For scholars of the Arab world, the state remains an elusive, unsettled, and unsettling presence. Since mandatory and then independent states emerged in the Arab world in the aftermath of World War I, theorizing the Arab state has been a central preoccupation for generations of regional specialists. The gravitational pull of the state is not surprising. As a pr…
Traditional Scandinavian and Icelandic designs are given new life in the projects found in Nordic Knitting Traditions. 25 projects feature original floral, star, feather and geometric motifs, all knit in fresh and modern colors. With a diverse collection of hats, tams, mittens, gloves, socks, knee-highs and legwarmers, you'll find plenty of jaw-dropping, colorful accessories to knit for yoursel…
Issues arising from overtourism in many of the world’s major cities call into question the adage “bigger is better,” as do touristic desires for au-thentic, human-scale immersion in local life, culture, and knowledge. Overtourism accounts for many headlines, and some of these posit an alternate travel experience—for example, Elaine Glusac’s …
Every day in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, and school sick bays around the world, children (including adolescents) present with what have come to be known as functional somatic symptoms. These symptoms are ones that cannot be explained by an identifiable disease process—even after an extensive medical assessment has been done. They reflect, instead, …
A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends? Told in language we all can understand…
Is objectivity possible? Can there be objectivity in matters of morals? What would a truly objective account of the world be like? Is everything subjective, or relative? Are moral judgments objective or culturally relative? This Very Short Introduction demonstrates that there are a number of common misunderstandings about what objectivity is, and explores the theoretical and practical problems …
Given the fact that there are perhaps 400 billion stars in our Galaxy alone, and perhaps 400 billion galaxies in the Universe, it stands to reason that somewhere out there, in the 14-billion-year-old cosmos, there is or once was a civilization at least as advanced as our own. The sheer enormity of the numbers almost demands that we accept the truth of this hypothesis. Why, then, have we encount…
The business of journalism has an extensive, storied, and often romanticized history. Newspaper reporting has long shaped the way that we see the world, played key roles in exposing scandals, and has even been alleged to influence international policy. The past several years have seen the newspaper industry in a state of crisis, with Twitter and Facebook ushering in the rise of citizen journali…
Rates of diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are skyrocketing, throughout America and the rest of the world. U.S. rates of youth diagnosis have increased 40% from just a decade ago. Adults with ADHD are now the fastest-growing segment of the population receiving diagnosis and medication. The disorder is painful and sometimes disabling for individuals and tremendously co…
The destruction of ancient monuments and artworks by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has shocked observers worldwide. Yet iconoclastic erasures of the past date back at least to the mid-1300s BCE, during the Amarna Period of ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. Far more damage to the past has been inflicted by natural disasters, looters, and public works. Art hist…
The human mind is capable of entertaining an astounding range of thoughts. These thoughts are composed of concepts or ideas, which are the building blocks of thoughts. This book is about where all of these concepts come from and the psychological structures that ultimately account for their acquisition. We argue that the debate over the origins of concepts, known as the rationalism-empiricism d…
Disasters happen with appalling frequency in our world, resulting in death, injury, destruction, disruption and economic loss that can set back the development efforts of affected countries by decades. Disasters from natural hazards are growing at a rapid rate for several reasons. Population growth, migration and urbanisation are all leading to the poorest, most vulnerable, people …
Archaeological investigation of places marked by violence such as Ruapekapeka Pa? in northern New Zealand, where both European and Maori combatants died during significant military operations, has contributed to a national day of remembrance (R? Maumahara) to acknowledge that while colonial settlement played a significant role in modern nation-building, so did intrusion…
Oral History at a Distance is the first publication to explore both the ideas behind and application of oral history in remote projects. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working from a distance is now an ongoing and necessary approach in the oral historian’s toolkit. In this volume, the experienced team members of Baylor University’s Institute for Oral History provide a road map for adapting tr…
This newly updated guide covers all the major cities, from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, to Vancouver, British Columbia, and provides all the insider tips you need, whether you want to kayak on Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park or go shopping in downtown Seattle's Columbia Center. Explore the culture, history, architecture, beaches, and scenic walks area-by-area.
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? The diversity of languages today is varied, but it is steadily declining. In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Anderson answers the above questions by looking at the science behind languages. Considering a wide range of different l…
teeped in imperial splendour, Vienna delights at every turn. From Roman ruins at the foot of the Hofburg to the tallest tower of Gothic Stephansdom, the city's landmarks are a testament to its rich history. And no list of Vienna's treasures would be complete without its engaging museums and world-famous classical music.
True to its name, this covers all of Tokyo's major sights and attractions in easy-to-use top 10 lists that help you plan the vacation that's right for you.
Explore the busy streets, exciting food, and historic sights of Tokyo. Learn the must-sees of this amazing capital city. Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Tokyo. • Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. • Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. • Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums. • Guide…
Causation is the most fundamental connection in the universe. Without it, there would be no science or technology. There would be no moral responsibility either, as none of our thoughts would be connected with our actions and none of our actions with any consequences. Nor would we have a system of law because blame resides only in someone having caused injury or damage. Any intervention we m…
Critical theory emerged in the 1920s from the work of the Frankfurt School, the circle of German-Jewish academics who sought to diagnose—and, if at all possible, cure—the ills of society, particularly fascism and capitalism. In this book, Stephen Eric Bronner provides sketches of leading representatives of the critical tradition (such as George Lukács and Ernst Bloch, Theodor Adorno and Wa…
People of faith often argue that without God, there can be no morality. Indeed, without religion, our lives are left without meaning and are likely to degenerate into moral chaos. In this Very Short Introduction, philosopher Stephen Law explains why these claims are false and why humanism--though a rejection of religion--nevertheless provides both a moral basis and a meaning for our lives. Inde…
History, not ideology, holds the key to growth. Brilliantly written and argued, Concrete Economics shows how government has repeatedly reshaped the American economy ever since Alexander Hamilton’s first, foundational redesign. This book does not rehash the sturdy and long-accepted arguments that to thrive, entrepreneurial economies need a broad range of freedoms. Instead, Steve Cohen an…
Buddhism is popularly regarded in the West as being a very peaceful religion, but this way by no means the image presented by the famous warrior monks of medieval Japan. From the 10th century onwards the great monastic foundations of Nara and Mount Hiei maintained private armies that terrified the courtiers and citizens of the capital with their religious and military power. Armed with long nag…
Given Australia’s lack of energy security strategy, it is not surprising that the country is void of institutional knowledge and know-how of Russian foreign energy strategy. The ‘lucky country’ as it were, relies entirely on sea lines of communication to the north to supply fuel and to export Australian coal and natural gas. Australia has entered the 2020s as the world’s largest liquefi…
This book argues that Plato’s Republic must be understood as developing out of a 5th Century sophistic debate. In Part One the author presents a new analysis of the sophists and their extant texts addressing the important topics of justice and its value. This part shows that already in the 5th Century there was a robust debate about whether the just or unjust life was better for the self-inte…
This new edition of the bestselling Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy is fully revised and significantly expanded. Major new features include a full chapter on Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movements, an expanded epilogue, and a new appendix ( How and Why I Became an Orthodox Christian ). More detail and more religions and movements have been included, and the book is now addressed broadly to both Or…
This volume, covering the period 1666–1800, considers the archaeology of the port of London on a wide scale, from the City down the Thames to Deptford. During this period, with the waterfront at its centre, London became the hub of the new British empire, contributing to the exploitation of people from other lands known as slavery.
Marvel Encyclopedia features: - Authoritative, Marvel-approved text for more than 1,200 Marvel characters. - Most comprehensive reference guide to Marvel Comics characters on the market, from iconic heroes and villains to a multitude of lesser-known, supporting characters - Lavishly illustrated format will appeal to both Marvel Comics aficionados and more casual fans - A to Z and ranked p…
Albers advanced the idea that colour is continually deceptive, and that the exact same colour can evoke innumerable responses depending on how it is seen against other colours. He argued against ‘mechanically applying or merely implying laws and rules of colour harmony’, because of the subjective nature of perception – it is almost impossible to see a colour by itself and not interacting …
equently missing from this burgeoning discourse, however, are contributions by archaeologists, and historical archaeologists in par-ticular,6 as well as conscious attempts to study this region’s past from an interdisciplinary perspective. A recent special edition of the journal Slavery and Abolition demonstrates that some historians are increas-ingly aware …
Sociolinguistic research in the 1950s and 1960s had shown how people change the degree of formality of their language as a function of the social contexts in which they find themselves. This was explained in terms of social norms dictating language use. In other words, we should speak very softly and respectfully here, but we can be more boisterous and casual there. Communication (or speech) ac…
By the century's end, discrepancies in the idea of an all-pervading ether began to appear. It was expected that light would travel at a fixed speed through the ether but that if you were traveling through the ether in the same direction as the light, its speed would appear lower, and if you were traveling in the opposite direction of the light, its speed would appear higher. Yet a series of exp…
Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Nymphalidae. Close to 750 species inhabit the United States and Canada, most notably the Monarch and Regal Fritillary can be found in Nebraska. Approximately 3% of butterfly species are threatened with extinction. This decline in butterfly populations is attributed primarily to habitat loss due to urbanization and agriculture. As populations continue to d…
The Ancestors of the Samurai The word 'samurai', which is commonly used for all varieties of ancient Japanese warrior, actually signifies the military elite of old Japan, a knightly caste who commanded armies, and also led their followers into battle. Their military and political skills eventually enabled them to control civilian governments, developing, through almost constant civil warfare, a…
The most powerful story we tell is the story we tell to ourselves about our self. In my youth, my story was based on my experience. In gym class, I was always the last one picked for teams. “Who will take Larry?” the gym teacher would ask. Girls told me, “I just want to be friends,” but I wanted to be more than friends. My marks in school were not impressive. I passed, but that was abou…
This book explores the judicial development of the concept of the signature from the thirteenth century to the age of the facsimile transmission. It puts the concept of the signature into a broad legal context to set out the purposes that can be attributed to a signature, and to explain the functions a signature is capable of performing. Drawing on cases from common law jurisdictions across the…
The massive disruptions caused by climate change, the Covid-19 Pandemic, war, and ever-rising inequalities have presented the world with challenges across social and economic life, health and education, policy, politics, and community life. Compassion is a central Buddhist value and practice but is also essential to our survival. Defined as feeling genuine concern about the suffering of others …
Using the digital turn as a starting point, the essays in this volume explore the materiality of sacred texts in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, along with transitions between various media cultures and material forms. The essays explore how material factors have shaped the production and transmission of sacred texts, as well as impacting the way in which people engage with, use, and perform …
How the challenge of depicting biological systems can generate productive questions for artists and scientists. An artist drawing cell division faces a problem: what is the best way to visually represent a dynamic process? This anthology, edited by an artist and a philosopher of science, explores drawing as a way of inquiring into living processes at the molecular, cellular, and organismal scal…
his book is a venture in the metaphysics of science, the exploration of the most basicfeatures of the world implied or presupposed by science. One of its main aims is todemonstrate the fundamental importance of such an investigation. Getting this verygeneral picture right makes a real difference to whether we do the science well andunderstand properly what it tells us. The particular metaphysic…
The typical definition of the genome is often dualistic, referen-cing both structural features and its function to store and transmitbiological information [4]. For example, the US National Institutesof Health (NIH) uses the following definition: “A genome is anorganism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Eachgenome contains all of the information needed to build and main-tai…
This patent landscape report provides an overview of international patent activity for animal genetic resources, in particular those relating to food and agriculture. The empirical analysis of patent activity for animal genetic resources for food and agriculture has received remarkably little attention in the scientific literature. Indeed, in conducting the present research we found no example …
This book is primarily concerned with the history of linguistics, but it is notsimplyaboutthe history of linguistics. For one thing, positions are taken belowon issues which (while they arise in a historical context) are discussed for theirown sake, such as the motivation for assuming a significant level of phoneticrepresentation in linguistics. Further, while the text traces the development of…
The audience for this book is anyone who has experienced a discrepancy between their own individual thinking about ethics—whether in med-icine, nursing, social work, psychology, or other fields—and what they encounter in the academically oriented, comparatively theoretical dis-cussions of ethics as presented in grand rounds, at conferences, and in profes…
The global Living Planet Index continues to decline. It shows anaverage 68% decrease in population sizes of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish between 1970 and 2016. A 94% decline in the LPI for the tropical subregions of the Americas is the largest fall observed in any part of the world. Why does this matter? It matters because biodiversity is fundamental to human life on Earth, and…
This open access book studies breath and breathing in literature and culture and provides crucial insights into the history of medicine, health and the emotions, the foundations of beliefs concerning body, spirit and world, the connections between breath and creativity and the phenomenology of breath and breathlessness. Contributions span the classical, medieval, early modern, Romantic, Victori…
Waterlands: Prehistoric Life at Bar Pasture, Pode Hole Quarry, Peterborough recounts a decade-long archaeological investigation at Bar Pasture Farm, Pode Hole Quarry, Peterborough, and represents one of the most significant landscape excavations carried out in recent years. The 55-hectare archaeological dig was the scene of human activity on the fenland edge from the Mesolithic through to the L…
On August 8, 1588, the waters of the English Channel churned with the gyrations of hundreds of warships. The great Spanish Armada had arrived to carry out an invasion of Elizabethan England and was met head-on by the English fleet under the command of Sir Francis Drake. The Spanish ships were large and heavy; they were packed with soldiers and carried formidable cannons that fired 50 lb round …
Since the stories told by poets and other early writers represented the major evidence for the events for which the Greeks had no written records, historians could not escape considering the role of myth in history. One approach—represented here by Herodotus’ and Thucydides’ analyses of the Trojan, Persian, and Peloponnesian Wars—was to seek to distinguish where myth left off and histor…