A two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenthto the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period oftransition from medieval to modern political theory. The work isintended to be both an introduction to the period for students, anda presentation and justification of a particular approach to theinterpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives anoutline account of all the principal texts of the period,discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante,Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther andCalvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he alsoexamines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explainthe general social and intellectual context in which these leadingtheorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a processionof 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces bythis means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modernpolitical thought, and in particular the crucial concept of theState. We are given an

India is everywhere: on magazine covers and cinema marquees, at the gym and in the kitchen, in corporate boardrooms and on Capitol Hill. Through incisive reportage and illuminating analysis, Mira Kamdar explores India's astonishing transformation from a developing country into a global powerhouse. She takes us inside India, reporting on the people, companies, and policies defining the new India and revealing how it will profoundly affect our future -- financially, culturally, politically. The world's fastest-growing democracy, India has the youngest population on the planet, and a middle class as big as the population of the entire United States. Its market has the potential to become the world's largest. As one film producer told Kamdar when they met in New York, "Who needs the American audience? There are only 300 million people here." Not only is India the ideal market for the next new thing, but with a highly skilled English-speaking workforce, elite educational institutions, and growing foreign inves

The conclusion to The Baroque Cycle is a veritable doorstop, but a doorstop perhaps worth its weight in 18th-century gold coins—especially to those who need a reminder about the dangerous misuses of science and “progress.” Critics can’t heap enough praise on Stephenson’s eloquent narration, true-to-life characters, and impeccable plotting (“generated via Waterhouse’s Logic Mills,” says the San Francisco Chronicle). Stephenson exquisitely unearths Baroque history, too, from mints to gardens to Jacobites. While compelling, you’ll best appreciate this epic history-romance-science fiction story “once you have a solid liberal arts education under your belt” (Chronicle). Stephenson mostly gets away with his philosophical pedantry because he’s so smart and inventive. If you have the courage to delve in, you won’t be disappointed. And if you can’t bring yourself to start with Quicksilver, System includes a preface relating “the story thus far” that reviewers found helpful enough.

This important book explores alternative strategies in agricultural and rural development to address the impacts of globalization processes on smallholder agriculturalists and marginalized rural people. Its goal is twofold: (1) to identify and assess the key processes by which globalization is affecting the smallholder agricultural and rural sectors; and (2) to identify and propose both micro- and macro-level policies and other strategies to deal with the problems that arise. This volume presents writings of leading scholars and practitioners working in the private and public sectors. Their work focuses on major crosscutting issues in the developing world and on country-specific case studies.

The interwar years witnessed great changes in the political lifeof India, with the establishment of new governmental institutions,the emergence of political movements based on class, caste andideology, and the rapid expansion of the nationalist campaign. Thisbook looks at the complex of political changes during this crucialand formative period in the Madras Presidency, the largest butoften the most neglected province of British India. Among the manystrands of political life and behaviour which Dr Baker studies arethe non-Brahman movement, peasant agitations, caste movements andthe rise of the Indian National Congress to a position ofundisputed primacy in the region. Making use of hithertounresearched materials Dr Baker attempts the first overall study ofthe political process and the dynamics of political change in theprovince. The book may also be seen as a case-study of politicalchange in a late-colonial society.

In this book, Daniel Shapiro argues that the dominant positions in contemporary political philosophy - egalitarianism, positive rights theory, communitarianism, and many forms of liberalism - should converge in a rejection of central welfare state institutions. He examines how major welfare institutions, such as government-financed and -administered retirement pensions, national health insurance, and programs for the needy, actually work. Comparing them to compulsory private insurance and private charities, Shapiro argues that the dominant perspectives in political philosophy mistakenly think that their principles support the welfare state. Instead, egalitarians, positive rights theorists, communitarians, and liberals have misunderstood the implications of their own principles, which in fact support more market-based or libertarian institutional conclusions than they may realize. Shapiro's book is unusual in its combination of political philosophy with social science. Its focus is not limited to any particula

America has a huge problem. It faces four major challenges, onwhich its future depends, and it is failing to meet them. In What'sWrong with America?, Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaumanalyze those challenges - globalization, the revolution ininformation technology, the nation's chronic deficits, and itspattern of energy consumption - and spell out what needs to be donenow to rediscover America's power and prowess. They explain how the end of the cold war blinded the nation tothe need to address these issues seriously. They show how America'shistory, when properly understood, provides the key to copingsuccessfully and explain how the paralysis of the US politicalsystem and the erosion of key American values have made itimpossible to carry out the policies the country needs. What'sWrong with America? is both a searching exploration of the Americancondition today and a rousing manifesto for American renewal.

With over 100,000 copies in print, here, with a new jacket forLincoln’s bicentennial, is the first volume in The Library ofAmerica’s acclaimed, comprehensive edition of Lincoln’s writings,featuring 240 speeches, letters, and drafts charting his rise fromrural law practice to national prominence. It includes the fulltexts of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates and the House Dividedspeech, as well as a detailed chronology of Lincoln’s life andhelpful explanatory notes prepared by the late Lincoln scholar DonE. Fehrenbacher. The companion volume, also available in a bicentennial edition,is Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865 .

This provocative book describes the sharp right turn the United States has taken following the election of Ronald Reagan as president in 1980. The treatment details how the policies pursued by the Reagan administration were a break from both the policies pursued by prior administrations and those pursued in other wealthy countries. The Reagan administration policies had the effect of redistributing both before- and after-tax income upward, creating a situation in which the bulk of the economic gains over the last quarter century were directed to a small segment of the population. The analysis explains how both political parties have come largely to accept the main tenets of Reaganism, putting the United States on a path that is at odds with most of the rest of the world and is not sustainable.

A riveting exploration of the world's most highly trained military units, from the ancient Spartans to modern-day US Navy SEALs, this is the definitive guide to the world's special military forces. 作者简介： Hugh McManners is a former commando and the author of many books, including Scars of War, and several successful DK titles, including The Outdoor Training Manual, Backpackers Handbook, and The Complete Wilderness Training Book.

This book explains how and why Berlin became the symbolic capital of the Cold War. Paul Steege anchors his account of this emerging global conflict in the terrain of a city literally shattered by World War II. By focusing on what happened 'on the ground' in Berlin, the book shows how ordinary people mattered for the development of a global Cold War that dominated world affairs for four decades and offers an interpretive framework with which to reevaluate international conflict in the present. 作者简介： Paul Steege is an associate professor of history at Villanova University and co-editor of H-German, the principal English-language electronic discussion group for German history.

The untold story of Hamid Karzai's dramatic rise to the presidency of Afghanistan and the problems he and his country face In 2004, Hamid Karzai was elected president in Afghanistan's first-ever democratic election. Today, criticized for indecisiveness and targeted for assassination by extremists, President Karzai struggles to build on the country's modest post-Taliban achievements before civil unrest undermines his government. Now, author Nick Mills draws on months of candid personal interviews with the charismatic Afghan president to offerrevealing portrait of the figure known to millions by his familiar uniform of karakul cap and long green chappan. Timely and compelling, Karzai tells the fascinating story of a unique leader with a keen intellect, a natural gift for storytelling, and a presidency in peril.

Meeting the short run challenges of reviving the worldwideeconomy need not mean sacrificing long run economic andenvironmental sustainability. A Global Green New Deal (GGND) is aneconomic policy strategy for ensuring a more economically andenvironmentally sustainable world economic recovery. Revivinggrowth and creating jobs should be essential objectives. Butpolicies should also aim to reduce carbon dependency, protectecosystems and water resources, and alleviate poverty. Otherwise,economic recovery today will do little to avoid future economic andenvironmental crises. Part One argues why a GGND strategy isessential to the sustainability of the global economy. Part Twoprovides an overview of the key national policies whilst Part Threefocuses on the global actions necessary to allow national policiesto work. Part Four summarizes the main recommendations for nationaland international action, and discusses the wider implications forrestructuring the world economy towards 'greener' development.

The United States has repeatedly asserted its right to intervene militarily against “failed states” around the globe. In this much-anticipated follow-up to his international bestseller Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky turns the tables, showing how the United States itself shares features with other failed states—suffering from a severe “democratic deficit,” eschewing domestic and international law, and adopting policies that increasingly endanger its own citizens and the world. Exploring the latest developments in U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Chomsky reveals Washington’s plans to further militarize the planet, greatly increasing the risks of nuclear war. He also assesses the dangerous consequences of the occupation of Iraq; documents Washington’s self-exemption from international norms, including the Geneva conventions and the Kyoto Protocol; and examines how the U.S. electoral system is designed to eliminate genuine political alternatives, impeding any meaningful democracy. Forceful

This is not your typical self-help book. You won't find any motivational platitudes or cute business parables here. This is more of a "get off your butt and get to work" approach that can help you achieve more success, make more money, improve your business, and have more fun. Larry Winget doesn't pull any punches here. He believes that business gets better when businesspeople get better through personal growth. And it works the same way in your personal life-husbands and wives improve each other when they improve themselves, and kids improve when their parents do. In other words, everything in life gets better when you get better, and nothing gets better until you get better. This book can make you better, but it will probably tick you off. Winget is direct, caustic, and controversial. You won't like or agree with everything he has to say. Yet his advice is full of wisdom and truth that can't easily be argued with. Words from Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life that prove that this book is any

This classic book is a powerful indictment of contemporary attitudes to race. By accusing British intellectuals and politicians on both sides of the political divide of refusing to take race seriously, Paul Gilroy caused immediate uproar when this book was first published in 1987. A brilliant and explosive exploration of racial discourses, There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack provided a powerful new direction for race relations in Britain. Still dynamite today and as relevant as ever, this Routledge Classics edition includes a new introduction by the author.

In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called “the audacity of hope.” Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics–a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces–from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media–that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating hu

Barack Obama's path from Hawaii to Indonesia to the White House represents one of the most unlikely and fascinating journeys in U.S. political history. With this special publication that is sure to become an instant collector's item, TIME will mark Obama's rise with an illustrated 96-page book. TIME Obama will contain original TIME magazine reporting and analysis from the magazine's political experts. The book will showcase the unrivaled, intimate behind-the-scenes photography of campaign photographer Callie Shell, who has been visually documenting Obama's journey since he began his run for President. And it will provide readers with a colorful and concise account of how Obama rose to power -- from his early days to his Chicago years to the moment when he became a political phenomenon.

It is, as Chris Patten notes, a funny old world. And it seemsto be getting funnier by the day. The global triumph of liberaldemocracy, with the world made in America and Europe's image, hasfailed to materialize. What will take its place? Here Patten drawson his many years at the highest levels of international affairs totackle the big questions of our time - from energy shortages to thearms trade, immigration to the ascendancy of the East - offering awise, witty and surprisingly optimistic account of the worldtoday.

Why were urban women veiled in the early 1900s, unveiled from 1936 to 1979, and reveiled after the 1979 revolution? This question forms the basis of Hamideh Sedghi's original and unprecedented contribution to politics and Middle Eastern studies. Using primary and secondary sources, Sedghi offers new knowledge on women's agency in relation to state power. In this rigorous analysis she places contention over women at the centre of the political struggle between secular and religious forces and demonstrates that control over women's identities, sexuality, and labor has been central to the consolidation of state power. Sedghi links politics and culture with economics to present an integrated analysis of the private and public lives of different classes of women and their modes of resistance to state power.

Entering the world of conspiracy theories and secret societies is like stepping into a distant， parallel universe where the laws of physics have completely changed： black means white， up is down， and if you want to understand what’s really going on， you need a good reference book。 That’s where Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies comes in。 Whether you’re a skeptic or a true believer， this fascinating guide， packed with the latest information， walks you through some of the most infamous conspiracy theories — such as Area 51 and the assassination of JFK — and introduces you to such mysterious organizations as the Freemasons， the Ninjas， the Mafia， and Rosicrucians。 This behind-the-curtain guide helps you separate fact from fiction and helps you the global impact of these mysterious events and groups on our modern world。 Discover how to： Test a conspiracy theory Spot a sinister secret society Assess the Internet’s role in fueling conspirac

An inside look at seven of the most harrowing and significant Special Operations missions ever. Courage beyond reason. Loyalty beyond faith. Perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. These are just some of the qualities of the members of the U.S. Special Operation Forces. BEYOND HELL AND BACK details the seven defining Special Ops missions that have made the Special Operation Forces the best fighting unit in the world, including: THE RESCUE OF BAT-21: The largest and longest Combat Search and Rescue mission in the Vietnam War lasted 17 days and cost the lives of 13 Americans—all to rescue one man and the invaluable knowledge he alone possessed. TASK FORCE NORMANDY: Planned in secrecy and executed with flawless efficiency, Task Force Normandy was an Army/Air Force Special Operations joint op that fired the opening shots behind enemy lines in Operation Desert Storm. OPERATION EAGLE CLAW: The devastating Special Forces operation mounted to retrieve 52 American hostages in Iran