Society and culture: general Books

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Book SynopsisIn Yorkshire: There and Back, Andrew Martin celebrates Britain''s most charismatic county, looking back at the Yorkshire of his 1970s childhood and as it is today.Journeying to every historic corner, Martin writes affectionally about its past, present and peculiarities. York is an evolving city of chocolate, trains, pubs and tourists. Scarborough should be viewed as the posh place it once was, with surprising secrets pertaining to Adolf Hitler and the sea. Leeds is seen as the ''hard'' town with its party goers and late-night provocateurs, but its indoor market never fails to offer a sense of quintessential Yorkshireness on a rainy Saturday afternoon, with milky tea served in beakers and the Leeds United result coming through by osmosis. And the Moors and Dales continue to boast beauty and danger alike.Effortlessly entertaining and wonderfully detailed, Yorkshire: There and Back is a memoir, guide, and all-round appreciation of ''God''s own countTrade ReviewThere is no one else who is writing like Andrew Martin today...unique and important * Guardian *Iconoclastic, entertaining and often devastatingly witty -- Barry Forshaw on Andrew Martin * Independent *He can stop you in your tracks with a well-turned phrase * Sunday Times *A genuinely funny writer...also a daring one * The Times *Very funny and touching... Martin is a journalist and novelist with splendid observational skills and a warm, comic touch, and he spots regional characteristics others have missed...Delightful and unexpected facts abound: who knew that the London Tube map was allegedly inspired by York's medieval street pattern? * Daily Mail *Martin guides up through the geography of "God's Own Country", but also writes amusingly about the blunt pithiness associated with a place that shows 'the merest glimmer of humour, like a small spark struck from a flint' * TLS *

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Book SynopsisDavid Walker, a free (with a small f) black man, was one of the most significant African-American abolitionists of the nineteenth century. Born in a slave society before moving to Boston where, after the American Revolutionary War, slavery was abolished, Walker devoted his life to fighting slavery and antiblack racism. In this book, Sherrow O. Pinder brings to light Walker's lived experience, activism, and the synchronizing of his Christian principles and reformist radicalism to demonstrate why and how slavery must be eliminated. Walker's call for blacks to regain their natural rights culminated in hisAppeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, an enormously influential work that is now considered a founding text of black studies. Today, given the escalation of antiblack racism manifested in the upholding of institutionalized violence by the state and the continued marginality of African-Americans, we cannot afford to forget Walker's push for racial egalitarianism: it is more u

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Book SynopsisIn a quiet little town in northern France, an improbable sequence of events takes place which will go on to transform completely the struggle against organised crime in Europe. It all starts when the French cybercrime police hacks into an encrypted service called Encrochat: suddenly anonymity crumbles and murder contracts and drug deals become visible on the screen. Police are able to follow communications between drug couriers, gang leaders, and teenage hitmen in real time. To save lives, the police must respond quickly, but must also be careful not to reveal that they're listening in. As unexpected arrests of criminals grow increasingly frequent, criminal networks come into view, with nodes dotted all across Europe, all prepared to do whatever it takes to gain control of the drug trade. One name in particular will come to haunt the investigators: the Kurdish Fox, a notorious gang leader with ambitions to become the Pablo Escobar of Scandinavia. Diamant Salihu's gripping story lifts the veil on a shadowy underworld swathed in secrecy but responsible for some of today's most violent crimes.

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionLonglisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing'If you have even the slightest interest in Orwell or in the development of our culture, you should not miss this engrossing, enlightening book.' - John Carey, The Sunday TimesGeorge Orwell's last novel has become one of the iconic narratives of the modern world. Its ideas have become part of the language - from 'Big Brother' to the 'Thought Police', 'Doublethink', and 'Newspeak' - and seem ever more relevant in the era of 'fake news' and 'alternative facts'.The cultural influence of 1984 can be observed in some of the most notable creations of the past seventy years, from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale to Terry Gilliam's Brazil, from Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta to David Bowie's Diamond Dogs – and from the launch of Apple Mac to the reality TV landmark, Big Brother.In this remarkable and original book. Dorian Lynskey investigates the influences that came together in the writing of 1984 from Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War and war-time London to his book's roots in utopian and dystopian fiction. He explores the phenomenon that the novel became on publication and the changing ways in which it has been read over the decades since.2019 marks the seventieth anniversary of the publication of what is arguably Orwell’s masterpiece, while the year 1984 itself is now as distant from us as it was from Orwell on publication day. The Ministry of Truth is a fascinating examination of one of the most significant works of modern English literature. It describes how history can inform fiction and how fiction can influence history.Trade ReviewThe Ministry of Truth is the best book I have read in a long time. Fizzing with ideas yet superbly readable, it takes us though Orwell’s life and the development of twentieth-century utopias and dystopias, to the long afterlife of Orwell’s greatest work, read and misread during the Cold War as simple anti-communist propaganda, then in the 1980s as a failed prophecy, before finally and frighteningly showing it as a warning for our own age. When today 1984 is scrubbed from the internet in China, Russia weaponises lies on social media, and in the West a Trump adviser talks of “alternative facts” on his Inauguration Day, Lynskey's book is both a warning and an exhortation for us all to be stubborn as Orwell was with facts, and like Winston Smith to cling to the belief that 2+2=4. -- C. J. SansomFascinating . . . Freshly and powerfully argued . . . If you have even the slightest interest in Orwell or in the development of our culture, you should not miss this engrossing, enlightening book. -- John Carey, The Sunday TimesEverything you wanted to know about 1984 but were too busy misusing the word -Orwellian- to ask. -- Caitlin Moran

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Book SynopsisEconomic pressure on states in the 1980s have led a number in this country to market lotteries in an unprecedentedly aggressive manner. This book was inspired by the author's experience with the New Jersey state lottery during a period of major growth. Karcher examines lotteries from a historical, psychological, and philosophical perspective, offering a reflective and cogent explanation of their popularity. He looks at the fluctuating popularity of state-sponsored gambling and the consequent peaking and fattening of revenues, exposing the measures lottery commissions sometimes take in order to increase revenues.Self policed lottery commissions, he predicts, will resort to marketing abuses and increasingly prey upon the poor if they are given unbridled power to act. Karcher suggests thoughtful, easily implemented, and constructive reforms. As more state governments inevitably turn to lotteries as a way out of tax dilemmas, this book will contribute to the public discourse on this important policy issue.Table of ContentsPART ONE 1. Past History and Present Comparisons 2. Lotteries as a Response to the New Federalism 3. The Quick-Fix that Led to Serious Addiction PART TWO 4. Lotteries as State Tax Policy 5. State Lotteries: Grafting Private Enterprise onto Government Structures 6. Marketing the Lotteries: Present Practices 7. Marketing the Lotteries of the Future 8. Advertising the Lotteries: Present Practices PART THREE 9. Tax Reform: Toward a Less Regressive Lottery 10. Budget Process Reform: Pulling in the States’ Necks 11. Marketing Reform 12. Advertising Reform

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Book SynopsisThe London School of Economics and Political Science has embraced the full range of the social sciences and its related disciplines. Contributors to this book were invited to write on the subject of freedom. The volume is an exemplary reflection of the variety, the individuality, the different interests, and the range of assumptions found in the scholars of the LSE. The authors come from varied backgrounds - linguistics, mathematics, computer science, sociology, geography, economics, industrial relations, anthropology, political science. They provide a stimulating array of viewpoints on the universally discussed issue of freedomTable of Contents1 It depends waht we mean by.... 2 More or Less Freedom? 3 Political and Economic Freedoms, 4 Choices and policy issues, 5 Techniques for freedom?

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Book SynopsisA Reporter Uncovers the Rest of the Story. In More After the Break, Jen Maxfield revisits ten memorable stories from her career as a TV news reporter, describing how the events unfolded, in heart-pounding detail, through the perspective of those who were there and her own. She introduces readers to unforgettable characters who will inspire you with their hopefulness, even when confronting life's greatest heartbreaks, including a young man who lost both legs in a ferry crash, an endurance athlete with stage-four lung cancer; a fifth grader on a doomed field trip, an Ivy League undergrad sentenced to decades in prison, a young woman who gave her life for an animal, and a Wall Street executive on an ill-fated bike ride. Returning to find these people years-even decades-after their stories were featured on the news gives Maxfield an opportunity to ask the burning questions she had always pondered: what happened after the live truck pulled away? What is the rest of the story

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Book SynopsisNobel laureate, world-renowned doctor and human rights activist, Dr Mukwege has dedicated his life to caring for victims of sexual violence. Over the past two decades living and working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he has stood up to soldiers and warlords and survived multiple assassination attempts, never swaying from his mission.In this book, Dr Mukwege interweaves his own story with the experiences of the women he has treated, the people he has worked with, and survivors of sexual violence whom he has met during his years of advocating for women's rights on the international stage.The Power of Women is a rallying cry to rid our societies of violence against women. It challenges us to think about our own experiences and how we all have a part to play in bringing about change.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the final book from one of Europe's cultural giants.In this entertaining collection of essays about the modern world the celebrated author of The Name of the Rose explores everything from unbridled individualism to mobile phones.'He brilliantly exposes all that is absurd and paradoxical in contemporary behaviour. Eco's irony is disarming, his cleverness dazzling' Guardian'Eco has left us an intelligent, intriguing, and often hilariously incisive set of observations on contemporary follies and changing mores' Publisher's WeeklyTrade ReviewThere are people you’ve never met and yet you miss them when they are gone… Eco’s famously ironic voice is penetrating … The issues Eco addresses are so enormous in their scale they seem insurmountable, yet his measured, erudite commentary assures you that they can be understood and therefore resolved * Financial Times *He brilliantly exposes all that is absurd and paradoxical in contemporary behaviour. Eco’s irony is disarming, his cleverness dazzling -- Tim Parks * Guardian *A swan song from one of Europe's great intellectuals...Eco entertains with his intellect, humor, and insatiable curiosity...there's much here to enjoy and ponder * Kirkus Reviews *Eco has left us an intelligent, intriguing, and often hilariously incisive set of observations on contemporary follies and changing mores. * Publisher's Weekly *Illuminating, entertaining and humane. -- Emily Beament * UK Press Syndication *

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Book Synopsis'With the authentic voice I've grown to expect from Devon [...] This book articulates a feeling that has lurked in the dark corners of so many minds and brings it into the light where it can be faced, embraced, understood, and ultimately, healed. Stop doomscrolling and read this book. You'll feel better, I promise.' -Celeste Headlee, journalist and bestselling authorHow many times a day do you feel shame? Struggling to pay the bills; buying a top made in a sweatshop; reading the news and feeling - yet again - a powerlessness to the point of apathy? In today's self-blame culture, it often feels impossible not to carry shame about the choices we make and the values by which we live. When the political is so personal, and the personal is so political, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sense that we're not doing enough - maybe, even, that we're not enough. In this bold and transformative manifesto, social psychologist and author of Unmasking Autism Dr Devon Price takes an in-depth look at shame and the role it plays in our lives. Systemic Shame traps us into fighting unwinnable battles and judging others for their failures. But it especially affects those who are already vulnerable because they're carrying shame from a difficult past or a complicated sense of self-esteem. This new, radically positive book shows us that there is no such thing as becoming "good enough" to be deserving of love; that we must claim acceptance for ourselves. Blending the latest social psychology, personal insights and empowering practical exercises, Unlearning Shame is a radical guide to overcoming self-blame and embracing a new culture - one where we take control of the choices we make and the future we create.Trade ReviewWith the authentic voice I've grown to expect from Devon, he raises an issue that could not be more timely. This book articulates a feeling that has lurked in the dark corners of so many minds and brings it into the light where it can be faced, embraced, understood, and ultimately, healed. Stop doomscrolling and read this book. You'll feel better, I promise. * Celeste Headlee, journalist and bestselling author *

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Book Synopsis''With the authentic voice I''ve grown to expect from Devon [...] This book articulates a feeling that has lurked in the dark corners of so many minds and brings it into the light where it can be faced, embraced, understood, and ultimately, healed. Stop doomscrolling and read this book. You''ll feel better, I promise.'' -Celeste Headlee, journalist and bestselling authorHow many times a day do you feel shame? Struggling to pay the bills; buying a top made in a sweatshop; reading the news and feeling - yet again - a powerlessness to the point of apathy?In today''s self-blame culture, it often feels impossible not to carry shame about the choices we make and the values by which we live. When the political is so personal, and the personal is so political, it''s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sense that we''re not doing enough - maybe, even, that we''re not enough.In this bold and transformative manifesto, social psychologist and author of Unmasking Autism Dr Devon Price takes an in-depth look at shame and the role it plays in our lives. Systemic Shame traps us into fighting unwinnable battles and judging others for their failures. But it especially affects those who are already vulnerable because they''re carrying shame from a difficult past or a complicated sense of self-esteem. This new, radically positive book shows us that there is no such thing as becoming good enough to be deserving of love; that we must claim acceptance for ourselves.Blending the latest social psychology, personal insights and empowering practical exercises, Unlearning Shame is a radical guide to overcoming self-blame and embracing a new culture - one where we take control of the choices we make and the future we create.

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Book SynopsisIn 1937 the Nazis staged an exhibition of seized artworks to showcase the 'perverse Jewish spirit' pervading German culture. It contained work by Jewish artists, but also those were queer or foreign. It was an event that sought to define degeneracy and put it on display. This exhibition, Entartete Kunst, is just a single episode in a long running culture war, one that has always been fought on terms set by fascism. In A Nazi Word for a Nazi Thing, So Mayer gives us a new frame through which to view these intertwined yet disparate histories.

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Book SynopsisA deeply revealing exposé of the American prosecutorial system and its historic and present racial inequities?and how we can transform the system to one of fairness and justice.In Get Off My Neck, Debbie Hines draws on her unique perspective as a trial lawyer, former Baltimore prosecutor, and assistant attorney general for the State of Maryland to argue that US prosecutors, as the most powerful players in the criminal justice system, systematically target and criminalize Black people. Hines describes her disillusionment as a young Black woman who initially entered the profession with the goal of helping victims of crimes, only to discover herself aiding and abetting a system that prizes plea bargaining, speedy conviction, and excessive punishment above all else. In this book, she offers concrete, specific, and hopeful solutions for just how we can come together in a common purpose for criminal justice and racial justice reform.Get Off My Neck explains that the racial inequities in the prosecutorial system are built into our country?s DNA. What?s more, they are the direct result of a history that has conditioned Americans to perceive the Black body as insignificant at best and dangerous at worst. Unlike other books that discuss the prosecutor?s office and change from inside the office, Hines offers a proactive approach to fixing our broken prosecutorial system through a broad-based alliance of reform-minded prosecutors, activists, allies, communities, and racial justice organizations?all working together to end the racist treatment of Black people.Told intimately through personal, family, and client narratives, Get Off My Neck is not only a deeply sobering account of our criminal justice system and its devastating impact on Black children, youth, and adults but also a practical and inspiring roadmap for how we can start doing better right now.

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Book SynopsisThis major study develops a new account of modernity and its relation to the self. Building upon the ideas set out in The Consequences of Modernity, Giddens argues that 'high' or 'late' modernity is a post traditional order characterised by a developed institutional reflexivity.Trade Review'In this book Anthony Giddens brings back in personality, the psyche, human nature itself. It is a pleasure and a real intellectual advance to have a social theorist of his stature revive the once central but long ignored study of personality and culture, character and society, especially a theorist with his very precise sense of what is truly modern in contemporary life.' Professor Dennis Wrong, New York UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements vii Introduction 1 1 The Contours of High Modernity 10 2 The Self: Ontological Security and Existential Anxiety 35 3 The Trajectory of the Self 70 4 Fate, Risk and Security 109 5 The Sequestration of Experience 144 6 Tribulations of the Self 181 7 The Emergence of Life Politics 209 Notes 232 Glossary of Concepts 242 Index 245

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Book SynopsisConsiders the uses to which social representation and modes of social behavior are put by individuals and groups, describing the tactics available to the common man for reclaiming his own autonomy from the all-pervasive forces of commerce, politics, and culture.Trade Review"We are fortunate to have de Certeau's work available in English, and in such a graceful and meticulous translation." * Comparative Literature *"Whether writing about madness and mysticism in the seventeenth century, South American resistance movements in the past and present, or the practice of everyday life in the twentieth century, Certeau developed a distinctive way of interpreting social and personal relations." * New York Review of Books *"The Practice of Everyday Life, published in 1974 and now the first of his books available in English translation, offers ample evidence why we should pay heed to de Certeau. . . . The work all but defies definition. History, sociology, economics, literature and literary criticism, philosophy, and anthropology all come within de Certeau's ken." * Journal of Modern History *"The book retains its freshness and relevance." * Journal of Business Anthropology *Table of ContentsPreface General Introduction PART I: A VERY ORDINARY CULTURE I. A Common Place: Ordinary Language II. Popular Cultures: Ordinary Language III. Making Do: Uses and Tactics PART II: THEORIES OF THE ART OF PRACTICE IV. Foucault and Bourdieu V. The Arts of Theory VI. Story Time PART III: SPATIAL PRACTICES VII. Walking in the City VIII. Railway Navigation and Incarceration IX. Spatial Stories PART IV: Uses of Language X. The Scriptural Economy XI. Quotations of Voices XII. Reading as Poaching PART V: WAYS OF BELIEVING XIII. Believing and Making People Believe XIV. The Unnamable Indeterminate Notes

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Book SynopsisComprehensive and accessible, Tim Newburn's bestselling Criminology provides an introduction to the fundamental themes, concepts, theories, methods and events that underpin the subject and form the basis for all undergraduate degree courses and modules in Criminology and Criminal Justice.This third edition includes: A new chapter on politics, reflecting the ever increasing coverage of political influence and decision making on criminology courses New and updated crime data and analysis of trends, plus new content on recent events such as the Volkswagen scandal, the latest developments on historic child abuse, as well as extended coverage throughout of the English riots A fully revised and updated companion website, including exam, review and multiple choice questions, a live Twitter feed from the author providing links to media and academic coverage of events related to the concepts covered in the book, together with links to a dedicated textTrade Review"This book, now in its third edition, is still unsurpassed in terms of its depth, breadth and coverage for new undergraduate Criminology students. The addition of a chapter on politics and crime does what so few textbooks manage to do - locate criminology within its historical, social and political context. The live Twitter feed and Facebook page will complement the author's already well established position as the 'go to' criminologist on social media." - Dr Sarah Charman, University of Portsmouth "Criminology is by far the best, most comprehensive and authoritative textbook available. The third edition provides updated material on recent developments and an invaluable new chapter on the politics of crime control. The clarity of the writing, the breadth and depth of coverage, the links to further reading and to other relevant resources all make this a perfectly balanced introduction to the subject." - Professor George Mair, Liverpool Hope University "Comprehensive in its coverage and written in a manner that is accessible to all students, the third edition of Criminology underlines why it is the undergraduate textbook. The classic sections have been complemented by new chapters that help students understand how crime control does not take place in a vacuum (The Politics of Crime and its Control), as well as encouraging students to think critically about the crime information we consume (Crime Data and Crime Trends). The most valuable aspect of the text is how core research methods concepts are provided in the same books as criminological content, which helps students to see, and understand, the crucial link between theory and research. Without doubt, this textbook provides the starting point for any criminological discussion." - Dr Vicky Heap, Sheffield Hallam University "This is the most comprehensive, detailed and clearly structured introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice on the market. It has already become to go-to textbook for Criminology undergraduates, and with the addition of new material tackling the leading-edge debates shaping the field today, Tim Newburn has managed in this 3rd Edition to raise the bar even further. Just about every conceivable criminological concept, theory, method and approach is contextualised, outlined and evaluated. With extensive reading lists, smart discussion and revision questions, and a dynamic website, this textbook is a must for students of Criminology and Criminal Justice." - Professor Chris Greer, City University London "Tim Newburn’s Criminology continues to be a valuable resource to students seeking to engage with the capacious field that is criminology. The revised chapter on the politics of crime provides a neat, nuanced account of the politics of crime control over the past 50 years. In conjunction with the chapters on late modernity and penology (to take one set of examples), it will equip the inquisitive student with the tools with which to dive further into the murky depths of the politics of criminal justice. An enjoyable, engaging and authoritative text." - Dr Harry Annison, Lecturer in Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Southampton "Newburn's Criminology is already an indispensable text for students trying to navigate and make sense of the diverse and fast changing field of criminological scholarship. This updated edition builds on the strengths of the first two. There are few texts on the market, if any, which balance comprehensive coverage and accessibility as well as this one." - Professor Katja Franko, University of Oslo Table of ContentsPart 1: Understanding Crime and Criminology 1. Understanding Crime and Criminology 2. Crime and Punishment in History 3. Crime Data and Crime Trends 4. Crime and the Media 5. The Politics of Crime and its Control Part 2: Understanding Crime: Theories and Concepts 6. Classicism and Positivism 7. Biological Positivism 8. Psychological Positivism 9. Durkheim, Anomie and Strain 10. The Chicago School, Subcultures and Cultural Criminology 11. Interactionism and Labelling Theory 12. Control Theories 13. Radical and Critical Criminology 14. Realist Criminology 15. Contemporary Classicism 16. Feminist Criminology 17. Late Modernity, Governmentality and Risk Part 3: Understanding Crime: Types and Trends 18. Victims, Victimisation and Victimology 19. White Collar and Corporate Crime 20. Organised Crime 21. Violent and Property Crime 22. Drugs and Alcohol Part 4: Understanding Criminal Justice 23. Penology and Punishment 24. Understanding Criminal Justice 25. Crime Prevention and Community Safety 26. Policing 27. Criminal Courts and the Court Process 28. Sentencing and Non-custodial Penalties 29. Prisons and Imprisonment 30. Youth Crime and Youth Justice 31. Restorative Justice Part 5: Critical Issues in Criminology 32. Race, Crime and Criminal Justice 33. Gender, Crime and Justice 34. Criminal and Forensic Psychology 35. Green Criminology 36. Globalisation, Terrorism and Human Rights Part 6: Doing Criminology 36. Understanding Criminological Research 37. Doing Criminological Research Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious and controversial host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher has written his funniest, most opinionated, and most necessary book ever—a brilliantly astute and acerbically funny vivisection of American life, politics, and culture. Some of the smartest commentary about what’s happening in America is coming from a comedian—this comedian being Bill Maher. If you want to understand what’s wrong with this country, it turns out that one of the best informed and most thought-provoking analysts is this very funny pothead. The book was inspired by the “editorial” Bill delivers at the end of each episode of Real Time. These editorials are direct-to-camera sermons about culture, politics, and what’s happening in the world. To put this book together, Maher reviewed more than a decade of his editorials, rewriting, reimagining, and updating them, and adding new material to speak exactly to the momen

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Book SynopsisStep aside Hygge. Lagom is the new Scandi lifestyle trend taking the world by storm. This delightfully illustrated book gives you the lowdown on this transformative approach to life and examines how the lagom ethos has helped boost Sweden to the No.10 ranking in 2017's World Happiness Report. Lagom (pronounced 'lah-gom') has no equivalent in the English language but is loosely translated as 'not too little, not too much, just right'. It is widely believed that the word comes from the Viking term 'laget om', for when a mug of mead was passed around a circle and there was just enough for everyone to get a sip. But while the anecdote may hit the nail on the head, the true etymology of the word points to an old form of the word 'lag', which means 'law'.Far from restrictive, lagom is a liberating concept, praising the idea that anything more than 'just enough' is a waste of time. Crucially it also comes with a selflessness and core belief of responsibility and common good. By living lagom you can: Live a happier and more balanced life Reduce your environmental impact Improve your work-life balance Free your home from clutter Enjoy good food the Swedish way Grow your own and learn to forage Cherish the relationships with those you love

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Book SynopsisAn unquestioned assumption of contemporary politics is that the left owns minority groups, in the sense that the left, exclusively, champions the interests of minorities and is for that reason owed the allegiance of minorities. This, in turn, gives rise to the sense of dissonance created by right-wing dissentersthe black social conservative, the gay ultra-nationalist, the female libertarian, the poor pro-capitalist. This same dissonance exists for women and feminism, creating a default assumption that a feminist is a left-wing woman. We don't make a distinction between left-wing feminists and feminists; we don't need to. There's nothing a philosopher loves more than an unquestioned assumption, and in this book political philosopher Holly Lawford-Smith systematically dismantles the assumption that feminism is an exclusively left-wing project. Once dismantled, the path is clear to a new set of questions. Who counts as a feminist in the first place? If women from anywhere on the political spectrum can be feminists, who is itthat feminists shouldor shouldn'tbe working with? And what can be said, more generally, about the ethics of alliances and coalitions?InFeminism Beyond Left and RightLawford-Smith makes the case for non-partisan feminism, feminism outside the constraints of the left-right political spectrum, a feminism for and about all women as women.

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Book SynopsisAn engaging and accessible examination of what ails insurance markets—and what to do about it—by three leading economistsTrade Review“The authors, three US-based academics, keep the debate moving along with a chatty, breezy style. . . . The book hits its stride with the thornier problems insurance companies and their customers are beginning to face.”—Oliver Ralph, Financial Times“The authors, professors at Stanford, MIT and Boston, do a masterful job of explaining the intractable complexities created by this socially vital activity.”—Martin Wolf, Financial Times, “Best Books of 2022: Economics”“The problem of hidden information is central to understanding insurance, and the nature of markets more generally. The very human cat-and-mouse stories that animate Risky Business are not only great fun; they also subtly reveal the basis of a great deal of economics.”—George Akerlof, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences“Most people—indeed, most policy makers—don’t fully get why the insurance business is really different from selling televisions or broccoli or even other financial products. Risky Business gives an accessible tour of why insurance is a special case and why it matters. Without a doubt, it is likely to be the most fun book you will ever read that includes the word ‘insurance’ in the title.”—Austan Goolsbee, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors“Risky Business does the seemingly impossible: it makes insurance fun! Picture the most interesting book you can imagine about insurance; I promise you, this book is three times better than the one you imagined. Throw out the economics textbooks—this is how people should learn economics!”—Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics“This book is a fascinating look at how insurance markets work (or don’t). It’s a must read for people seeking to understand their own choices, and for policy makers who shape those options.”—Emily Oster, author of The Family Firm

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Book SynopsisSex is as fascinating to scientists as it is to the rest of us. A vast pool of knowledge, therefore, has been gleaned from research into the nature of sex, from the contentious problem of why the wasteful reproductive process exists at all, to how individuals choose their mates and what traits they find attractive. This fascinating book explores those findings, and their implications for the sexual behaviour of our own species. It uses the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland' who has to run at full speed to stay where she is as a metaphor for a whole range of sexual behaviours. The book was shortlisted for the 1994 Rhone-Poulenc Prize for Science Books.Animals and plants evolved sex to fend off parasitic infection. Now look where it has got us. Men want BMWs, power and money in order to pair-bond with women who are blonde, youthful and narrow-waisted a brilliant examination of the scientific debates on the hows and whys of sex and evolution' Independent.Table of ContentsHuman nature; the enigma; the power of parasites; genetic mutiny and gender; the peacock's tale; polygamy and the nature of men; monogamy and the nature of women; sexing the mind; the uses of beauty; the intellectual chess game; the self-domesticated ape.

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Book SynopsisHow can co-operation emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists - whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals - when there is no central authority to police their actions? The author explores this central question, and its implications in this age of nuclear weapons and arms talks.

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Book Synopsis'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling UpwardFor many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us.'The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading.Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Aspen Literary Prize, 2019Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, 2018Longlisted for Elle's Big Book Award, 2018Evening Standard's Wander List Guide to 2019 Getaways How many lives can one person lead in a single lifetime? When Hero De Vera arrives in America, disowned by her parents in the Philippines, she's already on her third. Her uncle, Pol, who has offered her a fresh start and a place to stay in the Bay Area, knows not to ask about the first and second. And his younger wife, Paz, has learned enough about the might and secrecy of the De Vera family to keep her head down. Only their daughter Roni asks Hero why her hands seem to scream with hurt at the steering wheel of the car she drives to collect her from school, and only Rosalyn, the fierce but open-hearted beautician, has any hope of bringing Hero back from the dead.Trade ReviewBlazingly fearless... Castillo is hugely talented * Observer *Radical... I was startled at how moved I was -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan * Guardian *Critical and compelling * New York Times *This book is it: one of the best debut novels (and novels, period) of recent years * Elle *There is so much to love about this book * The Pool *Epic, soaring, brilliant * Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti *Entrancing and magnificent * NoViolet Bulawayo, author of 'We Need New Names' *A gorgeous saga... Wonderful * Stylist *Beautifully tender, and a powerfully crafted portrayal of intimacy and the rawness of human emotion that will linger with you long after you've finished reading it. * Otegha Uwagba, author of the Sunday Times bestseller 'Little Black Book' *Epic in its scale, sharp-as slam-poetry on the sentence level. Profound and mesmerising. * Meena Kandasamy, author of 'When I Hit You' *An intimate epic about immigrant women's losses, triumphs and desires. A bold, tender debut; its characters thrum with life. * Luiza Sauma, author of 'Flesh and Bone and Water' *Glorious... a sharp, bracing, often hilarious family epic about a young woman tormented by the relentless ghosts of her past while in search of an American Dream that is not always available to those who seek it. * Samantha Irby, New York Times Bestselling author of 'We Are Never Meeting in Real Life' *Wondrous. A nimble, vibrant, deeply moving feat, full of heart, humour and wisdom. * Irenosen Okojie, author of 'Speak Gigantular' *This is the book I didn't know I needed. This unexpected family, this history, this embrace of the sacred and the profane, this easy humour, this deeply felt human-ness, this messy, perfect love story. * Jade Chang, bestselling author of 'Wangs vs the World' *If peaches were the most tender fruit of 2017 thanks to Call Me By Your Name, this year prepare to have your heart melted by a persimmon. * AnOther Magazine *Elaine Castillo's full-throated debut, America is Not the Heart is quite simply one of the best first novels I've ever read. * John Freeman, Lit Hub *A fascinating portrait... Gracefully lyrical * The National *

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Book SynopsisAn American Psychology-Law Society’s Lawrence S. Wrightsman Book Award WinnerA 2022 PROSE Award finalist in Legal Studies and Criminology A 2022 American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award FinalistA Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Book of 2021Freakonomics for the law—how applying behavioral science to the law can fundamentally change and explain misbehaviorWhy do most Americans wear seatbelts but continue to speed even though speeding fines are higher? Why could park rangers reduce theft by removing “no stealing” signs? Why was a man who stole 3 golf clubs sentenced to 25 years in prison?Some laws radically change behavior whereas others are consistently ignored and routinely broken. And yet we keep relying on harsh punishment against crime despite its continued failure.Professors Benjamin van Rooij and Adam Fine draw on decades of research to uncover th

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Book SynopsisShould we bring new humans into the world? Or would it be better off without us?These days it’s harder than ever to watch TV, scroll social media, or even just sit at home looking out the window without contemplating the question at the heart of philosopher Todd May’s new book: Should we go extinct? (And if so, should we go sooner rather than later?) Facing climate destruction and the revived specter of nuclear annihilation even as humans continue to cause untold suffering to our fellow creatures on planet Earth, we are forced each day to contemplate whether the world would be better off in our absence. That the answer is unclear underscores our need for a book just such as this one.In this timely, fascinating examination, May, a renowned philosopher and advisor to the acclaimed TV show The Good Place, reasons both for and against the continuation of our species, trying to help us understand how, and whether, the positive and negative ta

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Book SynopsisAn incisive, thought-provoking, and timely meditation, at once panoramic and synoptic, on American literature for an age of xenophobia, heightened nationalism, and economic disparity. The distinguished cultural critic Ilan Stavans explores the nation''s identity through the prism of its books, from the indigenous past to the early settlers, the colonial period, the age of independence, its ascendance as a global power, and its shallow, fracturing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The central motives that make the United States a flawed experiment--its celebration of do-it-yourself individualism, its purported exceptionalism, and its constitutional government based on checks and balances--are explored through canonical works like Mark Twain''s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Walt Whitman''s Leaves of Grass, Emily Dickinson''s poetry, F. Scott Fitzgerald''s The Great Gatsby, the work of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison, and immigrant voices such as those of AméTrade ReviewIt constitutes a rich sample of texts and genres that can inspire whoever reads it to pull the thread and delve into the themes that Stavans points out. * Teresa Requena Pelegrí, Escola de Llibreria *At its core [What is American Literature?] is a compelling thought about the tension between protest and assimilation: the way American literature simultaneously propels change, and manufactures consent... * Alicia Rix, Times Literary Supplement *Stavans brings all his passion and experiences as a prolific and versatile writer, commentator, publisher, anthologist, and academic to bear on this heady reconsideration of American literature... [a] speedy, veering, catch-all book of pronouncements and provocations, upended assumptions and unexpected associations... * Donna Seaman, Booklist *Table of ContentsPreface: American Carnage 1: The Ambition of Origins 2: Hucks R' Us 3: Language and Authority 4: Surviving Democracy Epilogue: The Second American Civil War: A Reckoning

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

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Book SynopsisAn illuminating collection of candid interviews and photographs with workers in America's burgeoning security state. In a world increasingly under surveillance, this cutting-edge documentary collaboration turns the camera on the ever-expanding American security state. Job/Security bears photographic and narrative witness to the people tasked with safeguarding our modern world. In these uniquely revealing interviews and photographs, authors Danny Goodwin and Edward Schwarzschild assemble a multifaceted portrait of the labor of security. They offer a close-up, in-depth look at what the near-ubiquitous business of monitoring, guarding, and protecting life and property in the United States means for the individuals who do the work, and for the society they ostensibly serve.Representing a wide range of perspectives from inside this vast field, Job/Security features men and women who work in homeland security, border patrol, the secret service, and emergency management, among other fields.

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Book SynopsisA new paradigm of research, policy, and practice that acknowledges the multiple scales at which we live every day.The Pointillistic City explores the multilayer geography of our daily lives?specifically, how we simultaneously live at the scales of addresses, streets, and neighborhoods and how each can be relevant for our well-being. Not unlike the way in which we look at a pointillistic painting, which depicts a full scene through the detailed organization of multiple objects, Daniel T. O?Brien considers the three scales together and the comprehensive understanding of the city they offer. The pointillistic approach to the city contrasts with decades of focus on neighborhoods. As such, it surfaces microspatial inequities, or disparities in experiences between people living in the same neighborhood, even right around the corner from each other. Microspatial inequities have gone largely unnoticed to date, and their recognition offers a new approach to understanding and supporting the diverse population of the city.This book illustrates the pointillistic perspective on cities with two in-depth case studies?one on crime, the other on environmental justice?in Boston. These studies highlight microspatial inequities and their interplay with broader neighborhood conditions, and they go even further by demonstrating how these insights can be incorporated into a new generation of policies and practices that are science driven and community led, truly addressing disparities both between and within our communities.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“An admirable literature survey, well researched, accessible and comprehensive. . .”—Helga Drummond, THES“Baddeley is a truly exceptional scholar, with terrific writing skills and real originality . . . this might well become the defining book, for this decade and more, on the topic of herding and social influence.”—Cass Sunstein, co-author of Nudge"A tremendous read: we badly need to understand the psychological undercurrents of society more thoroughly, and Copycats & Contrarians is vital reading."—Julia Hobsbawm, author of Fully Connected"Why do we herd? From the financial crisis to Beatlemania, death cults to the rise of populism, Michelle Baddeley brings her rare academic expertise to bear in this richly researched, timely and highly readable book."—Eric Kaufmann, author of Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?"Copycats and contrarians make for powerful economic and social forces across the world today, in ways which affect us all. Michelle Baddeley's dissection of these forces is a rare thing: breadth, depth, and though-provoking throughout."—Jonathan Aldred, author of The Skeptical Economist"A wide-ranging cross-disciplinary perspective of why we run with—or avoid—the crowd, and why it matters, from choosing a restaurant in a tourist trap to believing fake news. I learned a lot, and you may too."—Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist

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Book SynopsisAFRO-CARIBBEAN. COLOURED. ETHNIC MINORITY. IMMIGRANT. BAME. URBAN. WOKE. FAM. BLACK.These are just some of the terms being wrestled with in Black, Listed, an exploration of twenty-first century Black identity told through a list of insults, insights and everything in between. Taking a panoramic look at global Black history and contemporary culture, this book investigates the ways in which Black communities (and individuals) have been represented, oppressed, mimicked, celebrated and othered. Part autobiographical musing, part pop culture vivisection, it''s a comprehensive attempt to make sense of blackness from the vantage point of the hilarious and insightful psyche of Jeffrey Boakye. PRAISE FOR BLACK, LISTED: ''This book gives a voice to those whose experience is persistently defined, refined and denied by others'' David Lammy, Guardian ''A panoramic exploration of blackTrade ReviewIntense and compelling from the very beginning, Jeffrey Boakye bravely explores the ways in which people with darker skin are located in language . . . This book gives a voice to those whose experience is persistently defined, refined and denied by others. Boakye shows how language does not always have to be insulting, offensive or loaded, it can also be incredibly emancipatory, particularly when the black community takes ownership of the terms of prose . . . If blackness is a maze, then we must be the ones who design it. With architects like Jeffrey Boakye, I'm optimistic we can build ourselves an authentic future -- David Lammy * Guardian *A truly radical book, which manages to be unflinching and constantly entertaining -- CAROLINE SANDERSON * THE BOOKSELLER BOOK OF THE MONTH APRIL 2019 *Inventive, refreshing and humorous . . . Boakye's quirky dictionary of black-related terms never fails to surprise and entertain * Bernardine Evaristo *A radical exploration of black British culture that is as entertaining as it is politically weighty * Independent *Wit abounds in Jeffrey Boakye's insightful Black, Listed, a kind of periodic table of 60 words and phrases used down the ages to describe black people -- Colin Grant * New Statesman (Books of the Year) *Light-footed cultural analysis riffs elegantly on subjects including Meghan Markle and Marvel's Black Panther . . . a sharp critic * Metro (Best books for Christmas) *A panoramic exploration of black identity * Elle *Boakye aims to challenge, complicate and undo assumptions about what blackness means, often taking surprising routes . . . Black, Listed covers some terrain similar to that of recent books such as Akala's blistering Natives and Reni Eddo Logdge's Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, and while Boakye may share those authors' political intent, his humour sets him apart. He is a winningly funny "tour guide". . . The unpredictable range of his references is exciting . . . As he argues against the endlessly problematic ways in which blackness has been categorized and codified, taking on the "biggest and the blackest of the big black stereotypes", the text bobs, weaves and wanders - always one thrilling step ahead -- Michael Donkor * Times Literary Supplement *Boakye is a witty, passionate guide in this thoughtful examination of what black culture and identity mean in Britain * iNews *Urgent, timely reading * AnOther Magazine *Boakye's exploration of language, race and the ways in which we use both to demean and repress people is thought-provoking, occasionally irreverent and always interesting * The i (Books of the year) *Insightful and funny, combining history with personal musings and pop-culture references, it's a comprehensive guide to Black identity in Britain today * Prima *

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Book SynopsisPossibly one of the most significant, yet most overlooked, works of the twentieth century, it was The Order of Things that established Foucault's reputation as an intellectual giant.Trade Review'Foucault's most important work.' - Hayden V. White'One is left with a sense of real and original force' - George Steiner'The work numbers among those outward signs of culture the trained eye should find on prominent display in every private library. Have you read it? One's social and intellectual standing depends on the response.' - Michel de CerteauTable of ContentsPublishers Note, Forward to the English Edition, PrefacePart I:1.Las Meninas2.The Prose of the World: I The Four Similitudes, II Signatures, III The Limits of the World, IV the Writing of Things, V The Being of Language 3.Representing: I Don Quixote, II Order, III The Representation of the Sign, IV Duplicated Representation, V The Imagination of Resemblance, VI Mathesis and 'Taxinoma'4. Speaking: I Criticism and Commentary, II General Grammar, III The Theory of the Verb, IV Articulation, V Designation, VI Derivation, VII The Quadrilateral Language5. Classifying: I What the Historians say, II Natural History, III Structure, IV Character, V Continuity and Catastrophe, VI Monsters and Fossils, VII The Discourse of Nature6. Exchanging: I The Analysis of wealth, II Money and Prices, III Mercantilism, IV The Pledge and the Price, V The Creation of Value, VI Utility, VII General Table, VIII Desire and RepresentationPart 27. The Limits of Representation: I The Age of History, II The Measure of Labour, III The Organic Structure of Beings, IV Word Inflection, V Ideology and Criticism, VI Objective Synthesis8. Labour, life, Language: I The New Empiricities, II Ricardo, III Cuvier, IV Bopp, V Language Became Object9. Man and His Doubles: I The return of Language, II The Place of the King, III The Analytic of Finitude, IV The Empirical and the Transcendental, V The 'Cogito' and the Unthought, VI The Retreat and the Return of the Origin, VII Discourse and Man's Being, VIII The Anthropological Sleep10. The Human Sciences: I The Three Faces of Knowledge, II The Form of the Human Sciences, III The Three Models, IV History, V Psychoanalysis and Ethnology, VI In Conclusion

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