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Why Has Japan 'Succeeded'? : Western Technology and the Japanese Ethos - Thryft
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This book, by a distinguished Japanese economist now resident in the West, offers a new interpretation of the current success of the Japanese economy. By placing the rise of Japan in the context of its historical development, Michio Morishima shows how a strongly-held national ethos has interacted with religious, social and technological ideas imported from elsewhere to produce highly distinctive cultural traits. While Professor Morishima traces the roots of modern Japan back as far as the introduction of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism from China in the sixth century, he concentrates his observations on the last 120 years during which Japan has had extensive contacts with the West. He describes the swift rise of Japan to the status of a first-rate power following the Meiji Revolution after 1867, in which Japan broke with a long history of isolationism, and which paved the way for the adoption of Western technology and the creation of a modern Western-style nation state; and a similarly meteoric rise from the devastation of the Second World War to Japan's present position. A range of factors in Japan's economic success are analysed: her characteristic dualistic social structure - corresponding to the divide between large and medium/small enterprises - the relations of government and big business, the poor reception of liberalism and individualism, and the strength of the Japanese nationalism. Throughout, Professor Morishima emphasises the importance of the role played in the creation of Japanese capitalism by ethical doctrines as transformed under Japanese conditions, especially the Japanese Confucian tradition of complete loyalty to the firm and to the state. This account, which makes clear the extent to which the economic rise of Japan is due to factors unique to its historical traditions, will be of interest to a wide general readership as well as to students of Japan and its history.
The Hundreds
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Kathleen Stewart, Lauren Berlant  | Duke University Press Books

The Hundreds

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If you're intrigued by the idea of literature not just as a form of expression but as a mode of thinking and engagement with the world, *The Hundreds* might resonate with you. It challenges standard narratives, opting instead for a fragmented, meditative approach that can change how you perceive social interactions and conceptual frameworks. Plus, the unique constraint of 100-word multiples adds a rhythmic and poetic dimension to the reading experience.
Ethics in the Real World : 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter - Thryft
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Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. The author of important books such as "Animal Liberation," "Practical Ethics," "Rethinking Life and Death," and "The Life You Can Save," he helped launch the animal rights and effective altruism movements and contributed to the development of bioethics. Now, in "Ethics in the Real World," Singer shows that he is also a master at dissecting important current events in a few hundred words.In this book of brief essays, he applies his controversial ways of thinking to issues like climate change, extreme poverty, animals, abortion, euthanasia, human genetic selection, sports doping, the sale of kidneys, the ethics of high-priced art, and ways of increasing happiness. Singer asks whether chimpanzees are people, smoking should be outlawed, or consensual sex between adult siblings should be decriminalized, and he reiterates his case against the idea that all human life is sacred, applying his arguments to some recent cases in the news. In addition, he explores, in an easily accessible form, some of the deepest philosophical questions, such as whether anything really matters and what is the value of the pale blue dot that is our planet. The collection also includes some more personal reflections, like Singer's thoughts on one of his favorite activities, surfing, and an unusual suggestion for starting a family conversation over a holiday feast.Provocative and original, these essays will challenge--and possibly change--your beliefs about a wide range of real-world ethical questions.
This book develops an original theory of group and organizational behavior that cuts across disciplinary lines and illustrates the theory with empirical and historical studies of particular organizations. Applying economic analysis to the subjects of the political scientist, sociologist, and economist, Mancur Olson examines the extent to which the individuals that share a common interest find it in their individual interest to bear the costs of the organizational effort.The theory shows that most organizations produce what the economist calls “public goods”―goods or services that are available to every member, whether or not he has borne any of the costs of providing them. Economists have long understood that defense, law, and order were public goods that could not be marketed to individuals, and that taxation was necessary. They have not, however, taken account of the fact that private as well as governmental organizations produce public goods.The services the labor union provides for the worker it represents, or the benefits a lobby obtains for the group it represents, are public they automatically go to every individual in the group, whether or not he helped bear the costs. It follows that, just as governments require compulsory taxation, many large private organizations require special (and sometimes coercive) devices to obtain the resources they need. This is not true of smaller organizations for, as this book shows, small and large organizations support themselves in entirely different ways. The theory indicates that, though small groups can act to further their interest much more easily than large ones, they will tend to devote too few resources to the satisfaction of their common interests, and that there is a surprising tendency for the “lesser” members of the small group to exploit the “greater” members by making them bear a disproportionate share of the burden of any group action.All of the theory in the book is in Chapter 1; the remaining chapters contain empirical and historical evidence of the theory’s relevance to labor unions, pressure groups, corporations, and Marxian class action.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
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If you're curious about the forces that shape our economic destiny, "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" could fascinate you. Thomas Piketty offers a meticulous exploration of wealth accumulation and its implications on inequality. It's not just a treasure trove of data across centuries; it's a discourse on how our past and present economic systems could inform our future. You might find it an insightful guide through the complex landscape of political economy.
Ethics in the Real World : 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter - Thryft
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Ethics in the Real World is a highly thought-provoking book that will stimulate readers to consider ethical issues in a new light. Singer's short, accessible essays cover a wide range of topical subjects and provide insight into some of the most pressing issues of our time. Singer's arguments may be controversial, but they are always well-reasoned and deeply considered, and readers will be challenged to think critically about their own beliefs and values.
(Un)Manly Citizens : Jean-Jacques Rousseau's and Germaine de Stael's Subversive Women - Thryft
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In (Un)Manly Citizens , political theorist Lori Jo Marso explores an alternative vision of citizenship in the writings of French Enlightenment figures Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Germaine de Staël. This critique transgresses the boundary between political philosophy and literature in turning explicitly to fictional texts as the site of an alternative conception of the self, citizenship, and democratic politics. Marso departs from previous feminist scholarship on Rousseau by reading Emile and La Nouvelle Héloïse from the perspective of his women characters. In this reading, Sophie and Julie emerge as subversive of the narrow range of femininity usually understood as advocated by Rousseau. Tracing the words, gestures, and even the silence of the women characters in Rousseau's texts, Marso argues that these women display an uncanny ability to deconstruct the qualities and dictates of scholarship for which Rousseau is infamous. Germaine de Staël builds on the perspective of Rousseau's women to uncover the radical potential of the feminine as a way to reconceptualize citizenship. Based on her experience of the French Revolution, Staël demonstrates the limits of establishing strict identities as prerequisites for citizen participation. In Staël's novels, Delphine and Corinne , Marso locates a citizenship practice premised on the recognition of individuals in terms of their concrete histories and situations. Marso's scholarship makes us aware of how early in the history of modern political thought the potential of an unmanly vision of citizenship as a radical critique of politics was already being discussed and formulated.
Bread and Circuses : Theories of Mass Culture As Social Decay - Thryft
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Lively and well written, Bread and Circuses analyzes theories that have treated mass culture as either a symptom or a cause of social decadence. Discussing many of the most influential and representative theories of mass culture, it ranges widely from Greek and Roman origins, through Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Ortega y Gasset, T. S. Eliot, and the theorists of the Frankfurt Institute, down to Marshall McLuhan and Daniel Bell, Brantlinger considers the many versions of negative classicism and shows how the belief in the historical inevitability of social decay—a belief today perpetuated by the mass media themselves—has become the dominant view of mass culture in our time. While not defending mass culture in its present form, Brantlinger argues that the view of culture implicit in negative classicism obscures the question of how the media can best be used to help achieve freedom and enlightenment on a truly democratic basis.
Rise of the West : A History of the Human Community - Thryft
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The Rise of the West, winner of the National Book Award for history in 1964, is famous for its ambitious scope and intellectual rigor. In it, McNeill challenges the Spengler-Toynbee view that a number of separate civilizations pursued essentially independent careers, and argues instead that human cultures interacted at every stage of their history. The author suggests that from the Neolithic beginnings of grain agriculture to the present major social changes in all parts of the world were triggered by new or newly important foreign stimuli, and he presents a persuasive narrative of world history to support this claim. In a retrospective essay titled "The Rise of the West after Twenty-five Years," McNeill shows how his book was shaped by the time and place in which it was written (1954-63). He discusses how historiography subsequently developed and suggests how his portrait of the world's past in The Rise of the West should be revised to reflect these changes. "This is not only the most learned and the most intelligent, it is also the most stimulating and fascinating book that has ever set out to recount and explain the whole history of mankind. . . . To read it is a great experience. It leaves echoes to reverberate, and seeds to germinate in the mind."—H. R. Trevor-Roper, New York Times Book Review
Private Government : How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don't Talk about It) - Thryft
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This book explores how many workplaces function as authoritarian private governments, with employers possessing sweeping power over workers' lives. Anderson argues that this reality is often obscured by misconceptions about free markets and emphasizes the need to reconceptualize the workplace to ensure workers' freedom. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in labor relations, political philosophy, or the nature of power in society.
The Consequences of Modernity
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Anthony Giddens | Stanford University Press

The Consequences of Modernity

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If you're feeling a bit lost in today's fast-paced world, "The Consequences of Modernity" might shed some light on the situation for you. This book dives into how modern advancements have shaped society and our everyday experiences. It's a thought-provoking exploration that could give you a new perspective on the changes around you and possibly a better understanding of why we live the way we do now.
Rethinking Secularism - Thryft
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This collection of essays presents groundbreaking work from an interdisciplinary group of leading theorists and scholars representing the fields of history, philosophy, political science, sociology, and anthropology. The volume will introduce readers to some of the most compelling new conceptual and theoretical understandings of secularism and the secular, while also examining socio-political trends involving the relationship between the religious and the secular from a variety of locations across the globe.In recent decades, the public has become increasingly aware of the important role religious commitments play in the cultural, social, and political dynamics of domestic and world affairs. This so called ''resurgence'' of religion in the public sphere has elicited a wide array of responses, including vehement opposition to the very idea that religious reasons should ever have a right to expression in public political debate. The current global landscape forces scholars to reconsider not only once predominant understandings of secularization, but also the definition and implications of secular assumptions and secularist positions. The notion that there is no singular secularism, but rather a range of multiple secularisms, is one of many emerging efforts to reconceptualize the meanings of religion and the secular.Rethinking Secularism surveys these efforts and helps to reframe discussions of religion in the social sciences by drawing attention to the central issue of how ''the secular'' is constituted and understood. It provides valuable insight into how new understandings of secularism and religion shape analytic perspectives in the social sciences, politics, and international affairs.
GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Revised and expanded Edition - Thryft
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This book is a fascinating and informative read for anyone interested in understanding how the global economy works. Diane Coyle expertly explains the history and evolution of GDP, the standard measure of a country's economy, and its impact on political decisions and financial markets. The book also challenges the appropriateness of GDP as a measure for the modern economy driven by innovation, services, and intangible goods. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to decode the news and politics behind GDP.
Hard at Work: Life in Singapore
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This book is a captivating exploration of the lives of Singapore's workers, giving you a glimpse into the complexities and diversity of their experiences. From ice cream uncles to academic ghostwriters, the author delves into the daily realities and emotions that shape their lives. Through vivid storytelling, Hard at Work offers a thought-provoking snapshot of Singapore's working population, revealing the hidden stories and challenges that often go unnoticed. It's a must-read for anyone curious about the intricate tapestry of Singaporean society and the people behind the jobs. So, grab a copy and get ready to be enthralled by the tales within!
The Road to Serfdom - Thryft
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The Road to Serfdom is a must-read for anyone interested in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics. This book explores the dangers of state control over the means of production, and how the collectivist idea of empowering government with increasing economic control would inevitably lead not to utopia but to the horrors of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. F.A. Hayek's timeless meditation on the relation between individual liberty and government authority is an arresting call to all well-intentioned planners and socialists, democrat and liberal at heart to stop, look and listen.
Making Sense of Marx - Thryft
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Jon Elster | Cambridge University Press

Making Sense of Marx

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A systematic, critical examination of Karl Marx's social theories and their philosophical presuppositions. Through extensive discussions of the texts Jon Elster offers a balanced and detailed account of Marx's views that is at once sympathetic, undogmatic and rigorous. Equally importantly he tries to assess 'what is living and what is dead in the philosophy of Marx', using the analytical resources of contemporary social science and philosophy. Professor Elster insists on the need for microfoundations in social science and provides a systematic criticism of functionalism and teleological thinking in Marx. He argues that Marx's economic theories are largely wrong or irrelevant; historical materialism is seen to have only limited plausibility (and is not even consistently applied by Marx); Marx's most lasting achievements are the criticism of capitalism in terms of alienation and exploitation and the theory of class struggle, politics and ideology under capitalism, though in these areas too Elster enters substantial qualifications. The book should take its place as the most comprehensive and sophisticated modern study available.
How Propaganda Works - Thryft
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Jason F. Stanley | Princeton University Press

How Propaganda Works

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How Propaganda Works could be a good read for individuals interested in the politics of propaganda and its effects on democracy. The book provides historical examples and a range of sources to explore how the language of democracy can be used to manipulate and perpetuate inequalities in society. It can help readers understand the mechanisms of propaganda and the importance of identifying and countering it to protect liberal democracies.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century - Thryft
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This book is an eye-opener for anyone interested in the long-term evolution of inequality and economic growth. Piketty's careful analysis of historical data shows that, while modern growth has decreased inequality, structural issues still need to be addressed. His arguments are sure to spark debate and are especially relevant in today's economic climate.
Practical Ethics - Thryft
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Peter Singer | Cambridge University Press

Practical Ethics

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If you've ever found yourself at a crossroads, feeling uncertain how to tackle the tough moral questions life throws your way, "Practical Ethics" might be the compass you need. It's not just about lofty theories; it's about applying thoughtful, considered action to real-world scenarios. Trust me, it has a way of provoking reflection that sticks with you, prompting you to think deeply about the choices you make every day.
Nationalism - Thryft
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Anthony D. Smith | Oxford University Press

Nationalism

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Achieving prevalence as an ideology in the political and social ferment of late 18th-century Europe and America, nationalism first found expression during the course of such historical upheavals as the American and French Revolutions. Its founders and early sponsors--Rousseau, Herder, Fichte, Korais, and Mazzini--looked to nationalism as the manifestation of modern humanity's most essential aspirations: autonomy, unity, identity. Born of notions regarding popular freedom and sovereignty that had been gathering momentum for generations, it conjured up images of a modernizing West at once hungry for change and yearning for a return to age-old concepts of fraternity and ancient heritage. Since that time nationalism, having taken on countless different dimensions, remains a vital and dynamic force for change--whether for good or otherwise.Despite only recently becoming the subject of scholarly debate, nationalism has been the focus of a truly prodigious amount of writing. This important Oxford Reader makes the topic more accessible by offering a broad, authoritative treatment of the key contributions to the subject, while giving unprecedented depth to recent debates and issues. Edited by two of the field's most influential scholars, the readings are representative of the vast array of experience and scholarship that have shaped the concept of nationalism for over two centuries. From Ernest Renan's What is a Nation?, written in the 1880s, to the more current views of the 1990s, Nationalism gathers under one cover an impressive array of writing on everything from imagined communities to ethno-regional movements. In no other volume will students of politics, history, sociology, anthropology, international relations, and cultural studies have access to such a definitive appraisal of one of the modern world's most influential--and explosive--ideas.
Fear of Small Numbers: An Essay on the Geography of Anger
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Arjun Appadurai | Duke University Press Books

Fear of Small Numbers: An Essay on the Geography of Anger

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"Fear of Small Numbers" is quite the revelation if you're looking to dive deep into the paradox of increasing violence in our era of globalization. Appadurai's sharp intellect dissects the fears and tensions between global majorities and minorities with a compelling perspective that's both enlightening and sobering. It’s the kind of read that could reshape how you understand contemporary world affairs and the intricate dance between cultural identity and global forces.
GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Thryft
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Why did the size of the U.S. economy increase by 3 percent on one day in mid-2013--or Ghana's balloon by 60 percent overnight in 2010? Why did the U.K. financial industry show its fastest expansion ever at the end of 2008--just as the world's financial system went into meltdown? And why was Greece's chief statistician charged with treason in 2013 for apparently doing nothing more than trying to accurately report the size of his country's economy? The answers to all these questions lie in the way we define and measure national economies around the world: Gross Domestic Product. This entertaining and informative book tells the story of GDP, making sense of a statistic that appears constantly in the news, business, and politics, and that seems to rule our lives--but that hardly anyone actually understands.Diane Coyle traces the history of this artificial, abstract, complex, but exceedingly important statistic from its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century precursors through its invention in the 1940s and its postwar golden age, and then through the Great Crash up to today. The reader learns why this standard measure of the size of a country's economy was invented, how it has changed over the decades, and what its strengths and weaknesses are. The book explains why even small changes in GDP can decide elections, influence major political decisions, and determine whether countries can keep borrowing or be thrown into recession. The book ends by making the case that GDP was a good measure for the twentieth century but is increasingly inappropriate for a twenty-first-century economy driven by innovation, services, and intangible goods.
The Future of the Professions : How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts - Thryft
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This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the impact of technology on traditional professions. It offers both a thought-provoking analysis of the problems with our current professional systems and a vision for how technology can provide new solutions to them. The authors provide numerous real-world examples and case studies to illustrate their points, and their five proposed models for the future of professional expertise offer a valuable starting point for policymakers and innovators alike.
An Introduction To Political Philosophy - Thryft
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What would life be like without the state? What justifies the state? Who should rule? How much liberty should the citizen enjoy? How should property be justly distributed? This book examines the central problems involved in political philosophy and the past attempts to respond to theseproblems. Jonathan Wolff looks at the works of Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, and Rawls (among others), examining how the debates between philosophers have developed, and searching for possible answers to these provocative questions. His final chapter looks at more recent issues,particularly feminist political theory.
Sacred and Secular : Religion and Politics Worldwide - Thryft
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Seminal nineteenth-century thinkers predicted that religion would gradually fade in importance with the emergence of industrial society. The belief that religion was dying became the conventional wisdom in the social sciences during most of the twentieth century. The traditional secularization thesis needs updating, however, religion has not disappeared and is unlikely to do so. Nevertheless, the concept of secularization captures an important part of what is going on. This book develops a theory of existential security. It demonstrates that the publics of virtually all advanced industrial societies have been moving toward more secular orientations during the past half century, but also that the world as a whole now has more people with traditional religious views than ever before. This second edition expands the theory and provides new and updated evidence from a broad perspective and in a wide range of countries. This confirms that religiosity persists most strongly among vulnerable populations, especially in poorer nations and in failed states. Conversely, a systematic erosion of religious practices, values, and beliefs has occurred among the more prosperous strata in rich nations.
The Death of Expertise : The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters - Thryft
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Technology and increasing levels of education have exposed people to more information than ever before. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise shows how this rejection of experts has occurred: the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine, among other reasons. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. When ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy or, in the worst case, a combination of both. An update to the 2017breakout hit, the paperback edition of The Death of Expertise provides a new foreword to cover the alarming exacerbation of these trends in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. Judging from events on the ground since it first published, The Death of Expertise issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age that is even more important today.
The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia
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If you're intrigued by the untold stories of people living on the fringes of society, "The Art of Not Being Governed" will be a revelation. It's not just a history book; it's an exploration of the human spirit's desire for autonomy. James C. Scott takes you on an odyssey through Zomia, introducing you to cultures that prioritized freedom over the constraints of statehood, a concept that challenges our understanding of civilization and governance. This book will shift your perspective and offer a deep dive into the lives of those who chose to exist outside the state's reach.
Legal Secrets					Equality and Efficiency in the Common Law - Thryft
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If you're intrigued by the intersection of law and morality, "Legal Secrets" is a compelling choice that challenges conventional wisdom. Scheppele doesn't just dissect legal decisions—she delves into the principles of equality shaping them, offering an alternative to the dry economic view of law. It's an intellectually engaging read that invites you to reconsider the moral underpinnings of judicial reasoning and the legitimacy of the law itself.
Modern Feminisms : Political, Literary, Cultural - Thryft
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This is the first comprehensive collection of feminist politics and writings by the most influential feminists of the twentieth century, with a full glossary of key terms, section introductions, and entries on individual writers. Contributors include Simone de Beauvoir, Catharine A. MacKinnon, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Betty Friedan, Gayle Rubin, Laura Mulvey, Elaine Showalter, and Julia Kristeva.Modern Feminisms covers key feminist ideas and perspectives on the family, sexuality, work, education, patriarchy, race, language, culture, and representation, and provides a persepective on the variety of modern feminisms that have emerged in the twentieth century.
Beccaria: 'On Crimes and Punishments' and Other Writings - Thryft
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If you're intrigued by the underpinnings of modern justice systems and enjoy delving into philosophical texts, you'll find Beccaria's work compelling. This book uncovers the tapestry of Enlightenment thought, showcasing how ideas about punishment, politics, and human motivation intertwine. It breathes life into historical concepts that still echo in current debates on law and order, making it a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the evolution of societal norms and governance.
The Human Condition - Thryft
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A work of striking originality bursting with unexpected insights, The Human Condition is a in many respects more relevant now than when it first appeared in 1958. In her study of the state of modern humanity, Hannah Arendt considers humankind from the perspective of the actions of which it is capable. The problems Arendt identified then--diminishing human agency and political freedom; the paradox that as human powers increase through technological and humanistic inquiry, we are less equipped to control the consequences of our actions—continue to confront us today.
Seeing Like a State : How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed - Thryft
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This book provides a fascinating analysis of how state-led planning can lead to disastrous consequences. It highlights the importance of local knowledge and bottom-up approaches to problem-solving, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the limitations of top-down planning. With a clear and accessible writing style, Seeing Like a State offers an insightful critique of government-led initiatives and their impact on society and the environment.
Capitalism without Capital : The Rise of the Intangible Economy - Thryft
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This book is perfect for business owners, investors, and policymakers who want to understand the growing importance of intangible assets and how it impacts economic changes. The authors explain the economic characteristics of intangible investment and how it's different from tangible investment. They also provide insightful strategies for utilizing an intangible age to grow businesses, portfolios, and economies.
The Two Cultures - Thryft
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C.P. Snow, Stefan Collini  | Cambridge University Press

The Two Cultures

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The notion that our society, its education system and its intellectual life, is characterised by a split between two cultures—the arts or humanities on one hand, and the sciences on the other—has a long history. But it was C. P. Snow's Rede lecture of 1959 that brought it to prominence and began a public debate that is still raging in the media today. This 50th anniversary printing of The Two Cultures and its successor piece, A Second Look (in which Snow responded to the controversy four years later) features an introduction by Stefan Collini, charting the history and context of the debate, its implications and its afterlife. The importance of science and technology in policy run largely by non-scientists, the future for education and research, and the problem of fragmentation threatening hopes for a common culture are just some of the subjects discussed.
Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed - Thryft
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Compulsory ujamaa villages in Tanzania, collectivization in Russia, Le Corbusier’s urban planning theory realized in Brasilia, the Great Leap Forward in China, agricultural "modernization" in the Tropics—the twentieth century has been racked by grand utopian schemes that have inadvertently brought death and disruption to millions. Why do well-intentioned plans for improving the human condition go tragically awry?In this wide-ranging and original book, James C. Scott analyzes failed cases of large-scale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields. Centrally managed social plans misfire, Scott argues, when they impose schematic visions that do violence to complex interdependencies that are not—and cannot—be fully understood. Further, the success of designs for social organization depends upon the recognition that local, practical knowledge is as important as formal, epistemic knowledge. The author builds a persuasive case against "development theory" and imperialistic state planning that disregards the values, desires, and objections of its subjects. He identifies and discusses four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society by the state; a "high-modernist ideology" that places confidence in the ability of science to improve every aspect of human life; a willingness to use authoritarian state power to effect large- scale interventions; and a prostrate civil society that cannot effectively resist such plans.
Social Justice in the Liberal State - Thryft
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Bruce A. Ackerman | Yale University Press

Social Justice in the Liberal State

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Certain to become the most important work in political theory since John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, this book presents a brilliantly original, compelling vision of a just society-a world in which each of us may live his own life in his own way without denying the same right to others. Full of provocative discussions of issues ranging from education to abortion, it makes fascinating reading for anyone concerned with the future of the liberal democratic state.
The Death of Expertise : The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters - Thryft
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"The Death of Expertise" is a must-read for those who seek an understanding of the current state of modern democracy and the role expertise plays within it. Tom Nichols delves into the societal gains that have enabled the surge in misguided intellectual egalitarianism, which has in turn, produced an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. Nichols' warning of the danger that the rejection of expertise poses on modern democracy is both insightful and thought-provoking. It is a call to action for each of us to question what we "know" and to regain an appreciation for the value of expertise.
A Theory of Justice : Original Edition - Thryft
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A must-read for scholars of political theory. Rawls's theory of "justice as fairness" is a powerful alternative to utilitarianism, advocating for the inviolability of basic rights and liberties of citizens. This original edition, though not the definitive statement of Rawls's view, is still widely referenced and a must-read for serious students of Rawls's work.
GDP : A Brief but Affectionate History - Revised and expanded Edition - Thryft
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 横扫各类财经图书殊荣。《华尔街日报》年度十大好书/《金融时报》及麦肯锡年度商业类佳作/世界商业图书Axiom Business大奖/《Choice》年度商业杰作…… 全球政商界精英连袖推荐。经济合合与发展组织秘书长安赫尔·古里亚,前英国央行行长默文·金,前美国白宫经济政策主任托德·布赫霍尔茨,美国经济学泰斗泰勒·柯文,高收益债券教头马丁·弗里德森,发展经济学先驱赛尔奎因,日本经济研究中心特别顾问、前任会长小岛明,《卧底经济学》作者蒂姆·哈福德,英国经济学家约翰·凯,投资分析专家约翰·莫尔丁等。强烈推荐 英国经济学巨擘、BBC副主席黛安娜·科伊尔力透纸背之作 一天读完300年发展史,让你透彻洞悉GDP如何深度影响每个人的生活随着中国经济体积的日益庞大,GDP的增长速度日益进入“L”型轨道。历史上有哪些国家曾经历过这种类似的局面,其政府...(展开全部)
Slowdown : The End of the Great Acceleration?and Why It's Good for the Planet, the Economy, and Our Lives - Thryft
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The end of our high-growth world was underway well before COVID-19 arrived. In this powerful and timely argument, Danny Dorling demonstrates the benefits of a larger, ongoing societal slowdown Drawing from an incredibly rich trove of global data, this groundbreaking book reveals that human progress has been slowing down since the early 1970s. Danny Dorling uses compelling visualizations to illustrate how fertility rates, growth in GDP per person, and even the frequency of new social movements have all steadily declined over the last few generations.   Perhaps most surprising of all is the fact that even as new technologies frequently reshape our everyday lives and are widely believed to be propelling our civilization into new and uncharted waters, the rate of technological progress is also rapidly dropping. Rather than lament this turn of events, Dorling embraces it as a moment of promise and a move toward stability, and he notes that many of the older great strides in progress that have defined recent history also brought with them widespread warfare, divided societies, and massive inequality.
The Logic of Practice - Thryft
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Our usual representations of the opposition between the "civilized" and the "primitive" derive from willfully ignoring the relationship of distance our social science sets up between the observer and the observed. In fact, the author argues, the relationship between the anthropologist and his object of study is a particular instance of the relationship between knowing and doing, interpreting and using, symbolic mastery and practical mastery―or between logical logic, armed with all the accumulated instruments of objectification, and the universally pre-logical logic of practice. In this, his fullest statement of a theory of practice, Bourdieu both sets out what might be involved in incorporating one's own standpoint into an investigation and develops his understanding of the powers inherent in the second member of many oppositional pairs―that is, he explicates how the practical concerns of daily life condition the transmission and functioning of social or cultural forms. The first part of the book, "Critique of Theoretical Reason," covers more general questions, such as the objectivization of the generic relationship between social scientific observers and their objects of study, the need to overcome the gulf between subjectivism and objectivism, the interplay between structure and practice (a phenomenon Bourdieu describes via his concept of the habitus ), the place of the body, the manipulation of time, varieties of symbolic capital, and modes of domination. The second part of the book, "Practical Logics," develops detailed case studies based on Bourdieu's ethnographic fieldwork in Algeria. These examples touch on kinship patterns, the social construction of domestic space, social categories of perception and classification, and ritualized actions and exchanges. This book develops in full detail the theoretical positions sketched in Bourdieu's Outline of a Theory of Practice . It will be especially useful to readers seeking to grasp the subtle concepts central to Bourdieu's theory, to theorists interested in his points of departure from structuralism (especially fom Lévi-Strauss), and to critics eager to understand what role his theory gives to human agency. It also reveals Bourdieu to be an anthropological theorist of considerable originality and power.
The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts
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If you're both intrigued and perhaps a bit concerned about how AI and technology will reshape the job landscape, "The Future of the Professions" is a crucial read. It's not just speculation; the Susskinds back their views with solid research across various fields, making it a thought-provoking analysis for anyone interested in the intersection of work, technology, and society. This book might change how you view your job's future, and it's a fascinating roadmap of what to expect as we tread into an increasingly automated world.
Political Liberalism - Thryft
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Professor John Rawls | Columbia University Press

Political Liberalism

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Revising and continuing the idea of justice and fairness in A Theory of Justice, Rawls poses the question of how a stable and just society of free and equal citizens can live in concord when deeply divided by reasonable and incompatible doctrines. With its distinctive form of liberalism----resting on an idea of free public reason---- Political Liberalism yields new insights into the question of justice in our pluralistic society.
Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter
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If you're keen on examining tough ethical dilemmas and philosophies that apply to everyday life, "Ethics in the Real World" by Peter Singer could be an illuminating read. It's a collection that tackles contemporary issues with a sharp and controversial perspective, promising to engage your moral compass and potentially shift your stance on various subjects. As a thinker unafraid to challenge societal norms, Singer's concise essays invite you to ponder deeply about what really matters in the world.
Multicultural Education, Critical Pedagogy, and the Politics of Difference - Thryft
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This book analyzes the intersection of multicultural education and critical pedagogy to challenge oppressive social relations. With 480 pages of thought-provoking content, it is a great read for educators interested in embracing diversity through critical teaching.
The Global City : New York, London, Tokyo - Thryft
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The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which New York, London, and Tokyo transformed into global cities. It highlights the interdependence and transnational networks that link these cities in the new millennium, making it a valuable resource for those interested in urbanization and globalization. Additionally, the revised edition's updated data and analysis of global trends make it an up-to-date reference.
The Theory of Incentives : The Principal-Agent Model - Thryft
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Economics has much to do with incentives--not least, incentives to work hard, to produce quality products, to study, to invest, and to save. Although Adam Smith amply confirmed this more than two hundred years ago in his analysis of sharecropping contracts, only in recent decades has a theory begun to emerge to place the topic at the heart of economic thinking. In this book, Jean-Jacques Laffont and David Martimort present the most thorough yet accessible introduction to incentives theory to date. Central to this theory is a simple question as pivotal to modern-day management as it is to economics What makes people act in a particular way in an economic or business situation? In seeking an answer, the authors provide the methodological tools to design institutions that can ensure good incentives for economic agents.This book focuses on the principal-agent model, the "simple" situation where a principal, or company, delegates a task to a single agent through a contract--the essence of management and contract theory. How does the owner or manager of a firm align the objectives of its various members to maximize profits? Following a brief historical overview showing how the problem of incentives has come to the fore in the past two centuries, the authors devote the bulk of their work to exploring principal-agent models and various extensions thereof in light of three types of information adverse selection, moral hazard, and non-verifiability. Offering an unprecedented look at a subject vital to industrial organization, labor economics, and behavioral economics, this book is set to become the definitive resource for students, researchers, and others who might find themselves pondering what contracts, and the incentives they embody, are really all about.
From Market-Places to a Market Economy: The Transformation of Rural Massachusetts, 1750-1850 - Thryft
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If you're intrigued by economic history, Winifred Rothenberg's "From Market-Places to a Market Economy" will provide you with a fascinating deep dive into how early American economies at the local level transitioned and grew without the factors we typically associate with economic development. It challenges traditional views and provides a meticulous analysis that could change how you understand economic growth within agricultural communities.
Restless Giant : The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore - Thryft
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James T. Patterson | Oxford University Press, Usa

Restless Giant : The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore

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Restless Giant is a well-researched and detailed account of the political and cultural changes in America from the 1970s to 2000. It offers a nuanced perspective on the "culture wars" and the country's relationship with the world, as well as highlighting the progress made in areas such as civil rights. This book could be a good read for history buffs and anyone interested in understanding the recent past and present-day America.
Orientations : Mapping Studies in the Asian Diaspora - Thryft
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Kandice Chuh, Karen Shimakawa  | Duke University Press Books

Orientations : Mapping Studies in the Asian Diaspora

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Orientations offers insightful perspectives on the intersections of Asian diaspora, globalization, and postcolonialism. The essays within the book delve into various issues such as the strategies of Filipino immigrants enacting an Asian American identity and the role of Asian Americans within U.S. racial politics. The contributors provide a deep understanding of the complexities of Asian diaspora in contemporary society and how race and globalization intersect with it.