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Holy Tears, Holy Blood - Richard D. E. Burton - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Holy Tears, Holy Blood - Richard D. E. Burton - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In Holy Tears, Holy Blood, Richard D. E. Burton continues his investigation of Catholic France from Revolution to Liberation. From his focus in Blood in the City on public demonstrations of the cultural power of Catholicism, he now turns to more private rituals, those codes of conduct that shaped the interior lives of French Catholic women and determined their artistic and social presentation. "Here there is rather less blood, and considerably more weeping," Burton says. In portraits of eleven women, including Simone Weil and Sainte Thèrése, he traces the lasting power of particular expressions of suffering and sacrifice. How, Burton asks, does a rapidly modernizing society accommodate the cultural-historical legacy of religious belief, in particular the extreme conservative beliefs of ultramontane Catholicism? Burton pays particular attention to the doctrine of "vicarious suffering," whereby an individual suffers for the redemption of others, and to certain extreme forms of religious experience including stigmatization, self-starvation, visions, and apparitions.

DKK 623.00
1

The Two-headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels - Jan Bondeson - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Two-headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels - Jan Bondeson - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

A successor to his popular book A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities, this new collection of essays by Jan Bondeson illustrates various anomalies of human development, the lives of the remarkable individuals concerned, and social reactions to their extraordinary bodies.Bondeson examines historical cases of dwarfism, extreme corpulence, giantism, conjoined twins, dicephaly, and extreme hairiness; his broader theme, however, is the infinite range of human experience. The dicephalous Tocci brothers and Lazarus Colloredo (from whose belly grew his malformed conjoined twin), the Swedish giant, and the king of Poland''s dwarf—Bondeson considers these individuals not as "freaks" but as human beings born with sometimes appalling congenital deformities.He makes full use of original French, German, Dutch, Polish, and Scandinavian sources and explores elements of ethnology, literature, and cultural history in his diagnoses. Heavily illustrated with woodcuts, engravings, oil paintings, and photographs, The Two-Headed Boy and Other Medical Marvels combines a scientist''s scrutiny with a humanist''s wonder at the endurance of the human spirit. Contents: The Two Inseparable Brothers, and a PrefaceThe Hairy Maid at the HarpsichordThe Stone-childThe Woman Who Laid an EggThe Strangest Miracle in the WorldSome Words about Hog-faced GentlewomenHorned HumansThe Biddenden MaidsThe Tocci Brothers, and Other DicephaliThe King of Poland''s CourtDwarf Daniel Cajanus, the Swedish GiantDaniel Lambert, the Human ColossusCat-eating Englishmen and French Frog-swallowers

DKK 422.00
1

The Two-headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels - Jan Bondeson - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Two-headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels - Jan Bondeson - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

A successor to his popular book A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities, this new collection of essays by Jan Bondeson illustrates various anomalies of human development, the lives of the remarkable individuals concerned, and social reactions to their extraordinary bodies.Bondeson examines historical cases of dwarfism, extreme corpulence, giantism, conjoined twins, dicephaly, and extreme hairiness; his broader theme, however, is the infinite range of human experience. The dicephalous Tocci brothers and Lazarus Colloredo (from whose belly grew his malformed conjoined twin), the Swedish giant, and the king of Poland''s dwarf—Bondeson considers these individuals not as "freaks" but as human beings born with sometimes appalling congenital deformities.He makes full use of original French, German, Dutch, Polish, and Scandinavian sources and explores elements of ethnology, literature, and cultural history in his diagnoses. Heavily illustrated with woodcuts, engravings, oil paintings, and photographs, The Two-Headed Boy and Other Medical Marvels combines a scientist''s scrutiny with a humanist''s wonder at the endurance of the human spirit. Contents: The Two Inseparable Brothers, and a PrefaceThe Hairy Maid at the HarpsichordThe Stone-childThe Woman Who Laid an EggThe Strangest Miracle in the WorldSome Words about Hog-faced GentlewomenHorned HumansThe Biddenden MaidsThe Tocci Brothers, and Other DicephaliThe King of Poland''s CourtDwarf Daniel Cajanus, the Swedish GiantDaniel Lambert, the Human ColossusCat-eating Englishmen and French Frog-swallowers

DKK 195.00
1

Empire's Violent End - - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Empire's Violent End - - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In Empire''s Violent End , Thijs Brocades Zaalberg and Bart Luttikhuis, along with expert contributors, present comparative research focused specifically on excessive violence in Indonesia, Algeria, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kenya, and other areas during the wars of decolonization . In the last two decades, there have been heated public and scholarly debates in France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands on the violent end of empire. Nevertheless, the broader comparative investigations into colonial counterinsurgency tend to leave atrocities such as torture, execution, and rape in the margins. The editors describe how such comparisons mostly focus on the differences by engaging in "guilt ranking." Moreover, the dramas that have unfolded in Algeria and Kenya tend to overshadow similar violent events in Indonesia, the very first nation to declare independence directly after World War II. Empire''s Violent End is the first book to place the Dutch-Indonesian case at the heart of a comparison with focused, thematic analysis on a diverse range of topics to demonstrate that despite variation in scale, combat intensity, and international dynamics, there were more similarities than differences in the ways colonial powers used extreme forms of violence. By delving into the causes and nature of the abuse, Brocades Zaalberg and Luttikhuis conclude that all cases involved some form of institutionalized impunity, which enabled the type of situation in which the forces in the service of the colonial rulers were able to use extreme violence.

DKK 413.00
1

Twilight of the Titans - Paul K. Macdonald - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Twilight of the Titans - Paul K. Macdonald - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In Twilight of the Titans , Paul K. MacDonald and Joseph M. Parent examine great power transitions since 1870 to determine how declining powers choose to behave, identifying the strong incentives to moderate their behavior when the hierarchy of great powers is shifting. Challenging the conventional wisdom that such transitions push declining great powers to extreme measures, this book argues that intimidation, provocation, and preventive war are not the only alternatives to the loss of relative power and prestige. Using numerous case studies, MacDonald and Parent show how declining states tend to behave, the policy options they have, how rising states respond to those in decline, and what conditions reward particular strategic choices.

DKK 425.00
1

Black Gold and Blackmail - Rosemary A. Kelanic - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Black Gold and Blackmail - Rosemary A. Kelanic - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Black Gold and Blackmail seeks to explain why great powers adopt such different strategies to protect their oil access from politically motivated disruptions. In extreme cases, such as Imperial Japan in 1941, great powers fought wars to grab oil territory in anticipation of a potential embargo by the Allies; in other instances, such as Germany in the early Nazi period, states chose relatively subdued measures like oil alliances or domestic policies to conserve oil. What accounts for this variation? Fundamentally, it is puzzling that great powers fear oil coercion at all because the global market makes oil sanctions very difficult to enforce. Rosemary A. Kelanic argues that two variables determine what strategy a great power will adopt: the petroleum deficit, which measures how much oil the state produces domestically compared to what it needs for its strategic objectives; and disruptibility, which estimates the susceptibility of a state''s oil imports to military interdiction—that is, blockade. Because global markets undercut the effectiveness of oil sanctions, blockade is in practice the only true threat to great power oil access. That, combined with the devastating consequences of oil deprivation to a state''s military power, explains why states fear oil coercion deeply despite the adaptive functions of the market. Together, these two variables predict a state''s coercive vulnerability, which determines how willing the state will be to accept the costs and risks attendant on various potential strategies. Only those great powers with large deficits and highly disruptible imports will adopt the most extreme strategy: direct control of oil through territorial conquest.

DKK 338.00
1

The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia - Solahudin - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia - Solahudin - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Available for the first time in English, this groundbreaking book is an in-depth investigation of the development of jihadism from the earliest years of Indonesian independence in the late 1940s to the terrorist bombings of the past decade. The Indonesian journalist Solahudin shows with rare clarity that Indonesia’s current struggle with terrorism has a long and complex history. The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia is based on a remarkable array of documentary and oral sources, many of which have never before been publicly cited. Solahudin’s rigorous account fills many gaps in our knowledge of jihadist groups, how they interacted with the state and events abroad, and why they at times resorted to extreme violence, such as the 2002 Bali bombings.

DKK 287.00
1

The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia - Solahudin - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia - Solahudin - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Available for the first time in English, this groundbreaking book is an in-depth investigation of the development of jihadism from the earliest years of Indonesian independence in the late 1940s to the terrorist bombings of the past decade. The Indonesian journalist Solahudin shows with rare clarity that Indonesia’s current struggle with terrorism has a long and complex history. The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia is based on a remarkable array of documentary and oral sources, many of which have never before been publicly cited. Solahudin’s rigorous account fills many gaps in our knowledge of jihadist groups, how they interacted with the state and events abroad, and why they at times resorted to extreme violence, such as the 2002 Bali bombings.

DKK 959.00
1

War and Genocide in South Sudan - Clemence Pinaud - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

War and Genocide in South Sudan - Clemence Pinaud - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Using more than a decade''s worth of fieldwork in South Sudan, Clémence Pinaud here explores the relationship between predatory wealth accumulation, state formation, and a form of racism—extreme ethnic group entitlement—that has the potential to result in genocide. War and Genocide in South Sudan traces the rise of a predatory state during civil war in southern Sudan and its transformation into a violent Dinka ethnocracy after the region''s formal independence. That new state, Pinaud argues, waged genocide against non-Dinka civilians in 2013-2017. During a civil war that wrecked the region between 1983 and 2005, the predominantly Dinka Sudan People''s Liberation Army (SPLA) practiced ethnically exclusive and predatory wealth accumulation. Its actions fostered extreme group entitlement and profoundly shaped the rebel state. Ethnic group entitlement eventually grew into an ideology of ethnic supremacy. After that war ended, the semi-autonomous state turned into a violent and predatory ethnocracy—a process accelerated by independence in 2011. The rise of exclusionary nationalism, a new security landscape, and inter-ethnic political competition contributed to the start of a new round of civil war in 2013, in which the recently founded state unleashed violence against nearly all non-Dinka ethnic groups. Pinaud investigates three campaigns waged by the South Sudan government in 2013–2017 and concludes they were genocidal—they sought to destroy non-Dinka target groups. She demonstrates how the perpetrators'' sense of group entitlement culminated in land-grabs that amounted to a genocidal conquest echoing the imperialist origins of modern genocides. Thanks to generous funding from TOME, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.

DKK 208.00
1

History and Its Limits - Dominick Lacapra - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

History and Its Limits - Dominick Lacapra - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Dominick LaCapra''s History and Its Limits articulates the relations among intellectual history, cultural history, and critical theory, examining the recent rise of "Practice Theory" and probing the limitations of prevalent forms of humanism. LaCapra focuses on the problem of understanding extreme cases, specifically events and experiences involving violence and victimization. He asks how historians treat and are simultaneously implicated in the traumatic processes they attempt to represent. In addressing these questions, he also investigates violence''s impact on various types of writing and establishes a distinctive role for critical theory in the face of an insufficiently discriminating aesthetic of the sublime (often unreflectively amalgamated with the uncanny). In History and Its Limits, LaCapra inquires into the related phenomenon of a turn to the "postsecular," even the messianic or the miraculous, in recent theoretical discussions of extreme events by such prominent figures as Giorgio Agamben, Eric L. Santner, and Slavoj Zizek. In a related vein, he discusses Martin Heidegger''s evocative, if not enchanting, understanding of "The Origin of the Work of Art." LaCapra subjects to critical scrutiny the sometimes internally divided way in which violence has been valorized in sacrificial, regenerative, or redemptive terms by a series of important modern intellectuals on both the far right and the far left, including Georges Sorel, the early Walter Benjamin, Georges Bataille, Frantz Fanon, and Ernst Jünger. Violence and victimization are prominent in the relation between the human and the animal. LaCapra questions prevalent anthropocentrism (evident even in theorists of the "posthuman") and the long-standing quest for a decisive criterion separating or dividing the human from the animal. LaCapra regards this attempt to fix the difference as misguided and potentially dangerous because it renders insufficiently problematic the manner in which humans treat other animals and interact with the environment. In raising the issue of desirable transformations in modernity, History and Its Limits examines the legitimacy of normative limits necessary for life in common and explores the disconcerting role of transgressive initiatives beyond limits (including limits blocking the recognition that humans are themselves animals).

DKK 262.00
1

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy - Grant Havers - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy - Grant Havers - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy critically interprets Strauss''s political philosophy from a conservative perspective . Most mainstream readers of Strauss have either condemned him from the Left as an extreme right-wing opponent of liberal democracy or celebrated him from the Right as a traditional defender of Western civilization. Rejecting both portrayals, Grant N. Havers shifts the debate beyond the conventional parameters stating that Strauss was neither a man of the Far Right nor a conservative but. in fact a secular Cold War liberal. In Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy Havers contends that the most troubling implication of Straussianism is that it provides an ideological rationale for the aggressive spread of democratic values on a global basis while ignoring the preconditions that make these values possible. Concepts such as the rule of law, constitutional government, Christian morality, and the separation of church and state are not easily transplanted beyond the historic confines of Anglo-American civilization, as recent wars to spread democracy have demonstrated.

DKK 346.00
1

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy - Grant Havers - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy - Grant Havers - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy critically interprets Strauss''s political philosophy from a conservative perspective . Most mainstream readers of Strauss have either condemned him from the Left as an extreme right-wing opponent of liberal democracy or celebrated him from the Right as a traditional defender of Western civilization. Rejecting both portrayals, Grant N. Havers shifts the debate beyond the conventional parameters stating that Strauss was neither a man of the Far Right nor a conservative but. in fact a secular Cold War liberal. In Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy Havers contends that the most troubling implication of Straussianism is that it provides an ideological rationale for the aggressive spread of democratic values on a global basis while ignoring the preconditions that make these values possible. Concepts such as the rule of law, constitutional government, Christian morality, and the separation of church and state are not easily transplanted beyond the historic confines of Anglo-American civilization, as recent wars to spread democracy have demonstrated.

DKK 255.00
1

The Unfound Peace - Alexandre Sumpf - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Unfound Peace - Alexandre Sumpf - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Unfound Peace is the first book dealing with disabled former servicemen of tsarist Russia in all regards—socioeconomic status, healthcare, social reintegration into families and communities, self-representation—and the only one comparing World War I and Russian Civil War veterans. Alexandre Sumpf considers the ways disabled Great War veterans tried to live under the Bolsheviks and compares their experiences with those of the Red Army veterans who received special considerations from the new regime. Offering a history of the body and health in relation to work, The Unfound Peace also compares the situation of disabled veterans with that of disabled workers who were subject to the same demands of extreme productivity but benefited from better social protection, though they dealt with accusations that they were faking their disabilities. Sumpf''s exploration of disabled veterans, with transnational comparisons, offers the possibility of rereading the history of the first generation of Soviets through the collective and private memory of war, in the USSR and in exile.

DKK 524.00
1

Ordering Violence - Paul Staniland - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Ordering Violence - Paul Staniland - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In Ordering Violence , Paul Staniland advances a broad approach to armed politics—bringing together governments, insurgents, militias, and armed political parties in a shared framework—to argue that governments'' perception of the ideological threats posed by armed groups drive their responses and interactions. Staniland combines a unique new dataset of state-group armed orders in India, Pakistan, Burma/Myanmar, and Sri Lanka with detailed case studies from the region to explore when and how this model of threat perception provides insight into patterns of repression, collusion, and mutual neglect across nearly seven decades. Instead of straightforwardly responding to the material or organizational power of armed groups, Staniland finds, regimes assess how a group''s politics align with their own ideological projects. Explaining, for example, why governments often use extreme repression against weak groups even while working with or tolerating more powerful armed actors, Ordering Violence provides a comprehensive overview of South Asia''s complex armed politics, embedded within an analytical framework that can also speak broadly beyond the subcontinent.

DKK 959.00
1

The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust - Carolyn J. Dean - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust - Carolyn J. Dean - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

When we are confronted with images of and memoirs from the Holocaust and subsequent cases of vast cruelty and suffering, is our impulse to empathize put at risk by the possibility of becoming numb to horror? Carolyn J. Dean''s provocative new book addresses the ways we evade our failures of empathy in the face of massive suffering: Has exposure (or overexposure) to representations of pain damaged our ability to feel? Do the frequent claims that artistic representations of extreme cruelty are pornographic allow us to dodge the real issues that we must confront in attempting to come to terms with suffering? Does an excess of terror place constraints on compassion? Dean examines the very different representations of suffering found in visual media, history writing, cultural criticism, and journalism that grapple with the assumption that Americans and Western Europeans have been rendered numb and their appropriate human responses blunted by the events of the past century. The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust will be of interest to all readers concerned with contemporary "victim culture," Holocaust representation, and humanism.

DKK 959.00
1

The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust - Carolyn J. Dean - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust - Carolyn J. Dean - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

When we are confronted with images of and memoirs from the Holocaust and subsequent cases of vast cruelty and suffering, is our impulse to empathize put at risk by the possibility of becoming numb to horror? Carolyn J. Dean''s provocative new book addresses the ways we evade our failures of empathy in the face of massive suffering: Has exposure (or overexposure) to representations of pain damaged our ability to feel? Do the frequent claims that artistic representations of extreme cruelty are pornographic allow us to dodge the real issues that we must confront in attempting to come to terms with suffering? Does an excess of terror place constraints on compassion? Dean examines the very different representations of suffering found in visual media, history writing, cultural criticism, and journalism that grapple with the assumption that Americans and Western Europeans have been rendered numb and their appropriate human responses blunted by the events of the past century. The Fragility of Empathy after the Holocaust will be of interest to all readers concerned with contemporary "victim culture," Holocaust representation, and humanism.

DKK 287.00
1

Ordering Violence - Paul Staniland - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Ordering Violence - Paul Staniland - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In Ordering Violence , Paul Staniland advances a broad approach to armed politics—bringing together governments, insurgents, militias, and armed political parties in a shared framework—to argue that governments'' perception of the ideological threats posed by armed groups drive their responses and interactions. Staniland combines a unique new dataset of state-group armed orders in India, Pakistan, Burma/Myanmar, and Sri Lanka with detailed case studies from the region to explore when and how this model of threat perception provides insight into patterns of repression, collusion, and mutual neglect across nearly seven decades. Instead of straightforwardly responding to the material or organizational power of armed groups, Staniland finds, regimes assess how a group''s politics align with their own ideological projects. Explaining, for example, why governments often use extreme repression against weak groups even while working with or tolerating more powerful armed actors, Ordering Violence provides a comprehensive overview of South Asia''s complex armed politics, embedded within an analytical framework that can also speak broadly beyond the subcontinent.

DKK 317.00
1

The Marlin's Fiery Eye and Other Tales from the Extraordinary World of Marine Fishes - Joe E. Meisel - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Marlin's Fiery Eye and Other Tales from the Extraordinary World of Marine Fishes - Joe E. Meisel - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Marlin''s Fiery Eye and Other Tales from the Extraordinary World of Marine Fishes dives into the mystery and wonder of the daily lives of saltwater fishes . Joe E. Meisel introduces readers to the fascinating behaviors, remarkable adaptations, and complex life histories of the many species that call the oceans home. From the shallows, where penetrating sunlight encourages bright colors and extravagant patterns in fish, to the abyssal depths, where extreme conditions are countered in bizarre ways, this book illuminates the staggering diversity of ocean life. Discussions of unique characteristics and lifestyles are accompanied by narratives from scientists and fish lovers, with detailed illustrations throughout. Meisel also explores the challenges facing global fisheries today, connecting the book''s featured species with questions and opportunities surrounding food demand, aquaculture, and sustainability. Each fish has a story to tell in The Marlin''s Fiery Eye and Other Tales from the Extraordinary World of Marine Fishes , and through each story readers will discover an awe and a fascination for the oceanic inhabitants that we so rarely get to witness.

DKK 229.00
1

Trotsky in Norway - Oddvar Hoidal - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Trotsky in Norway - Oddvar Hoidal - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

From the moment of Lev Trotsky''s sensational and unannounced arrival in Oslo harbor in June 1935 he became the center of controversy. Although it was to be the shortest of his four exiles, this period of his life was a significant one. From Norway he increased his effort to create a Fourth International, encouraging his international followers to challenge Stalin''s dominance over world communism. In Norway Trotsky wrote his last major book, The Revolution Betrayed , in which he presented himself as the true heir to the Bolshevik Revolution, maintaining that Stalin had violated the Revolution''s ideals. His efforts to threaten Stalin from outside of Russia created international repercussions. At first, Trotsky lived peacefully, without a guard and enjoying more freedom in Norway than he experienced in any other country following his expulsion from the USSR. Then, at the first Moscow show trial of August 1936 he was accused of being an international terrorist who organized conspiracies from abroad with the intention of murdering Russian leaders and destroying the Soviet state. Wishing to maintain good relations with its powerful neighbor, the Norwegian cabinet placed Trotsky under house arrest. Internment soon followed. He became the subject of political dispute between the socialist Labor Party government that had granted him asylum and opposition parties from the extreme right to the extreme left. In the national election of October 1936 the issue appeared to threaten the very existence of Norway''s first permanent socialist administration. After the election, the Labor government was determined to expel him. No European country would allow him entry, and when Mexico proved willing to offer a final refuge, Trotsky was involuntarily dispatched under police guard to Tampico on board a Norwegian ship. Trotsky in Norway presents a fascinating account—the first complete study in English—of Trotsky''s asylum in Norway and his deportation to Mexico. Although numerous biographies of Trotsky have been published, their coverage of his Norwegian sojourn has been inadequate, and in some cases erroneous. A revised and updated edition of Hoidal''s highly regarded Norwegian study, published in 2009, this book incorporates information that has since become available. In highly readable prose, Hoidal presents new biographical details about a significant period in Trotsky''s life and sheds light on an important chapter in the history of international socialism and communism.

DKK 371.00
1

Ammianus Marcellinus and the Representation of Historical Reality - Timothy D. Barnes - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Ammianus Marcellinus and the Representation of Historical Reality - Timothy D. Barnes - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Townsend Lectures Much of what we know today of Rome in the fourth century has its source in Res Gestae, the sole surviving work of the historian Ammianus Marcellinus. The accuracy of Ammianus'' reporting has come under question over the past fifty years, however, and Timothy D. Barnes here offers new grist for skepticism. This is the first book on Ammianus to place equal emphasis on the literary and historical aspects of his writing. Barnes assesses Ammianus'' depiction of historical reality by investigating the Res Gestae''s strengths and weaknesses, as well as its literary qualities. He examines its structure and arrangement, emphasizes its Greek and pagan features, and points out the extent to which Ammianus drew on his imagination in shaping the narrative. Ammianus, raised as a Christian, became an apostate when Julian seemed to promise a return to traditional religion and values. In Res Gestae, he expressed strongly held views, often in vivid and extreme language. Barnes explores the historian''s biases and personal prejudices, documenting seemingly intentional distortions and demonstrating that Ammianus advanced a pessimistic and anti-Christian interpretation of the Roman Empire.

DKK 856.00
1

The Power of Institutions - Andrew Macintyre - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

The Power of Institutions - Andrew Macintyre - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Conventional wisdom holds that "institutions matter." Here, Andrew MacIntyre reveals exactly how they matter in the developing world. Combining an eye for current concerns in international politics with a deep knowledge of Southeast Asia, MacIntyre explores the impact of institutions on effective governance. He examines the "national political architecture"—the complex of rules that determine how leadership of a state is constituted and how state authority is exercised. The Power of Institutions sets out an intriguing conundrum: one well-established body of literature decries the evils of highly centralized political systems, while an equally vigorous school of thought outlines the dangers of political fragmentation. MacIntyre presents the problems associated with institutional extremes, common in developing countries, as the "power concentration paradox." Either extreme is likely to be associated with distinctive governance problems. MacIntyre illustrates his wider arguments by focusing on Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. He shows how their diverse political architectures influenced their responses to the Asian economic crisis and played into pressures for political reform. The Power of Institutions makes clear why the configuration of political institutions is one of the most pressing challenges in many parts of the developing world today.

DKK 287.00
1

Commuter Spouses - Danielle Lindemann - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Commuter Spouses - Danielle Lindemann - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

What can we learn from looking at married partners who live apart? In Commuter Spouses , Danielle Lindemann explores how couples cope when they live apart to meet the demands of their dual professional careers. Based on the personal stories of almost one-hundred commuter spouses, Lindemann shows how these atypical relationships embody (and sometimes disrupt!) gendered constructions of marriage in the United States. These narratives of couples who physically separate to maintain their professional lives reveal the ways in which traditional dynamics within a marriage are highlighted even as they are turned on their heads. Commuter Spouses follows the journeys of these couples as they adapt to change and shed light on the durability of some cultural ideals, all while working to maintain intimacy in a non-normative relationship. Lindemann suggests that everything we know about marriage, and relationships in general, promotes the idea that couples are focusing more and more on their individual and personal betterment and less on their marriage. Commuter spouses, she argues, might be expected to exemplify in an extreme manner that kind of self-prioritization. Yet, as this book details, commuter spouses actually maintain a strong commitment to their marriage. These partners illustrate the stickiness of traditional marriage ideals while simultaneously subverting expectations.

DKK 186.00
1

Grains from Grass - Lisa Cliggett - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Grains from Grass - Lisa Cliggett - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In her ethnography of the Gwembe Tonga people of rural Zambia, Lisa Cliggett explores what happens to kinship ties in times of famine. The Tonga, a matrilineal Bantu-speaking society, had long lived and farmed along the banks of the Zambezi River, but when the Kariba Dam was completed and the river valley was flooded in 1958, approximately 57,000 people were forcibly relocated. All of southern Africa has suffered from severe droughts in the last three decades, and the Gwembe Valley has proved particularly susceptible to failed harvests and sociopolitically and ecologically triggered crises. The work of survival for the Gwembe Tonga includes difficult decisions about how to distribute inadequate resources among family members. Physically limited elderly Tonga who rely on their kin for food and assistance are particularly vulnerable. Cliggett examines Tonga household economies and support systems for the elderly. Old men and women, she finds, use deeply gendered approaches to encourage aid from their children and fend off starvation. In extreme circumstances, often the only resources at people''s disposal are social support networks. Cliggett''s book tells a story about how people living in environmentally and economically dire circumstances manage their social and material worlds to the best of their ability, sometimes at the cost of maintaining kinship bonds—a finding that challenges Western notions of family among indigenous people, especially in rural Africa.

DKK 959.00
1

Grains from Grass - Lisa Cliggett - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Grains from Grass - Lisa Cliggett - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

In her ethnography of the Gwembe Tonga people of rural Zambia, Lisa Cliggett explores what happens to kinship ties in times of famine. The Tonga, a matrilineal Bantu-speaking society, had long lived and farmed along the banks of the Zambezi River, but when the Kariba Dam was completed and the river valley was flooded in 1958, approximately 57,000 people were forcibly relocated. All of southern Africa has suffered from severe droughts in the last three decades, and the Gwembe Valley has proved particularly susceptible to failed harvests and sociopolitically and ecologically triggered crises. The work of survival for the Gwembe Tonga includes difficult decisions about how to distribute inadequate resources among family members. Physically limited elderly Tonga who rely on their kin for food and assistance are particularly vulnerable. Cliggett examines Tonga household economies and support systems for the elderly. Old men and women, she finds, use deeply gendered approaches to encourage aid from their children and fend off starvation. In extreme circumstances, often the only resources at people''s disposal are social support networks. Cliggett''s book tells a story about how people living in environmentally and economically dire circumstances manage their social and material worlds to the best of their ability, sometimes at the cost of maintaining kinship bonds—a finding that challenges Western notions of family among indigenous people, especially in rural Africa.

DKK 262.00
1

Aggressive Fictions - Kathryn Hume - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

Aggressive Fictions - Kathryn Hume - Bog - Cornell University Press - Plusbog.dk

A frequent complaint against contemporary American fiction is that too often it puts off readers in ways they find difficult to fathom. Books such as Bret Easton Ellis''s American Psycho, Katherine Dunn''s Geek Love, and Don DeLillo''s Underworld seem determined to upset, disgust, or annoy their readers—or to disorient them by shunning traditional plot patterns and character development. Kathryn Hume calls such works "aggressive fiction." Why would authors risk alienating their readers—and why should readers persevere? Looking beyond the theory-based justifications that critics often provide for such fiction, Hume offers a commonsense guide for the average reader who wants to better understand and appreciate books that might otherwise seem difficult to enjoy. In her reliable and sympathetic guide, Hume considers roughly forty works of recent American fiction, including books by William Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Chuck Palahniuk, and Cormac McCarthy. Hume gathers "attacks" on the reader into categories based on narrative structure and content. Writers of some aggressive fictions may wish to frustrate easy interpretation or criticism. Others may try to induce certain responses in readers. Extreme content deployed as a tactic for distancing and alienating can actually produce a contradictory effect: for readers who learn to relax and go with the flow, the result may well be exhilaration rather than revulsion.

DKK 438.00
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