How did humankind deal with the extreme challenges of the lastIce Age? How have the relatively benign post-Ice Age conditionsaffected the evolution and spread of humanity across the globe? Bysetting our genetic history in the context of climate change duringprehistory, the origin of many features of our modern world areidentified and presented in this illuminating book. It reviews theaspects of our physiology and intellectual development that havebeen influenced by climatic factors, and how features of our lives- diet, language and the domestication of animals - are also theproduct of the climate in which we evolved. In short: climatechange in prehistory has in many ways made us what we are today.Climate Change in Prehistory weaves together studies of the climatewith anthropological, archaeological and historical studies, andwill fascinate all those interested in the effects of climate onhuman development and history.
This study of the emergence of machine politics in New YorkCity during the antebellum years sheds light on the origins of asystem that was the characteristic form of government in UnitedStates cities from the mid-nineteenth until well into the twentiethcentury. In contrast to previous explanations that have found theorigins of machine politics in immigrant culture and ethnicconflict, Professor Bridges shows that central elements of thesystem long predated a significant immigrant presence. Her analysisfocuses on two large-scale transformations in the Americanpolitical economy that occurred during these years:industrialization, which reorganized the social order and provokedconflict and change; and the extension of the franchise through theabolition of property barriers, which necessitated theincorporation of 'the many' into political life. It was this uniquecombination of circumstances, the author argues, that provided thecontext for the development of machine politics.
For centuries, until the consolidation of modern standard Hindiafter 1900, the Hindi dialect known as Braj Bhāsā enjoyed greatprestige as the vehicle of the Krsna cult literature of northernIndia, as well as for the brilliance of its secular literature.Most of this material was in verse, although since the beginning ofthe last century we have had knowledge of the existence of texts inSanskritized Braj Bhāsā prose, chiefly sectarian chronicles andcommentaries, from a relatively early date. In this, the earliestthorough analysis of a Braj Bhāsā text, Dr McGregor presents one ofthe oldest known Braj Bhāsā prose texts: a Braj commentary on theSanskrit Nīti?ataka of Bhartrhari, originally composed about 1600.His detailed examination of the morphology, phonology and syntax ofits language casts light on the types of language that underlie theBraj Bhāsā used in verse literature, and provide a comparativebasis for further studies of the prose produced in Braj and inother Hindi dialects before the nineteent
In this 1996 cultural history which considers thetransformation of south Indian institutions under British colonialrule in the nineteenth century, Pamela Price focuses on the twoformer 'little kingdoms' of Ramnad and Sivaganga which came undercolonial governance as revenue estates. She demonstrates howrivalries among the royal families and major zamindari temples, andthe disintegration of indigenous institutions of rule, contributedto the development of nationalism and identity amongst the peopleof southern Tamil country. The author also shows how religioussymbols and practices going back to the seventeenth century werereformulated and acquired a new significance in the colonialcontext. Arguing for a reappraisal of the relationship of Hinduismto politics, Price finds that these symbols and practices continueto inform popular expectation of political leadership today.
In contrast to those who see the 1950s as essentially aconservative period, and who view the 1960s as a time of rapidmoral change, The Permissive Society points to the emergence of aliberalizing impulse during the Truman and Eisenhower years. Thebook shows how, during the 1950s, a traditionalist moral frameworkwas beginning to give way to a less authoritarian approach to moralissues as demonstrated by a more relaxed style of child-rearing,the rising status of women both inside and outside the home, theincreasing reluctance of Americans to regard alcoholism as a sin,loosening sexual attitudes, the increasing influence of modernpsychology, and, correspondingly, the declining influence ofreligion in the personal lives of most Americans.
Goran Palm – a well-known Swedish writer and poet – went to workincognito in one of the factories of LM Ericsson. He did this toobtain a better understanding of the life of the manual worker in alarge factory, and to gain from that understanding a more maturepolitical view. Going into a factory and joining a particular workgroup enabled the author to see beyond the monolithic idea of theworking class and to know and appreciate his fellow workers asindividuals. The writing is more literary than scientific, thelanguage is concrete, and portraits, satire and dialogue are mixedto provide a full and lively picture into which the development ofPalm's ideas is inserted. His particular concern is the worker'stendency to regard work as a depressing overture to the leisuretime constantly in his thoughts. This is what Palm means by TheFlight from Work.
This book examines the history of the colonial conquest of aneglected region of Angola from an alternative perspective. DrClarence-Smith has used advances in Marxist theory to develop amodel of the early colonial period which differs greatly from theestablished historiography of `African resistance'. Although themain focus is on local socio-economic structures, one chapterplaces the region in the wider context of the political economy ofthe partition of Africa, with strong emphasis on the economicmotivations of Portugal. A brief epilogue brings the story inoutline to the end of Portuguese colonialism. The rest of the bookanalyses colonial society and African peasant societies in turn.Capitalist relations of production were generally predominant inlocal colonial society, but slavery persisted into the 1910s andwas followed by a system of forced labour.
The Essential Reference Guide to America’s Most PopularSongs and Artists Spanning More than Fifty Years ofMusi Beginning with Bill Haley His Comets’ seminal “Rock Aroundthe Clock” all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out “Pokerface,” this updated and unparalleled resource contains the mostcomplete chart information on every artist and song to hitBillboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955.Inside, you’ll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hitsfor the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includesbiographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, thesong’s highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, aswell as the original record label and catalog number. Othersections—such as “Record Holders,” “Top Artists by Decade,” and “#1Singles 1955-2009”—make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits thehandiest and most indispensable music reference for recordcollectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and popmu
This study breaks new ground in investigating candidatebehavior in American electoral campaigns. It centers on a questionof equal importance to citizens and scholars: how can we producebetter political campaigns? First, Simon develops the idea ofdialogue as a standard for evaluating political campaigns. Second,he reveals that candidates' self-interest in winning leads toavoiding dialogue or substantive campaign discourse. Third, thetext demonstrates the beneficial effects produced by the littledialogue that actually occurs and finally, pinpoints the forcesresponsible for these rare occurrences.