of volunteering, often characterised by limited engagement with research evidence. Volunteering is highly stratified, so whether it can bridge social divisions in an unequal society is questionable. Volunteering may have some benefits for individuals and communities, but these impacts are often marginal; volunteering is not a treatment that can be prescribed with certainty. There is certainly a strong ?spirit of service? evident in the British population, but it requires considerable faith to believe that it can be extended to all. This book provides a comprehensive and original overview of evidence about the patterns and impacts of volunteering, underpinning a novel, but sceptical, assessment of the contributions of voluntary action to British society.

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Book SynopsisRecent years have seen a rise in far-right activity and protest in Ireland, with an increase in the number of attacks and harassment episodes against minorities, as well as politicians, journalists and activists. Addressing a lack of research on the subject, this book is the first to analyse the rapidly escalating situation. Contributions from diverse sources, including journalists and former Irish police officers, explore the fundraising and online activities of far-right groups in their opposition to the politics of gender, sexual diversity and multiculturalism. In exposing the rising threat from violent far-right actors, the book promotes a debate on how civil society can prevent and counteract the spread of such ideas.

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Book SynopsisTrue Colors (or, Affirmations in a Crisis) is a chronicle of survival by trailblazing artist Zora J Murff. Murff constructs a manual for coming to terms with the historic and contemporary realities of America’s divisive structures of privilege and caste. Since leaving social work to pursue photography over a decade ago, Murff’s work has consistently grappled with the complicit entanglement of the medium in the histories of spectacle, commodification, and race, often contextualizing his own photographs with found and appropriated images and commissioned texts. True Colors continues that work, expanding to address the act of remembering and the politics of self, which Murff identifies as “the duality of Black patriotism and the challenges of finding belonging in places not made for me—of creating an affirmation in a moment of crisis as I learn to remake myself in my own image.” Nuanced, challenging, and inspiring, True Colors (or, Affirmations in a Crisis) is a must-have monograph by a rising and standout artist. True Colors is the result of the inaugural Next Step Award, a partnership between Aperture and Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York, with the generous support of 7G Foundation. An exhibition of the work will open at Baxter St in New York in November 2021.

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Book SynopsisLike the never-ending War on Terror, the drugs war is a multi-billion-dollar industry that won’t go down without a fight. Pills, Powder, and Smoke explains why. The War on Drugs has been official American policy since the 1970s, with the UK, Europe, and much of the world following suit. It is at best a failed policy, according to bestselling author Antony Loewenstein. Its direct results have included mass incarceration in the US, extreme violence in different parts of the world, the backing of dictatorships, and surging drug addiction globally. And now the Trump administration is unleashing diplomatic and military forces against any softening of the conflict. Pills, Powder, and Smoke investigates the individuals, officials, activists, victims, DEA agents, and traffickers caught up in this deadly war. Travelling through the UK, the US, Australia, Honduras, the Philippines, and Guinea-Bissau, Loewenstein uncovers the secrets of the drug war, why it’s so hard to end, and who is really profiting from it. In reporting on the frontlines across the globe — from the streets of London’s King’s Cross to the killing fields of Central America to major cocaine transit routes in West Africa — Loewenstein reveals how the War on Drugs has become the most deadly war in modern times. Trade Review‘Lucid and well-researched.’ -- James Bloodworth * The Times *‘Vivid reportage.’ -- Colin Murphy * The Irish Times *‘Loewenstein gives a thorough and convincing picture of an utterly failed policy.’ -- Will Self * The Observer *‘An eye-opening exposé of the modern drugs trade.’ -- Colin Freeman * The Daily Telegraph *‘Loewenstein’s book is meticulous and forensic, and also impassioned and urgent. What stands out is the clarity of his thinking and the rigour of his arguments. He has an historian’s grasp of the big picture and a storyteller's skill for getting us to walk in the other's shoes. The vast scope of his thinking, travel and research is evident on every page, as is his clear-headed compassion. This book is vital and I couldn't put it down.’ -- Christos Tsiolkas‘Antony Loewenstein is an amazing journalist and this is an amazing book. Anyone who cares about the war on drugs - one of the biggest catastrophes in the world - should read this superb book right away.’ -- Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections and Chasing the Scream‘Many people assume that as the war on drugs has failed and because a few countries have liberated cannabis as a recreational drug as well as a medicine, the “drug problem” is solved. This new book powerfully demolishes any such complacency that might have developed in the west. Drug wars represent a major, ongoing world-wide disaster. This book is a must-read for anyone pursuing a rational policy debate about drugs.’ * Professor David Nutt, Imperial College, London *‘In this vivid, partisan piece of reportage, Australian journalist Loewenstein (Disaster Capitalism) depicts the catastrophic human consequences of the U.S.-led war on drugs and advocates for the legalisation of all illicit substances. Loewenstein argues that America’s prohibitionist policy serves not to counter abuse or impede trafficking, but rather to create corrupt “narco states” that are complicit with the federal government’s foreign policy goals ... Readers inclined to take a skeptical view of the drug war ... will welcome Loewenstein’s advocacy.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘A critique of the war on drugs, which, by the author’s account, is mostly a war on the poor and dispossessed ... The author examines several fronts in a war fought by Western governments, especially the U.S., on harder drugs that ‘are consumed nightly in such major cities as London, Sydney, New York, and Paris’ ... A sometimes overwrought but pressing survey calling into question a war that would seem to benefit only its combatants.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Pills, Powder, and Smoke provides vital coverage of a war that may never be won, but that desperately demands out attention.’ -- Kylie Maslen * Kill Your Darlings *‘He brings humanity and an even hand to his journalism, attempting to draw out multiple perspectives and asking questions from all angles but doing so with intimacy and palpable emotion ... Loewenstein believes in a moral drug policy, in ethical drug-taking and in fair-trade drugs, and makes no bones about wanting to change the conversation.’ -- Louise Swinn * The Saturday Paper *‘A great read that cements my view that the war on drugs will never be won.’ -- Wendy Squires * The Age *‘Thought-provoking.’ -- Colin Freeman * The Telegraph *‘A forensic look at the war on drugs.’ * Take 5 Magazine *Praise for Disaster Capitalism: ‘Chilling study, based on careful and courageous reporting, and illuminated with perceptive analysis, helps us understand all too well the saying that man is a wolf to man.’ -- Noam ChomskyPraise for Disaster Capitalism: ‘A journey into a world of mutated economics and corrupt politics that we ignore at our peril.’ -- John PilgerPraise for Disaster Capitalism: ‘I am very grateful that Antony Loewenstein has brought his meticulous reporting to this subject, and the result is a keenly observed and timely investigation into rampant resource plunder, privatised detention centres, and an array of other forms of corporate rapacity on four continents. This book will serve as a potent weapon for shock resistors around the world.’ -- Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine

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Book SynopsisDuring this time of attacks on public education, teacher layoffs and funding crises, it''s crucial to understand why some schools struggle for lack of resources while others flourish. Why is education funding in America so embattled and so unequal? In The Last Bake Sale, Andru Volinsky tells this story as no one else can, using New Hampshire as the example of the most unfair and regressive state in the nation in terms of how it funds its schools. In New Hampshire, taxpayers in the state''s poorest communities pay the highest education taxes yet raise the lowest revenues for their kids' schools. As the lead lawyer in the Claremont, New Hampshire, school funding case, Volinsky waged a twentyyear battle to make access to education fairer for all children in the state, not just the wealthy, white, and privileged. Volinsky offers not just a history of how we got here at the state and national level, but also how to find a better path forward. Combining litigation with public engagement and direct political action (including holding office) is our best hope to change public policy on education and advance the public good. Change can happen, and The Last Bake Sale for Education shows us how.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an in-depth overview of Turkish history and politics essential for understanding contemporary Turkey. It presents an analysis on a number of key issues from gender inequality to Islamism to urban regeneration. Based on interviews with leading intellectuals and academics from Turkey, the book’s theme follows the dramatic transformations that have occurred from the 1980 military coup to the coup attempt of 2016 and its aftermath. It further draws attention to the global flows of capital, goods, ideas, and technologies that continue to influence both mainstream and dissident politics. By doing so, the book tries to unsettle the assumption that Erdoğan and his Islamic ideology are the sole actors in contemporary Turkey. This book provides unusual insight into the Turkish society bringing various topics together, and increases the dialogue for people interested in democratic struggles in 21st century under neoliberal authoritarian regimes in general.Trade Review“This volume is impressive in many ways, especially for the caliber of interviewees, many of whom are currently incarcerated for their views. The high quality of most of these interviews is also to be commended. While I am not sure that all of the interviews or sections talk to each other - with the volume possibly addressing too many different aspects at once -, they undoubtedly remain a very interesting read.” (Balki Begumhan Bayhan, Interdisciplinary Political Studies, Vol. 6 (2), 2020)Table of ContentsI- Introduction by Esra Ozyurek II- An Overview of History 1- Kemalism and the CHP – Baskın Oran and Karabekir Akkoyunlu 2- September 12, 1980 coup detat – Ertugrul Mavioğlu and Eylem Delikanlı 3- History of social movements – Sungur Savran and Erol Ülker III- Politics and Economics 4- Economy – Ahmet Tonak and Ümit Akçay 5- Neoliberalism – Asli Iğsız and Elif Sarı 6- Urban regeneration – Mücella Yapıcı and Esin Ileri IV- Political Islam and the AKP 7- AKP government – Yuksel Taşkin and Burak Cop 8- The Gülen Community – Ahmet Sık and Deniz akirer V- Social Movements 9- Gezi revolts – Dogan Cetinkaya and Bilge Seckin Cetinkaya 10- Feminism – Aksu Bora and Nil Uzun 11- LGBT movement – Evren Savci and Sebnem Kenis 12- Working class struggles – Aziz Celik and Emrah Altindis 13- Environmentalism – Bulent Sik and Cana Ulutas VI- Minorities and Conflicts 14- Kurdish Question – Nazan Üstündag and Güney Yıldız 15- Armenian Genocide – Lerna Ekmekcioğlu and Seda Altuğ 16- Alevi Struggles – Besim Can Zirh and Murat Es VII- Human Rights 17- Human Rights – Sebnem Korur Fincanci and Aylin Tekiner 18- Freedom of Speech – Fikret Ilkiz and Defne Över 19- Public violence – Tanil Bora and Deniz Yonucu VIII- Culture and Psychology 20- Turkish Literature – Jale Parla, Mehmet Fatih Uslu, and Özge Ertem 21- Mental health – Cem Kaptanoğlu and Bilal Ersoy 22- Turkish Cinema – Deniz Morva Kaplamaci and Kıvanc Sezer Biographies of editors Biographies of contributors References

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Book SynopsisUnleash your inner sexpert with this outrageously fun and naughty trivia card game for adults – because learning about sex has never been this entertaining Share your sexpertise with this naughty card game for unashamed adults Sex is fun, and so is this playful card deck designed for your pleasure. Reveal outrageous, titillating and laugh-out-loud trivia as you determine who among you has the filthiest mind. This deck contains 52 cards with true/false statements and multiple-choice questions, plus a 4-page booklet, to test your knowledge of some of the wildest sex facts. Perfect for party-goers, Filthy Minds will pique your curiosity, challenge your abilities and blow your mind. - Looking for company? Filthy Minds is fun with friends, lovers, or strangers. You can play in pairs, groups or head-to-head. The more the merrier! - Gagging for more? With over 200 pieces of sex-related trivia, this dec

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Book SynopsisA powerful and urgent call to action: to improve our lives and our societies, we must demand open access to data for all. Information is power, and the time is now for digital liberation. Access Rules mounts a strong and hopeful argument for how informational tools at present in the hands of a few could instead become empowering machines for everyone. By forcing data-hoarding companies to open access to their data, we can reinvigorate both our economy and our society. Authors Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Thomas Ramge contend that if we disrupt monopoly power and create a level playing field, digital innovations can emerge to benefit us all. Over the past twenty years, Big Tech has managed to centralize the most relevant data on their servers, as data has become the most important raw material for innovation. However, dominant oligopolists like Facebook, Amazon, and Google, in contrast with their reputation as digital pioneers, are actually slowing down innovation and progress by withholding data for the benefit of their shareholdersat the expense of customers, the economy, and society. As Access Rules compellingly argues, ultimately it is up to us to force information giants, wherever they are located, to open their treasure troves of data to others. In order for us to limit global warming, contain a virus like COVID-19, or successfully fight poverty, everyoneincluding citizens and scientists, start-ups and established companies, as well as the public sector and NGOsmust have access to data. When everyone has access to the informational riches of the data age, the nature of digital power will change. Information technology will find its way back to its original purpose: empowering all of us to use information so we can thrive as individuals and as societies.Trade Review"This book. . . .offered insights, regardless of the reader’s familiarity levels with technology policy. Access Rules offers concrete solutions and poses critical open-ended questions. We live in an increasingly digital age, and this book is truly a must-read for all policy students and policymakers." * Georgetown Public Policy Review *Table of ContentsContents 1. The Power of Information 2. Data Alchemy 3. Schumpeter’s Nightmare 4. Data Capitalism 5. Might and Machines 6. Access Rules 7. Open Data Reloaded 8. The End of Data Colonialism Acknowledgments Further Readings and References Index

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Book Synopsis''A real hero looks like Nice Leng''ete . . . [An] elegant and inspiring memoir'' New York Times Nice Leng`ete was raised in a Maasai village in Kenya. In 1998, when Nice was six, her parents fell sick and died, and Nice and her sister Soila were taken in by their father''s brother, who had little interest in the girls beyond what their dowries might fetch. Fearing the cut (female genital mutilation, a painful and sometimes deadly ritualistic surgery), which was the fate of all Maasai women, Nice and Soila climbed a tree to hide.Nice hoped to find a way to avoid the cut forever, but Soila understood it would be impossible. But maybe if one of the sisters submitted, the other would be spared. After Soila chose to undergo the surgery, sacrificing herself to save Nice, their lives diverged. Soila married, dropped out of school, and had children -- all in her teenage years -- while Nice postponed receiving the cut, continued her education, and became the fiTrade ReviewA real hero looks like Nice Leng'ete, the Kenyan anti-female-genital-mutilation activist whose response to her childhood was to improve the experience for others . . . [An] elegant and inspiring memoir -- Sonia Faleiro * New York Times *An incredibly powerful story that offers real hope for the future * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisIs happiness catching? Are your friends making you fat? Can your sibling make you smart? Is wealth contagious? Where is true love found? Does free will exist?Based on exciting discoveries in mathematics, genetics, psychology and sociology, Connected' is an innovative and fascinating exploration of how social networks operate. Think it''s all about who you know? It is. But not the way you think.Turns out your colleague''s husband''s sister can make you fat, even if you don''t know her. And a happy friend is more relevant to your happiness than a bigger income.Our connections our friends, their friends, and even their friends'' friends have an astonishing power to influence everything from what we eat to who we sleep with. And we, in turn, influence others. Our actions can change the behaviours, the beliefs, and even the basic health of people we''ve never met.In this brilliantly original and effortlessly engaging exploration of how much we truly influence one another. Pre-eminent sociTrade Review‘In the category…of works of brilliant originality that stimulate and enlighten and can sometimes even change the way we understand the world’ New York Times Review of Books ‘An illuminating account of the pervasive and often bizarre qualities of social networks…We like to think we are largely in control of our day-to-day lives, yet most of what we do, and even the way we feel, is significantly influenced by those around us – and those around them, and those around them.…The authors excel at drawing out the devil in the detail: their explanations of how the architecture of networks dictates their dynamics are compelling.…profound’ Michael Bond, New Scientist

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Book SynopsisNow in its fourth edition, Childhood in World History covers the major developments in the history of childhood from the classical civilizations to the present and explores how agricultural and industrial economies have shaped the experiences of children.Through comparative analysis, Peter N. Stearns facilitates a cross-cultural and transnational understanding of attitudes toward the role of children in society, and how models of childhood have developed throughout history. He addresses the tension between regional and social/gender differences, on the one hand, and factors that encouraged greater convergence, including the experience of globalization. The book also deals with regional patterns as determined by different religious and cultural systems and family structures. It encourages readers to consider the complexity in evaluating childhood patterns in the past, in light of more modern conditions and expectations, and at the same time to realize some of the probleTable of Contents0. Introduction 1. Childhood in Agricultural Societies: The First Big Changes 2. Childhood in the Classical Civilizations 3. Childhood in Postclassical World History 4. Changes and Constraints in the Postclassical and Early Modern Centuries, 600-1700 5. Children at Play 6. Childhood in the Industrial Age 7. Forces of Change in Western Society, 1750-1900 8. New Constraints: The Impact of Colonialism 9. The Immigrant Child 10. Japan Adapts the New Model 11. Childhood under Communism 12. Children in the Industrializing World 13. Childhood in the Affluent Societies 14. The Dislocations of the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries 15. Globalization and Childhoods 16. Conclusion: Patterns and Tensions in Childhood’s History

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Book SynopsisPart of the TED series: When Strangers Meet Our lives are increasingly insular. We are in a hurry, our heads are down, minds elsewhere, we hear only the voices we already recognize and rarely take the effort to experience something or someone new. When Strangers Meet argues for the pleasures and transformative possibilities of talking to people you don’t know. Talking to a stranger pulls you into a shared humanity, it’s a source of creative energy, it opens your world, it cements your relationship to the places you live and work and play, it’s a beautiful interruption in the steady routines of our lives. Talking to strangers wakes you up. But who is a stranger? Many of us have a deep-seated belief that strangers are dangerous. That idea cripples us and prevents us from connecting with the wider world. Exploring the rich meanings that are conjured up in these experiences of fleeting intimacy, Stark renders visible the hidden processes by

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Book Synopsis‘The latest in the series of powerful books on the divisions in modern Britain, and will take its place on many bookshelves beside Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race and Owen Jones’s Chavs.’ –Andrew Marr, Sunday Times ‘In his fascinating, enraging polemic, Verkaik touches on one of the strangest aspects of the elite schools and their product’s domination of public life for two and a half centuries: the acquiescence of everyone else.’ –Observer In Britain today, the government, judiciary and military are all led by an elite who attended private school. Under their watch, our society has become increasingly divided and the gap between rich and poor is now greater than ever before. Is this the country we want to live in? If we care about inequality, we have to talk about public schools. Robert Verkaik issues a searing indictment of the system originally intended to educate the most underprivileged Britons, and outlines how, through meaningful reform, we can finally make society fairer for all.Trade Review'Verkaik comprehensively demolishes [public school] claims.' * Peter Wilby, New Statesman *‘The latest in the series of powerful books on the divisions in modern Britain, and will take its place on many bookshelves beside Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race and Owen Jones's Chavs.’ * Andrew Marr, Sunday Times *‘Does a fine job of reminding us how powerful a hold the elite schools have over public life.’ * The Times *'An illuminating and hugely enjoyable read, packed full of eye-opening facts... At a time when the gap between rich and poor is widening, we need to talk seriously about the role of public schools in our society. Posh Boys is a welcome catalyst for that debate.' * Sunday Herald *'In his fascinating, enraging polemic, Verkaik touches on one of the strangest aspects of the elite schools and their product’s domination of public life for two and a half centuries: the acquiescence of everyone else.' * Observer *'A trenchant j’accuse against the old-boy chumocracy... Posh Boys is, for a book about public schools, decidedly comprehensive.' * Guardian *‘You cannot understand Britain without understanding this – the story of how we became a nation obsessed with elite education that continues to stack the odds against fairness and progress, and the cultural forces it has unleashed upon us all. Robert Verkaik tells it with clarity, and makes a powerful call for change.’ -- Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)‘Inspired, committed, careful and kind.’ -- Danny Dorling, author of Inequality and the 1%

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Book SynopsisIn private life, we try to induce or suppress love, envy, and anger through deep acting or emotion work, just as we manage our outer expressions of feeling through surface acting. This title examines two groups of public-contact workers: flight attendants and bill collectors.Trade Review"'The Managed Heart' is written so accessibly that it appeals to both the academic and the general reader. It is best when it delineates how and why we manage our emotions according to our gender or social class." * New York Times *"[The] book is topically informative, critical of capitalism in a fresh way, and illuminating on the gender issue in emotions." * American Journal of Sociology *"This is a finely crafted study of the work and inner lives of airline flight attendants. . . . strongly recommend[ed] to everyone, not just to specialists on emotions." * Contemporary Sociology *"This is an important work. It is an interesting and provocative introduction to a crucial topi that deserves further research and thought." * Academy of Management Review *"Hochschild's work is significant for its illumination of new, disturbing, and everyday alienations of consciousness and feeling. Among other things, her line of inquiry suggests a new understanding of the social construction of gender and its relation to capitalism and power." * Signs *"On the whole, this is a superb book. Hochschild has tackled a heretofore largely ignored dimension of human social existence." * Social Forces *"The Managed Heart 's impact was—and still is—profound. It has probably done more than any other single publication to ignite and shape the exponential growth of the sociology of emotions—especially emotion is organisations." * Culture and Organization *"Hochschild [has] developed a language to identify how both feeling and time are transformed into commodities to be used in the service of capital." * Theory & Event *Table of ContentsPreface to the 2012 Edition Preface to the First Edition Acknowledgments Part One/Private Life 1. Exploring the Managed Heart 2. Feeling as Clue 3. Managing Feeling 4. Feeling Rules 5. Paying Respects with Feeling: The Gift Exchange Part Two/Public Life 6. Feeling Management: From Private to Commercial Uses 7. Between the Toe and the Heel: Jobs and Emotional Labor 8. Gender, Status, and Feeling 9. The Search for Authenticity Afterword to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition Appendixes A. Models of Emotion: From Darwin to Goffman B. Naming Feeling C. Jobs and Emotional Labor D. Positional and Personal Control Systems Notes Bibliography to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'The authentic inside track... Gripping' Lemn Sissay'An important and hugely powerful book... So inspiring, I loved The State of It' Neil Morrissey'Incredibly compelling' Denise WelchCAN WE FIX HOW WE LOOK AFTER CHILDREN IN CARE?Government cuts, unregulated care homes, inadequate staff training - campaigner and care home consultant Chris Wild has seen it all. The low standards and frequent abuse of children in care has long been a focal point of his loud message: we are failing our young people and something needs to change.Chris delves deep into the lives of care home kids, from experiences with county lines, drugs, trafficking, knife crime, gang violence to child exploitation and sexual abuse. He tells the stories of the voiceless, the children who have been left behind, compounded by his own experiences of growing up in care.How is the care system failing our young people and controlling just who and what they can become? What help do we really give children after their time in care is over, left to fend for themselves? Is it too late to fix the state of it?URGENT AND CRITICAL, THE STATE OF IT WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK YOU READ THIS YEAR.In support of Become, the charity for children in care and young care leavers, a charity registered in England and Wales, charity number 1010518.

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Book SynopsisCan we build moral machines?Artificial intelligence is an essential part of our lives for better or worse. It can be used to influence what we buy, who gets shortlisted for a job and even how we vote. Without AI, medical technology wouldn't have come so far, we'd still be getting lost in our GPS-free cars, and smartphones wouldn't be so, well, smart. But as we continue to build more intelligent and autonomous machines, what impact will this have on humanity and the planet?Professor Toby Walsh, a world-leading researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, explores the ethical considerations and unexpected consequences AI poses. Can AI be racist? Can robots have rights? What happens if a self-driving car kills someone? What limitations should we put on the use of facial recognition? Machines Behaving Badly is a thought-provoking look at the increasing human reliance on robotics and the decisions that need to be made now to ensure the future of AI iTrade Review''AI is more than the machine. It’s as much about us and our society that creates and, in turn, is changed by it. This is a thrilling and alarming vision that Machines Behaving Badly effortlessly shares through engaging stories and insights from a researcher at the forefront of this global transformation.’' -- Alan Duffy

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Book SynopsisA warmly funny, intensely moving and startlingly personal account of the lives of an urban parish priest and his parishioners. Father Alex Frost was not always a man of the cloth. He found his calling while running an Argos store in his native Burnley, moonlighting as a stand-up comedian and die-hard fan of The Clarets and Depeche Mode.But having achieved his profession, Fr Alex quickly recognised the 17,000 inhabitants of his new parish were in dire need of help. Burnley is typical of many towns across Britain: a place of run-down council estates, severe poverty litter, crime and drugs, but also a place where the sacred sits alongside the secular in an intimate and personal way. And so it was that he found himself running a food bank from a car park, helping the desperate amid his flock as the pandemic raged.Fr Alex?s down-to-earth style of ministry struck a chord with people of all faiths, cultures and class at a time when the divide between rich and poor is widening cataclysmically. But amid the tragedy, addiction, appalling loss, illness and neglect, there also lies hope, joy and moments of comedy. Our Daily Bread is as much the story of the rich cast of characters that cross the threshold of any church as it is our vicar?s. Through them it shows the continued relevance of the church for those in peril: the poor and the marginalised.This heartfelt and moving book seeks to give a voice to the voiceless, charting the tragedy and pain, humour and hope which are ever-present in his community. It is ultimately about modern poverty ? and how we all can, and should, espouse Christian virtues of love, kindness, tolerance.Trade Review‘A unique and rare insight into the work of an urban parish priest. Deeply moving, but amid the unfairness and injustice, there is also humour, love and togetherness.’ Alastair Campbell ‘A beautiful, touching, funny and – most of all – important book. It’s an insight into the real, often unseen Church and into the North of England as well. This wonderful book does them both proud.’ The Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English Clergy ‘Frost understands the importance of listening. And it is that gift of listening that makes this book so compelling. … It is also genuinely funny, because people facing cement-like hardship often use humour as an escape mechanism. … Our Daily Bread changed me, and will change other people. I’m so very glad that he wrote it.’ Church Times ‘Alex Frost is that rare thing: an Anglican clergyman with conviction, zest and the ability to listen to a range of opinions.’ Quentin Letts, The Times ‘Funny, thoughtful and, most importantly, humane: Alex Frost is a light in dark times.’ Ian Dunt, author of How to be a Liberal ‘What shines out is Fr Alex’s basic humanity, his love of people, his good sense and good humour. He’s a star.’ Edwina Currie 'Father Alex is a person of real integrity, joy and compassion. His vital work in bringing practical help and a voice to the neglected has been inspirational.' Reverend Matt Woodcock, author of Becoming Reverend and Radio 2 contributor ‘Fr Alex’s kindness and unconditional love for people in crisis helped inspire a nation. His story and those of the people he helped deserve to be told.’ Ed Thomas, BBC News ‘Father Alex is a one-off.’ Jeffrey Archer ‘Father Alex is funny, engaging, totally sincere and never afraid to ask. Everyone who reads this book will take something from it.’ Anthea Turner

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Book SynopsisThese days, entertainers no longer just entertain: they advocate dubious 'religions', work for the United Nations, get face-time with heads of state and monopolise problems they are infinitely qualified to solve - problems like Africa, the Middle East, and AIDS.Trade ReviewAn excoriating, needle-sharp and superbly funny attack on the 'stars' who abuse their fame * Metro *This hilarious romp through modern culture by the Guardian columnist highlights the bizarre reach of hollow fame these days... Shudder-inducingly funny * The Big Issue *If you like sharp, funny and super-smart, Marina Hyde is your woman -- Jonathan FreedlandShe is one of those rare writers who are the same in person as they are on the page, damn good fun... It's a brilliant read, a surreal whistle-stop tour through the rogues' gallery of 21st century celebrities -- Chitra Ramaswamy * Scotland on Sunday *Much of Hyde's material will be familiar...made me laugh out loud...outrageous and opening * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''Thrilling, brilliant, radical ... an admirable defence of humans against machines'' GuardianA passionate defence of humanity and a work of radical optimism from the international bestselling author of PostcapitalismHow do we preserve what makes us human in an age of uncertainty? Are we now just consumers shaped by market forces? A sequence of DNA? A collection of base instincts? Or will we soon be supplanted by algorithms and A.I. anyway?In Clear Bright Future, Paul Mason calls for a radical, impassioned defence of the human being, our universal rights and freedoms and our power to change the world around us. Ranging from economics to Big Data, from neuroscience to the culture wars, he draws from his on-the-ground reporting from mass protests in Istanbul to riots in Washington, as well as his own childhood in an English mining community, to show how the notion of humanity has become eroded as never before.In this bTrade ReviewIt has quick wit, vivid prose and makes rapid and stimulating connections. Its subtitle sums up its strengths. Fundamentally, Mason believes in the power of agency - the ability to choose to act and shape your own future.—John McTernan, Financial TimesA very interesting book, wide-ranging, insightful and yet still optimistic...some of his glosses on the history of ideas, and their impact on our troubled present, are alone worth the price of the book: he explains, lucidly and persuasively, how the uncertainty principles of quantum mechanics - questionable in themselves - have bled, via post-modernist theory, into the climate of irrationalism and fatalism that fuels Brexit, Putin and Trump.—Ed O'Loughin, Irish TimesClear Bright Future's account of our political predicament is thrilling.—Eliane Glaser, GuardianPaul Mason is doing something remarkable in this book, though it shouldn't be remarkable: he's focusing on the nature of being human, and how this is affected for better or worse by social, economic, and political forces that might seem overwhelming. It's the best analysis of neo-liberalism that I've seen for a long time, and puts our lives in a richly described context. Best of all, it's written with clarity and passion. I hope it'll change many minds.—Philip PullmanAmid the ruins of many modern ideologies, Paul Mason's consistently bracing book offers a guide to a sustainable future - one that we can still shape with a fresh transformational vision of what it means to be free human being. Everyone should read it.—Pankaj MishraAn unshakable humanist faith runs through this book... with his humane stress on the good life, Mason defies the caricature of the Corbyn left as reheated Soviet Communism. Corbynism is also routinely charged with wanting to "take us back to the 1970s." But here its leading thinker engages with tomorrow's economy with an urgency that's not currently matched on the right.—Tom Clark, Prospect

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book is a compelling argument for adults to pay more attention to the voices of youth and an affirmation to young people that they can make a difference. * M. R. Michelson, CHOICE *Cynics and pessimists often overlook the important role that young people have played in U.S. politics. In Democracy's Child, Gash and Tichenor definitively show that this is a terrible mistake. The kids are more than alright—and the future of democracy depends on them. * Susan Burgess, Distinguished Professor, Ohio University, and Sr. Professional Lecturer, DePaul University *This fascinating book broadly explores children's relationship to politics. The authors move beyond familiar narratives about how law and policy affect children to examine children as symbols for political movements and also to understand children as political agents. By centering children, the book helps us to rethink political agency. It renders visible important political acts by and around subjects who do not yet have full political membership in society. * Julie Novkov, Professor of Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University at Albany, SUNY *Children organize some of the most powerful social movements worldwide. At the same time, they are often weaponized by adults waging their own wars over culture and politics. How can we do justice to the citizenship of children? Democracy's Child answers this pressing question, offering an innovative framing of children as subjects, icons, collateral and agents to illustrate the diverse facets of children's political lives. Through expertly curated storytelling and authoritative research, Gash and Tichenor guide readers toward a better understanding of how children experience and influence politics. * Elizabeth F. Cohen, Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University *Young people are key to the future of our democracy, and yet, they are often rendered marginal to the study of American politics. In Democracy's Child, Gash and Tichenor offer a powerful framework to understand the role of children and young people in politics. In making their case for a more expansive view of why children and young people are central to democratic politics, the authors skillfully weave present-day illustrations, from school board fights and youth activism over gun control and immigrant rights, to historical examples from labor movements and the Civil Rights Movement. This is a masterfully written book, with an agenda-setting framework, and a call to action that should inspire scholarship and investments in young people's political agency for years to come. * Karthick Ramakrishnan, Professor of Public Policy, University of California Riverside and board member, The California Endowment *

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Book SynopsisCorruption is one of the biggest global issues, ahead of extreme poverty, unemployment, the rising cost of food and energy, climate change, and terrorism. It is thought to be one of the principal causes of poverty around the globe. Its significance in the contemporary world cannot be undervalued. In this Very Short Introduction Leslie Holmes considers why the international community has only highlighted corruption as a problem in the past two decades, despite its presence throughout the millennia. Holmes explores the phenomenon from several different perspectives, from the cultural differences affecting how corruption is defined, its impact, and its various causes to the possible remedies. Providing evidence of corruption and considering ways to address it around the world, this is an important introduction to a significant and serious global issue.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewsensible [and] serious analysis * New Statesman, Peter Oborne *Holmes, a prolific writer on corruption, provides a wonderfully comprehensive and accessible introduction to all aspects of corruption ... Summing up: Highly recommended, undergraduates and above; general readers. Essential for all academic and public libraries. * Gillian Brock, Choice *a pithy yet global and comprehensive view of the subject * New Internationalist *Here the Australian sociologist Leslie Holmes has done us a huge favour in providing this easy and quick to read short guide to corruption * Concatenation *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. What is corruption? ; 2. Why corruption is a problem ; 3. Can we measure corruption? ; 4. Psycho-social and cultural causes ; 5. System-related causes ; 6. What can states do? ; 7. What else can be done? ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn researching this book, the author took on the role of a hostess in one of Tokyo's many hostess clubs. The resulting text critically examines how such establishments create bonds among white-collar men and forge a masculine identity that suits the needs of their corporations.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prelude Introduction Pt. 1: Ethnography of a Hostess Club Ch. 1: A Type of Place Ch. 2: A Type of Routine Ch. 3: A Type of Woman Pt. 2: Mapping the Nightlife within Cultural Categories Introduction Ch. 4: Social Place and Identity Ch. 5: The Meaning and Place of Work: The Sarariiman Ch. 6: Family and Home Ch. 7: Structure of Japanese Play Ch. 8: Male Play with Money, Women, and Sex Pt. 3: Male Rituals and Masculinity Introduction Ch. 9: Male Bonding Ch. 10: The Mizu Shobai Woman: Constructing Dirtiness and Sex Ch. 11: Impotence as a Sign and Symbol of the Sarariiman References Index

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies. Why? Ovulation is involuntary. Ejaculation is not. It is also true that...- Men are 50 times more fertile than women- Birth control is hard to access, use, and comes with numerous side effects- Vasectomies are less risky than tubal litigationsYet, it''s women who are expected to do the work of pregnancy prevention. Why must women be responsible for men''s bodies, as well as their own?Rather than endlessly exploring how and why we control women''s bodies in the highly polarised anti-abortion and pro-choice ''debate'', Ejaculate Responsibly makes a witty and unflinching case for why men must be held accountable for their reproductive choices. There are zero consequences for men who ejaculate irresponsibly. It''s time to shift the responsibility - and burden - of pregnancy prevention onto men.''A gorgeous manifesto'' Oprah Daily ''A tactical, full-throated cry for men to step up'' Vogue Trade Review'A gorgeous manifesto' -- Oprah Daily'A tactical, full-throated cry for men to step up' -- Vogue'Flashes of acerbic humour and eye-opening statistics bolster Blair's common-sense case. This polemic has the power to change minds' -- Publishers WeeklyHats off to Gabrielle Stanley Blair for pointing out so clearly the elephant in the room in any discussion about contraception or abortion - that it's high time for men to stop focusing on legislating women's bodily autonomy and instead turn the spotlight on their own role in unwanted pregnancy. A small but mighty book -- Milli Hill, author of Give Birth like a Feminist

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Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 BESTSELLER!''I read it in one sitting, it''s a superb book'' Eamon Dunphy, The Stand ''An astonishing exposé'' Martin Ziegler, The TimesOver the course of fifteen years, John Delaney ran the Football Association of Ireland as his own personal fiefdom. He had his critics, but his power was never seriously challenged until last year, when Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan published a sequence of stories in the Sunday Times containing damaging revelations about his personal compensation and the parlous financial situation of the FAI. Delaney''s reputation as a great financial manager was left in tatters. He resigned under pressure, and the FAI was left hoping for a massive bail-out from the Irish taxpayer.In Champagne Football, Tighe and Rowan dig deep into the story of Delaney''s career and of the FAI''s slide into ruin. They show how he surrounded himself with people whose personal loyalty he could count on, and a board that failed to notice that the association''s finances were shot. They detail Delaney''s skilful cultivation of opinion-formers outside the FAI. And they document the culture of excess that Delaney presided over and benefited from, to the detriment of the organization he led.Champagne Football is a gripping, sometimes darkly hilarious and often enraging piece of reporting by the award-winning journalists who finally pulled back the curtain on the FAI''s mismanagement.____________''Excellent'' Irish Sun''A jaw-dropping story ... brilliant'' Irish Times''Essential reading'' Irish Daily Star''Astonishing ... Side-splittingly hilarious'' Guardian''A damning account'' Sunday Independent''An instant classic, one of the all-time great Irish sports books'' Alan English''Excellent ... includes staggering detail'' Daily Mail''A cracking read ... [An] incredible amount of jaw-dropping detail'' Matt Cooper ''One of the most hotly-anticipated sport books of the year'' Brendan O''Connor ''A masterpiece'' Tommy Martin''At last, the truth of his ruinous reign has been rigorously and painstakingly exposed'' Irish Daily Mail ''An absolutely extraordinary book'' Eoin McDevitt, Second Captains ''Remarkable. The desperate story of Irish football but also a book about how Ireland works. Outstanding'' Dion FanningTrade ReviewA jaw-dropping tale of power and ego going unchecked * Times, Best Sports Books of the Year 2020 *I read it in one sitting, it's a superb book ... I urge people to buy it and read it even if you're not interested in football -- Eamon Dunphy * The Stand *A cracking read ... [An] incredible amount of jaw-dropping detail -- Matt CooperThe most important Irish sports book of the year and most significant book on Irish life itself ... Exceptional * Irish Daily Mail *A superb piece of investigative journalism, in which a tale of tawdry venality is told with wit, verve, and just the right amount of disbelief -- Fintan O'Toole * Irish Times, Best Books of 2020 *

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Book SynopsisWhat is the nature of friendship, and what is its significance in our lives? The author tracks historical ideas of friendship, gathers a diversity of friendship stories from the annals of myth and literature, and provides unexpected insights into our friends, ourselves, and the role of friendships in an ethical life.Trade Review'An intelligent, loving tribute to the virtues, values and varieties of friendship.'—Iain Finlayson, The Times -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *“‘Friend’ is a much devalued word today. . . .In Friendship the noted British scholar A.C. Grayling tries to restore some of the term's richness.” —Micah Mattix, The Wall Street Journal -- Micah Mattix * Wall Street Journal *“A philosophical inquiry into friendship with a historical perspective . . . [offers] some fresh ways of looking at and thinking about a very familiar topic.”—Kirkus Reviews * Kirkus Reviews *"A masterly investigation into one of the supreme, though often neglected, virtues of the well-lived life. A.C. Grayling dazzlingly illuminates the richness of friendship as it has been conceived and practised in the Western world since antiquity."—Simon May, author of Love: A History -- Simon MayPraise for A. C. Grayling:"If there is any such person in Britain today as The Thinking Man, it is A. C. Grayling. He provides generous help for the ethically challenged, the philosophically perplexed, and the culturally confused."—The Times * The Times *'A superb, enlightening tour - and a friendly one – through friendship's literary and philosophical landscape.' - Sarah Bakewell, author of How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer -- Sarah Bakewell“Precise and rigorous.”–Glenn Altschuler, Psychology Today website -- Glenn Altschuler * Psychology Today *“Wearing his impressive intellect lightly, Grayling offers an accessible exploration of ideas about friendship through the ages, from Ancient Greek thinkers through to the present day – grounded in experiences from his own life. In a refreshing break from the tradition of analytical philosophy, he goes beyond abstract, logical arguments to offer valuable insights for our lives. With social media stretching the definition of ‘friend’ to near meaninglessness, this is a timely and thought-provoking read.”—Juanita Coulson, The Lady -- Juanita Coulson * The Lady *“Grayling’s scholarship goes forward at a gallop, but his exuberance and commitment captures the reader.”—Illtyd Harrington, Camden New Journal -- Illtyd Harrington * Camden New Journal *“Elegant . . . Grayling has taken a subject that is hiding in plain sight and given it the loving attention it deserves.”—Joe Queenan, Barron’s -- Joe Queenan * Barron’s *

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Book SynopsisSocial tourism is at a pivotal point. Over the past decade, there has been increased interest and research into social tourism issues, and as a result there is now much greater evidence on the important role that social tourism can play in providing significant benefits for the people supported through social tourism schemes. However, despite these advances and awareness of the benefits of tourism participation in most countries, there is still much confusion and ambiguity about the definition, role, and purpose of social tourism.This comprehensive volume reflects recent shifts in social tourism research by focusing on target groups and the benefits or constraints of these groups in holiday participation. The authors explore the diversity of issues, theories and social contexts that are relevant to social tourism research, offering a range of quantitative and qualitative methods and experimental designs as well as various policy and practice contexts to address policy issues.Table of Contents1. Social tourism: research advances, but stasis in policy. Bridging the divide 2. Social tourism as a modest, yet sustainable, development strategy: policy recommendations for Greece 3. ‘Not on my vacation’: service encounters between able-bodied and disabled consumers – the case of high-contact service 4. The holiday-related predictors of wellbeing in seniors 5. Accessible tourism and its benefits for coping with stress 6. Accessible tourism experiences: the voice of people with visual disabilities 7. Social tourism & older people: the IMSERSO initiative

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