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Το Απίθανο Στοίχημα (Ερωτεύσου με! #1)
by Άννα ΚάτμορΤο Στοίχημα: Τρία φιλιά. Δύο από τα οποία πρέπει να τα ξεκινήσει το κορίτσι - ένα κορίτσι που έχει επιλεγεί από τους φίλους μου για μένα. Έχω κάτι λιγότερο από δυο εβδομάδες. Αν κερδίσω, θα πάρω τον πολυπόθητο ρόλο του Τριστάνου σε θεατρική παραγωγή. Αν χάσω, θα είμαι και πάλι στο έργο ..... με το χειρότερο δυνατό τρόπο. Το να παίξω την Ιζόλδη φορώντας δαντελωτά εσώρουχα είναι κάτι που δεν θα αντέξει η υπερηφάνεια μου! Είμαι σίγουρος ότι το στοίχημα είναι πανεύκολο - μέχρι που οι φίλοι μου επιλέγουν το στόχο μου. Την παράξενη κανούρια γειτόνισσα μου,την Πιπή Φακιδομύτη στα Ροζ.Έλεος! Α,και πριν το ξεχάσω - ανέφερα το ότι δεν μου επιτρέπεται να της μιλήσω; Κα-θό-λου. Προειδοποίηση:Περιέχει μερικές άκρως ξεκαρδιστικές σκηνές όπως και άκρως καυτά φιλιά που θα σας ξεσηκώσουν. Παρα&
Ο Φλογερός Της Βίκινγκ
by Aj Tipton Άννα Βάντη<P><i> This book is written in Greek. Bookshare is currently working to ensure the language of each book is properly reflected to users. </i> <P>ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΕΣ: Αυτή είναι μια σύντομη ερωτική ιστορία. Τόσο όσο πρέπει για να την ευχαριστηθείτε. <P>Ένας Βίκινγκ χιλίων ετών με μια κατάρα πάνω του. Μια δυναμική γυναίκα με άγριο πάθος. Τι θα συμβεί μόλις συναντηθούν; Χίλια χρόνια πριν, καταράστηκαν τον Μικέλ και την οικογένεια του. Ο χαρακτήρας του Βίκινγκ είναι τόσο έντονος που όταν θυμώνει…. κυριολεκτικά παίρνει φωτιά…. και έχει μάθει να ζει πια με την τραγωδία που ακολουθεί τις πράξεις του. Τώρα δουλεύει ως ειδικός κατεδαφίσεων κατά τη διάρκεια της ημέρας και ως πλέι μπόι τις νύχτες, απόμακρος και απλησίαστος συναισθηματικά. <P>Η Τζοάνα είναι μια έξυπνη, σέξι μηχανικός που στη ζωή της αντιμετώπισε σεξουαλική παρενόχληση σε όποια δουλειά βρέθηκε. Όταν εισβάλλει στη ζωή του Μικέλ, η απίστευτη έλξη ανάμεσα τους τους είναι αδιαμφισβήτητη. Αλλά μόλις τα πράγματα αρχίζουν να γίνονται έντονα, βρίσκονται μπροστά σε μια πρόκληση που κανείς τους δεν την περίμενε. Θα προχωρήσει το πάθος τους σε έρωτα και αγάπη ή θα καούν και οι δυο μέσα στις φλόγες; <P>Ο Φλογερός Της Βίκινγκ, είναι μια μικρή ερωτική ιστορία παραφυσικής φα�
Το Μυστικό - Βιβλίο 1ο - Φρικιό Μυαλού.
by Katrina Kahler Άννα ΒάντηΌταν η 12χρονη Τες μετακομίζει στην καινούρια γειτονιά, προσπαθεί να πιάσει φιλίες με το αγόρι στο διπλανό σπίτι, ένα συνομήλικο αγόρι, τον Σαμ. Η Τες δε γνωρίζει ότι ο Σαμ έχει μια υπερδύναμη που πρέπει οπωσδήποτε να την κρατήσει μυστικό. Τα άλλα παιδιά νομίζουν ότι είναι παράξενος και τον αποφεύγουν. Αλλά με τον ερχομό της Τες, όλα αλλάζουν. Όμως, ο Σαμ δεν είναι ο μόνος που ενδιαφέρεται για την Τες. Το πιο δημοφιλές αγόρι της τάξης, ο Τζέικ Κόλλινς, αρχίζει να της δίνει σημασία και έτσι ο Σαμ αποφασίζει ότι δεν έχει καμία ελπίδα. Τότε, όταν η συμπεριφορά του Τζέικ προς τον Σαμ χειροτερεύει, ο Σαμ αποφασίζει να του δώσει ένα μάθημα. Τι συμβαίνει όμως όταν ο Σαμ το παρατραβάει; Τελικά ανακαλύπτει η Τες την υπερδύναμη του;
The Principles of Sufism (Library of Arabic Literature #23)
by ʿĀʾishah al-Bāʿūniyyah'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah (d. 923/1517) of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. A mystic and prolific poet and writer, 'A'ishah composed more works in Arabic than any other woman before the twentieth century. Yet despite her extraordinary literary and religious achievements, 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyahremains largely unknown. For the first time her key work, The Principles of Sufism, is available in English translation.The Principles of Sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. She recounts the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novice’s transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both human limitations and God’s limitless love. Drawing on lessons and readings from centuries-old Sufi tradition, 'A'ishah advises the seeker to repent of selfishness and turn to a sincere life of love. In addition to his lucid translation, Th. Emil Homerin provides an insightful introduction, notes and a glossary to 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah’s remarkable account of the pursuit of mystical illumination.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
The Principles of Sufism (Library of Arabic Literature #4)
by ʿĀʾishah al-Bāʿūniyyah'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. Born into a prominent family of pious scholars and Sufi devotees, 'A'ishah received a thorough religious education and memorized the Quran at age eight. A mystic and a prolific poet and writer, she composed more works in Arabic than any other woman before the twentieth century. Yet despite her extraordinary literary and religious achievements, 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah remains largely unknown. For the first time, her key work, The Principles of Sufism, is available in English translation. The Principles of Sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. Outlining the four principles of Repentance, Sincerity, Remembrance, and Love, it traces the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novice’s transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both human limitations and God’s limitless love. Drawing on lessons and readings from centuries-old Sufi tradition, 'A'ishah advises the seeker to repent of selfishness and turn to a sincere life of love. In addition to his lucid translation, Th. Emil Homerin provides an insightful introduction, notes and a glossary to 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah’s remarkable account of the pursuit of mystical illumination. An English-only edition.
The Sword of Ambition: Bureaucratic Rivalry in Medieval Egypt (Library of Arabic Literature #38)
by ʿUthmān ibn al-NābulusīThe Sword of Ambition belongs to a genre of religious polemic written for the rulers of Egypt and Syria between the twelfth and the fourteenth centuries. Unlike most medieval Muslim polemic, the concerns of this genre were more social and political than theological. Leaving no rhetorical stone unturned, the book’s author, an unemployed Egyptian scholar and former bureaucrat named 'Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi (d. 660/1262), poured his deep knowledge of history, law, and literature into the work. Now edited in full and translated for the first time, The Sword of Ambition opens a new window onto the fascinating culture of elite rivalry in the late-medieval Islamic Middle East. It contains a wealth of little-known historical anecdotes, unusual religious opinions, obscure and witty poetry, and humorous cultural satire. Above all, it reveals that much of the inter-communal animosity of the era was conditioned by fierce competition for scarce resources that were increasingly mediated by an ideologically committed Sunni Muslim state. This insight reminds us that seemingly timeless and inevitable “religious” conflict must be considered in its broader historical perspective.The Sword of Ambition is both the earliest and most eclectic of several independent works composed in medieval Egypt against the employment of Coptic and Jewish officials, and is vivid testimony to the gradual integration of Islamic scholarship and state administration that was well underway in its day.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
The Sword of Ambition: Bureaucratic Rivalry in Medieval Egypt (Library of Arabic Literature #52)
by ʿUthmān ibn al-NābulusīPatronage, power, and competition in the Sultan’s courtThe Sword of Ambition opens a new window onto interreligious rivalry among elites in medieval Egypt. Written by the unemployed bureaucrat 'Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi, it contains a wealth of little-known historical anecdotes, unusual religious opinions, obscure and witty poetry, and humorous cultural satire. Leaving no rhetorical stone unturned, al-Nabulusi pours his deep knowledge of history, law, and literature into the work—addressed to the Ayyubid sultan—as he argues against the employment of Coptic and Jewish officials. Written at a time when much of the inter-communal animosity of the era was conditioned by fierce competition for scarce resources that were increasingly controlled by an ideologically committed Sunni Muslim state, The Sword of Ambition reminds us that “religious” conflict must always be considered in its broader historical perspective.An English-only edition.
The Essence of Reality: A Defense of Philosophical Sufism (Library of Arabic Literature #80)
by ʿAyn al-QuḍātA groundbreaking exposition of Islamic mysticismThe Essence of Reality was written over the course of just three days in 514/1120, by a scholar who was just twenty-four. The text, like its author ʿAyn al-Quḍāt, is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which that it is in all likelihood the earliest philosophical exposition of mysticism in the Islamic intellectual tradition. This important work would go on to exert significant influence on both classical Islamic philosophy and philosophical mysticism.Written in a terse yet beautiful style, The Essence of Reality consists of one hundred brief chapters interspersed with Qurʾanic verses, prophetic sayings, Sufi maxims, and poetry. In conversation with the work of the philosophers Avicenna and al-Ghazālī, the book takes readers on a philosophical journey, with lucid expositions of questions including the problem of the eternity of the world; the nature of God’s essence and attributes; the concepts of “before” and “after”; and the soul’s relationship to the body. All these discussions are seamlessly tied into ʿAyn al-Quḍāt’s foundational argument—that mystical knowledge lies beyond the realm of the intellect.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
The Essence of Reality: A Defense of Philosophical Sufism (Library of Arabic Literature)
by ʿAyn al-QuḍātA groundbreaking exposition of Islamic mysticism The Essence of Reality was written over the course of just three days in 514/1120, by a scholar who was just twenty-four. The text, like its author ʿAyn al-Quḍāt, is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which that it is in all likelihood the earliest philosophical exposition of mysticism in the Islamic intellectual tradition. This important work would go on to exert significant influence on both classical Islamic philosophy and philosophical mysticism. Written in a terse yet beautiful style, The Essence of Reality consists of one hundred brief chapters interspersed with Qurʾanic verses, prophetic sayings, Sufi maxims, and poetry. In conversation with the work of the philosophers Avicenna and al-Ghazālī, the book takes readers on a philosophical journey, with lucid expositions of questions including the problem of the eternity of the world; the nature of God’s essence and attributes; the concepts of “before” and “after”; and the soul’s relationship to the body. All these discussions are seamlessly tied into ʿAyn al-Quḍāt’s foundational argument—that mystical knowledge lies beyond the realm of the intellect.An English-only edition.
War Songs (Library of Arabic Literature #11)
by ʿAntarah ibn ShaddādPoems of love and battle by Arabia’s legendary warrior From the sixth-century highlands of Najd in the Arabian peninsula, on the eve of the advent of Islam, come the strident cries of a legendary warrior and poet. The black outcast son of an Arab father and an Ethiopian slave mother, 'Antarah ibn Shaddad struggled to win the recognition of his father and tribe. He defied social norms and, despite his outcast status, loyally defended his people. 'Antarah captured his tumultuous life in uncompromising poetry that combines flashes of tenderness with blood-curdling violence. His war songs are testaments to his life-long battle to win the recognition of his people and the hand of 'Ablah, the free-born woman he loved but who was denied him by her family. War Songs presents the poetry attributed to 'Antarah and includes a selection of poems taken from the later Epic of 'Antar, a popular story-cycle that continues to captivate and charm Arab audiences to this day with tales of its hero’s titanic feats of strength and endurance. 'Antarah’s voice resonates here, for the first time in vibrant, contemporary English, intoning its eternal truths: commitment to one’s beliefs, loyalty to kith and kin, and fidelity in love.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
The Divine Names: A Mystical Theology of the Names of God in the Qurʾan (Library of Arabic Literature)
by ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-TilimsānīA Sufi scholar’s philosophical interpretation of the names of GodThe Divine Names is a philosophically sophisticated commentary on the names of God. Penned by the seventh-/thirteenth-century North African scholar and Sufi poet ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī, The Divine Names expounds upon the one hundred and forty-six names of God that appear in the Qurʾan, including The All-Merciful, The Powerful, The First, and The Last. In his treatment of each divine name, al-Tilimsānī synthesizes and compares the views of three influential earlier authors, al-Bayhaqī, al-Ghazālī, and Ibn Barrajān.Al-Tilimsānī famously described his two teachers Ibn al-ʿArabī and al-Qūnawī as a “philosophizing mystic” and a “mysticizing philosopher,” respectively. Picking up their mantle, al-Tilimsānī merges mysticism and philosophy, combining the tenets of Akbarī Sufism with the technical language of Aristotelian, Neoplatonic, and Avicennan philosophy as he explains his logic in a rigorous and concise way. Unlike Ibn al-ʿArabī, his overarching concern is not to examine the names as correspondences between God and creation, but to demonstrate how the names overlap at every level of cosmic existence. The Divine Names shows how a broad range of competing theological and philosophical interpretations can all contain elements of the truth.An English-only edition.
Arabian Romantic: Poems on Bedouin Life and Love (Library of Arabic Literature #33)
by ʿAbdallāh ibn SbayyilLove poems from late nineteenth-century Arabia Arabian Romantic captures what it was like to live in central Arabia before the imposition of austere norms by the Wahhabi authorities in the early twentieth century: tales of robbery and hot pursuit; perilous desert crossings; scenes of exhaustion and chaos when water is raised from deep wells under harsh conditions; the distress of wounded and worn-out animals on the brink of perdition; once proud warriors who are at the mercy of their enemy on the field of battle. Such images lend poignancy to the suffering of the poet’s love-stricken heart, while also painting a vivid portrait of typical Bedouin life. Ibn Sbayyil (ca. 1853–1933), a town dweller from the Najd region of the Arabian Peninsula, was a key figure in the Nabati poetic tradition. His poetry, which is still recited today, broke with the artifice of the preceding generation by combining inherited idiom and original touches reflecting his environment. Translated into English for the first time by Marcel Kurpershoek, Arabian Romantic will delight readers with a poetry that is direct, fluent, and expressive, and that has entertained Arabic speakers for over a century.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
Arabian Romantic: Poems on Bedouin Life and Love (Library of Arabic Literature #69)
by ʿAbdallāh ibn SbayyilScenes from Arabian life at the turn of the twentieth centuryArabian Romantic captures what it was like to live in central Arabia before the imposition of austere norms by the Wahhabi authorities in the early twentieth century: tales of robbery and hot pursuit; perilous desert crossings; scenes of exhaustion and chaos when water is raised from deep wells under harsh conditions; the distress of wounded and worn-out animals on the brink of perdition; once proud warriors who are at the mercy of their enemy on the field of battle. Such images lend poignancy to the suffering of the poet’s love-stricken heart, while also painting a vivid portrait of typical Bedouin life.Ibn Sbayyil, a town dweller from the Najd region of the Arabian Peninsula, was a key figure in the Nabaṭī poetic tradition. His poetry, which is still recited today, broke with the artifice of the preceding generation by combining inherited idiom and original touches reflecting his environment. Translated into English for the first time by Marcel Kurpershoek, Arabian Romantic will delight readers with a poetry that is direct, fluent, and expressive, and that has entertained Arabic speakers for over a century.An English-only edition.
A Physician on the Nile: A Description of Egypt and Journal of the Famine Years (Library of Arabic Literature #74)
by ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-BaghdādīFlora, fauna, and famine in thirteenth-century EgyptA Physician on the Nile begins as a description of everyday life in Egypt at the turn of the seventh/thirteenth century, before becoming a harrowing account of famine and pestilence. Written by the polymath and physician ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī, and intended for the Abbasid caliph al-Nāṣir, the first part of the book offers detailed descriptions of Egypt’s geography, plants, animals, and local cuisine, including a recipe for a giant picnic pie made with three entire roast lambs and dozens of chickens. ʿAbd al-Laṭīf’s text is also a pioneering work of ancient Egyptology, with detailed observations of Pharaonic monuments, sculptures, and mummies. An early and ardent champion of archaeological conservation, ʿAbd al-Laṭīf condemns the vandalism wrought by tomb-robbers and notes with distaste that Egyptian grocers price their goods with labels written on recycled mummy-wrappings.The book’s second half relates his horrific eyewitness account of the great famine that afflicted Egypt in the years 597–598/1200–1202. ʿAbd al-Laṭīf was a keen observer of humanity, and he offers vivid first-hand depictions of starvation, cannibalism, and a society in moral free-fall.A Physician on the Nile contains great diversity in a small compass, distinguished by the acute, humane, and ever-curious mind of its author. It is rare to be able to hear the voice of such a man responding so directly to novelty, beauty, and tragedy.A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
A Physician on the Nile: A Description of Egypt and Journal of the Famine Years (Library of Arabic Literature)
by ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-BaghdādīFlora, fauna, and famine in thirteenth-century Egypt A Physician on the Nile begins as a description of everyday life in Egypt at the turn of the seventh/thirteenth century, before becoming a harrowing account of famine and pestilence. Written by the polymath and physician ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī, and intended for the Abbasid caliph al-Nāṣir, the first part of the book offers detailed descriptions of Egypt’s geography, plants, animals, and local cuisine, including a recipe for a giant picnic pie made with three entire roast lambs and dozens of chickens. ʿAbd al-Laṭīf’s text is also a pioneering work of ancient Egyptology, with detailed observations of Pharaonic monuments, sculptures, and mummies. An early and ardent champion of archaeological conservation, ʿAbd al-Laṭīf condemns the vandalism wrought by tomb-robbers and notes with distaste that Egyptian grocers price their goods with labels written on recycled mummy-wrappings. The book’s second half relates his horrific eyewitness account of the great famine that afflicted Egypt in the years 597–598/1200–1202. ʿAbd al-Laṭīf was a keen observer of humanity, and he offers vivid first-hand depictions of starvation, cannibalism, and a society in moral free-fall. A Physician on the Nile contains great diversity in a small compass, distinguished by the acute, humane, and ever-curious mind of its author. It is rare to be able to hear the voice of such a man responding so directly to novelty, beauty, and tragedy.An English-only edition.
Islam and the Secular State: Negotiating The Future Of Shari`a
by Abdullahi Ahmed Na ʻAbd Allāh NaʻīmWhat should be the place of Shari'a - Islamic religious law - in predominantly Muslim societies of the world? In this book, a Muslim scholar and human rights activist envisions a positive and sustainable role for Shari'a, based on a profound rethinking of the relationship between religion and the secular state in all societies.
Witchcraft in Romania (Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic)
by Ioan Pop-Curşeu Ștefana Pop-CurșeuThis book provides a history of witchcraft in the territories that compose contemporary Romania, with a focus on the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. The first part presents aspects of earthly justice, religious and secular, analysing the codes of law, trials and verdicts, and underlining the differences between Transylvania on one hand, and Moldavia and Wallachia on the other. The second part is concerned with divine justice, describing apocalyptic texts that talk about the pains of witches in hell, but also the ensembles of religious painting where, in vast compositions of the Last Judgment, various punishments for the sin of witchcraft are imagined.
Microwave Numerical Solutions
by Ștefan CantaragiuThis book provides rigorous mathematical models to enable understanding of the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic fields. The author also describes the configuration of real, existing propagation modes of the microwave line by means of accurate numerical methods. Coverage also includes a comprehensive introduction to microwave concepts and the design of active and passive microwave components. The interactive programs package generically named “Microwave Solutions”, available and stored in cloud repository, illustrates its modular use and implementation, and facilitates the integration of microwave components and circuits, and their applications. This book is a valuable source for anyone interested in broadening their knowledge of electromagnetism and microwave circuit design.
Lehramtsstudium mit Migrationshintergrund: Einflussfaktoren auf die Studienfachentscheidung und den Studienverlauf
by Șeyma GülenWeshalb gibt es so wenige Lehrkräfte mit Migrationshintergrund an Schulen in Deutschland? Dieses Buch liefert anhand der Analyse des Studienwahlverhaltens und des Studienerfolges von Lehramtsstudierenden mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund Antworten auf diese Frage. Die empirischen Befunde - basierend auf den NEPS Daten - zeigen, dass die Ursachen der Unterrepräsentanz von Lehrkräften mit Migrationshintergrund stärker auf die Studienwahl als auf den Studienerfolg zurückzuführen sind. Studienberechtigte mit Migrationshintergrund zeichnen sich in ihrer Berufswahl durch Merkmale aus, die die Wahl eines Nicht-Lehramtsstudienganges begünstigen. Dazu zählen unter anderem eine hohe Aufstiegsorientierung sowie Risikobereitschaft und ein bilingualer Habitus. In ihrem Studienerfolg unterscheiden sich Lehramtsstudierende mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund hingegen nicht wesentlich voneinander. Die Autorin Șeyma Gülen hat am Institut für Soziologie der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen im Bereich der Migrations- und Bildungsforschung promoviert. Derzeit arbeitet sie als wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin an der Leibniz School of Education in Hannover.
Soft Power of the European Union: Mastering the Language of Power Politics (Contributions to International Relations)
by Žygimantas JuškaThis book sheds light on the complexities of the European Union's (EU) influence in a world dominated by global power politics. Written by an EU diplomat, it explores the dynamic landscape of soft power, with a focus on key regions such as the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, Southern Neighborhood, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Presenting the economic, diplomatic, and cultural dimensions, the book critically evaluates the EU's effectiveness in shaping behavior amid intensifying global power competition. With a unique perspective gained from on-the-ground experience in Kosovo, Ukraine, and Rwanda, the author navigates the EU's responses to challenges, including Russia's hard power approach. A must-read for policymakers and diplomats, this book blends academic analysis with practical insights, offering valuable lessons and recommendations for mastering the language of power in today's global politics. Ideal for students and professionals, it provides a comprehensive explorationof EU foreign policy dynamics.
Fractional Equations and Models: Theory and Applications (Developments in Mathematics #61)
by Trifce Sandev Živorad TomovskiFractional equations and models play an essential part in the description of anomalous dynamics in complex systems. Recent developments in the modeling of various physical, chemical and biological systems have clearly shown that fractional calculus is not just an exotic mathematical theory, as it might have once seemed. The present book seeks to demonstrate this using various examples of equations and models with fractional and generalized operators. Intended for students and researchers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and engineering, it systematically offers a wealth of useful tools for fractional calculus.
Accountancy and Social Responsibility: An Innovative New Approach to Accountancy Theory and Practice (Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance)
by Živko BergantAccountancy encompasses much more than is normally considered, especially from a social responsibility point of view. This book brings fresh ideas and an innovative approach to accountancy theory and practice as well as critical views about professional thinking in accountancy. The reader will find advanced approaches regarding usiness objectives with social responsibility principles. A new role of accountancy is founded for a sustainable society. The responsibility of individuals is emphasized through behavioural analysis. The book has an interdisciplinary character and will be interesting for students, doctoral students, academics and practitioners as well. The real thread of the book is the risk and responses to the feelings of risk in organizations and also of individuals. On this basis a new role and a new structure of accountancy is offered.
Transformation of Business Organization Towards Sustainability: Systems Approach (World Sustainability Series)
by Asta Daunorienė Jurgis Kazimieras Staniškis Eglė Staniškienė Živilė Stankevičiūtė Joana RamanauskaitėWe have entered a new era where business, technologies, communities, and even pandemic deceases cross borders with unprecedented speed and intensity. 2030 Agenda and 17 SDGs reflect the global community's high expectations of finally reversing the destruction of our natural and social habits, and achieving a more balanced and equitable pathways toward well-being of all. However, despite the initial efforts, the world is not on track to achieving the most of the 169 targets that comprise the goals. It is evident that we have a system problem, so we need a system solution. Authors presented a hierarchical system consisting of two-level management systems: first level—unsustainability reduction systems and second level—control system for transformations toward sustainability. The book clearly shows that implementation of systems for unsustainability reduction and for transformations toward sustainability is possible, and that sufficient knowledge is available to get started. It is designed for researchers, practitioners, and politicians.
Rural Economic Developments and Social Movements: A New Paradigm (Palgrave Advances in Bioeconomy: Economics and Policies)
by Rita Vilkė Dalia Vidickienė Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė Vitalija Simonaitytė Erika RibašauskienėFocusing on the demands of the new innovative, sustainable and inclusive rural development paradigm, the monograph raises the discussion regarding new approaches and success factors that are vital in current rural socio-economic development and policy transformations. The bottom-up policymaking, self-organization, creative use of knowledge in rural areas, and many other rural innovations are aligned in this book with new social movements’ theories, which help disclose, explore and explain the rural development paradigm shift. Rural development forces of the 21st century center on the agents of change - rural population, and, surprisingly - urban population(!), and the political debate concerning EU Common Agricultural Policy and European Green Deal, illustrated with multiple case studies. This book will be of interest to a broad audience of readers, keen on scientific, political, and practical issues of innovations in rural areas and their future development pathways. The monograph is authored by a team of scholars from the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Department of Rural Development.
Rural Transformation through Servitization: A Qualitative Structure Approach
by Dalia Vidickienė Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė Vitalija Simonaitytė Rita Lankauskienė Rasa MelnikienėRural development paradigms after the Second World War depended on a set of assumptions relevant to the mass-scale industrialization of the agricultural sector. However, most of these assumptions are now invalid and we need strategies for redesigning the industrial economic system to co-create value according to the rules of post-industrial society. To grasp better what drives today's rural development, this book conducts an analysis of qualitative changes in economic and social life caused by a major innovation model inherent to post-industrial society – servitization. The book aims to contribute to the scarce literature on the role of servitization in farming and rural development. It offers a conceptual and empirical understanding of the ways of servitization in agriculture and rural development, examined through the prism of an evolutionary approach based on the theory of qualitative structure. The method of qualitative structure explains why and how a switch from product-oriented business logic to service-oriented business logic happens and helps to find many new insights useful for improving farm management and socio-economic development of rural regions. It combines a systematic and evolutionary analysis of literature on servitization and agricultural production strategies with case studies of farming and territorial servitization projects implemented in Lithuania. It will be of great interest to researchers and students in the field of rural development studies, servitization and business model innovation.