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Contesting the Saudi State : Islamic Voices from a New Generation - Thryft
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Madawi Al-Rasheed | Cambridge University Press

Contesting the Saudi State : Islamic Voices from a New Generation

$10.22

Goodreads rating: 3.79

$10.22

The terms Wahhabi or Salafi are seen as interchangeable and frequently misunderstood by outsiders. However, as Madawi al-Rasheed explains in a fascinating exploration of Saudi Arabia in the twenty-first century, even Saudis do not agree on their meaning. Under the influence of mass education, printing, new communication technology, and global media, they are forming their own conclusions and debating religion and politics in traditional and novel venues, often violating official taboos and the conservative values of the Saudi society. Drawing on classical religious sources, contemporary readings and interviews, Al-Rasheed presents an ethnography of consent and contest, exploring the fluidity of the boundaries between the religious and political. Bridging the gap between text and context, the author also examines how states and citizens manipulate religious discourse for purely political ends, and how this manipulation generates unpredictable reactions whose control escapes those who initiated them.
Sacred and Secular : Religion and Politics Worldwide - Thryft
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Ronald Inglehart, Pippa Norris  | Cambridge University Press

Sacred and Secular : Religion and Politics Worldwide

$9.06

Goodreads rating: 3.37

$9.06

Seminal nineteenth-century thinkers predicted that religion would gradually fade in importance with the emergence of industrial society. The belief that religion was dying became the conventional wisdom in the social sciences during most of the twentieth century. The traditional secularization thesis needs updating, however, religion has not disappeared and is unlikely to do so. Nevertheless, the concept of secularization captures an important part of what is going on. This book develops a theory of existential security. It demonstrates that the publics of virtually all advanced industrial societies have been moving toward more secular orientations during the past half century, but also that the world as a whole now has more people with traditional religious views than ever before. This second edition expands the theory and provides new and updated evidence from a broad perspective and in a wide range of countries. This confirms that religiosity persists most strongly among vulnerable populations, especially in poorer nations and in failed states. Conversely, a systematic erosion of religious practices, values, and beliefs has occurred among the more prosperous strata in rich nations.
Rethinking Secularism - Thryft
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Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Craig J. Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer  | Oxford University Press

Rethinking Secularism

$16.27

Goodreads rating: 3.92

$16.27

This collection of essays presents groundbreaking work from an interdisciplinary group of leading theorists and scholars representing the fields of history, philosophy, political science, sociology, and anthropology. The volume will introduce readers to some of the most compelling new conceptual and theoretical understandings of secularism and the secular, while also examining socio-political trends involving the relationship between the religious and the secular from a variety of locations across the globe.In recent decades, the public has become increasingly aware of the important role religious commitments play in the cultural, social, and political dynamics of domestic and world affairs. This so called ''resurgence'' of religion in the public sphere has elicited a wide array of responses, including vehement opposition to the very idea that religious reasons should ever have a right to expression in public political debate. The current global landscape forces scholars to reconsider not only once predominant understandings of secularization, but also the definition and implications of secular assumptions and secularist positions. The notion that there is no singular secularism, but rather a range of multiple secularisms, is one of many emerging efforts to reconceptualize the meanings of religion and the secular.Rethinking Secularism surveys these efforts and helps to reframe discussions of religion in the social sciences by drawing attention to the central issue of how ''the secular'' is constituted and understood. It provides valuable insight into how new understandings of secularism and religion shape analytic perspectives in the social sciences, politics, and international affairs.
Making Sense of Marx - Thryft
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Jon Elster | Cambridge University Press

Making Sense of Marx

$5.14

Goodreads rating: 3.49

$5.14

A systematic, critical examination of Karl Marx's social theories and their philosophical presuppositions. Through extensive discussions of the texts Jon Elster offers a balanced and detailed account of Marx's views that is at once sympathetic, undogmatic and rigorous. Equally importantly he tries to assess 'what is living and what is dead in the philosophy of Marx', using the analytical resources of contemporary social science and philosophy. Professor Elster insists on the need for microfoundations in social science and provides a systematic criticism of functionalism and teleological thinking in Marx. He argues that Marx's economic theories are largely wrong or irrelevant; historical materialism is seen to have only limited plausibility (and is not even consistently applied by Marx); Marx's most lasting achievements are the criticism of capitalism in terms of alienation and exploitation and the theory of class struggle, politics and ideology under capitalism, though in these areas too Elster enters substantial qualifications. The book should take its place as the most comprehensive and sophisticated modern study available.
Bread and Circuses : Theories of Mass Culture As Social Decay - Thryft
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Patrick Brantlinger | Cornell University Press

Bread and Circuses : Theories of Mass Culture As Social Decay

$6.68

Goodreads rating: 3.26

$6.68

Lively and well written, Bread and Circuses analyzes theories that have treated mass culture as either a symptom or a cause of social decadence. Discussing many of the most influential and representative theories of mass culture, it ranges widely from Greek and Roman origins, through Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Ortega y Gasset, T. S. Eliot, and the theorists of the Frankfurt Institute, down to Marshall McLuhan and Daniel Bell, Brantlinger considers the many versions of negative classicism and shows how the belief in the historical inevitability of social decay—a belief today perpetuated by the mass media themselves—has become the dominant view of mass culture in our time. While not defending mass culture in its present form, Brantlinger argues that the view of culture implicit in negative classicism obscures the question of how the media can best be used to help achieve freedom and enlightenment on a truly democratic basis.
Crude Intentions : How Oil Corruption Contaminates the World - Thryft
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Alexandra Gillies | Oxford University Press

Crude Intentions : How Oil Corruption Contaminates the World

$4.28 $2.00 53% off

Goodreads rating: 3.93

$4.28 $2.00 53% off

Billions of dollars stolen from citizens are circling the globe, enriching powerful individuals, altering political outcomes, and disadvantaging everyday people. News headlines provide glimpses of how this corruption works and why it President Trump's businesses struck deals with oligarchs and sold property to secretive shell companies; the Panama Papers leak triggered investigations in 79 countries; and, corruption scandals toppled heads of state in Brazil, South Africa, and South Korea. But how do these pieces fit together? And if the corruption is so vast and so tied up with powerful interests, how do we begin to fight back?To find answers, Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that erupted during the recent oil boom. From 2008 to 2014, oil prices shot through the roof. Motivated by more than nine trillion dollars in new oil money, corruption followed apace. Examining the oil boom is like placing a drop of dye in the circulatory system of global corruption, and watching as it reveals the system's channels and pathways.Company bosses signed off on risky schemes to snap up choice oil blocks. Politicians in Brazil and Nigeria stole billions to build up their election war chests. Kleptocrats in Angola, Azerbaijan, and Russia seized upon the oil wealth to cement their hold on power. And an army of bankers, accountants, and lawyers lined up to help these corrupt actors stash their loot in the global system of shell companies and tax havens that serves today's super-rich. The money then bought yachts, mansions, and even a few foreign politicians.Drawing on information exposed by intrepid journalists, prosecutors, and whistle blowers, Crude Intentions tells jaw-dropping stories of corruption and asks what we can learn from them. The cases reveal common tactics, but also vulnerabilities in this web of fraud. These are the starting points for building a smarter fight against corruption, in the oil sector and well beyond.
Social Justice in the Liberal State - Thryft
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Bruce A. Ackerman | Yale University Press

Social Justice in the Liberal State

$7.48

Goodreads rating: 3.43

$7.48

Certain to become the most important work in political theory since John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, this book presents a brilliantly original, compelling vision of a just society-a world in which each of us may live his own life in his own way without denying the same right to others. Full of provocative discussions of issues ranging from education to abortion, it makes fascinating reading for anyone concerned with the future of the liberal democratic state.
Slowdown : The End of the Great Acceleration?and Why It's Good for the Planet, the Economy, and Our Lives - Thryft
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Danny Dorling | Yale University Press

Slowdown : The End of the Great Acceleration?and Why It's Good for the Planet, the Economy, and Our Lives

$11.42

Goodreads rating: 3.52

$11.42

The end of our high-growth world was underway well before COVID-19 arrived. In this powerful and timely argument, Danny Dorling demonstrates the benefits of a larger, ongoing societal slowdown Drawing from an incredibly rich trove of global data, this groundbreaking book reveals that human progress has been slowing down since the early 1970s. Danny Dorling uses compelling visualizations to illustrate how fertility rates, growth in GDP per person, and even the frequency of new social movements have all steadily declined over the last few generations.   Perhaps most surprising of all is the fact that even as new technologies frequently reshape our everyday lives and are widely believed to be propelling our civilization into new and uncharted waters, the rate of technological progress is also rapidly dropping. Rather than lament this turn of events, Dorling embraces it as a moment of promise and a move toward stability, and he notes that many of the older great strides in progress that have defined recent history also brought with them widespread warfare, divided societies, and massive inequality.
Modern Feminisms : Political, Literary, Cultural - Thryft
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Maggie Humm | Columbia University Press

Modern Feminisms : Political, Literary, Cultural

$24.60

Goodreads rating: 3.83

$24.60

This is the first comprehensive collection of feminist politics and writings by the most influential feminists of the twentieth century, with a full glossary of key terms, section introductions, and entries on individual writers. Contributors include Simone de Beauvoir, Catharine A. MacKinnon, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Betty Friedan, Gayle Rubin, Laura Mulvey, Elaine Showalter, and Julia Kristeva.Modern Feminisms covers key feminist ideas and perspectives on the family, sexuality, work, education, patriarchy, race, language, culture, and representation, and provides a persepective on the variety of modern feminisms that have emerged in the twentieth century.
Nationalism - Thryft
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Anthony D. Smith | Oxford University Press

Nationalism

$25.01

Goodreads rating: 3.87

$25.01

Achieving prevalence as an ideology in the political and social ferment of late 18th-century Europe and America, nationalism first found expression during the course of such historical upheavals as the American and French Revolutions. Its founders and early sponsors--Rousseau, Herder, Fichte, Korais, and Mazzini--looked to nationalism as the manifestation of modern humanity's most essential aspirations: autonomy, unity, identity. Born of notions regarding popular freedom and sovereignty that had been gathering momentum for generations, it conjured up images of a modernizing West at once hungry for change and yearning for a return to age-old concepts of fraternity and ancient heritage. Since that time nationalism, having taken on countless different dimensions, remains a vital and dynamic force for change--whether for good or otherwise.Despite only recently becoming the subject of scholarly debate, nationalism has been the focus of a truly prodigious amount of writing. This important Oxford Reader makes the topic more accessible by offering a broad, authoritative treatment of the key contributions to the subject, while giving unprecedented depth to recent debates and issues. Edited by two of the field's most influential scholars, the readings are representative of the vast array of experience and scholarship that have shaped the concept of nationalism for over two centuries. From Ernest Renan's What is a Nation?, written in the 1880s, to the more current views of the 1990s, Nationalism gathers under one cover an impressive array of writing on everything from imagined communities to ethno-regional movements. In no other volume will students of politics, history, sociology, anthropology, international relations, and cultural studies have access to such a definitive appraisal of one of the modern world's most influential--and explosive--ideas.
Democracy against Development : Lower-Caste Politics and Political Modernity in Postcolonial India - Thryft
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Jeffrey Witsoe | University Of Chicago Press

Democracy against Development : Lower-Caste Politics and Political Modernity in Postcolonial India

$14.61

Goodreads rating: 4.43

$14.61

Hidden behind the much-touted success story of India’s emergence as an economic superpower is another, far more complex narrative of the nation’s recent history, one in which economic development is frequently countered by profoundly unsettling, and often violent, political movements. In  Democracy against Development , Jeffrey Witsoe investigates this counter-narrative, uncovering an antagonistic relationship between recent democratic mobilization and development-oriented governance in India.            Witsoe looks at the history of colonialism in India and its role in both shaping modern caste identities and linking locally powerful caste groups to state institutions, which has effectively created a postcolonial patronage state. He then looks at the rise of lower-caste politics in one of India’s poorest and most populous states, Bihar, showing how this increase in democratic participation has radically threatened the patronage state by systematically weakening its institutions and disrupting its development projects. By depicting democracy and development as they truly are in India—in tension—Witsoe reveals crucial new empirical and theoretical insights about the long-term trajectory of democratization in the larger postcolonial world.
Beating the Odds : Jump-Starting Developing Countries - Thryft
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Justin Yifu Lin, Célestin Monga  | Princeton University Press

Beating the Odds : Jump-Starting Developing Countries

$15.53

Goodreads rating: 4.25

$15.53

How poor countries can ignite economic growth without waiting for global action or the creation of ideal local conditionsContrary to conventional wisdom, countries that ignite a process of rapid economic growth almost always do so while lacking what experts say are the essential preconditions for development, such as good infrastructure and institutions. In Beating the Odds , two of the world's leading development economists begin with this paradox to explain what is wrong with mainstream development thinking―and to offer a practical blueprint for moving poor countries out of the low-income trap regardless of their circumstances.Justin Yifu Lin, the former chief economist of the World Bank, and Célestin Monga, the chief economist of the African Development Bank, propose a development strategy that encourages poor countries to leap directly into the global economy by building industrial parks and export-processing zones linked to global markets. Countries can leverage these zones to attract light manufacturing from more advanced economies, as East Asian countries did in the 1960s and China did in the 1980s. By attracting foreign investment and firms, poor countries can improve their trade logistics, increase the knowledge and skills of local entrepreneurs, gain the confidence of international buyers, and gradually make local firms competitive. This strategy is already being used with great success in Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and other countries. And the strategy need not be limited to traditional manufacturing but can also include agriculture, the service sector, and other activities.Beating the Odds shows how poor countries can ignite growth without waiting for global action or the creation of ideal local conditions.
Poised for Partnership : Deepening India-Japan Relations in the Asian Century - Thryft
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Anthony Yazaki, Rohan Mukherjee  | Oxford University Press

Poised for Partnership : Deepening India-Japan Relations in the Asian Century

$6.07 $5.07 16% off

Goodreads rating: 0.0

$6.07 $5.07 16% off

95% off est. retail
This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning about the India-Japan relationship and how to strengthen it further. The book covers a wide range of topics such as trade, investment, energy security, and global governance. The contributors offer insightful perspectives on their respective countries' interests, achievements, obstacles and propose concrete policies to ensure a lasting partnership. The book is a must-read for policymakers from both sides and anyone interested in the future of Asia.
Emerging Multinationals in Emerging Markets - Thryft
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Ravi Ramamurti, Jitendra Singh  | Cambridge University Press

Emerging Multinationals in Emerging Markets

$20.58

Goodreads rating: 4.33

$20.58

Why have so many firms in emerging economies internationalized quite aggressively in the last decade? What competitive advantages do these firms enjoy and what are the origins of those advantages? Through what strategies have they built their global presence? How is their internationalization affecting Western rivals? And, finally, what does all this mean for mainstream international business theory? In Emerging Multinationals in Emerging Markets, a distinguished group of international business scholars tackle these questions based on a shared research design. The heart of the book contains detailed studies of emerging-market multinationals (EMNEs) from the BRIC economies, plus Israel, Mexico, South Africa, and Thailand. The studies show that EMNEs come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the home-country context. Furthermore, EMNEs leverage distinctive competitive advantages and pursue distinctive internationalization paths. This timely analysis of EMNEs promises to enrich mainstream models of how firms internationalize in today's global economy.
The Oxford Handbook of Postcolonial Studies - Thryft
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Graham Huggan | Oxford University Press

The Oxford Handbook of Postcolonial Studies

$18.83

Goodreads rating: 4.6

$18.83

The Oxford Handbook of Postcolonial Studies provides a comprehensive overview of the latest scholarship in postcolonial studies, while also considering possible future developments in the field. Original chapters written by a worldwide team of contritbuors are organised into five cross-referenced sections, "The Imperial Past," "The Colonial Present," "Theory and Practice," "Across the Disciplines," and "Across the World." The chapters offer both country-specific and comparative approaches to current issues, offering a wide range of new and interesting perspectives. The Handbook reflects the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of postcolonial studies and reiterates its continuing relevance to the study of both the colonial past--in its multiple manifestations--and the contemporary globalized world. Taken together, these essays, the dialogues they pursue, and the editorial comments that surround them constitute nothing less than a blueprint for the future of a much-contested butintellectually vibrant and politically engaged field.
The Death of Expertise : The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters - Thryft
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Thomas M. Nichols | Oxford University Press

The Death of Expertise : The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters

$7.30 $3.65 50% off

Goodreads rating: 3.83

$7.30 $3.65 50% off

Technology and increasing levels of education have exposed people to more information than ever before. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise shows how this rejection of experts has occurred: the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine, among other reasons. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. When ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy or, in the worst case, a combination of both. An update to the 2017breakout hit, the paperback edition of The Death of Expertise provides a new foreword to cover the alarming exacerbation of these trends in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. Judging from events on the ground since it first published, The Death of Expertise issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age that is even more important today.
Rise of the West : A History of the Human Community - Thryft
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Béla Petheö, William H. McNeill  | University Of Chicago Press

Rise of the West : A History of the Human Community

$6.47

Goodreads rating: 4.14

$6.47

The Rise of the West, winner of the National Book Award for history in 1964, is famous for its ambitious scope and intellectual rigor. In it, McNeill challenges the Spengler-Toynbee view that a number of separate civilizations pursued essentially independent careers, and argues instead that human cultures interacted at every stage of their history. The author suggests that from the Neolithic beginnings of grain agriculture to the present major social changes in all parts of the world were triggered by new or newly important foreign stimuli, and he presents a persuasive narrative of world history to support this claim. In a retrospective essay titled "The Rise of the West after Twenty-five Years," McNeill shows how his book was shaped by the time and place in which it was written (1954-63). He discusses how historiography subsequently developed and suggests how his portrait of the world's past in The Rise of the West should be revised to reflect these changes. "This is not only the most learned and the most intelligent, it is also the most stimulating and fascinating book that has ever set out to recount and explain the whole history of mankind. . . . To read it is a great experience. It leaves echoes to reverberate, and seeds to germinate in the mind."—H. R. Trevor-Roper, New York Times Book Review
Tort Law in America : An Intellectual History - Thryft
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G. Edward White | Oxford University Press

Tort Law in America : An Intellectual History

$4.16 $2.00 52% off

Goodreads rating: 3.4

$4.16 $2.00 52% off

97% off est. retail
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of tort law in America. White's approach to the subject is multi-faceted, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the field. From intellectual history to sociology of knowledge and professionalization, Tort Law in America covers every angle. White's impressive research makes this book highly informative and easily digestible.
To Nation by Revolution : Indonesia in the 20th Century - Thryft
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Anthony Reid | National University Of Singapore Press

To Nation by Revolution : Indonesia in the 20th Century

$12.65

Goodreads rating: 3.86

$12.65

The twelve chapters of this book all derive from the reflections of a prominent historian on the nature of modern Indonesian history, over a 40-year time span. A central thread running through the book is the importance of the fact that Indonesia entered the modern community of nation-states through political revolution. This revolution has often been denied or downplayed as a failure because it did not have a communist outcome like those of China and Vietnam. A much better analogy is the French revolution - a profound breaking with and discrediting of the ancien regime but without the guiding hand of a disciplined party intent on power. Like other revolutions, it demanded a huge price in violence, human suffering, and the loss of cultural traditions; like them too, it offered a glittering prize. The prize turned out not to be the freedom and equality of which the revolutionaries had dreamt, but a previously inconceivable unity enforced by a state of a completely new kind. The Faustian bargain in by which Indonesia was created in the 1940s is at the heart of this book. All the chapters save one have been revised and updated for this publication, with the injection of some additional optimism called for by post-1998 democracy. The exception is the earliest paper, from 1967, on the paroxysm of violence that punctuated Indonesia's independent history from 1965-1966. This piece has been left unchanged as a document in the early quest for understanding of those horrific events.
The Brenner Debate : Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-industrial Europe - Thryft
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T.H. Aston, Robert Brenner, C.H.E. Philpin  | Cambridge University Press

The Brenner Debate : Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-industrial Europe

$12.39

Goodreads rating: 3.91

$12.39

Few historical issues have occasioned such discussion since at least the time of Marx as the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Western Europe. The Brenner Debate, which reprints from Past and Present various article in 1976, is a scholarly presentation of a variety of points of view, covering a very wide range in time, place and type of approach. Weighty theoretical responses to Brenner's first formulation followed from the late Sir Michael Postan, John Hatcher, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie and Guy Bois; more particular contributions came from Patricia Croot, David Parker, Arnost Klìma and Heide Wunder on England, France, Bohemia and Germany; and reflective pieces from R. H. Hilton and the late J. P. Cooper. Completing the volume, and giving it an overall coherence, are Brenner's own comprehensive response to those who had taken part in the debate, and also R. H. Hilton's introduction that aims to bring together the major themes in the collection of essays. The debate has already aroused widespread interest among historians and scholars in allied fields as well as among ordinary readers, and may reasonably be regarded as one of the most important historical debates of prevailing years.
The Chinese Question: Ethnicity, Nation, and Region in and Beyond the Philippines
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Caroline S. Hau | National University Of Singapore Press

The Chinese Question: Ethnicity, Nation, and Region in and Beyond the Philippines

$8.90

Goodreads rating: 3.94

$8.90

81% off est. retail
If you're fascinated by the interplay of cultural identities and how they influence national narratives, "The Chinese Question" could resonate with you. Caroline S. Hau delves into the evolving concepts of race, class, and ideology within the Philippines, framing it through the lens of the local Chinese community. This book might particularly appeal to those interested in ethnicity and regional dynamics in Southeast Asia, as it offers a profound exploration of what it means to belong and how heritage can shape an entire nation's perspective.
Authority Participation and Cultural Change in China : Essays by a European Study Group - Thryft
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Stuart R. Schram, John Gardner, Marianne Bastid  | Cambridge University Press

Authority Participation and Cultural Change in China : Essays by a European Study Group

$13.85

Goodreads rating: 4.33

$13.85

77% off est. retail
This book serves as a historical account of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, from its immediate consequences to its long-term effects. The essays explore topics related to leadership, participation, economic development and social change in China. With Schram's introduction, readers gain a broad historical perspective of the Chinese revolution since the end of the 19th century. This book is perfect for history enthusiasts who want to learn more about the Chinese Cultural Revolution and its impact on China.
Pope Francis Among the Wolves : The Inside Story of a Revolution - Thryft
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Marco Politi, William McCuaig  | Columbia University Press

Pope Francis Among the Wolves : The Inside Story of a Revolution

$10.33

Goodreads rating: 3.95

$10.33

Marco Politi takes us deep inside the power struggle roiling the Roman Curia and the Catholic Church worldwide, beginning with Benedict XVI, the pope who famously resigned in 2013, and intensifying with the contested and unexpected election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, now known as Pope Francis. Politi's account balances the perspectives of Pope Francis's supporters, Benedict's sympathizers, and those disappointed members of the Catholic laity who feel alienated by the institution's secrecy, financial corruption, and refusal to modernize.Politi dramatically recounts the sexual scandals that have rocked the church and the accusations of money laundering and other financial misdeeds swirling around the Vatican and the Italian Catholic establishment. Pope Francis has tried to shine a light on these crimes, but his work has been met with resistance from entrenched factions. Politi writes of the decline in church attendance and vocations to the priesthood throughout the world as the church continues to prohibit divorced and remarried Catholics from receiving the communion wafer. He visits European parishes where women now perform the functions of missing male priests--and where the remaining parishioners would welcome the admission of women to the priesthood, if the church would allow it.Pope Francis's emphasis on pastoral compassion for all who struggle with the burden of family life has also provoked the ire of traditionalists in the Roman Curia and elsewhere. He knows from personal experience what life is like for the poor in Buenos Aires and other metropolises of the globalized world, and highlights the contrast between the vital, vibrant faith of these parishioners and the disillusionment of European Catholics. Pope Francis and his supporters are locked in a battle with the defenders of the traditional hard line and with ecclesiastical corruption. In this conflict, the future of Catholicism is at stake--and it is far from certain Francis will succeed in saving the institution from decline.
GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Revised and expanded Edition - Thryft
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Diane Coyle | Princeton University Press

GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Revised and expanded Edition

$7.46

Goodreads rating: 3.66

$7.46

 横扫各类财经图书殊荣。《华尔街日报》年度十大好书/《金融时报》及麦肯锡年度商业类佳作/世界商业图书Axiom Business大奖/《Choice》年度商业杰作…… 全球政商界精英连袖推荐。经济合合与发展组织秘书长安赫尔·古里亚，前英国央行行长默文·金，前美国白宫经济政策主任托德·布赫霍尔茨，美国经济学泰斗泰勒·柯文，高收益债券教头马丁·弗里德森，发展经济学先驱赛尔奎因，日本经济研究中心特别顾问、前任会长小岛明，《卧底经济学》作者蒂姆·哈福德，英国经济学家约翰·凯，投资分析专家约翰·莫尔丁等。强烈推荐 英国经济学巨擘、BBC副主席黛安娜·科伊尔力透纸背之作 一天读完300年发展史，让你透彻洞悉GDP如何深度影响每个人的生活随着中国经济体积的日益庞大，GDP的增长速度日益进入“L”型轨道。历史上有哪些国家曾经历过这种类似的局面，其政府...(展开全部)
Albion's Seed : Four British Folkways in America - Thryft
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David Hackett Fischer | Oxford University Press

Albion's Seed : Four British Folkways in America

$13.10 $7.86 40% off

Goodreads rating: 4.36

$13.10 $7.86 40% off

97% off est. retail
Albion's Seed is a great read for a history enthusiast, particularly those interested in the formation of America's regional cultures. Fischer's work effectively outlines the folkways and cultural differences between early British settlers in America, and how they have persisted to varying degrees in different areas of the country. This book is a valuable resource for understanding American cultural history, and would be a particularly good fit for those studying the social sciences or anyone with a keen interest in American regionalism.
American and British Technology in the Nineteenth Century : The Search for Labour Saving Inventions - Thryft
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H.J. Habakkuk | Cambridge University Press

American and British Technology in the Nineteenth Century : The Search for Labour Saving Inventions

$5.66

Goodreads rating: 4.0

$5.66

This essay is a foray into the debatable borderland between history, technology and economics. On the history of technical processes there exist several works, pre-eminent among them the great five-volumed History of Technology. But few historians of technology have shown interest in the models of the economists; and the theorists have concentrated on analysis or on problems of contemporary technology. The present work is an attempt to re-examine some of the more familiar nineteenth-century developments in technology. It originated in lectures given at Columbia University in the autumn of 1958.
An Inside Job - Policing And Police Culture In Britain - Thryft
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Malcolm Young | Oxford University Press

An Inside Job - Policing And Police Culture In Britain

$5.90

Goodreads rating: 4.0

$5.90

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the inner workings of the British police force. Through the author's personal experiences, readers gain insight into the habits, language, and culture of the police. The book offers a revealing and sometimes controversial perspective on the ideologies and humor that shape the force and is sure to be a thought-provoking read for those interested in criminal justice and law enforcement.
The Theory of Incentives : The Principal-Agent Model - Thryft
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David Martimort, Jean-Jacques Laffont  | Princeton University Press

The Theory of Incentives : The Principal-Agent Model

$10.36

Goodreads rating: 3.88

$10.36

Economics has much to do with incentives--not least, incentives to work hard, to produce quality products, to study, to invest, and to save. Although Adam Smith amply confirmed this more than two hundred years ago in his analysis of sharecropping contracts, only in recent decades has a theory begun to emerge to place the topic at the heart of economic thinking. In this book, Jean-Jacques Laffont and David Martimort present the most thorough yet accessible introduction to incentives theory to date. Central to this theory is a simple question as pivotal to modern-day management as it is to economics What makes people act in a particular way in an economic or business situation? In seeking an answer, the authors provide the methodological tools to design institutions that can ensure good incentives for economic agents.This book focuses on the principal-agent model, the "simple" situation where a principal, or company, delegates a task to a single agent through a contract--the essence of management and contract theory. How does the owner or manager of a firm align the objectives of its various members to maximize profits? Following a brief historical overview showing how the problem of incentives has come to the fore in the past two centuries, the authors devote the bulk of their work to exploring principal-agent models and various extensions thereof in light of three types of information adverse selection, moral hazard, and non-verifiability. Offering an unprecedented look at a subject vital to industrial organization, labor economics, and behavioral economics, this book is set to become the definitive resource for students, researchers, and others who might find themselves pondering what contracts, and the incentives they embody, are really all about.
The Internet Challenge to Television - Thryft
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Bruce M. Owen | Harvard University Press

The Internet Challenge to Television

$7.44 $3.90 48% off

Goodreads rating: 4.33

$7.44 $3.90 48% off

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After a half-century of glacial creep, television technology has begun to change at the same dizzying pace as computer software. What this will mean--for television, for computers, and for the popular culture where these video media reign supreme--is the subject of this timely book. A noted communications economist, Bruce Owen supplies the essential a grasp of the economic history of the television industry and of the effects of technology and government regulation on its organization. He also explores recent developments associated with the growth of the Internet. With this history as a basis, his book allows readers to peer into the future--at the likely effects of television and the Internet on each other, for instance, and at the possibility of a convergence of the TV set, computer, and telephone. The digital world that Owen shows us is one in which communication titans jockey to survive what Joseph Schumpeter called the "gales of creative destruction." While the rest of us simply struggle to follow the new moves, believing that technology will settle the outcome, Owen warns us that this is a game in which Washington regulators and media hyperbole figure as broadly as innovation and investment. His book explains the game as one involving interactions among all the players, including consumers and advertisers, each with a particular goal. And he discusses the economic principles that govern this game and that can serve as powerful predictive tools.
The Logic of Collective Action : Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, Second Printing with a New Preface and Appendix - Thryft
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Mancur Olson | Harvard University Press

The Logic of Collective Action : Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, Second Printing with a New Preface and Appendix

$8.59

Goodreads rating: 3.98

$8.59

82% off est. retail
This book develops an original theory of group and organizational behavior that cuts across disciplinary lines and illustrates the theory with empirical and historical studies of particular organizations. Applying economic analysis to the subjects of the political scientist, sociologist, and economist, Mancur Olson examines the extent to which the individuals that share a common interest find it in their individual interest to bear the costs of the organizational effort.The theory shows that most organizations produce what the economist calls “public goods”―goods or services that are available to every member, whether or not he has borne any of the costs of providing them. Economists have long understood that defense, law, and order were public goods that could not be marketed to individuals, and that taxation was necessary. They have not, however, taken account of the fact that private as well as governmental organizations produce public goods.The services the labor union provides for the worker it represents, or the benefits a lobby obtains for the group it represents, are public they automatically go to every individual in the group, whether or not he helped bear the costs. It follows that, just as governments require compulsory taxation, many large private organizations require special (and sometimes coercive) devices to obtain the resources they need. This is not true of smaller organizations for, as this book shows, small and large organizations support themselves in entirely different ways. The theory indicates that, though small groups can act to further their interest much more easily than large ones, they will tend to devote too few resources to the satisfaction of their common interests, and that there is a surprising tendency for the “lesser” members of the small group to exploit the “greater” members by making them bear a disproportionate share of the burden of any group action.All of the theory in the book is in Chapter 1; the remaining chapters contain empirical and historical evidence of the theory’s relevance to labor unions, pressure groups, corporations, and Marxian class action.
Jurismania : Madness of American Law - Thryft
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Paul F. Campos | Oxford University Press

Jurismania : Madness of American Law

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Goodreads rating: 3.22

$4.50 $2.70 40% off

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In Jurismania, Paul Campos asserts that our legal system is beginning to exhibit symptoms of serious mental illness. Trials and appeals that stretch out for years and cost millions, 100 page appellate court opinions, 1,000 page statutes before which even lawyers tremble with fear, and a publicthat grows more litigious every day all testify to a judicial overkill that borders on obsessive-compulsive disorder. Campos locates the source of such madness, paradoxically, in our worship of reason and the resulting belief that all problems are amenable to legal solutions. In insightfuldiscussions of a wide range of cases, from NCAA regulations of student-athletes to the Simpson trial, from our most intractable social disputes over abortion and physician-assisted suicide to the war on drugs and the increasingly fastidious attempts to regulate behavior in public spaces, Camposshows that the mania for more law exacerbates the very problems it seeks to remedy. In his final chapter, the author calls instead for a humbling recognition of the limits of reason and a much more modest role for our legal system.Clearly written and laced with a delicious wit, Jurismania gives us a CAT-scan of the American legal mind at work. It reveals not only that the patient is even worse off than we imagined, but also clarifies the many reasons why.
Work and Politics : The Division of Labour in Industry - Thryft
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Charles F. Sabel | Cambridge University Press

Work and Politics : The Division of Labour in Industry

$13.27

Goodreads rating: 4.33

$13.27

Work and Politics develops a historical and comparative sociology of workplace relations in industrial capitalist societies. Professor Sabel argues that the system of mass production using specialized machines and mostly unskilled workers was the result of the distribution of power and wealth in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Great Britain and the United States, not of an inexorable logic of technological advance. Once in place, this system created the need for workers with systematically different ideas about the acquisition of skill and the desirability of long-term employment. Professor Sabel shows how capitalists have played on naturally existing division in the workforce in order to match workers with diverse ambitions to jobs in different parts of the labor market. But he also demonstrates the limits, different from work group to work group, of these forms of collaboration.
Abolitions as a Global Experience
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Hideaki Suzuki, Kumie Inose, Sue Peabody  | National University Of Singapore Press

Abolitions as a Global Experience

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Goodreads rating: 0.0

$24.90 $4.90 80% off

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If you're fascinated by how significant societal changes unfold on a global scale, "Abolitions as a Global Experience" offers a riveting exploration. What makes this book particularly compelling is its refusal to oversimplify the global abolition of slavery to a single moral victory. Instead, it recognizes diverse international pressures and local dynamics. Beyond the act of abolition, it dives into its consequences and the subsequent collective memory, giving you a more complex, interconnected understanding of history. This could leave you with a newfound appreciation for the intricate tapestry of global history.
Meanings of Multiethnicity : Case-study of Ethnicity and Ethnic Relations in Singapore - Thryft
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Lai Ah Eng | Oxford University Press

Meanings of Multiethnicity : Case-study of Ethnicity and Ethnic Relations in Singapore

$13.66

Goodreads rating: 0.0

$13.66

If you're intrigued by the complex tapestry of cultures in modern societies, this book provides a deep dive into Singapore's multiethnic landscape. Ah Eng Lai's meticulous study offers insights not just into how a diverse nation builds its collective identity, but also into the personal significance of ethnicity for individuals. Taking you from intimate, detailed ethnography to broader socio-political discussions, it carves out an understanding of ethnic relations that's both nuanced and highly relevant in today's world.
GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Thryft
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Diane Coyle | Princeton University Press

GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History

$8.29

Goodreads rating: 3.66

$8.29

Why did the size of the U.S. economy increase by 3 percent on one day in mid-2013--or Ghana's balloon by 60 percent overnight in 2010? Why did the U.K. financial industry show its fastest expansion ever at the end of 2008--just as the world's financial system went into meltdown? And why was Greece's chief statistician charged with treason in 2013 for apparently doing nothing more than trying to accurately report the size of his country's economy? The answers to all these questions lie in the way we define and measure national economies around the world: Gross Domestic Product. This entertaining and informative book tells the story of GDP, making sense of a statistic that appears constantly in the news, business, and politics, and that seems to rule our lives--but that hardly anyone actually understands.Diane Coyle traces the history of this artificial, abstract, complex, but exceedingly important statistic from its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century precursors through its invention in the 1940s and its postwar golden age, and then through the Great Crash up to today. The reader learns why this standard measure of the size of a country's economy was invented, how it has changed over the decades, and what its strengths and weaknesses are. The book explains why even small changes in GDP can decide elections, influence major political decisions, and determine whether countries can keep borrowing or be thrown into recession. The book ends by making the case that GDP was a good measure for the twentieth century but is increasingly inappropriate for a twenty-first-century economy driven by innovation, services, and intangible goods.
Why Has Japan 'Succeeded'? : Western Technology and the Japanese Ethos - Thryft
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Michio Morishima | Cambridge University Press

Why Has Japan 'Succeeded'? : Western Technology and the Japanese Ethos

$3.13

Goodreads rating: 4.09

$3.13

This book, by a distinguished Japanese economist now resident in the West, offers a new interpretation of the current success of the Japanese economy. By placing the rise of Japan in the context of its historical development, Michio Morishima shows how a strongly-held national ethos has interacted with religious, social and technological ideas imported from elsewhere to produce highly distinctive cultural traits. While Professor Morishima traces the roots of modern Japan back as far as the introduction of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism from China in the sixth century, he concentrates his observations on the last 120 years during which Japan has had extensive contacts with the West. He describes the swift rise of Japan to the status of a first-rate power following the Meiji Revolution after 1867, in which Japan broke with a long history of isolationism, and which paved the way for the adoption of Western technology and the creation of a modern Western-style nation state; and a similarly meteoric rise from the devastation of the Second World War to Japan's present position. A range of factors in Japan's economic success are analysed: her characteristic dualistic social structure - corresponding to the divide between large and medium/small enterprises - the relations of government and big business, the poor reception of liberalism and individualism, and the strength of the Japanese nationalism. Throughout, Professor Morishima emphasises the importance of the role played in the creation of Japanese capitalism by ethical doctrines as transformed under Japanese conditions, especially the Japanese Confucian tradition of complete loyalty to the firm and to the state. This account, which makes clear the extent to which the economic rise of Japan is due to factors unique to its historical traditions, will be of interest to a wide general readership as well as to students of Japan and its history.