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Introducing Semiotic: Its History and Doctrine (Advances In Semiotics Ser. #No. 287)
by John DeelyThis comprehensive survey of semiotics examines its development from pre-Socratic philosophy to Peirce’s Sign Theory and beyond.In Introducing Semiotics, renowned philosopher and semiotician John Deely provides a conceptual overview of the field, covering its development across centuries of Western philosophical thought. It delineates the foundations of contemporary semiotics and concretely reveals just how integral and fundamental the semiotic point of view really is to Western culture. In particular, the book bridges the gap from St. Augustine in the fifth century to John Locke in the seventeenth.The appeal of semiotics lies in its apparent ability to establish a common framework for all disciplines, a framework rooted in the understanding of the sign as the universal means of communication. With its clarity of exposition and careful use of primary sources, Introducing Semiotics is an essential text for newcomers to the subject and an ideal textbook for semiotics courses.
Introducing Shirley Braverman
by Hilma WolitzerAs World War II rages, a sixth-grader from Brooklyn battles adolescenceEven while the air-raid sirens blare, Shirley Braverman isn&’t worried. Her father is the air-raid warden for their apartment house, and she knows he will keep them safe. There is a war on the other side of the ocean, but here in Brooklyn, life goes on. People ride trolleys, they go to double features at the movies, and they cheer on the Dodgers, win or lose. Shirley is also the best speller in her school&’s sixth grade, and she has her eyes on an even bigger title: spelling champion of New York City. When she&’s not practicing, Shirley takes care of her younger brother, Theodore—a clumsy kid who&’s scared of everything that moves, and some things that don&’t. But to win the spelling bee, she will have to listen to what she&’s always telling Theodore: Believe in yourself, and don&’t be afraid. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Hilma Wolitzer, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s personal collection.
Introducing the Ancient Greeks: From Bronze Age Seafarers to Navigators of the Western Mind
by Edith Hall"Wonderful . . . a thoughtful discussion of what made [the Greeks] so important, in their own time and in ours."--Natalie Haynes, Independent The ancient Greeks invented democracy, theater, rational science, and philosophy. They built the Parthenon and the Library of Alexandria. They wrote down the timeless myths of Odysseus and Oedipus, and the histories of Leonidas's three hundred Spartans and Alexander the Great. But understanding these uniquely influential people has been hampered by their diffusion across the entire Mediterranean. Most ancient Greeks did not live in what is now Greece but in settlements scattered across Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Libya, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine. They never formed a single unified social or political entity. Acclaimed classics scholar Edith Hall's Introducing the Ancient Greeks is the first book to offer a synthesis of the entire ancient Greek experience, from the rise of the Mycenaean kingdoms of the sixteenth century BC to the final victory of Christianity over paganism in AD 391. Each of the ten chapters visits a different Greek community at a different moment during the twenty centuries of ancient Greek history. In the process, the book makes a powerful original argument: A cluster of unique qualities made the Greeks special and made them the right people, at the right time, to take up the baton of human progress. According to Herodotus, the father of history, what made all Greeks identifiably Greek was their common descent from the same heroes, the way they sacrificed to their gods, their rules of decent behavior, and their beautiful language. Edith Hall argues, however, that their mind-set was just as important as their awe-inspiring achievements. They were rebellious, individualistic, inquisitive, open-minded, witty, rivalrous, admiring of excellence, articulate, and addicted to pleasure. But most important was their continuing identity as mariners, the restless seagoing lifestyle that brought them into contact with ethnically diverse peoples in countless new settlements, and the constant stimulus to technological innovation provided by their intense relationship with the sea. Expertly researched and elegantly told, Introducing the Ancient Greeks is an indispensable contribution to our understanding of the Greeks.
Introducing Yugoslavia (Routledge Revivals)
by Lovett F. EdwardsIntroducing Yugoslavia (1954) looks at the racial and historic chequer-board of 1950s Yugoslavia, providing a fascinating insight into the social and cultural aspects of a land that few Westerners visited at the time. Avoiding politics, it provides sociocultural descriptions and historical details across a wealth of the country’s different regions.
Introduction into Diplomacy (Contributions to International Relations)
by Sabri KiçmariThe textbook is a rarity as it explores the functions of diplomacy from a practical perspective on diplomatic activity. This in-depth study redefines diplomacy, distinguishing it from conventional definitions. While the historical context of diplomacy is briefly discussed, the spotlight then turns to six diplomatic classics: Niccolo Machiavelli, Hugo Grotius, Ernest Satow, Harold Nicolson, Henry Kissinger, and Geoff R. Berridge. Thus, their brief biographies and core diplomatic tenets are revealed. Many aspects of the theories of international relations are covered, including liberalism, realism, neoliberal institutionalism, and constructivism. Diplomatic protocol is analysed as an instrument, guiding the position of political and diplomatic representatives according to the ranking system. Practical examples abound, with illustrations of protocol rules from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, China, and Kosovo. The pivotal role of language in diplomacy is discovered as a communication tool, alongside an examination of its specific significance. It also delves into public diplomacy, exploring its evolution over the three two decades, heavily influenced by media developments. The book also focuses on the establishment of sociology of diplomacy as a new independent discipline. It sheds light on the necessary scientific research procedures, both theoretical and empirical, grounded in descriptive methodologies, understanding, and sociological explanations of the diplomatic phenomena. A crucial part of the book examines the connection between diplomacy and ethics and asserts that while states naturally pursue their interests, adherence to ethical principles must remain steadfast. Finally, gain insights into the traits and characteristics of a modern diplomat as the book draws to a close.
Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications
by James Stewart Talmadge AndersonThere is an ongoing debate as to whether African American Studies is a discipline, or multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary field. Some scholars assert that African American Studies use a well-defined common approach in examining history, politics, and the family in the same way as scholars in the disciplines of economics, sociology, and political science. Other scholars consider African American Studies multidisciplinary, a field somewhat comparable to the field of education in which scholars employ a variety of disciplinary lenses-be they anthropological, psychological, historical, etc., --to study the African world experience. In this model the boundaries between traditional disciplines are accepted, and researches in African American Studies simply conduct discipline based an analysis of particular topics. Finally, another group of scholars insists that African American Studies is interdisciplinary, an enterprise that generates distinctive analyses by combining perspectives from different traditional disciplines and synthesizing them into a unique framework of analysis.
Introduction To African Civilization
by John G. Jackson John Henrik ClarkeThis work challenges all the standard approaches to the saga of African history, from the dawn of prehistory to the modern resurgent Africa of today.
An Introduction to African Politics
by Alex ThomsonThe fourth edition of An Introduction to African Politics is an ideal textbook for those new to the study of this fascinating continent. It gets to the heart of the politics of this part of the world. How is modern Africa still influenced by its colonial past? How do strong ethnic and religious identities on the continent affect government? Why has the military been so influential? How does African democracy differ from democracy in the West? These are the sorts of question tackled by the book. The result is a textbook that identifies the essential features of African politics, allowing students to grasp the recurring political patterns that have dominated this continent since independence. Key features include: Thematically organised, with individual chapters exploring issues such as colonialism, ethnicity, nationalism, religion, social class, ideology, legitimacy, authority, sovereignty and democracy. Identifies key recurrent themes such as the competitive relationships between the African state, its civil society and external interests. Contains useful boxed case studies at the end of each chapter, including: Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Somalia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe. Each chapter concludes with key terms and definitions, as well as questions and advice on further reading. This textbook is essential reading for students seeking an accessible introduction to the complex social relationships and events that characterise the politics of post-colonial Africa.
An Introduction to African Politics
by Alex ThomsonThis fully updated fifth edition of An Introduction to African Politics is an ideal textbook for those new to the study of this fascinating continent. Charting trends in government over six decades of the post-colonial era, the book tackles key questions such as: How have African states made sense of their colonial inheritance? How relevant are ethnic and religious identities? Why have some states collapsed and others prospered? Why did the one-party state fail? Why is contemporary Africa now dominated by electoral authoritarian states, and not the multi-party democracies promised in the 1990s? Key features include: thematically organised, with chapters exploring issues such as colonialism, ethnicity, nationalism, religion, social class, ideology, legitimacy, authority, sovereignty and democracy; new five-part structure makes clearer Africa’s political evolution over time; new chapter on the emergence of ‘hybrid states’ and ‘electoral authoritarianism’; more coverage of twenty-first century governance trends such as China’s impact, the changing role of the military, different uses of ‘client–patron’ networks, Western conditionality and the ‘Africa rising’ debate; colour presentation of maps, photos and data; boxed case studies including Mali, Tanzania, Nigeria, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Somalia, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tunisia and Angola; each chapter concludes with key terms and definitions, questions and further reading. An Introduction to African Politics is essential reading for students seeking an accessible introduction to the complex social relationships and events that characterise the politics of post-colonial Africa.
An Introduction to Akkadian Literature: Contexts and Content
by Alan LenziThis book initiates the reader into the study of Akkadian literature from ancient Babylonia and Assyria. With this one relatively short volume, the novice reader will develop the literary competence necessary to read and interpret Akkadian texts in translation and will gain a broad familiarity with the major genres and compositions in the language.The first part of the book presents introductory discussions of major critical issues, organized under four key rubrics: tablets, scribes, compositions, and audiences. Here, the reader will find descriptions of the tablets used as writing material; the training scribes received and the institutional contexts in which they worked; the general characteristics of Akkadian compositions, with an emphasis on poetic and literary features; and the various audiences or users of Akkadian texts. The second part surveys the corpus of Akkadian literature defined inclusively, canvasing a wide spectrum of compositions. Legal codes, historical inscriptions, divinatory compendia, and religious texts have a place in the survey alongside narrative poems, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enuma elish, and Babylonian Theodicy. Extensive footnotes and a generous bibliography guide readers who wish to continue their study.Essential for students of Assyriology, An Introduction to Akkadian Literature will also prove useful to biblical scholars, classicists, Egyptologists, ancient historians, and literary comparativists.
An Introduction to Akkadian Literature: Contexts and Content
by Alan Charles LenziThis book initiates the reader into the study of Akkadian literature from ancient Babylonia and Assyria. With this one relatively short volume, the novice reader will develop the literary competence necessary to read and interpret Akkadian texts in translation and will gain a broad familiarity with the major genres and compositions in the language.The first part of the book presents introductory discussions of major critical issues, organized under four key rubrics: tablets, scribes, compositions, and audiences. Here, the reader will find descriptions of the tablets used as writing material; the training scribes received and the institutional contexts in which they worked; the general characteristics of Akkadian compositions, with an emphasis on poetic and literary features; and the various audiences or users of Akkadian texts. The second part surveys the corpus of Akkadian literature defined inclusively, canvasing a wide spectrum of compositions. Legal codes, historical inscriptions, divinatory compendia, and religious texts have a place in the survey alongside narrative poems, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enuma elish, and Babylonian Theodicy. Extensive footnotes and a generous bibliography guide readers who wish to continue their study.Essential for students of Assyriology, An Introduction to Akkadian Literature will also prove useful to biblical scholars, classicists, Egyptologists, ancient historians, and literary comparativists.
Introduction to American Government
by Charles C. Turner Robert J. Bresler Robert J. Friedrich D. Grier Stephenson Jr.The need persists for widespread mastery of the political system John Quincy Adams once described as "the most complicated on the face of the globe." Adams was writing about two hundred years ago, and things certainly haven't gotten less complicated since then. In the early 2000s we experienced a number of political complications, including three close and contentious presidential elections that geographically and ideological divided our nation into "red" and "blue" states.
Introduction to American Government (Ninth Edition)
by Charles C. Turner D. Grier Stephenson Jr. Robert J. Bresler Robert J. FriedrichAmerican politics is a constantly changing montage of people and events, of facts and opinions. <P><P> In order to keep up with our changing environment, and to make sure students have the most up-to-date information available, each new edition of Introduction to American Government undergoes a vigorous process of fact-checking and updating. In this edition, for example, readers will find revised weblinks and readings for further study; more critical thinking questions; and discussions of the latest events in American government-such as the 2016 elections, immigration reform, conflict with ISIS, racial tensions, and important Supreme Court decisions on same-sex marriage and on the First Amendment. <P><P>In addition, each chapter contains important new material and the most current available facts and figures. This textbook is not a "theme" or point-of-view book. Aside from emphasizing the importance of politics and political involvement, the book embraces no single ideological perspective; it does not attempt to make readers Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives. <P><P> To ensure a single voice in this presentation, one author has served as general editor. The goals are knowledge of, and critical thinking about, American politics and government. Accordingly, we have designed the book to encourage students to engage the material. Passive reading is not enough. Understanding so important and complex a subject necessitates active intellectual involvement.
An Introduction to America's Music
by Richard Crawford Larry HamberlinRichard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin show how the lively interactions between the folk, popular, and classical spheres have made American music resonate with audiences around the world. Students will learn how to listen critically to eighty-eight pieces in all the major styles and genres, while gaining a clearer understanding of music's role in the history of American society, business, and technology.
An Introduction to America's Music (Third Edition)
by Richard Crawford Larry HamberlinAn ear-opening exploration of music's New World, from Puritan psalmody to Hamilton Authors Richard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin use 90 pieces to show how the lively interactions among the folk, popular, and classical spheres have made American music resonate with audiences around the world. Along the way, students gain a clearer understanding of music's role in the history of American society, business, and technology. This purchase offers access to the digital ebook only.
An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Literature (Egypt Ser.)
by E. A. Wallis BudgeA superb cross-section of literature produced over 4,000 years ago, translated by the author and including extracts from The Book of the Dead, legends of the gods, historical and autobiographical literature, tales of travel and adventure, fairy tales, moral and philosophical literature, poetical compositions, and much more.
Introduction to Aristotle
by Aristotle Richard P. MckeonThis Introduction to Aristotle is a presentation in which Aristotle is permitted to speak for himself in the context of a sketched scheme of the relation of what he says in one treatise to what he says elsewhere. The seven introductions which precede these seven works place them in their contexts by describing their relations to other works or parts of works, their place in the scheme of the Aristotelian sciences, and the fashion in which the subjects treated in the sciences they expound may be considered in the approaches proper to other sciences in the system.
Introduction to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (Palgrave Philosophy Today)
by Pavlos KontosThis book provides a balanced and accessible introduction to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. It carefully and comprehensively follows the thread of Aristotle’s argument and sheds light on topics that all too often receive little attention or are entirely ignored in the existing textbooks (such as self-control, legislative science and the legislator, the life of the money-maker, craft-knowledge, comprehension, and beastliness).Its objective is not only to offer an academically reliable presentation of Aristotle’s Ethics but to also defend Aristotle’s main tenets—or, at least, to present them in their most defensible form.It places the Nicomachean Ethics within the study of ethics generally; students are invited to understand Aristotle’s claims in the light of, or in contrast to, other ethical theories or their own intuitions about ethical matters.It follows the reader of the Nicomachean Ethics in action, registering questions, expectations and progress within an insightful exegesis of Aristotle's philosophical argument. It is replete with pedagogical tools including examples from our concrete everyday experience, paintings, films, and literature, end of chapter summaries, internet resources, suggestions for further reading, study questions, and essay questions.
An Introduction to Attribution Processes (Psychology Revivals)
by Kelly G. ShaverWhy do people act the way they do? How do their desires and fears become known to us? When are our opinions of others correct, and when are they likely to be mistaken? These are questions which attribution theory tries to answer. Originally published in 1975, this title provides an informal introduction to the field of attribution, with the theoretical principles and issues illustrated in everyday examples. The origins of current attribution theory are outlined, and models of the inference process are examined. The intellectual debt owed to social psychology by the attribution theory is acknowledged, and an exploration of the interpersonal and social consequences of attribution is included.
Introduction to Black Studies (4th Edition)
by Maulana KarengaA comprehensive textbook that covers Black/African American studies across a variety of academic disciplines.
Introduction to Byzantium, 602–1453
by Jonathan HarrisIntroduction to Byzantium, 602–1453 provides students with an accessible guide to medieval Byzantium. Beginning with the near collapse of Byzantium in the seventh century, the book traces its survival and development through to its absorption by the Ottoman empire. As well as having an overall political narrative, the chapters cover a wide range of topics including society and economy, art and architecture, literature and education, military tactics and diplomacy, gender and education. They also explore themes that remain prominent and highly debated today, including relations between Islam and the West, the impact of the Crusades, the development of Russia, and the emergence of Orthodox Christianity. Comprehensively written, each chapter provides an overview of the particular period or topic, a summary of the ongoing historiographical debates, primary source material textboxes, further reading recommendations and a ‘points to remember’ section. Introduction to Byzantium, 602–453 provides students with a thorough introduction to the history of Byzantium and equips them with the tools to write successful analytical essays. It is essential reading for any student of the history of the Byzantine empire.
An Introduction to Capitalism
by Paul SwansonEmbedded in an historical account of the development of U.S. capitalism up to the present day, this book gives the reader a thorough description of the major aspects of the U.S. economy, as well as a theoretical understanding of the overall economy. A particular focus of this book is how free markets work in capitalism and the interrelationship between markets and the government. Of particular interest in the current economic situation is the question of what can the government do to get the economy going again. Underlying the standard economics text today is the fundamental belief that leaving markets as free as possible will lead to the ideal economy. Directly opposing this approach, this book takes a critical stance toward free markets. Rather than viewing markets as the ideal solution to almost all economic problems, this book argues that markets are not always the answer. On the contrary, they are often the problem, and must be corrected by government action. Related to this critical stance, and in a further departure from current economics texts, this book takes an explicitly Keynesian approach to the macro-economy. Rejecting the free market approach which dominates both micro- and macro-economics today, this book offers a fresh perspective on economics and the economy today.
Introduction to Chinese Culture: Cultural History, Arts, Festivals And Rituals
by Lianhua Xu Yanhui Chen Guobin XuPromoting cultural understanding in a globalized world, this text is a key tool for students interested in understanding the fundamentals of Chinese culture. Written by a team of experts in their fields, it offers a comprehensive and detailed introduction to Chinese culture and addresses the fundamentals of Chinese cultural and social development. It notably considers Chinese traditional culture, medicine, arts and crafts, folk customs, rituals and etiquette, and is a key read for scholars and students in Chinese Culture, History and Language.
Introduction to Chinese Economy (Introduction to China's S&T Innovation)
by Hongbing Ouyang Yaqing Liu Xiaofeng ZhaoThe original version of this book is a bilingual book for international students and overseas readers, which is included in the “Introduction to China’s S&T Innovation”, a project funded by the Hubei Provincial Public Welfare Academic Publication Special Funds in 2024. The book consists of 14 chapters. Based on the introduction of the historical foundation and natural conditions of China's economic development, it introduces the history of China's economic development in stages such as before 1949, 1949-1978, after 1978, and the new period; and then in the form of special topics it discusses China's opening up to the outside world and international trade , rural reform and agricultural modernization, reform of the state-owned enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, industrialization and urbanization, and reform of the state-owned enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, industrialization process and urban development, macro-economic policy and fiscal and taxation system, and the reform and establishment of modern financial system; and finally, it introduces the economic development model with Chinese characteristics, the development concept and development pattern in the new era. The book explains the policy background and internal logic of China's economic growth, reflects the achievements and experience of China's economic reform, and tells the world the story of China's economic miracle in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand manner.
Introduction to Chinese Embroidery (Understanding China)
by Hongfu LiThis book provides a comprehensive introduction to Chinese embroidery, including its history, styles in different regions, patterns, techniques, and its appreciation. It serves as the first guidebook in the international community for scholars, students either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, artists, and other interested general audience to get a bird’s-eye view of Chinese embroidery. Through this book, readers will not only acquire a general understanding of this brilliant folk art, but also be carried away by the sophistication and exquisiteness of a legion of embroidery works created by Chinese artists.