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The Palestine Nakba: Decolonising History, Narrating the Subaltern, Reclaiming Memory
by Nur Masalha2012 marks the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba - the most traumatic catastrophe that ever befell Palestinians. This book explores new ways of remembering and commemorating the Nakba. In the context of Palestinian oral history, it explores 'social history from below', subaltern narratives of memory and the formation of collective identity. Masalha argues that to write more truthfully about the Nakba is not just to practise a professional historiography but an ethical imperative. The struggles of ordinary refugees to recover and publicly assert the truth about the Nakba is a vital way of protecting their rights and keeping the hope for peace with justice alive.This book is essential for understanding the place of the Palestine Nakba at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the vital role of memory in narratives of truth and reconciliation.
Politics of Origin in Africa: Autochthony, Citizenship and Conflict
by Kevin C. Dunn Morten BøåsIn this revealing new book, Bøås and Dunn explore the phenomenon of 'autochthony' - literally 'son of the soil' - in African politics. In contemporary Africa, questions concerning origin are currently among the most crucial and contested issues in political life, directly relating to the politics of place, belonging, identity and contested citizenship. Thus, land claims and autochthony disputes are the hallmark of political crises in many places on the African continent.Examining the often complex reasons behind this recent rise of autochthony across a number of high-profile case studies - including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Kenya - this is an essential book for anyone wishing to understand the impact of this crucial issue on contemporary African politics and conflicts.
Politics of Origin in Africa: Autochthony, Citizenship and Conflict
by Morten Bøås Kevin C. DunnIn this revealing new book, Bøås and Dunn explore the phenomenon of 'autochthony' - literally 'son of the soil' - in African politics. In contemporary Africa, questions concerning origin are currently among the most crucial and contested issues in political life, directly relating to the politics of place, belonging, identity and contested citizenship. Thus, land claims and autochthony disputes are the hallmark of political crises in many places on the African continent.Examining the often complex reasons behind this recent rise of autochthony across a number of high-profile case studies - including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Kenya - this is an essential book for anyone wishing to understand the impact of this crucial issue on contemporary African politics and conflicts.
A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy
by Martin BellThe revelations over MPs' expenses that began in May 2009 ranged from petty thieving to outright fraud and sparked a crisis in confidence unprecedented in modern times. This was a 21st-century Peasants' Revolt - an uprising of the people against the political class. Ordinary men and women with political views across the spectrum were by turns amused, incredulous, shocked and then bitterly angry as the disclosures on MPs' expenses flooded out. From Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's bath plug to Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill's 'flipping' of his constituency home - a now-notorious manoeuvre that required him to refund GBP60,000 to the taxpayer - the exposure of MPs' expenses revealed Westminster's culture of quiet corruption like never before. Drawing on his experience as an MP and as a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Martin Bell explains how the expenses crisis arose and, most compellingly, lays out his prescription for healing the deep wounds inflicted by the scandal. As Martin puts it: 'The revolution will not be complete until all the rogues in the House are gone and public confidence in the MPs remaining is restored.' This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revive British politics, and the rebuilding starts here.
X Marks the Box: How Make Politics Work For You
by Daniel BlytheWhat is politics? And why does it matter? Self-confessed born-again voter Daniel Blythe presents a popular, forceful argument designed to shake up anyone 's apathy. Politics sets the agenda. Climate change, education, crime, housing these are political issues, but for many, party politics is still a turn-off. Daniel Blythe negotiates the political maze from the citizen' s point of view. Why should we vote? What do politicians do and why does it make a difference? Are you a Diehard, a Bloody-Noser or a Tactical? What can your MP do for you? And just why do they avoid answering direct questions? Along the way, we examine the most fun general elections and the under-rated politicians; the sauciest scandals and the bizarre sexiest MP polls; the biggest political victories, the U-turns and betrayals; the issues on the street, the part played by your choice of newspaper and what manifestos really mean; how to make your vote count, how to protest, and why you should care about by-elections. Whether you are disenchanted or a ballot-box regular, an activist or a floating voter, this is a book to amuse, inform and entertain. Irreverent, topical, sceptical and packed with useful facts and trivia, X Marks The Box takes you on a journey through apathy to activism - and everything in between.
Economyths: How the Science of Complex Systems is Transforming Economic Thought
by David OrrellFrom the inability of wealth to make us happier, to our catastrophic blindness to the credit crunch, "Economyths" reveals ten ways in which economics has failed us all. Forecasters predicted a prosperous year in 2008 for financial markets - in one influential survey the average prediction was for an eleven per cent gain. But by the end of the year, the Standard and Poor's 500 index - a key economic barometer - was down 38 per cent, and major economies were plunging into recession. Even the Queen asked - Why did no one see it coming? An even bigger casualty was the credibility of economics, which for decades has claimed that the economy is a rational, stable, efficient machine, governed by well-understood laws. Mathematician David Orrell traces the history of this idea from its roots in ancient Greece to the financial centres of London and New York, shows how it is mistaken, and proposes new alternatives. "Economyths" explains how the economy is the result of complex and unpredictable processes; how risk models go astray; why the economy is not rational or fair; why no woman (until 2009) had ever won the Nobel Prize for economics; why financial crashes are less Black Swans than part of the landscape; and, finally, how new ideas in mathematics, psychology, and environmentalism are helping to reinvent economics.
Jilted Generation: How Britain has Bankrupted its Youth
by Ed Howker Shiv MalikWhy are so many adult children living still living with mum and dad? Why do young people seem so disinterested in politics? And what are the hidden threats to Britain’s long-term prosperity lurking in the next few decades? First published in 2010, Ed Howker and Shiv Mailk’s Jilted Generation answers fundamental questions about the society you thought you knew. It identified, for the first time, the perilous position of Britain’s young adults and, with a title brandished by everyone from Ed Miliband to student protesters, the book’s thesis has formed a controversial but essential part of Britain’s political debate. With significant additional material, this edition updates the argument and explains the real effects of austerity policies and the recession. And, crucially, it explains what must be done to protect a vital and underestimated national asset – Britain’s newest adults.
50 Facts That Should Change the World
by Jessica WilliamsIn this new edition of her bestseller, Jessica Williams tests the temperature of our world and diagnoses a malaise with some shocking symptoms. Get the facts but also the human side of the story on the world?s hunger, poverty, material and emotional deprivation; its human rights abuses and unimaginable wealth; the unstoppable rise of consumerism, mental illness, the drugs trade, corruption, gun culture, the abuse of our environment and more. The prognosis might look bleak, yet there is hope, Williams argues, and it's down to us to act now to change things.
Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World
by Tina RosenbergIn the style of Nudge or The Spirit Level - a groundbreaking book that will change the way you look at the world. Tina Rosenberg has spent her career tackling some of the world's hardest problems. The Haunted Land, her searing book on how Eastern Europe faced the crimes of Communism, was awarded both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in the US. In Join the Club, she identifies a brewing social revolution that is changing the way people live, based on harnessing the positive force of peer pressure. Her stories of peer power in action show how it has reduced teen smoking in the United States, made villages in India healthier and more prosperous, helped minority students get top grades in college calculus, and even led to the fall of Slobodan Milosevic. She tells how creative social entrepreneurs are starting to use peer pressure to accomplish goals as personal as losing weight and as global as fighting terrorism. Inspiring and engrossing, Join the Club explains how we can better our world through humanity's most powerful and abundant resource: our connections with one another.
30-Second Politics: The 50 most thought-provoking ideas in politics, each explained in half a minute (30-Second)
by Peter BridgewaterYou may be OK with standard stuff like Conservatism and Democracy, but do you really know what Patrimonialism is? And what about Oligarchy? Anarcho-syndicalism? Politics is, we are willing to bet, the most passionately argued-over subject matter, and yet how many of us flounder around in confrontational debates because we have no grip on political theory, just a vague notion that they are all out to get us? 30-Second Politics will help dispel this fog mistrust and paranoia. It challenges political theorists of all colors to come up with no-frill, no-spin, tell-it-like-it-is explanations of the 50 most important political -isms, -archies, and -ocracies that have pertained since the time of Periclean Athens. At no public expense, the book explains each political theory in nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and some propaganda-style imagery, for we all know that a picture opportunity is worth a thousand words of dull interview.
Jilted Generation: How Britain Has Bankrupted Its Youth
by Ed Howker Shiv MalikWhy are so many adult children living still living with mum and dad? Why do young people seem so disinterested in politics? And what are the hidden threats to Britain’s long-term prosperity lurking in the next few decades? First published in 2010, Ed Howker and Shiv Mailk’s Jilted Generation answers fundamental questions about the society you thought you knew. It identified, for the first time, the perilous position of Britain’s young adults and, with a title brandished by everyone from Ed Miliband to student protesters, the book’s thesis has formed a controversial but essential part of Britain’s political debate. With significant additional material, this edition updates the argument and explains the real effects of austerity policies and the recession. And, crucially, it explains what must be done to protect a vital and underestimated national asset – Britain’s newest adults.
Welcome to the Jilted Generation: Young Britain in 2013
by Ed Howker Shiv MalikThis the 44-page Preface to the 2013 edition of Ed Howker and Shiv Malik's Jilted Generation: How Britain Bankrupted Its Youth. In 2010, 'Jilted Generation: How Britain Bankrupted It's Youth' revealed the plight of Britain's youngest adults for the first time while a new coalition government set out to solve them. The Tories said they would "fulfil a solemn promise to the next generation". The Liberal Democrats said they were "absolutely determined that we will be able to look our children and grandchildren in the eye and say we did the best we could for them". So how has that been working out? In this trailblazing new analysis, the authors of Jilted Generation reveal the canyon between Britain's next generation and the politicians claiming to help them. In unemployment and homelessness rates, through the riots, student protests and workfare battles, a picture emerges of a generation in crisis, a government in stasis and an unprecedented opportunity to solve both problems. Published here as an eBook Short, as well as in the fully updated new edition of Jilted Generation, this essay offers an insight into the issues - a clear and hard-hitting view of the situation in 2013 for Britain's young adults.
Human Being to Human Bomb: The Conveyor Belt of Terror
by Russell RazzaqueWhat makes often intelligent young men (and women) violently kill themselves and others in the name of religion and politics? They all had strict fathers and obsessive personalities. They all studied science-based subjects. They lived in the West, grew to despise it and ultimately killed themselves and numerous innocent others. In November 2001, Osama Bin Laden proclaimed: 'We love death. The West loves life. That is the big difference between us.' But who is this 'we'? How does someone go from being an unremarkable school-leaver to a human bomb? And how can this transformation, from teenager to terrorist, be detected?Having had his first of many encounters with extremist Islam at university in London in 1989, Russell Razzaque has watched this harrowing conversion from close quarters. Unique, personal and expertly researched, "Human Being to Human Bomb" shines a light on the real psychology behind Islamic suicide bombing. It is explored by a writer within the religion itself and concludes by unveiling a new psychological device that will expose those who are vulnerable to extremism before it is too late.
Harry's Last Stand: How the world my generation built is falling down, and what we can do to save it
by Harry Leslie Smith‘As one of the last remaining survivors of the Great Depression and the Second World War, I will not go gently into that good night. I want to tell you what the world looks like through my eyes, so that you can help change it…’ In November 2013, 91-year-old Yorkshireman, RAF veteran and ex-carpet salesman Harry Leslie Smith’s Guardian article – ‘This year, I will wear a poppy for the last time’ – was shared over 80,000 times on Facebook and started a huge debate about the state of society. Now he brings his unique perspective to bear on NHS cutbacks, benefits policy, political corruption, food poverty, the cost of education – and much more. From the deprivation of 1930s Barnsley and the terror of war to the creation of our welfare state, Harry has experienced how a great civilisation can rise from the rubble. But at the end of his life, he fears how easily it is being eroded. Harry’s Last Stand is a lyrical, searing modern invective that shows what the past can teach us, and how the future is ours for the taking.
Under Fire: The Untold Story Of The Attack In Benghazi (Concord Colour 4000 Ser. #No. 4018)
by Fred Burton Samuel M. KatzBenghazi, Libya. 9/11/2012. Just over a year after the fall of Gaddafi, and on the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a group of heavily armed Islamic terrorists had their sights set on the U.S. diplomatic and intelligence presence in the city. In the prolonged attack, four Americans died, including the American ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, the Information Officer Sean Smith, and two former Navy SEALs, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, working for the Central Intelligence Agency. Based on confidential eyewitness sources within the intelligence, diplomatic, and military communities, Under Fire is the terrifying account of that night, and of a desperate last stand amid the chaos of rebellion.
Introducing Philosophy: A Graphic Guide (Introducing... #0)
by Dave Robinson Judy GrovesPhilosophers have always enjoyed asking awkward and provocative questions, such as: What is the nature of reality? What are human beings really like? What is special about the human mind and consciousness? Are we free to choose who we are and what we do? Can we prove that God exists? Can we be certain about anything at all? What is truth? Does language provide us with a true picture of the world? How should we behave towards each other? Do computers think? Introducing Philosophy is a comprehensive graphic guide to the thinking of all the significant philosophers of the Western world from Heraclitus to Derrida. It examines and explains their key arguments and ideas without being obscure or solemn. Lively and accessible, it is the perfect introduction to philosophers and philosophical ideas for anyone coming to the subject for the first time.
Introducing Marxism: A Graphic Guide (Introducing... #0)
by Rupert WoodfinWas Marx himself a 'Marxist'? Was his visionary promise of socialism betrayed by Marxist dictatorship? Is Marxism inevitably totalitarian? What did Marx really say? "Introducing Marxism" provides a fundamental account of Karl Marx's original philosophy, its roots in 19th century European ideology, his radical economic and social criticism of capitalism that inspired vast 20th century revolutions. It assesses Marxism's Russian disciples, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin who forged a ruthless dogmatic Communism. The book examines the alternative Marxist approaches of Gramsci, the Frankfurt School of critical theory and the structuralist Marxism of Althusser in the 1960s. It marshals postmodern interpretations of Marxism and raises the spectre of 'post-Marxism' in Derrida's confrontation with Fukuyama's 'end of history' doctrine.
Introducing Capitalism: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by Sharron Shatil Dan CryanCapitalism now dominates the globe, both in economics and ideology, shapes every aspect of our world and influences everything from laws, wars and government to interpersonal relationships. Introducing Capitalism tells the story of its remarkable and often ruthless rise, evolving through strife and struggle as much as innovation and enterprise. Dan Cryan and Sharron Shatil, with Piero's brilliant graphics, cover the major economic, social and political developments that shaped the world we live in, such as the rise of banking, the founding of America and the Opium Wars.The book explores the leading views for and against, including thinkers like Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Theodor Adorno and Milton Friedman, the connections between them and their historical context. Few ideas have had as much impact on our everyday lives as capitalism. Introducing Capitalism is the essential companion.
Introducing Slavoj Zizek: A Graphic Guide (Introducing... Ser. #0)
by Christopher Kul-WantCharting his meteoric rise in popularity, Christopher Kul-Want and Piero explore Zizek's timely analyses of today's global crises concerning ecology, mounting poverty, war, civil unrest and revolution. Covering topics from philosophy and ethics, politics and ideology, religion and art, to literature, cinema, corporate marketing, quantum physics and virtual reality, Introducing Slavoj Zizek deftly explains Zizek's virtuoso ability to transform apparently outworn ideologies – Communism, Marxism and psychoanalysis – into a new theory of freedom and enjoyment.
FREE Introducing Graphic Guide Sampler (Graphic Guides)
by Ziauddin Sardar J.P. McEvoy Oscar Zarate Cathia Jenainati Sharron Shatil Dan Cryan Eileen Magnello Nigel BensonIntroducing Graphic Guides is the bestselling series which explores big ideas from Quantum Theory to Psychoanalysis using concise, authoritative text and graphic novel-style illustrations. For the very first time 28 titles are now available in ebook format for all e-reading devices. This free ebook sampler contains extracts from six books: • Introducing Psychology asks what exactly psychology is, precisely, where has it come from and the extent to which it can be considered scientific. • Introducing Quantum Theory explores bizarre paradoxes which contradict the logic of classical physics in the work of Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrodinger and others • Introducing Islam recounts the history of the religion from the 6th century to its status as a global culture and political force today. • Introducing Statistics book traces the rise of statistics from the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Chinese, to the censuses of Romans and the Greeks, and the modern emergence of the term itself in Europe. • Introducing Capitalism tells the story of the remarkable and often ruthless rise of capitalist politics and economics, which have evolved through strife and struggle as much as innovation and enterprise • Introducing Feminism explores women's conscious struggle to resist discrimination and sexist oppression from the 17th century to the present day. Find out more about the series at introducingbooks.com/ebooks
Introducing Political Philosophy: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by Dave RobinsonEssential illustrated guide to key ideas of political thought. Philosophers have always asked fundamental and disturbing questions about politics. Plato and Aristotle debated the merits of democracy. The origins of society, the state and government authority were issues addressed by Hobbes, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx and many other philosophers. Introducing Political Philosophy explains the central concepts of this intriguing branch of philosophy and presents the major political theorists from Plato to Foucault. How did governments get started? Why should they be obeyed? Could we live without them? How much power should they have? Is freedom a right? Which is the best form of government? In the wake of consumerism and postmodernism, our need for a better grasp of political ideas is greater than ever. Dave Robinson's account of this complex subject is always clear, informative and accompanied by the entertainingly inventive illustrations of Judy Groves.
Introducing Alain Badiou: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by Michael J. Kelly PieroThe works of French philosopher Alain Badiou range from novels, poems, 'romanopéras' and popular political treatises to elaborate philosophical arguments engaging with mathematical theory. Badiou suggests that 'philosophy is always a biography of the philosopher', and throughout all of his writing there is a staunch commitment to emancipatory politics and a radical yet faithful subjectivity. His famous, or infamous, philosophy of emancipation is firmly grounded in his fidelity to the universal idea of a collective life. Introducing Alain Badiou is an elegantly written and crisply illustrated guide to an essential contemporary thinker.
Introducing Chomsky: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by John MaherCan it be that the human brain possesses an in-built faculty for language? Noam Chomsky, one of the most brilliant linguists of the 20th century, believes that it does- that there exists a 'universal grammar' common to all languages. Around the world children learn, in very similar ways, languages that seem entirely different. This is possible, Chomsky argues, because all human languages and their grammatical structures are linked in the human brain. Chomsky is controversial and yet highly influential, both in his pioneering work in linguistics and in his unrelenting critique of international power and his commitment to freedom and justice. These two 'Chomskys' are heirs to the Enlightenment tradition, and this book is the ideal introduction to them both.
Introducing Kant: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by Christopher Kul-WantIllustrated INTRODUCING guide to the pre-eminent philosopher of the Enlightenment. Immanuel Kant laid the foundations of modern Western thought. Every subsequent major philosopher owes a profound debt to Kant?s attempts to delimit human reason as an appropriate object of philosophical enquiry. And yet, Kant's relentless systematic formalism made him a controversial figure in the history of the philosophy that he helped to shape. Introducing Kant focuses on the three critiques of Pure Reason, Practical Reason and Judgement. It describes Kant's main formal concepts: the relation of mind to sensory experience, the question of freedom and the law and, above all, the revaluation of metaphysics. Kant emerges as a diehard rationalist yet also a Romantic, deeply committed to the power of the sublime to transform experience. The book explores the paradoxical nature of his ideas and explains the reasons for his undiminished importance in contemporary philosophical debates.
Introducing Sartre: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)
by Philip ThodyINTRODUCING guide to the father of existentialism and one of 20th century philosophy's most famous characters. Jean-Paul Sartre was once described as being, next to Charles de Gaulle, the most famous Frenchman of the 20th century. Between the ending of the Second World War in 1945 and his death in 1980, Sartre was certainly the most famous French writer, as well as one of the best-known living philosophers. Introducing Sartre explains the basic ideas inspiring his world view, and pays particular attention to his idea of freedom. It also places his thinking on literature in the context of the 20th century debate on its nature and function. It examines his ideas on Marxism, his enthusiasm for the student rebellion of 1968, and his support for movements of national liberation in the Third World. The book also provides a succinct account of his life, and especially of the impact which his unusual childhood had on his attitude towards French society.