How Louis XIV Survived His Hegemonic Bid
The international relations field grew around stories of great powers vying for hegemony and ultimately failing. However, France's Louis XIV stands out among modern aspiring hegemons as the only one to leave his country intact, even larger than he found it. This book argues that Louis XIV's war-ending strategy explains this outlying case. Like other potential hegemons, Louis fought general wars he failed to win decisively. But Louis would often negotiate peace from a position of strength while other aspiring hegemons generally fought to the finish, thus solidifying uncompromising balancing coalitions. This eagerness to pursue peace from a strong position mollified opposing coalitions and allowed France to extract some gains, however limited. First, the work presents Louis's strategy of major wartime concessions from a position of strength. Second, it shows how he used this strategy to exit his three general wars. Third, it describes his foreign policy background and beliefs to unpack the origins of this war-ending strategy. Fourth, the book compares France with other hegemonic pretenders to control for possible explanations and shows that Louis's strategy was unique. Finally, it discusses in turn the research's implications for the international security field and U.S. decision-makers concerned by the possibility of war with China and Russia. Hence, this book matters to policymakers, international relations theorists, and historians of modern Europe.
Solidarity
A VULTURE BEST BOOK - From renowned organizers and activists Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor, comes the first in-depth examination of Solidarity--not just as a rallying cry, but as potent political movement with potential to effect lasting change. "A window into what is possible when we reject the politics of division, trade individualism for interconnectedness and prioritize coming together for the greater good."--Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone "Reads at once like a moral treatise and a rallying manifesto, a call to reflect and lock arms."--The Washington Post Solidarity is often invoked, but it is rarely analyzed and poorly understood. Here, two leading activists and thinkers survey the past, present, and future of the concept across borders of nation, identity, and class to ask: how can we build solidarity in an era of staggering inequality, polarization, violence, and ecological catastrophe? Offering a lively and lucid history of the idea--from Ancient Rome through the first European and American socialists and labor organizers, to twenty-first century social movements like Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter--Hunt-Hendrix and Taylor trace the philosophical debates and political struggles that have shaped the modern world. Looking forward, they argue that a clear understanding of how solidarity is built and sustained, and an awareness of how it has been suppressed, is essential to warding off the many crises of our present: right-wing backlash, irreversible climate damage, widespread alienation, loneliness, and despair. Hunt-Hendrix and Taylor insist that solidarity is both a principle and a practice, one that must be cultivated and institutionalized, so that care for the common good becomes the central aim of politics and social life.
How Will Capitalism End?
One of the "Best Books of the Year" Guardian - Financial Times - Times Higher Education A major collection of essays that questions whether contemporary capitalism will end with a bang or a whimper--from a leading political economist and the author of Buying Time. After years of ill health, capitalism is now in a critical condition. Growth has given way to stagnation; inequality is leading to instability; and confidence in the money economy has all but evaporated. In How Will Capitalism End?, the acclaimed analyst of contemporary politics and economics Wolfgang Streeck argues that the world is about to change. The marriage between democracy and capitalism, ill-suited partners brought together in the shadow of World War II, is coming to an end. The regulatory institutions that once restrained the financial sector's excesses have collapsed and, after the final victory of capitalism at the end of the Cold War, there is no political agency capable of rolling back the liberalization of the markets. Ours has become a world defined by declining growth, oligarchic rule, a shrinking public sphere, institutional corruption and international anarchy, and no cure to these ills is at hand.
Knowledge Production and Management in Africa
This contributed volume explores knowledge production and management across diverse African contexts, integrating indigenous perspectives with modern technological advancements. It addresses the intersection of cultural, socioeconomic, and technological factors, offering readers a thorough understanding of how these elements shape knowledge systems in Africa. Structured into five key sections--technology, pedagogy and curricula, business and ecology, culture and community, and human relationships--the book presents a cohesive framework guiding readers through various domains of knowledge production. Each chapter examines specific themes, from AI's moral standing and mobile technologies in agriculture to digital transformation in education and the role of performing arts in cultural orientation. The chapters are authored by experts who provide empirical research, case studies, and theoretical analyses, ensuring a rich and diverse exploration of topics. By challenging conventional paradigms and advocating for context-specific approaches, the book highlights the resilience and innovation inherent in African knowledge practices. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the multifaceted nature of knowledge production in Africa. The book highlights culturally-responsive cognitive schemas, the impact of digital technologies on education and business, and the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable development. Readers will walk away from the book understanding inclusive and effective knowledge management practices, and they will have an enhanced appreciation for the unique contributions of African knowledge systems to global discourses.
Beyond Control
In this incisive book, Reason editor Jacob Sullum untangles America's twin crusades against guns and drugs, suggesting better-tailored alternatives that do more good while causing less harm. Does gun control work? What about drug prohibition? In this cogent examination of two of America's most enduring challenges, Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum traces the evolution of gun and drug laws from their dubious beginnings to today's divisive rhetoric. Based on data-driven analysis and compassionate consideration of the human costs imposed by the twin crusades against guns and drugs, Sullum recommends an alternative approach that focuses on reducing harm, including the harm caused by misguided policies. Sullum exposes the racist roots of gun control and drug control, noting that both policies continue to have a racially disproportionate impact. Even leaving aside the legacy of that dark history, he argues, both policies are unjust because they punish people for conduct that violates no one's rights. They are also dangerous to civil liberties because they encourage the expansion of government power at the expense of individual freedom. The burdens imposed by gun control and drug control reinforce each other, since gun possession increases penalties for drug offenses and drug offenses disqualify people from legally possessing guns. Yet there is little logic to these legal regimes, which penalize people for behavior that is not inherently criminal. Decades of research have produced scant evidence that popular gun control prescriptions such as assault weapon bans, universal background checks, restrictions on ownership, and red flag laws work as advertised. Research on the impact of the war on drugs likewise provides little reason to believe that its doubtful benefits outweigh its myriad costs. In both cases, the burdens often fall on peaceful individuals who pose no threat to public safety, and the policies seem ill-designed to reduce the problems they aim to address. Sullum notes that critics of gun control and critics of the war on drugs make similar points, complaining that these policies are unfair, invasive, poorly targeted, and ineffective. But because these two sets of critics tend to come from opposing political camps, they usually overlook their common ground. Beyond Control surveys that territory, showing that conservatives and progressive share concerns about overcriminalization, overzealous law enforcement, draconian penalties, and the erosion of civil liberties. Substance abuse, violence, and suicide are complex problems that cannot be solved by targeting inanimate objects or by arresting and incarcerating people who possess them. Beyond Control urges better-tailored alternatives that would do more good while causing less harm.
Hints To The People Of The United Kingdom ... And Of North Britain In Particular, On The Present Important Crisis
St. Louis, A Preliminary Survey Of Certain Departments Of The Government Of The City Of St. Louis
Commonwealth Of Massachusetts. Manual For The Use Of The General Court, Prepared By S.n. Gifford And G.a. Marden
The Indus Divide
Picture a river that feeds millions but fuels a fight between two nations. The Indus Divide pulls you into the wild story of the Indus River. It starts with the Indus Waters Treaty from 1960. This deal split the rivers between India and Pakistan after their split. Pakistan got most of the water-about 70%. The World Bank helped make it happen. For years, it kept the peace. But trouble brewed over dams like Kishanganga and Baglihar. Then, in 2025, a terror attack in Pahalgam changed everything. India suspended the treaty. Tensions shot up fast. Military moves followed. The book digs into India's water control plans. Can they really stop the flow? Not easily-most dams can't store much. In Pakistan, farms and power rely on this water. Over 90% of crops need it. Jobs for 40% of people depend on it. A crisis looms-food shortages, blackouts, even famine. Climate change adds more chaos with wild floods and dry spells. The book ends with ideas to fix this mess-new talks, better water use, and teamwork.This book isn't like others on India-Pakistan clashes. It doesn't just replay old politics. It mixes history with hard facts-how water works, what it costs, and who suffers.
Tax Trees
Saving the United States is the 1st volume of the TAX TREES trilogy of handbooks. This book helps Native Americans fix the government and deport the idiots! Bible of booklets is a play on words. Bibles used books as chapters. What started out as forestry research has become much more! *Note: I'm using my definitions of terms describing cities, towns and environments. Bibliographies are online.
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Electoral Process in Southwest Nigeria (2015-2020)
Emerging Patterns of American Civil-Military Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa
