Society & Politics

The definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's historic presidency, captured in unprecedented detail by his Chief White House (read more)

The definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's historic presidency, captured in unprecedented detail by his Chief White House photographer, presented in an oversize, 12"x10"exquisitely produced format, and featuring a foreword from the President himself.Pete Souza was with President Obama during more crucial moments than anyone else and he photographed them all - from the highly classified to the disarmingly candid. Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces more than three hundred of Souza's most iconic photographs in exquisite detail, some of which have never been published before. Souza's photographs, with the behind-the-scenes captions and stories that accompany them, document the most consequential hours of the Presidency alongside unguarded moments with the President's family, his encounters with children, interactions with world leaders and cultural figures, and more. (hide)

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, former President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking (read more)

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, former President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped his nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, Barack Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children and within all children. Evocative illustrations by the award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans, and the innocence and promise of childhood. (hide)

No word is more central to the contemporary political imagination and action than 'resistance'. In its various manifestations (read more)

No word is more central to the contemporary political imagination and action than 'resistance'. In its various manifestations - from the armed guerrilla to Gandhian mass pacifist protest, from Wikileaks and the Arab Spring to the global eruption and violent repression of the Occupy movement - concepts of resistance are becoming ubiquitous and urgent. In this book, Howard Caygill conducts the first ever systematic analysis of 'resistance': as a means of defying political oppression, in its relationship with military violence and its cultural representation.

Beginning with the militaristic doctrine of Clausewitz and the evolution of a new model of guerrilla warfare to resist the forces of Napoleonic France, On Resistance elucidates and critiques the contributions of seminal resistant thinkers from Marx and Nietzsche to Mao, Gandhi, Sartre and Fanon to identify continuities of resistance and rebellion from the Paris Commune to the Greenham Women's Peace Camp. Employing a threefold line of inquiry, Caygill exposes the persistent discourses through which resistance has been framed in terms of force, violence, consciousness and subjectivity to evolve a critique of resistance. Tracing the features of resistance, its strategies, character and habitual forms throughout modern world history Caygill identifies the typological consistencies which make up resistance.

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How does a holy God associate with paedophiles, murderers, drug addicts, alcoholics and others rejected by mainstream society? This (read more)

How does a holy God associate with paedophiles, murderers, drug addicts, alcoholics and others rejected by mainstream society? This book is a product of many years working with and in some cases befriending the most despised people in society, prisoners. It addresses questions such as: Why do some people end up in prison? Do they just wake up one morning and think: `I am going to rob a bank today'? What happens when they get to prison? How do they cope with the violence? Is rehabilitation a realistic expectation? How can victims of crime be helped and supported?

Published:12 Sep 2018 (hide)

The Organic Globalizer is a collection of critical essays which takes the position that hip-hop holds political significance through (read more)

The Organic Globalizer is a collection of critical essays which takes the position that hip-hop holds political significance through an understanding of its ability to at once raise cultural awareness, expand civil society's focus on social and economic justice through institution building, and engage in political activism and participation. Collectively, the essays assert hip hop's importance as an "organic globalizer:" no matter its pervasiveness or reach around the world, hip-hop ultimately remains a grassroots phenomenon that is born of the community from which it permeates. Hip hop, then, holds promise through three separate but related avenues: (1) through cultural awareness and identification/recognition of voices of marginalized communities through music and art; (2) through social creation and the institutionalization of independent alternative institutions and non-profit organizations in civil society geared toward social and economic justice; and (3) through political activism and participation in which demands are articulated and made on the state.

With editorial bridges between chapters and an emphasis on interdisciplinary and diverse perspectives, The Organic Globalizer is the natural scholarly evolution in the conversation about hip-hop and politics. (hide)

In the last 25 years, India-soon to be the most populous nation in the world-has experienced explosive economic growth that has vaulted (read more)

In the last 25 years, India-soon to be the most populous nation in the world-has experienced explosive economic growth that has vaulted it into the ranks of the world's emerging major powers. Long plagued by endemic poverty, until the 1990s the Indian economy was also hamstrung by a burdensome regulatory regime that limited its openness and competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world. Since then, however, the Indian government gradually opened up the economy, moving away from a quasi-socialist import substitution model.

The results have been stunning: the middle class has grown by leaps and bounds, Fortune 500 CEOs visit regularly, and the country now occupies an increasingly prominent place on the global stage. From world trade to climate change to democratization, India's position now matters. Yet India has not entirely abandoned its past policies.
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'the best food reference work ever to appear in the English language ...read it and be dazzled' Bee Wilson, New Statesman First published (read more)

'the best food reference work ever to appear in the English language ...read it and be dazzled' Bee Wilson, New Statesman First published in 1999, the ground-breaking Oxford Companion to Food was an immediate success and won prizes and accolades around the world. Its blend of serious food history, culinary expertise, and entertaining serendipity, was and remains unique. Interest in food, cooking, and the culture surrounding food has grown enormously in the intervening period, as has the study of food and food history.

University departments, international societies, and academic journals have sprung up dedicated to exploring the meaning of food in the daily lives of people around the world, alongside an ever-increasing number of articles, books, programmes, and websites in the general media devoted to the discussion of food, making the Oxford Companion to Food more relevant than ever. Already a food writing classic, this Companion combines an exhaustive catalogue of foods, be they biscuits named after battles, divas or revolutionaries; body parts (from nose to tail, toe to cerebellum); or breads from the steppes of Asia or the well-built ovens of the Mediterranean; with a richly allusive commentary on the culture of food, expressed in literature and cookery books, or as dishes peculiar to a country or community. While building on the Companion's existing strengths, Tom Jaine has taken the opportunity to update the text and alert readers to new perspectives in food studies.
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The history of Parliament is the history of the United Kingdom itself. It has a cast of thousands. Some were ambitious, visionary (read more)

The history of Parliament is the history of the United Kingdom itself. It has a cast of thousands. Some were ambitious, visionary and altruistic.

Others were hot-headed, violent and self-serving. Few were unambiguously noble. Yet their rowdy confrontations, their campaigning zeal and their unstable alliances framed our nation.

This first of two volumes takes us on a 500-year journey from Parliament's earliest days in the thirteenth century through the turbulent years of the Wars of the Roses and the upheavals of the Civil Wars, and up to 1801, when Parliament - and the United Kingdom, embracing Scotland and Ireland - emerged in a modern form. Chris Bryant tells this epic tale through the lives of the myriad MPs, lords and bishops who passed through Parliament. It is the vivid, colourful biography of a cast of characters whose passions and obsessions, strengths and weaknesses laid the foundations of modern democracy. (hide)

Gamblers have been trying to figure out how to game the system since our ancestors first made wagers over dice fashioned from knucklebones: (read more)

Gamblers have been trying to figure out how to game the system since our ancestors first made wagers over dice fashioned from knucklebones: in revolutionary Paris, the 'martingale' strategy was rumoured to lead to foolproof success at the roulette table; now, in the 21st century, professional gamblers are using cutting-edge techniques to tilt the odds further in their favour. At the roulette wheel, card table or racecourse, science is giving us the competitive edge over opponents, casinos and bookmakers. But is there such a thing as a perfect bet? The Perfect Bet looks beyond probability and statistics to examine how wagers have inspired a plethora of new disciplines - spanning chaos theory, behavioural psychology, machine learning and game theory - which are not just revolutionising gambling, but changing our fundamental notions about chance, randomness and luck.

Explaining why poker is gaming's last bastion of human superiority over artificial intelligence, how methods originally developed for the US nuclear programme are helping pundits predict sports results and how a new breed of algorithms are managing to lose banks and asset traders millions, The Perfect Bet has the inside track on just about any wager you'd care to place.

Pub Date:05/05/2016 (hide)

As the 2015 general election looms on the horizon, the only thing anyone can seem to agree on is that it will be unpredictable, not (read more)

As the 2015 general election looms on the horizon, the only thing anyone can seem to agree on is that it will be unpredictable, not least because, for the first time in our history, we are experiencing the brave new world of four-party politics. Here, in one volume, is everything you need to know about what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting general elections of the last twenty years. In this unique guide to the state of the parties, policies and polls, you'll find expert predictions and commentary from political pundits, as well as all the facts and figures you need to make an informed decision at the ballot box.

This essential guide includes: Analysis of key marginal seats Information about demographics, voting intentions and past electoral behaviour Examples of historical precedent Lists of prospective candidates Profiles of the main party leaders Articles on the role of social media and the traditional media Breakdowns of regional and constituency data A book that will appeal to enthusiastic politicos and inquisitive voters alike, this is the essential guide to the most eagerly awaited general election in recent history. (hide)