The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates is an accessible history of the Near East from c.600 to 1050 AD, the period in which Islamic society was formed. Beginning with the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islam, Hugh Kennedy goes on to explore the great Arab conquests of the seventh century and the golden age of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates when the world of Islam was politically and culturally far more developed than the West. The crisis of the tenth century put an end to the political unity of the Muslim world and saw the emergence of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt and independent dynasties in the Eastern Islamic world. The book concludes with the advent of Seljuk Turkish rule in the mid-eleventh century. This new edition is fully updated to take into account recent research and there are two entirely new chapters covering the economic background during the period, and the north-east of Iran in the post Abbasid period. Based on extensive reading of the original Arabic sources, Kennedy breaks away from the Orientalist tradition of seeing early Islamic history as a series of ephemeral rulers and pointless battles by drawing attention to underlying long-term social and economic processes. The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates deals with issues of continuing and increasing relevance in the twenty-first century, when it is, perhaps, more important than ever to understand the early development of the Islamic world. Students and scholars of early Islamic history will find this book a clear, informative and readable introduction to the subject.
This travelogue and itinerary guide uses one couple's campervan tour through 42 European countries to help readers make the most out of a European adventure.Europe to go! Authors Steffi Rickenbacher and Lui Eigenmann take you onan unforgettable tour through Europe. The book shows a journey through 42 countries on the continent in a campervan the authors retrofittedthemselves. On the Road by Campervan tells of breathtaking towns and cities, varied natural landscapes, and unforgettable encounters. The book includes a daily travelogue of visits to every country on the European continent; contact and itinerary information and reviews for every restaurant, campground, and accommodation visited; over 270 color images of destinations, amusements, international cuisine, and the campervan itself; a guide to selecting and customizing one's own campervan; helpful travel tips; easy-to-follow routes that can be subdivided into country or region of choice; and valuable advice for anyone traveling through Europe, even if not in a campervan, because the venues on their itineraries can be included in anyone's trip.Deserts, glaciers, hot springs, or impressive cities: easy-to-followroutes make it possible for any camper fan to make the most out ofEurope! The result in an inspirational and practical book for all Europeexplorers and all those who wish to become one. This travelogue and itinerary guide uses one couple's campervan tour through 42 European countries to help readers make the most out of a European adventure. Autorid: Stephanie Rickenbacher, Lui Eigenmann
"An extraordinary book."---Arthur C. Clarke Space was one of the most fiercely fought battlegrounds of the Cold War, the Moon its ultimate beachhead. In this dual autobiography, "Apollo 15" commander David Scott and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first man to ever walk in space, recount their exceptional lives and careers spent on the cutting edge of science and space exploration--and their participation in the greatest technological race ever--to land a man on the Moon. With each mission fraught with perilous tasks, and each space program touched by tragedy, these parallel tales of adventure and heroism read like a modern-day thriller. Cutting fast between their differing recollections, this book reveals, in a very personal way, the drama of one of the most ambitious contests ever embarked on by man, set against the conflict that once held the world in suspense: the clash between Communism and Western democracy. Through the men's memoirs, their courage, passion for exploration, and determination to push themselves to the limit, emerge not only through their triumphs but also through their perseverance in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger. ""Two Sides of the Moon" is unique among space histories. If you are looking for a balanced, interesting, and personal account of the American and Soviet space programs during the 1960s and 1970s this is it."---"Astronomy "magazine""
Celebrate thirty years of a classic picture book by one of today's most celebrated author-illustrators! A special anniversary edition.Hannah loves gorillas and longs to see a real one. Unfortunately, her father is always too busy - or too tired - to take her to the zoo. But on the night before her birthday, something extraordinary happens and Hannah's wish finally comes true. Anthony Browne's classic story of a girl's moonlit night of adventure, courtesy of a surprising and kindly friend, returns in a larger trim size with striking cover art by the artist for the book's thirtieth anniversary.
Clear English Pronunciation provides students with the tools to effectively communicate in English without centring solely on native-speaker pronunciation models. The focus of the book is on individual pronunciation targets rather than a one-si
"Maintaining good business leadership in a world of rapidly changing expectations levied by customers, investors, society, governments and employees is a challenge. These stakeholders are increasingly making choices about if or how they support businesses - through the purchase of their products and services, shareholdings and financing, regulatory approvals, and even experiences working for them - based on not just what a business does, but how it does it. We are seeing shifts in stakeholder sentiments that manifest in a greater expectation that businesses work with society in addressing society's contemporary concerns. This greater good that businesses bring is rewarded by a greater brand awareness, connection and loyalty, which in turn provides businesses with an underlying strategic advantage over the competition with its customers, investors and other stakeholders. But this greater good cannot be faked with PR and bought media; in an increasingly connected world populated by an increasingly savvy millennial stakeholder base, authentic leadership and its ability to effect cultural shifts in the DNA of businesses is essential. Failure to do so will likely result in shorter and less successful tenures of Board members and C-suite leaders as this business trend spreads. This book looks at how the emerging generation of leaders must change paradigms and transform their employees to do more than just operate a business. It examines how to effect culture shifts that are necessary to innovate businesses so that they simultaneously meet market needs while meeting stakeholder expectations on concerns as varied as ethical business conduct, labor practices, climate change, responsible use of diminishing natural resources and contribution to socio-economic challenges in their market catchments. These are perspectives and skills that are still glossed over, by academic and professional institutions, as they develop the leaders of the future. Essentially, this book: Articulates the strategic business case for doing good in a good business; the why, and where this trajectory is leading Provides strategies to lead authentically on the array of issues that provide key stakeholders - customers, investors, governments and employees - with a greater reason to engage with and build loyalty to the business Provides strategies to energize and spark innovation among his/her employees in an organization on these issues so that transformative power is harnessed"-- Maintaining good business leadership in a world of rapidly changing expectations levied by customers, investors, society, governments and employees is a challenge. These stakeholders are increasingly making choices about if or how they support businesses through the purchase of their products and services, shareholdings and financing, regulatory approvals, and even experiences working for them based on not just what a business does, but how it does it. We are seeing shifts in stakeholder sentiments that manifest in a greater expectation that businesses work with society in addressing societys contemporary concerns. This greater good that businesses bring is rewarded by a greater brand awareness, connection and loyalty, which in turn provides businesses with an underlying strategic advantage over the competition with its customers, investors and other stakeholders. But this greater good cannot be faked with PR and bought media; in an increasingly connected world populated by an increasingly savvy millennial stakeholder base, authentic leadership and its ability to effect cultural shifts in the DNA of businesses is essential. Failure to do so will likely result in shorter and less successful tenures of Board members and C-suite leaders as this business trend spreads. This book looks at how the emerging generation of leaders must change paradigms and transform their employees to do more than just operate a business. It examines how to effect culture shifts that are necessary to innovate businesses so that they simultaneously meet market needs while meeting stakeholder expectations on concerns as varied as ethical business conduct, labor practices, climate change, responsible use of diminishing natural resources and contribution to socio-economic challenges in their market catchments. These are perspectives and skills that are still glossed over, by academic and professional institutions, as they develop the leaders of the future. Essentially, this book: Articulates the strategic business case for doing good in a good business; the why, and where this trajectory is leading Provides strategies to lead authentically on the array of issues that provide key stakeholders customers, investors, governments and employees with a greater reason to engage with and build loyalty to the business Provides strategies to energize and spark innovation among his/her employees in an organization on these issues so that transformative power is harnessed.
Statistics Explained, now in its fully revised Fourth Edition, is for students and researchers who wish to understand the statistical analyses used to analyse quantitative (numerical) research data in a wide range of academic disciplines, in particular, the behavioural, human and social sciences. This book explains, in a clear and informative manner, the logic of statistical analysis, in particular the null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) method. Using this method, a range of statistical tests have been devised for different types of data. Each of these tests is explained in the book by adopting a step-by-step (walkthrough) approach with a specific illustrative example. Crucially, these explanations do not require the reader to have an advanced knowledge of mathematics or statistics, but only assumes the basic mathematics which most readers will have learnt at high school. The book also examines the criticisms of NHST and introduces the reader to Bayesian statistics. As a result the reader will be able to critically evaluate the outcomes of statistical analysis both of their own work and that of others. Statistics Explains will be of great interest to students and researchers in the behavioural, human and social sciences in understanding both the outcomes of their own research and also the research reports in the academic journals. Statistics Explained, now in its fully revised Fourth Edition, is for students and researchers who wish to understand the statistical analyses used to analyse quantitative (numerical) research data in a wide range of academic disciplines, in particular, the behavioural, human and social sciences.
This book presents a new, contemporary introduction to medieval philosophy as it was practiced in all its variety in Western Europe and the Near East. It assumes only a minimal familiarity with philosophy, the sort that an undergraduate introduction to philosophy might provide, and it is arranged topically around questions and themes that will appeal to a contemporary audience. In addition to some of the perennial questions posed by philosophers, such as "Can we know anything, and if so, what?", "What is the fundamental nature of reality?", and "What does human flourishing consist in?", this volume looks at what medieval thinkers had to say, for instance, about our obligations towards animals and the environment, freedom of speech, and how best to organize ourselves politically. The book examines certain aspects of the thought of several well-known medieval figures, but it also introduces students to many important, yet underappreciated figures and traditions. It includes guidance for how to read medieval texts, provokes reflection through a series of study questions at the end of each chapter, and gives pointers for where interested readers can continue their exploration of medieval philosophy and medieval thought more generally.Key FeaturesCovers the contributions of women to medieval philosophy, providing students with a fuller understanding of who did philosophy during the Middle AgesIncludes a focus on certain topics that are usually ignored, such as animal rights, love, and political philosophy, providing students with a fuller range of interests that medieval philosophers hadGives space to non-Aristotelian forms of medieval thoughtIncludes useful features for student readers like study questions and suggestions for further reading in each chapter This book presents a new, contemporary introduction to medieval philosophy as it was practiced in all its variety in Western Europe and the Near East. It assumes only a minimal familiarity with philosophy. Autorid: Andrew W Arlig
On Vulnerability maps out an array of perspectives for critically examining the nature of vulnerability, its unequal patterning across different social groups, alongside the everyday social processes that render us vulnerable interactions, identity and group dynamics. Each chapter equips the reader with a particular sensitising framework for navigating and questioning what it means to be vulnerable or how people cope amid vulnerability. From deviance, stigma and the spoiling or fracturing of identity, to perspectives such as intersectionality, risk, emotions and the vulnerable body, the book traces the theoretical roots of these different analytical lenses, before applying these through illuminating examples and case studies. Drawing on scholarship across more interpretative, analytic and critical traditions, the chapters combine into a multi-dimensional toolkit which will enable the study of the cultural meanings of vulnerability, the political-economic factors that shape its patterning, with a critical sensibility for unlearning many assumptions, therefore challenging our sense of who is, or who can be, vulnerable. This book is designed to equip undergraduate and post-graduate students and researchers across the social, health and human sciences, aiding them as they study and question the experiences and structures of vulnerability in our social world. Autorid: Patrick Brown
