Murder by Gaslight
MURDER BY GASLIGHTMURDER, MAYHEM & MYTHOLOGY AND THE TRUE STORY OF H.H. HOLMESAmerica during the Gaslight Era was a time and place of wealth and wonder, but beneath its gilded surface was a world of vice, crime, sin, and corruption. It was an age of robber barons, con artists, celebrity killers, and the greatest World's Fair in our nation's history. And beneath those bright lights lurked H.H. Holmes. A sinister doctor with a talent for deception, Holmes slithered his way into American lore through a labyrinth of fraud, manipulation, and murder. Killing for profit and convenience, he claimed an unknown number of victims inside his infamous "Murder Castle" in Chicago, a monstrous edifice filled with trapdoors, twisting corridors, secret passages, hidden chambers, torture rooms, and a basement where the horrors of his crimes were quietly erased.When his crimes caught up with him and he was forced to flee, Holmes left a trail of corpses and a legion of bewildered lawmen in his wake. The relentless pursuit that followed came to a grim finale after his capture with a courtroom spectacle that was hailed as the "Trial of the Century." In this chilling book, author Troy Taylor digs beneath the legends and sensational headlines to reveal the true story of H.H. Holmes. Stripping away the myths, inventions, and exaggerations, he presents a stark, razor-edged account of Holmes' murders, his swindles, his false confessions, and the dark truths that he fought so desperately to bury.
Sliplight
This is a crime story, though is not. This is a love story, though is not. One night, after an Easter concert at Bath Abbey in Somerset, an arthritic middle-aged man leads a beautiful stranger into a dimly-lit underground car park. There they meet a psychic Border Collie called Flo. The beautiful woman kisses the dog then turns to walk away, and with that chance encounter the worlds of all three take an entirely different course. What follows is about love and trust, about how a struggle between reality and perception threatens the trio's bond, about how a famous painting becomes woven into nocturnal visions that disorient and derange their star-crossed victim. Secrets and lies unfold over time under theobscurantic spell of the woman, the attraction she elicits within the spellbound man intensifying proportionately to his repelling doubts. Finally, a point is reached when a confrontation between sanity and its illusional opposite must be faced. But what is real and what is not are so often indistinguishable. This is a story, though is not pure imagination, rather it is based on verifiable events.
The Improved System Of The Illuminati With All Its Degrees And Structures
Few thinkers have been more reviled and misunderstood than Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830), the founder of the Bavarian Illuminati. This series of transcriptions and English translations of all his most important works seeks to set the record straight by allowing him to speak for himself. Weishaupt wrote this work, the second (1788) edition of The Improved System of the Illuminati with All Its Degrees and Structures, in response to the initial attacks on the organisation following police raids on the homes of some of its most prominent members. Characteristically dedicated "to the world and the human race", it sets forth an eight-stage system for the instilling of virtue, which owes more to the Society of Jesus than to Freemasonry, while providing an excellent starting point for the study of this interesting yet neglected thinker.
Everyday Apocalypse
Everyday Apocalypse recovers the root meaning of the term apocalypse (revelation) to use the concept as a lens through which art and other acts of creative nonviolence that often go unseen may be brought into focus. Interweaving an examination of popular culture with ancient insight and contemporary political awareness, Dark uses the concept of the apocalyptic to celebrate epiphanies about the world we live in and the meaning of human experience within it. Since its original publication in 2002, the book has become a deeply influential text among two generations of intellectual evangelical Christians who find themselves at odds with their families and communities over issues of politics and culture, particularly in the South. This revised edition of the book includes a foreword by Hanif Abdurraqib, an extensive afterword, updates in light of the passage of time since its publication, and new insights from the author, whose outspokenness has placed him outside of circles in which he was once supported and celebrated.
This is America
This Is America: Portrait of a Nation at 250 offers a bold, eye-opening journey into the cultural DNA of the United States. Drawing on three decades of research, thousands of miles of travel, and more than 160 interviews, sociologist Gad Yair uncovers the deep cultural codes that define America at its 250th anniversary.From Puritan sermons to presidential speeches, from the frontier to the stars, from Black Lives Matter protests to school shooting memorials, Yair reveals how history and culture quietly shape everyday American life. He shows how the American Dream coexists with illusion, how rights fuel both unity and conflict, why paranoia thrives, and how capitalism and faith remain twin engines of national destiny.Standing in the tradition of Alexis de Tocqueville, Max Weber, and Jean Baudrillard, Yair delivers a contemporary cultural portrait that is as analytical as it is alive. Blending sociology with vivid storytelling, he brings readers face to face with America's contradictions: freedom and inequality, belonging and loneliness, pragmatism and idealism.Richly illustrated with the author's own photographs, This Is America is both a scholarly contribution and a captivating narrative-an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to understand the United States as it enters its 250th year.
The Coroner's Silence
For readers of His Name Is George Floyd and Under the Skin A landmark investigation into forensic medicine that exposes the systematic concealment of state-sanctioned violence through death investigations Each year, police officers kill over 1,000 people they've sworn to protect and serve. While some cases, like George Floyd's and Sandra Bland's, capture national attention, most victims remain nameless, their stories untold. The Coroner's Silence reveals a disturbing truth about these cases: coroners and other death investigators are often complicit in obscuring the violent circumstances of in-custody deaths. Through rigorous research--including critical records analysis, public health studies, and interviews with victims' families--this book unmasks the systemic failures within forensic medicine. Terence Keel shows how incomplete autopsy reports, mishandled medical documents, and strategically lost evidence effectively shield law enforcement from accountability. The Coroner's Silence uncovers how the current system of death investigation operates as a mechanism of institutional safeguarding. By highlighting the structural powerlessness of coroners and their disconnection from the communities most affected by police violence, Keel demonstrates how bureaucratic processes can render human suffering invisible. True accountability requires more than procedural reform. It demands a fundamental reimagining of how we investigate, document, and understand deaths at the hands of state institutions. The Coroner's Silence is a crucial intervention that challenges us to confront the deeply ingrained mechanisms that perpetuate systemic violence.
Finding Lights in a Dark Age
Named to the Civil Eats "2025 Food and Farming Holiday Book Gift Guide" How we can meet the challenges of our age by moving away from the political and economic philosophies of both the left and right to a more equitable re-organization of society, economy, land and food production, driven by the local community rather than a central government. Today, society and government are still asking what our country can yield, and in what quantity. They do so because in a sense we are still living in conquest-based societies. Agrarian thinker Chris Smaje opens this book by drawing an arresting modern parallel to Viking raiding, trading and enslaving societies and the Ragnarok they faced then of dramatic climate change and societal collapse. So, to meet these modern crises, Chris asks us to look beyond the current discourse of capitalism versus chaos, and indeed the dualism of 'state versus market' and the 'state with the market', both of which has failed us. Instead, Chris explores a world where we live slower lives more immersed in local ecologies. Where our present Viking age has inflicted a thorough alienation from place and local livelihood, Chris proposes other models of collective organization, where land and capital are seen as a common good that involves a widespread and secure redistribution. These ideas are the basic principles associated with distributism - broadly, that issues should be dealt with at the most immediate or local level feasible and governance, wherever possible, should be bottom-up. There should also be a moral economy founded in ideals of justice. Work and production should rest on commitments struck in a community rather than deals in a market. There should be a concept of shared common good, of what life is for. Ultimately, we should build a sense of future possibility around local ecological societies dedicated to human and ecological wellbeing. Much of the global damage to the environment has arisen not because people were there in the landscape, but because they weren't. It's time to hospice modernity and build a green Earth rising. In this book, Chris discusses what this society and landscape might look like in the near future and longer term.
The 'Other' Citizens
Collective and individual trials and tribulations are constant realities for Armenians in Turkey since 1923. More than a century after the Armenian Genocide, anti-Armenian public rhetoric and misrepresentations are commonplace in print and broadcast media, among government officials, public figures, and the general public. State discrimination against the Armenian community and the non-Muslim minorities in Turkey is as old as the Republic and has been institutionalized and structured over the decades. Against this background, The 'Other' Citizens: Armenians in Turkey presents a discussion of the two main schools of thoughts within the Armenian community in Turkey and highlights several sociological concepts that are useful to the understanding and analysis of the Turkish state's and society's treatment of the Armenians.
The Masonic Book Club, Vol. 1
THE OLDEST EXTANT DOCUMENT in the world with direct Masonic significance is the poem known as The Regius Poem, sometimes described as the Regius Manuscript or the Halliwell Manuscript. It is believed to have been written around the year 1390; and as indicated in line 143 of the Poem itself, it is believed to have been copied from an older document. The tide "Regius" attached to the document is the result of the fact that it was part of the Royal Library commenced by Henry VII and which was presented to the British Museum by George II in the year 1757. The book is four by five and one-half inches, and is written on thirty three folios of vellum. It was bound for George II in 1757, before presentation to the Museum. It was rebound in its present form in 1838, probably after Halliwell's discovery of its unique importance. The item was buried in the archives of the British Museum under the title "A Poem of Moral Duties" and was unknown to Freemasons for its Masonic connotations until it was discovered by James O. Halliwell, a non-Mason, in the year 1838. James O. Halliwell-Phillips (he added the name "Phillips" in 1872), was an English antiquarian, librarian and Shakespearean scholar. For years, as librarian of Jesus College, Cambridge University, he concentrated on the writings of Camden, Percy, and Shakespeare, and collected many of their works. Some of his literary works were: -Nursery Rhymes of England; Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words; and Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare. The Regius Poem at one time apparently belonged to a John Thomas, since he had his name written in it twice. It apparently came out of Gloucestershire, through Ann Hart Theyer, the grandmother of the first known owner of record, John Theyer, an antiquarian, who died in 1673. After his death, his library was offered to Bodley Library at Oxford, but although Bodley's librarian, Edward Barnard, went to see the Theyer Library, and even went so far as to catalogue it, (The Regius Poem being No. 146 in his inventory), Oxford University did not purchase the Theyer collection.
The Masonic Book Club, Vol. 5
This fifth volume of the Masonic Book Club presents material that is rare and not easily accessible to the average Masonic reader. Dr. D'Assigny's works are not earth-shattering. His literary effort should be read in the light of the days in which he lived. They caused only a faint ripple in a narrow field when they were published, and very promptly dropped from sight, only to be unearthed over a century later. They are curiosities, yet; but most interesting curiosities. His Serious and Impartial Enquiry engages in the usual flights of historical fantasy, after the pattern so well initiated by Dr. James Anderson a few years before. His Answer to the Pope's Bull and his Answer to the Enemies of Free-Masonry may have required more courage than most of us realize today. So let us not underestimate the effect such a strong defense of the Craft might have had upon the readers of that day.
Medical Assault on the American Brain
First published in 1990, Medical Assault on the American Brain ignited fierce debate with its unflinching examination of the long-term consequences of routine childhood vaccination. Now reissued for the first time, Harris L. Coulter's work remains a lightning rod--and a critical entry point--for readers questioning mainstream narratives. Coulter argues that adverse reactions to vaccines may have led to subtle but widespread neurological damage in American children. He connects this alleged damage to rising rates of autism, ADHD, learning disorders, and even violent and antisocial behavior. With sweeping scope and unsettling conclusions, the book challenges readers to reconsider what they've been told about vaccine safety and the hidden costs of modern medical interventions. Medical Assault on the American Brain remains a powerful and prophetic challenge to the medical establishment--a must-read for those interested in the complex intersections of medicine, policy, and human behavior.
Caf矇 Lafitte in Exile
Caf矇 Lafitte in Exile tells the story of queer New Orleans through the lens of its most legendary gay bar. The bar has held a central place in New Orleans's queer scene for many years, with a profuse mythology entwining its history. Caf矇 Lafitte in Exile endeavors to set the record straight. The story begins long before the founding of gay bars, with an exploration of Indigenous sexual and gender roles, colonial views on queerness, and the notable gay writers, musicians, and activists of nineteenth-century New Orleans. Queer men played a crucial role in the preservation of the French Quarter in the early twentieth century, and the resulting "French Quarter Renaissance" deeply informed the establishment of Caf矇 Lafitte. In 1953, in an era of aggressive anti-gay crackdowns, Caf矇 Lafitte moved to its present location. Later, in the midst of the burgeoning gay liberation movement in the 1970s, the bar was sold to Tom Wood, under whose ownership it has sometimes failed to live up to its potential as a diverse, inclusive gathering place. Still, the bar has remained a crucial locus of queer New Orleans culture through the HIV/AIDS crisis and into the present era of more widespread acceptance. Drawing on oral histories and newspaper accounts, as well as personal recollections, Caf矇 Lafitte in Exile is a vivid portrait of Caf矇 Lafitte and the queer community that sustains it. It's a history of joy, a chronicle of struggle, and a reclamation of the history of southern queerness.
Drifting North
Past and future collide in this engaging journey through climate change, fossil capitalism and the struggle for a sustainable world. Scotland's history and future are entangled with climate change and the story of the modern world. This small country on the fringes of northern Europe pioneered fossil capitalism and played a key role in its spread across the planet. It is a living museum of the crisis of the west, of deindustrialisation, stagnation and the struggle to build a better future from the ashes. Journalist and sociologist Dominic Hinde travels from the treeless Highlands to the lowland cities, struggling to balance memories with aspiration. Through this journey he finds that his own sensory turmoil, shaped by recovery from a near fatal accident, mirrors the disarray of the fossil fuel transition - an uncertain passage between what was and what must be. Part memoir, part environmental history, part travelogue, this is a compelling narrative of connections - to place, energy and the possibility of renewal. Through the lens of one country, it asks a vital question: can the lessons of the past help us build a more sustainable future?
When Science Belongs to Everyone
Science and technology have become inextricably intertwined with people's daily lives, profoundly influencing social relations, habits, lifestyles and work activities, and exerting a substantial influence on public opinion. In response to these changes, institutions are required to reformulate communication models and knowledge governance strategies. In this scenario, Citizen Science emerges as a participatory tool that actively involves citizens in scientific production, thereby redefining the concept of openness in science and promoting more inclusive forms of knowledge construction. The present study proposes a sociological reflection on these dynamics, investigating the Italian case through a mixed methodological approach. The analysis focuses on the potential of Citizen Science to contribute to the definition of public policies, highlighting the social and political implications of this participatory change.
Beyond Catastrophes
The history of the Italian peninsula is characterized by exposure to natural hazards due to geological fragility, intense volcanic and seismic activity, and hydrographic vulnerability associated with the Mediterranean climate. This volume aims to explore how Italian cinema, audiovisual imagery, and visual culture have reflected on this distinctive feature of the Italian territory and landscape. In doing so, it questions the very concept of catastrophe, beginning with its being visible: can catastrophe actually be seen? In what ways can it be represented? And how do images of catastrophe contribute to the development of a collective identity? Through different disciplinary approaches - primarily film studies, but also philosophy and sociology - the volume seeks to offer a new perspective on Italian cinema and visual culture.
The Architecture of Forever
The Architecture of ForeverWhat happens when death becomes a choice?As artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and neurotechnology converge, the dream of living indefinitely is no longer science fiction. The Architecture of Forever explores how this transformation will redefine identity, purpose, and the very meaning of being human.Blending research, foresight, and speculative storytelling, futurist and author Amos Behana invites readers to explore a world where immortality is possible and challenges them to consider how we will live, govern, and love when time no longer limits us.You'll discover: How indefinite lifespans could reshape identity, relationships, and societyEthical questions surrounding equity, consent, and digital continuationPractical insights on how to distinguish genuine breakthroughs from hypeVivid vignettes that bring future scenarios to lifeBold, visionary, and deeply human, The Architecture of Forever is not just about surviving the future; it's about shaping it.
Liars and Outliers
In today's hyper-connected society, understanding the mechanisms of trust is crucial. Issues of trust are critical to solving problems as diverse as corporate responsibility, global warming, and the political system. In this insightful and entertaining book, Schneier weaves together ideas from across the social and biological sciences to explain how society induces trust. He shows the unique role of trust in facilitating and stabilizing human society. He discusses why and how trust has evolved, why it works the way it does, and the ways the information society is changing everything.
School Yearbook
Why school yearbooks--as frivolous and cringey as they are--are far more than just objects of nostalgia. We're all familiar with the embarrassment that washes over us when recalling our high school yearbooks. Questionable fashion choices, gravity-defying hair, a melodramatic quote--what were we thinking? Even as school yearbooks decline in popularity among contemporary teens, they continue to impact our lives in shocking ways. Collected, digitized, aggregated, and recombined in ways that would have been impossible to imagine just a few decades ago, yearbooks are no longer bound personal archives of adolescent memories. In the twenty-first century, they are shaping our lives in surprising and sometimes disturbing ways. And what could be a more fitting afterlife for these cringey books? In School Yearbook, cultural critic Kate Eichhorn investigates this ubiquitous object. On the surface, school yearbooks are easily dismissed as innocuous collections of embarrassing photographs and cheesy affirmations, but as Eichhorn reveals, there has never been anything innocent about the school yearbook tradition. Since the early twentieth century, yearbooks have circulated as forms of public relations, propaganda, and hate speech. They have been routinely used by police detectives, private investigators, and even the FBI to identify and profile suspects. With over half a million yearbooks now available online, these books have also acquired the power to continue shaping our lives long after graduation. Would-be landlords, employers, and even creditors can now turn to data culled from their embarrassing pages to make judgments about who we are and what we merit. In a digital era, school yearbooks have acquired the ability to keep judging us in perpetuity. Both timely and insightful, School Yearbook explores how these books have always been used to rank and judge us.
Post-Weird
An ambitious look at rhetoric and psychosis that explores how communities form when society collapsesAmerican society seems to have fractured. Common touchpoints of authority have receded in recent decades and beliefs that were once taboo are now openly shared, from neo-Nazism to occultism to conspiracy thinking. In this book, Calum Lister Matheson goes beyond the fraying of contemporary American culture to ask how splinter communities form in our current media environment, what keeps them together, and what they build from the ruins of shared language.In his stirring exploration of how people communicate when old forms of authority and meaning collapse, Matheson examines far-flung groups that have departed the mainstream--Sandy Hook deniers, Appalachian serpent handlers, pro-anorexia bloggers, incels, transvestigators, pseudoscientific reactionaries, and more--and finds unexpected similarities among their many differences. Key among their parallels is the insistence that the symbols shared by each community represent a hidden truth that cannot be questioned or interpreted but is revealed through signs--words, images, videos, and texts. By documenting American fringe cultures, extremism, and the social functions of language, this book rethinks concepts like irony, psychosis, propriety, and what it means to be normal in weird times.
With a Bird,
Speculative fiction, art, social science and ornithology take flight together in this imaginative reader proposing a multispecies dialogue with birdsFollowing the runaway success of A Tree, With a Bird, is the second installment in Onomatopee's five-year, five-volume publication series creating "rich encounters between folklore and critical research." As a reader on avian kinship, With a Bird, delves into the profound ways birds have inspired human understanding of life, blending scientific inquiry with spiritual reflection. Visual art, natural history, sociology, literature and more combine to explore how birds challenge and transcend boundaries--between human and non-human life, dream and reality, life and death, science and folklore and the domains of land, water and sky. Each chapter in this petite, canary-yellow paperback is dedicated to the symbolic roles birds play in human life, from death to dreams to freedom to fortune-telling.In addition to new works and essays, With a Bird, also includes reprinted literary texts on our avian companions by Daisy Hildyard (The Second Body, 2017); John Berger (The White Bird, 1985); Nicholas Mirzoeff (The Whiteness of Birds, 2022); Maria Popova (The New York Times, 2024); Marianne Elisabeth Lien (Ducks into Houses, 2018) and Anna Tsing (The Sociality of Birds, 2022).
Lady Killers
Cunning, sadistic and deadly - the world's most notorious lady killers are brought together in this shocking true crime compendium. What drives women to kill? Is it love, power, revenge? There is something both disturbing and fascinating about female murderers - how those perceived as the "gentler" sex can commit such atrocities. In truth, women have been the perpetrators of many violent crimes throughout history, and this book uncovers the lethal instincts of lady killers. Filled with shocking true stories of female murderers across the globe, this anthology details their motives, crimes and victims and delves into the psychology of the killers' minds. Cases span from poisonings to strangulations and shootings to stabbings, each crime a display of the cruelty of infamous femme fatales. Whatever their motive - be it a crime of passion or an act of vengeance - this true crime compendium covers the heinous acts of the most monstrous women in the world. Whether you're a true crime follower or simply curious, let the stories of these lady killers satiate your appetite for the macabre.
Transforming Educational Leadership
This is a Reprint of the Special Issue on Transforming Educational Leadership, published in Education Sciences, which considers how educational leadership has changed over time, with a particular focus on the period since 1980.
Return to Eden
In the third edition of Return to Eden, David H. Turner returns to his groundbreaking study of the Indigenous people of Amagalyuagba in northern Australia. As in the first two editions, published in 1989 and 1996, Turner recounts the Indigenous people's own theoretical interpretation of their society and history, and brings that interpretation to life in a journey with them through the sacred landscape of Bickerton Island, Groote Eylandt, and the adjacent mainland. In a new preface, Turner reflects on his fieldwork and on the fate of the people of the region, whose way of life continues to be challenged by mining, economic development, and the effects of ongoing contact with the outside world. Turner argues that the worldview of the people he studied may, in fact, allow access to a deeper and more meaningful interpretation of reality itself--a perspective that could prove of utmost importance in addressing the global challenges of the twenty-first century."Return to Eden is written by a Professor of Anthropology, published in a Religious Studies series, and destined to cause profound concern, perhaps even to infuriate, scholars from both disciplines. Can a book ask for any higher praise? If publications are to be prized for their ability to stimulate, for their capacity to present the world in a new light, and so to persuade us to view others afresh, then David Turner has surely given us one of the finest ethnographies Aboriginal studies has yet to see." --Tony Swain, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, on the first edition"Turner, who is well known in Aboriginalist circles, has carried out anthropological research in northern Australia, in particular Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island (Amagalyuagba), in several periods between 1969 and 1986. The book represents the accrued wisdom of his long involvement with Aboriginal studies." --Erich Kolig, Otago University, Man, on the first edition
The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World . . .
Drawn from more than two decades of pathbreaking writing, the iconic and bestselling David Graeber's most important essays and interviews. "The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently," wrote David Graeber. A renowned anthropologist, activist, and author of such classic books as Debt and the breakout New York Times bestseller The Dawn of Everything (with David Wengrow), Graeber was as well-known for his sharp, lively essays as he was for his iconic role in the Occupy movement and his paradigm-shifting tomes. There are converging political, economic, and ecological crises, and yet our politics is dominated by either business as usual or nostalgia for a mythical past. Thinking against the grain, Graeber was one of the few who dared to imagine a new understanding of the past and a liberatory vision of the future--to imagine a social order based on humans' fundamental freedom. In essays published over three decades and ranging across the biggest issues of our time-- inequality, technology, the identity of "the West," democracy, art, power, anger, mutual aid, and protest--he challenges the old assumptions about political life. A trenchant critic of the order of things, and driven by a bold imagination and a passionate commitment to human freedom, he offers hope that our world can be different. During a moment of daunting upheaval and pervasive despair, the incisive, entertaining, and urgent essays collected in The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World . . ., edited and with an introduction by Nika Dubrovsky and with a foreword by Rebecca Solnit, make for essential and inspiring reading. They are a profound reminder of Graeber's enduring significance as an iconic, playful, necessary thinker.
The Architecture of Forever
The Architecture of ForeverWhat happens when death becomes a choice?As artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and neurotechnology converge, the dream of living indefinitely is no longer science fiction. The Architecture of Forever explores how this transformation will redefine identity, purpose, and the very meaning of being human.Blending research, foresight, and speculative storytelling, futurist and author Amos Behana invites readers to explore a world where immortality is possible and challenges them to consider how we will live, govern, and love when time no longer limits us.You'll discover: How indefinite lifespans could reshape identity, relationships, and societyEthical questions surrounding equity, consent, and digital continuationPractical insights on how to distinguish genuine breakthroughs from hypeVivid vignettes that bring future scenarios to lifeBold, visionary, and deeply human, The Architecture of Forever is not just about surviving the future; it's about shaping it.
Return to Eden
In the third edition of Return to Eden, David H. Turner returns to his groundbreaking study of the Indigenous people of Amagalyuagba in northern Australia. As in the first two editions, published in 1989 and 1996, Turner recounts the Indigenous people's own theoretical interpretation of their society and history, and brings that interpretation to life in a journey with them through the sacred landscape of Bickerton Island, Groote Eylandt, and the adjacent mainland. In a new preface, Turner reflects on his fieldwork and on the fate of the people of the region, whose way of life continues to be challenged by mining, economic development, and the effects of ongoing contact with the outside world. Turner argues that the worldview of the people he studied may, in fact, allow access to a deeper and more meaningful interpretation of reality itself-a perspective that could prove of utmost importance in addressing the global challenges of the twenty-first century."Return to Eden is written by a Professor of Anthropology, published in a Religious Studies series, and destined to cause profound concern, perhaps even to infuriate, scholars from both disciplines. Can a book ask for any higher praise? If publications are to be prized for their ability to stimulate, for their capacity to present the world in a new light, and so to persuade us to view others afresh, then David Turner has surely given us one of the finest ethnographies Aboriginal studies has yet to see." -Tony Swain, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, on the first edition"Turner, who is well known in Aboriginalist circles, has carried out anthropological research in northern Australia, in particular Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island (Amagalyuagba), in several periods between 1969 and 1986. The book represents the accrued wisdom of his long involvement with Aboriginal studies." -Erich Kolig, Otago University, Man, on the first edition
An Illustrated Catalog of American Mushrooms
A fascinating exploration of the USDA's national fungus collection, offering readers an intimate portrait of America's elusive fungi species. The United States Department of Agriculture's National Fungus Collections is one of the world's largest mycological institutions, housing over a million species of fungi. Mycologist Maurice Burke Walters's collection of fungi is also housed here--a fascinating collection revealing the often-solitary forays of the rather-retiring Walters, the then-nascent science of mycology, and the evolving interest of the USDA in documenting the nation's fungi species (over 10,000 named species are found in the US). Alongside beautiful botanical illustrations, are field notes, observational sketches, and occasionally enigmatic photographs of fungi (within USDA laboratories, in the wild, and elsewhere). This book contains an eclectic assortment of illustrated and documented fungi species drawn from Walters collection. Encompassing contemporary meditations on ecology, mycology and pharmacology, the still-unexplored landscape of fungi knowledge is memorably demystified, perhaps, for practicing mycologists and enthusiastic foragers alike.
My Life: Growing Up Native in America
This moving collection of twenty powerful essays, poems, and more is "a unique and authentic snapshot of what it means to be Native in the 21st century" (Joey Clift, comedian and TV writer), featuring entries by Angeline Boulley, Madison Hammond, Kara Roselle Smith, and many more. Twenty renowned Native writers, performers, athletes, and activists give voice to their individual experiences while shedding light on the depth and complexity of modern Native American identity, resiliency, and joy. The topics are as fascinating and diverse as the creators. From Mato Wayuhi, award-winning composer of Reservation Dogs, honoring a friend who believed in his talent to New York Times bestselling author Angeline Boulley exploring what it means to feel Native enough, these entries are not only an exploration of community, they are a call for a more just and equitable world, and a road map toward a brighter future. Edited by IllumiNative, an organization dedicated to amplifying contemporary Native voices, My Life: Growing Up Native in America features contributions from Angeline Boulley, Philip J. Deloria, Eric Gansworth, Kimberly Guerrero, Somah Haaland, Madison Hammond, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, Trudie Jackson, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Lady Shug, Ahsaki Baa LaFrance-Chachere, Tai Leclaire, Cece Meadows, Sherri Mitchell, Charlie Am獺y獺 Scott, Kara Roselle Smith, Vera Starbard, Dash Turner, Crystal Wahpepah, and Mato Wayuhi.
A Return to Common Sense
This instant New York Times bestselling political book is "an essential companion for anyone who suspects that politics is in fact for everyone, and that the time to put skin in the game is right now" (Dahlia Lithwick, New York Times bestselling author)--from viral TikTok sensation PoliticsGirl. Something's gone wrong in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We can all feel it, but if we're being honest, most of us don't understand it. At the end of the day, we don't have all the facts, and if you don't know how something works, how do you fix it? A Return to Common Sense is an "accessible and urgent" (Kirkus Reviews), dare we say fun, guide to how America works and a roadmap to reclaiming a government of, by, and for the people. We fought a revolutionary war for the idea of self-governance and pursuit of happiness--we can't just give up on it now. To address the crisis, Leigh McGowan offers Six American Principles, rooted in history, that we can all agree make America, America. 1. America is a land of freedom. 2. Everyone should have the opportunity to rise. 3. Every citizen should have a vote, and that vote should count. 4. Representatives should represent the people who elected them. 5. The law applies to all of us. 6. Government should be a force for good. Using the Six Principles as guideposts, this book lays out suggestions for America, to not only find its way out of the mess it's currently in, but to set a course for a future of which we can all be truly proud.
Alabama Village
From the celebrated writer J. Malcolm Garcia, a narrative nonfiction account of a forgotten Alabama neighborhood through intimate, tender, and gritty profiles of its people as they navigate immense loss and an unassailable determination to overcome their circumstances. "J. Malcolm Garcia [channels] the empathetic ear of Studs Terkel and the investigative skills of the best literary journalists." --Beth Taylor, author of The Plain Language of Love and Loss In Alabama Village, an impoverished and often violent neighborhood south of Mobile, the children no longer flinch at the eruption of gunshots. To them, it's just another day. In this community, few things last--the loss of life is relentless, and relief efforts come and go. But John and Dolores Eads, a devout Christian couple who established Light of the Village church, stay. They spread their mission: lead with love, faith, and consistency--and don't condemn or judge. In interlacing chapters, award-winning journalist J. Malcolm Garcia follows the lives of the Alabama Village community and the kids who grew up at Light of the Village church. Da'Cino Dees saw his first shooting at eight years old and now works at Light of the Village; Aaron "Billy Boy" Amison has been dreaming about dead people since he was little and has been in and out of jail since he was fourteen; Jesenda Brown hopes to escape poverty by starting her own cleaning business; and although Corey "Bigg Man" Davis has accrued exuberant wealth from unknown sources, his personality is marked by his kindhearted generosity. These striking, raw, and humanizing portraits, among others, showcase the Village and its people, in all its devastation and resilient determination. Alabama Village is an ode to communities and the individual narratives that make them whole.
An Illustrated Catalog of American Fruits & Nuts
A kaleidoscopic celebration of the USDA's pomological collection, offering an engaging, biophilic meditation upon the sweetest of the earth's produce. The United States Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection encompasses over 7,500 botanical watercolor paintings of evolving fruit and nut varieties, alongside specimens introduced by USDA plant explorers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Assembled between 1886 and 1942, the collection's remarkable, botanically accurate watercolors were executed by some 21 professional artists (including nine women). Authored largely before the widespread application of photography, the watercolors were intended to aid accurate identification and examination of fruit varietals, for the nation's fruit growers. Documenting the transformation of American pomology, the science of fruit breeding and production, and the horticultural innovations accountable for contemporary fruit cultivation and consumption, the USDA's collection offers fascinating anthropological and horticultural insights concerning the fruits we ecstatically devour, and why.
Syncretic or Spi-Rituals
Syncretic or 'Spi-Ritual': The Persistence of African Indigenous Beliefs in Neo-Pentecostal Expressions in Sub-Saharan AfricaThis study is about exploring the complex relationship between African Indigenous Religious (AIR) traditions and the growing presence of Neo-Pentecostal Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa. At its foundation, the research challenges the common belief that modern African Christianity, especially in its Neo-Pentecostal form, marks a complete departure from traditional religious practices. Instead, it reveals a more intricate interplay of retention, adaptation, and transformation.Neo-Pentecostalism does not signify a theological break; rather, it often mirrors continuity with AIR. Although it publicly distances itself from what it labels "pagan" or "demonic" customs, it subtly reintegrates important indigenous spiritual elements under the guise of biblical teachings. This phenomenon, described provocatively as spi-'rituals', highlights a syncretic spirituality that fuses Christian narratives and African metaphysical ideas. This spirituality emerges not from theological compromise but from cultural memory and the need to address existential concerns.Throughout this book, you'll note how many AIRs ritual practices, such as ancestral mediation, spirit appeasement, and ritual healing continue to manifest within Neo-Pentecostal settings, often reconfigured through practices like deliverance ministries and spiritual warfare. For instance, midnight prayers echo traditional night rituals, while spiritual mapping and territorial prayers resonate with indigenous methods of engaging the spiritual landscape. Prophetic proclamations resemble the functions of traditional diviners by providing insight and solutions for pressing life challenges.The emergence of neo-prophetism, characterised by charismatic preachers, large-scale deliverance events, and public displays of miracles, serves as a clear example of this cultural transformation. Today's prophets wield significant influence across spiritual, political, and economic spheres. Their churches often act as platforms of power and branding opportunities, leading to a commodification of the sacred where divine access is tied to financial transactions like seed sowing and prophetic offerings. This shift raises important ethical questions regarding financial exploitation and the integrity of doctrine, as it reflects the changing role of religion in African societal life.Rather than framing the debate as a binary choice between "Christian vs. traditional", this work proposes a third option: a Christianity that is theologically sound and culturally informed. This approach does not romanticise indigenous religions nor compromise biblical fidelity. Instead, it encourages a critical dialogue between Scripture and culture, revelation and ritual, and pneumatology and cosmology, inviting theologians and practitioners to consider how African cultural elements can enhance the Christian faith instead of undermining it.In summary, Neo-Pentecostalism in Africa transcends a mere theological trend; it is a cultural reaction, a spiritual adjustment, and a socio-political statement. Its complexities indicate not failures but the challenges of a faith navigating historical legacies and the need for relevance. For African Christianity to develop into a genuinely postcolonial and prophetic force, it must reclaim its cultural integrity, reassess its theological grounds, and rediscover its spiritual heritage by delving deeper into its own traditions rather than looking toward the West.
Syncretic or Spi-Rituals
Syncretic or 'Spi-Ritual': The Persistence of African Indigenous Beliefs in Neo-Pentecostal Expressions in Sub-Saharan AfricaThis study is about exploring the complex relationship between African Indigenous Religious (AIR) traditions and the growing presence of Neo-Pentecostal Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa. At its foundation, the research challenges the common belief that modern African Christianity, especially in its Neo-Pentecostal form, marks a complete departure from traditional religious practices. Instead, it reveals a more intricate interplay of retention, adaptation, and transformation.Neo-Pentecostalism does not signify a theological break; rather, it often mirrors continuity with AIR. Although it publicly distances itself from what it labels "pagan" or "demonic" customs, it subtly reintegrates important indigenous spiritual elements under the guise of biblical teachings. This phenomenon, described provocatively as 'spi-rituals', highlights a syncretic spirituality that fuses Christian narratives and African metaphysical ideas. This spirituality emerges not from theological compromise but from cultural memory and the need to address existential concerns.Throughout this book, you'll note how many AIRs ritual practices, such as ancestral mediation, spirit appeasement, and ritual healing, continue to manifest within Neo-Pentecostal settings, often reconfigured through practices like deliverance ministries and spiritual warfare. For instance, midnight prayers echo traditional night rituals, while spiritual mapping and territorial prayers resonate with indigenous methods of engaging the spiritual landscape. Prophetic proclamations resemble the functions of traditional diviners by providing insight and solutions for pressing life challenges.The book analyses the impact of Western evangelicalism and globalisation on this religious landscape, noting how imported theologies, especially those centred around prosperity and deliverance, have contributed to the stigmatisation of traditional African beliefs. Ironically, these same global influences often end up reinforcing what they intended to undermine by manifesting in dramatic spiritual warfare and other charismatic expressions. The global and local intertwine, resulting in a distinct form of African Christianity that balances familiarity and foreignness.Beneath this theological complexity lies a persistent continuity, embodying the enduring presence of African cosmology. Concepts such as a supreme deity, ancestral spirits, and nature spirits continue to shape the spiritual lives of African Christians. These beliefs are not static; they evolve within Christian contexts into notions of the Holy Spirit, generational curses, and divine favour. What is frequently labelled as syncretism reflects a deep theological negotiation, seeking to harmonise gospel truths with African lived realities. This conclusion revisits the central question of this study: What does it mean to be both authentically Christian and authentically African? Does African Christianity simply echo borrowed doctrines, or can it contribute meaningfully to global theology, founded on its own historical and spiritual roots?In summary, Neo-Pentecostalism in Africa transcends a mere theological trend; it is a cultural reaction, a spiritual adjustment, and a socio-political statement. Its complexities indicate not failures but the challenges of a faith navigating historical legacies and the need for relevance. For African Christianity to develop into a genuinely postcolonial and prophetic force, it must reclaim its cultural integrity, reassess its theological grounds, and rediscover its spiritual heritage by delving deeper into its own traditions rather than looking toward the West.
Back on Track
On Back of Track: The Epidemic of Violence among African-American Youth in the Gresham Park Community, Dr. Hubert Brown research offers an astounding reality check into violence which challenge the existence, maintenance, and sustenance of the future of African American youth. Moreover, statistics has proven that violence among African American youths are disproportionate to the ratio of American youths for a myriad of reasons. Therein lies a problem that speaks to the need seek perpetual solutions. This dilemma, in fact, suggest that violent behavior must be rehabilitated or possibly could become the norm over time, rather than producing healthy lifestyle citizens in the wake of historical violence and in the twenty-first century among African American youths. The pertinent questions are: What is going on? Why is it going on? What ought to be going on? What is the way forward? Why is there prolific violence among African American youth? Where is God and society in this violent epidemic? Who and where are the participants that would embrace and evoke change? Is transformation possible? And how can the church, government, communities, and the populace come together to resolve this pressing issue? The pressing issue is that African American youths are bombarded by historical and domestic woes, economic and educational disparities, racial and political complexities, genocidal tendencies, and systemic factors that ultimately contribute in some form to violence whether overt of covert. Without resolutions and applications that promote change, the future of African American youth looks dim, despairing, and disheartening. One obstacle that stand in the way are open hearts and open minds as it relates to public opinion. However, the most significant obstacle is the refreshing recognition of the love and value all human beings. Dr. Hubert Brown's book is a must read to encounter a dynamic and thrilling, inspiring, and informative, and practical and pragmatical theological pathways for education, renewal, and transformation of African American youths' violence in America.
The True Crime Advent Calendar Book
24 Days - 24 True Crimes: Your True Crime Advent Calendar for a Thrilling Holiday Season!Tired of finding chocolate behind every door? This year, unwrap an Advent full of suspense, mystery, and chills!✅ One true crime case per day - from December 1 to Christmas Eve✅ Authentically researched & grippingly told - real stories that get under your skin✅ Varied cases - from brutal serial murders to deadly crimes of passion and mysterious disappearances✅ Extra insights - dive into criminal psychology, profiling, forensics, and the patterns of serial killers✅ Multimedia bonus - every story includes a QR code linking to an exclusive video versionIn this unique Advent calendar book, you'll uncover 24 real criminal cases that lead straight into the darkest corners of the human mind. Compact, tense, and haunting - perfect for true crime lovers seeking a different kind of December.���� Inside you'll find: ✔ Riveting real-life cases, carefully researched and vividly written ✔ Fascinating insights into psychology and investigative work ✔ QR codes for exclusive videos on your phone or tablet ✔ The perfect mix of gripping reading and immersive multimediaWhat turns an ordinary person into a criminal? What drives them to cross the line? And what traces do these acts leave behind?This collection combines meticulous research, thrilling storytelling, and visual elements to ensure each case not only informs but truly moves you.✨ For all true crime fans, amateur detectives, and those who find regular Advent calendars too innocent.Get ready for 24 days of tension, shock, and pure suspense - one chilling story at a time.
Serpent, Siren, Maelstrom, and Myth
An entrancing collection of myths and legends of the seaThe sea is beautiful and alluring, but it is also dangerous and deadly. Above all, it is unknowable and untamable. Storytelling offered our ancestors a means to understand and interact with the natural world, and in time these stories coalesced into the mythological systems of the world. And the ocean features in every mythological system in history. To reflect and explore this phenomenon, Gerry Smyth gathers together myths and folktales from cultures around the world: Native American, Caribbean, Polynesian, Persian, Indian, Scandinavian, and European. Just as these stories have been passed down through generations, he brings his own narrative interpretation with additional discussion on their meaning. Stories are divided into seven sections--Origin Stories; Gods and Humans; Voyages; Lost Places, Imagined Spaces; Weather and Nature; Down to the Sea in Ships; and Fabulous Beasts--and embellished with artworks, paintings, medieval illuminations, maps, and sailor sketches drawn from the wide-ranging collections of the British Library.
Troubling Criminology
Crime doesn't happen in a vacuum, but in the complex world we all live in. In Troubling Criminology, professors Michael C. K. Ma and Mike Larsen untangle the discipline of criminology in a series of insightful conversations. Rather than presenting a fixed canon of knowledge, this book encourages readers to draw on their own experiences and perspectives, fostering dialogue and collaborative thinking. It examines how crime, justice, and deviance are socially constructed, shaped by historical and cultural contexts, and influenced by power, inequality, and systemic oppression. Perfect for students and educators alike, this book is not just a textbook--it's an invitation to join an ongoing conversation about what criminology means today to help us envision a more just future.
Demolishing Detroit
Innovative field work reveals how infrastructural systems--buildings, laws, algorithms, excavators, regulations, toxins--maintain white supremacy within the urban landscape For decades, Detroit residents, politicians, planners, and advocacy organizations have campaigned for the elimination of empty buildings from city neighborhoods. Leveling these structures, many argue, is essential to making space for Detroit's majority-Black populace to flourish in the wake of white flight and deindustrialization. In 2013, the city set out to demolish more than twenty thousand empty buildings by the end of the decade, with administrators suggesting it would offer an innovative model for what other American cities could do to combat the effects of racist disinvestment. Drawing on extensive ethnographic research with city residents, demolition workers, and public officials, as well as analyses of administrative archives, Demolishing Detroit examines the causes, procedures, and consequences of empty-building demolitions in Detroit. Contrary to stated goals of equity, the book reveals how racism and intersecting inequities endured despite efforts to level them. As calls to dismantle racist systems have become increasingly urgent, this book provides cautionary tales of urban transformations meant to combat white supremacy that ultimately reinforced inequality. Bridging political analyses of racial capitalism, infrastructures, and environments in cities, Nick Caverly grapples with the reality that tearing down unjust policies, ideologies, and landscapes is not enough to end racist disparities in opportunities and life chances. Doing so demands rebuilding systems in the service of reparative futures.
No Place for Pilgrims
While doing research for a term paper on civil rights for his ninth-grade civics class in the spring of 1976, Mike Marshall found an article in Time magazine about William Moore, a thirty-five-year-old postman from Binghamton, New York. On the afternoon of April 20, 1963, Moore arrived at the Chattanooga bus station from Washington, D.C., where he strapped on his protest signs. He planned to walk to the governor's mansion in Jackson, Mississippi, and hand-deliver a letter to Governor Ross Barnett. On the third day of his walk, he pushed his cart through Keener, Alabama--about fifteen miles north of Gadsden and twenty miles from Marshall's paternal grandparents' home. He stopped at a general merchandise store, ate a can of corn and a pecan pie, and read the afternoon newspaper. About an hour later, he rounded a curve that hugged a small park and saw a black car parked under a walnut tree, its headlights and motor off. "The Sand Mountain area between Chattanooga, Tenn., and Gadsden, Ala., is no place for pilgrims," read the opening paragraph of the Time story. "It is a land of mountaineers who tote rifles in their cars, glare in suspicion at strangers, and believe unshakably in racial segregation. Last month William Moore . . . thought he might change things by walking through the area displaying civil rights signs. It cost him his life; he was found shot dead on U.S. Highway 11." No Place for Pilgrims is Marshall's effort to fulfill a promise to both himself and his dying mother--a promise she did not want him to keep: to solve one of the only remaining civil rights cold cases. And once Marshall discovered who the killer actually was, he also figured out why his mother didn't want him to "go stirring up trouble."
Science vs the Abuse of Power
The Covid-19 pandemic brutally precipitated us into the era of "biopower," imposing liberticidal and totalitarian measures on the grounds of purported scientific "truths." Can we possibly be in the realm of Science when debate is censored, when all criticism is discredited, even penalized and ostracized? How does the management of this crisis foreshadow future episodes? Can we still trust the health authorities?The author provides answers of which we urgently need to be aware. In her development of the concept of biopolitics, H矇l癡ne Banoun offers a coherent and constructive explanation for the overall stupifying management of this crisis. From the genesis and trajectory in the US to the COVID context in France, her impressive work cites salient examples of reprehensible decision-making instructed by WHO "best practices." She also alerts us to the fact that gain-of-function experiments on viruses are continuing and could cause the very pandemics they are supposed to prevent.In the current state of affairs, vaccine ideology legitimizes state control over individuals' lives and ensures megaprofits for vaccine manufacturers. Should we accept that public health be so reduced to a lucrative market? In this light, how are we to assess future vaccines and preventive therapies?Clearly, "Science vs the Abuse of Power" is a valuable reference for everyone seeking to remain vigilant about what biopower has in store for us. At stake is our very survival.
The Menendez Brothers in a Nutshell
Discover more books and audiobooks by Felix Grayson at FelixGrayson.comThe Menendez Brothers in a Nutshell: A Quick and Concise Overview of the Shocking Crime That Captivated AmericaIt was a case that stunned the nation and blurred the line between privilege, pain, and justice. The Menendez Brothers in a Nutshell offers a fast, gripping look at one of America's most infamous true crimes-the brutal Beverly Hills murders that exposed a family's darkest secrets and sparked decades of public debate.From the brothers' affluent upbringing to their shocking confession and the trials that divided the country, this concise account captures the key moments, evidence, and emotions behind the case that changed how America views crime, wealth, and abuse.Inside, you'll discover: The troubled family dynamics behind the Menendez brothers' childhoodA detailed look at the night of the murders and the chaotic aftermathHow money, privilege, and media coverage shaped public perceptionThe role of psychologists, confessions, and courtroom drama in the first trialWhy the retrial led to a life sentence-and how the outcome differedWhat life behind bars looks like for Lyle and Erik Menendez todayHow the case continues to influence pop culture and legal discussions decades laterThis book is perfect for: True crime fans fascinated by high-profile casesReaders interested in family psychology, justice, and media influenceStudents of law, criminology, or American cultureAnyone who wants the full story-fastWealth. Violence. Controversy.The Menendez Brothers in a Nutshell delivers the unforgettable story of two brothers, one family, and the crime that shocked America.
Pope Leo XIV
In these unforgettable pages, the drama and poignancy of the Church's greatest transition -- the papal interregnum -- comes alive: the death of Pope Francis, the mourning of a people, the conclave in solemn secrecy, and the stunning election of a new successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV. This extraordinary commemorative volume is rich with powerful photographs and profound reflections on each step of this historic moment. You will behold the grandeur of ritual and the intimacy of prayer as the Church entrusts herself once more to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. From the nine days of mourning for Pope Francis, through the hidden duties of the camerlengo and the college of cardinals, to the white smoke that signals a new dawn for Christ's Church--every page draws you deeper into the mystery of continuity and the miracle of renewal. Here you will witness: The reverence of the Church during a sede vacante, when the See of Peter remains empty The drama and dignity of the conclave, in which cardinals discern beneath the gaze of The Last Judgment by Michelangelo The joy of the faithful at the installation of Pope Leo XIV The first words, blessings, and symbols of a shepherd taking up the keys of Peter with courage and humility The striking coat of arms of the new pope -- an emblem of his mission and heart This is more than a book of images. It is a pilgrimage of faith -- showing how sorrow is pierced with Easter hope, how a human election is suffused with divine providence, and how the Church moves forward sempre avanti -- always onward. The Barque of Peter has a new helmsman. Let these pages stir in you a renewed love for the beauty of Catholic tradition, a deeper faith in Christ's promise, and a hopeful prayer for Pope Leo XIV and the future of the Church he now leads.
Unbearable
From the award-winning New York magazine reporter and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Notorious RBG, an ambitious and passionate exploration of what's gone wrong with pregnancy in America, through the lens of history, politics, and the searing experiences of five women. Journalist Irin Carmon was eight months pregnant when the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion, unleashing pain and suffering for those who didn't want to be pregnant and, shockingly to some, those who did. What was clear to Carmon from her dozen years of reporting--and from what she felt in her bones--was how incomplete the American story of reproduction had been, and how much had been unexpressed, hidden, or taken for granted, and not just by conservative justices or in red states. Whether in cosmopolitan, liberal New York City or rural Alabama, the entire system is broken. Unbearable tells a deeper story, going beyond the headlines and any one experience or choice, and grounded in history and journalism. It introduces us to five women navigating pregnancy care--from that first positive pregnancy test through joy, loss, and the unforeseen--in a country that is at best indifferent and at worst willfully cruel, and to brave, outnumbered people fighting to make it better. Written with deep empathy and analytical rigor, Unbearable is at once a moving story of interconnection, a harrowing expos矇, and assertion of humanity. Above all, it is a powerful call for solidarity, regardless of our circumstances or our decisions.
Leadership for Achieving Global Health Security
In a world increasingly threatened by pandemics, failing health systems, and systemic corruption, Leadership for Achieving Global Health Security delivers a bold and timely call to action. Drawing on decades of global experience and visionary frontline leadership, this book exposes the deep-rooted vulnerabilities that undermine health systems and deepen inequities-while charting a transformative roadmap toward resilience, ethical governance, and accountable leadership. Through compelling real-world case studies, innovative strategies, and expert analysis, the book confronts corruption as a hidden epidemic-one that erodes public trust and directly endangers population health. It offers a new leadership paradigm: one where effectiveness is measured not by authority, but by the ability to reform institutions, empower communities, and drive sustainable change. Whether you're a policymaker, public health professional, development leader, or global health advocate, this book equips you with the tools and insight to lead boldly and act decisively. The future of global health security will not be built by chance-it will be forged by leaders of vision, integrity, and purpose. Will you rise to the challenge?
Testing and the Paradoxes of Fairness
How can admissions officers, employers, and scholarship committees maximize the accuracy of prediction of individual performance while minimizing adverse impact due to group differences? Testing offers a straightforward solution to the first half of this problem. Tests are the best way to predict how someone will perform in school, in the military, in medicine, or while controlling airline traffic and flying a plane. Tests are also useful beyond personnel selection, such as for selection of a college major or courses. However, the other side of this problem is more complex. Using tests is always accompanied by group differences that could result in continued systemic discrimination by limiting opportunities for those who are marginalized. This book charts an approach to using tests that incorporates evidence, transparency, and societal values to maximize efficiency and fairness.
Where We Stand
The instant bestseller from Djamila Ribeiro that sparked a major Black feminist movement in Brazil "Part theory, part manifesto, part history. . . . [Where We Stand] has the makings of a truly modern feminist classic."--Literary Hub In a society shaped by the legacies of enslavement, white supremacy, and sexism, who has the right to a voice? In this elegant essay, Djamila Ribeiro offers a compelling intervention into contemporary discussions of power and identity: the concept of "speaking place." A crucial component of conversations on race and gender in Brazil, speaking place is the idea that everyone has a social position in the world and that what we are able to say, and how it is received by others, depends on it. Ribeiro traces the history of Black feminist thought through several centuries, examining the ways that Black women have been silenced, ignored, and punished for speaking. Building on feminist standpoint theory, and in conversation with the works of Sojourner Truth, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and others, Ribeiro invites all of us to recognize where we stand, to imagine geographies different from those we've inherited, and to speak a more humane world into being.
Archaeologies of Food in Australia
Twenty-first century Australia is a nation somewhat obsessed with food. From cookbooks to television screens, we are surrounded by conversations about what and how we eat. This fixation highlights the fact that food is, and always has been, a central component of human culture - especially in a diverse nation like Australia.In recent years, this contemporary food focus has increasingly looked to the past for answers relating to health and sustainable practices. While historians in Australia have contributed extensively to these discussions, there has been surprisingly little input from archaeologists. This is even more surprising when we consider that so much of what archaeologists excavate - such as faunal remains, ceramics and cesspits - can collectively tell the story of food culture when drawn together and considered as a whole.To open up this dialogue, Archaeologies of Food in Australia addresses the archaeology of food from deep time to the recent past. It showcases the many varied approaches to the study of food in Australia, from the archaeological sciences (such as zooarchaeology and archaeobotanical analysis) through to discussions of historic kitchens and cookery.Archaeologies of Food in Australia spans diverse cultural groups, including First Nations peoples, European migrants and Chinese diaspora communities, and examines evidence across millennia. Contributors demonstrate the breadth and richness of archaeological food research currently undertaken in Australia, and in doing so, they address critical questions about diet, cookery, dining and food culture.In this collection, eight food stories from Australia's past have been selected to help open the door to many more readers, and to many more questions. The great depth of time and diversity in Australian archaeology, when coupled with the broad range of skills in the discipline, presents enormous potential for further research.
Rethinking Shifting Cultivation
The debate surrounding shifting cultivation has long raised questions about its sustainability, environmental effects, and economic feasibility. While some argue that it leads to deforestation and soil degradation, others emphasize its deep-rooted connection to traditional land management and biodiversity conservation. This book engages with this debate by presenting alder-based shifting cultivation as a practical and sustainable alternative, particularly in the context of Nagaland, India. This book examines the economic, environmental, and health advantages of alder-based farming. Integrating nitrogen-fixing alder trees into shifting cultivation improves soil fertility, reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers, captures carbon, and prevents land degradation. Additionally, this method provides long-term economic benefits by supporting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening food security for indigenous communities. India's first green village Khonoma serves as an example of how traditional farming practices can be adapted to promote both agricultural productivity and environmental conservation. This book calls for policies that support and recognize sustainable indigenous farming methods as key to addressing climate change and promoting rural development.
