Manuel DeLanda is a distinguished writer, artist and philosopher. In his new book, he offers a fascinating look at how the contemporary world is characterized by an extraordinary social complexity. Since most social entitles, from small communities to large nation-states, would disappear altogether if human minds ceased to exist, Delanda proposes a novel approach to social ontology that asserts the autonomy of social entities from the conceptions we have of them. This highly original and important book takes the reader on a journey that starts with personal relations and climbs up one scale at a time all the way to territorial states and beyond. Only by experiencing this upward movement can we get a sense of the irreducible social complexity that characterizes the contemporary world.

This collection of essays attempts to display through theoretical discussion and practical application a number of the most prominent approaches to New Testament study being practised in the guild today. The contributors and their topics include: C.A. Evans on source, form and redation criticism, T.R. Hatina on Jewish religious backgrounds, S.E. Porter on literary approaches, D.L. Stamps on rhetorical criticism, K.D. Clarke on canonical scientific criticism, D. Tombs on the hermeneutics of liberation, and B. Clack on feminist hermeneutics. The goal of the volume is to provide workable models for those interested in expanding or deepening their knowledge of the various approaches to New Testament study.

101 Great Philosophers is a concise and accessible guide to 101 of the greatest minds that contributed to the legacy of western philosophy. From the ancient Greeks to present-day thinkers, Madsen Pirie employs concise entries to give a snapshot of the contribution made by 100 key philosophers to the development of this fascinating subject. This book provides a sparkling insight into the lives and times of each philosopher covered - explaining just why what they had to say was so innovative and inspiring. Essential reading for anyone coming to the subject for the first time, this book is an indispensible introduction to the most important ideas in the history of western thought.

Capturing the direction and evolution of today's retail industry, "Silent Selling: Best Practices and Effective Strategies in Visual Merchandising," 4th Edition, is a multi-disciplinary blend of practical activities and creative problem-solving that takes readers beyond the basics of visual merchandising. Readers gain an understanding of experts' recent discoveries and learn valuable techniques while being encouraged to think outside the box using Bell's "Look-Compare-Innovate" model. With these informational tools, students can learn to create and deliver professional presentations that will facilitate their move from the classroom to the workplace.

'Incest' refers to illegal sexual relations between family members. Its precise contours, however, are culturally specific. Hence, an illegal incestuous union in one social context may be a legal close-kin union in another. First-degree sexual unions, between a parent and child, or between siblings, are most widely prohibited and abhorred. This book discusses all overt and covert first-degree incest relations in the Hebrew Bible and also probes the significance of gaps and what these imply about projected sexual and social values. As the dominant opinion on the origin of first-degree incest continues to be shaped, new voices such as those of queer and post-feminist criticism have joined the conversation. It navigates not only the incest laws of Leviticus and the narratives of Lot and his daughters and of Amnon and Tamar but pursues subtler intimations of first-degree sexual unions, such as between Adam and his (absent but arguably implied) mother, Haran and Terah's wife, Ham and Noah. In pursuing the psycho-social values that may be drawn from the Hebrew Bible regarding first-degree incest, this book will provide a thorough review of incest studies from the early 20th century onward and explain and assess the contribution of very recent critical approaches from queer and post-feminist perspectives.

As Europe descended into war the newly formed state of Croatia found itself an ally in Nazi Germany. Tens of thousands of Croatians volunteered for the German Wehrmacht, with Croatian-badged units created within the Army, Navy, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS and Police force. When Hitler turned his attention to Stalin's Soviet Union many of these men found themselves thrown into the fray, with Croatian soldiers serving at Stalingrad, fighting Tito's Partisans in the Balkans and battling against the advancing Red Army in Hungary. Aided by detailed illustrations, author Vladimir Brnardic explores the uniforms and equipment of World War II Croatian Legionaries.

'Extraordinary... one of the most intelligent historical thrillers I've read in a long time.' Dean Crawford, bestselling author of Covenant Reporter Jake Wosley has seen things he never thought possible. His life changed forever after discovering classified documents showing Churchill's curious obsession with the ancient Etruscan civilisation. Now he's hiding out in Thailand, trying to put the past behind him. But when a mysterious letter arrives containing cryptic references to Napoleon Bonaparte, Jake is drawn back in to a centuries-old conspiracy. The trail leads through the Middle East, Europe and Africa to a Victorian secret that could remake the world. Will Jake crack the Napoleon complex? And can he keep one step ahead of Washington and MI6 who want this ancient lore for their own devices?

Flavia was born with a birthmark marring her face in the shape of a bird in flight. A dyer's daughter, she grows up in a secluded little house in the woods, away from prying eyes. Ashamed of the mark, her mother forces Flavia to conceal her face behind a veil. But on the night before her younger sister's wedding, Flavia does something drastic, something that will draw her into a much wider and stranger world than she could have imagined: the convent of Santa Giuliana, just outside the city walls. There she meets Ghostanza, a courtesan turned widow, whose white-lead painted face entrances Flavia, and whose beauty and cruelty are unmatched. Flavia becomes her ornatrix: her hairdresser and personal maid. But as white-lead paint rots the flesh below it, the bustling city, and Santa Giuliana, is rotting below the shimmer of wealth and privilege. And Flavia is drawn into a world of desire and jealousy that has devastating consequences. Set in sixteenth century and painted against a vivid historical Italian landscape, rich in description and character and with themes and characters relevant to today, it tackles issues of belonging, female identity and the perception of beauty. It cannot fail to move.

The first novel by the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2014, which with The Night Watch and Ring Roads forms a trilogy of the Occupation 'A Marcel Proust of our time' Peter Englund, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy 'Modiano is the poet of the Occupation and a spokesman for the disappeared, and I am thrilled that the Swedish Academy has recognised him' Rupert Thomson, Guardian Modiano's debut novel is a sardonic, often grotesque satire of France during the Nazi occupation. We are immediately plunged into the hallucinatory imagination of Raphael Schlemilovitch, a young Jewish man, torn between self-aggrandisement and self-loathing, who may be the heir to a Venezuelan fortune, may have lived during the Nazi Occupation, may have rubbed shoulders with the most notorious collaborators and anti-Semites of the time, may even have been the lover of Eva Braun... or he may have been none of these things. But at the centre of this vortex is 'La Place de l'Etoile' - the Place of the Star - which is both the geographical and moral centre of Paris, and that place next the heart where French Jews were compelled to wear the yellow star, the symbol of their persecution.

Does philosophy have a timeless essence? Are the writings that have come down to us over the centuries from philosophers of genius mere souvenirs from a bygone era? Or are their thoughts still eminently worth examining with care? Modern Challenges to Past Philosophy argues pondering past philosophy with modern problems in mind is worth the effort, even though earlier works are uninformed by modern science and lack some of tools of modern analysis. The great texts defamiliarize our world and offer solutions to crucial questions often forgotten as we fixate on current philosophical trends. Modern Challenges is no appeal to a return to a golden past but a study designed to show how and why understanding earlier works of some of the most penetrating minds ever to ponder eternally valid questions can contribute to a renewal of our own culture.

The thought of Emmanuel Levinas is of increasing importance for those working in the diverse fields of phenomenology and continental philosophy, French studies, Jewish studies, ethics, politics and religious studies. In this book, Nigel Zimmermann gives proper attention to the 'incarnate' aspect of the 'other' in Levinas' work, providing a theological reading that explores the basic strands of Levinas' thinking regarding the concrete nature of human living. Human communities, in which politics inevitably plays a crucial role, may learn much from the theological shape of Levinas' philosophy. In all his writings, Levinas cannot be understood apart from his roles as a Talmudic commentator and as a radical thinker who suffered personally under the shadow of the Holocaust.

To understand the cult of the Virgin Mary is to understand the Christian religion. The Virgin Mary is a ubiquitous but enigmatic presence in Christian history and culture. The tradition about Mary forms a vast and multi-layered aspect of Western history, culture and spirituality. It is not just in the Catholic tradition that Mary has become a particular focus of study and interest. Mary has also become a crucial interest for Christians outside this tradition (Protestant, Anglican) as a path to ecumenical understanding. This book is intended as a reference book for the student or scholar seeking knowledge of the history and contemporary practice of the cult of the Virgin Mary. It provides new essays which give overviews of particular areas of study - both historical and thematic - together with texts from primary sources and important scholarly articles, some of which appear in English for the first time. The volume is designed to be suitable for use as a course book at undergraduate and Masters levels. The result is astonishing and will open up whole new avenues for theological and spiritual enquiry. "The Virgin Mary": A resource book for study will be essential for anyone who has a strong theological or devotional interest in Mary. But it will open the eyes of those who do not.

This title considers the way we approach violence and safeguarding in childhood, exploring the victimization of children as well as children who use violence towards others. "Rethinking Children, Violence and Safeguarding" explores the victimization of children as well as children who use violence towards others and presents an overview of key developments in research, policy and practice on children and violence in the context of the recent major shift in thinking from 'child protection' towards 'safeguarding' and evidencing better outcomes. The gaps between rhetoric and practice are considered and Lorraine Radford argues that the way we 'think' about children and violence has had a profound impact on actions against the abuse of children and children who commit violence. Examples of research, reflections on research and key points and guidance on further reading make this a really accessible text. "Rethinking Children, Violence and Safeguarding" is essential reading for those studying childhood and undergraduate and graduate level, and will be of great interest to those working with children in any field. Is childhood changing? What effects are new ideas about childhood having on children's lives? How are children's voices and opinions affecting the services they use? Contemporary debates on the nature of childhood, attitudes towards children, the experiences of children and the emergence of a child rights agenda are resulting in a re-examination of theory, practice and research in many fields. "New Childhoods" offers a re-appraisal of the meaning of childhood - a series of texts that are succinct, accessible and engaging in introducing undergraduates to key areas of Childhood Studies, Education Studies and Sociology, and in disseminating new thinking, research, scholarship and practices. Books in this series will also be of interest to those who are preparing to work with children, such as teachers, early years practitioners, youth workers, health workers and psychologists. Key features include: boxed summaries of research which engage the reader in analysis; case studies to explore each issue in context; tasks to develop critical thinking; and pointers on further reading. Each volume promotes a child rights perspective, and provokes a re-examination of child-adult relationships in the contexts of family, community and state. Insights and experiences across fields such as sociology, philosophy and psychology are combined to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach.

Human beings are the 'all-rounders' of the natural world - while they aren't naturally the quickest, biggest or strongest creatures, they can achieve more amazing physical feats than any other animal. Nowhere is this ability more pronounced than in sporting performance, the ideal area for studying the mechanics of a human - our biomechanics. But all too often the study of sports biomechanics can become bogged down in pure mathematics, tables and graphs that bear little resemblance to what you see on the field of play. In this comprehensively revised third edition of bestselling Sports Biomechanics, Professor Anthony Blazevich answers real-world questions using easily accessible language and fully updated, clear and concise diagrams. Each chapter is devoted to a single area of the subject and details scientific underpinnings of sports performance; this edition features a new chapter on human gait (walking and running) as well as new information on the latest topics in sport biomechanics. An absolutely essential resource for any student, athlete or fitness professional involved in the field of sports biomechanics.

Six masterful works by the Nobel Prize-winning Nigerian playwright. Death and the King's Horseman: 'A transfixing work of modern world drama' (Independent); Madmen and Specialists: 'A luminous play, examining the way in which war exposes and clarifies human conduct' (Observer); Opera Wonyosi, adapted from Gay's The Beggar's Opera: 'Swaggering and scabrous, at once a verbal spree and a fierce assault on totalitarianism' (Observer). The volume also contains The Trials of Brother Jero and Jero's Metamorphosis, classic comedies of modern Nigerian life based on the hilarious and manipulative transformations of a preacher, and Camwood on the Leaves, a haunting radio play, which evokes a divided community.

This is an introduction to feminist and gender-critical perspectives on the New Testament and other early Christian writings.In this introductory book, Vander Stichele and Penner outline a gender-critical approach to the New Testament and discuss the issues involved. Building on feminist analysis, gender-criticism explores the place of both women and men in, behind, and in front of the text, but also understands sexual identities as part and parcel of the study of gender identities in both text and context, assessing the relative configuration of such identities through their broader, rhetorical, ideological, and socio-cultural contexts in the ancient (and modern) worlds.The authors clearly set out the methodology and hermeneutical issues and then give concrete examples of how gender-critical exegesis affects the reading of texts. The New Testament is not considered in isolation, rather the book deals with early Christian Literature in a more general sense, in that the issues discussed are related to the study of that broad body of literature and concrete examples either come from those texts or tackle issues at stake in them. This book is unique in terms of its range as well as in the explicit methodological focus that is fostered. Furthermore, it is a joint project of scholars from different cultural backgrounds, but with a similar interest and complementary skills.

A highly readable and illuminating approach to biblical scholarship from the author of Christ the Form of Beauty.At a time when new approaches to biblical analysis are proliferating, Francesca Murphy opens up the literary dimension of the Bible using a lively form of narrative criticism, developing a doctrine of revelation which is both original and radically traditional. Murphy argues that the Bible is written imaginatively, and that the best way to understand its meaning is to imagine how to perform or dramatize it. She follows the sequence of heroes and heroines who carry the plot from Genesis to Revelation and presents a fresh and remarkable picture of biblical revelation as the performance of God's image in history, captured by its writers' moral imagination.

A rare insider's account of the true story behind the development of the famous Stanislavski method.

Vasili Toporkov was one of the rare outsiders ever to be invited to join the Moscow Art Theatre. Although already an experienced and accomplished artist, he was forced to retrain as an actor under Stanislavski's rigorous guidance." Stanislavski in Rehearsal" is Toporkov's vivid account of this learning process, offering an eloquent and jargon-free insight into Stanislavski's legendary 'system' and his method of rehearsal that became known as the Method of Physical Action. Spanning ten years - from 1928 to 1938 - Toporkov charts the last crucial years of Stanislavski's work as a director and offers the only reliable biographical sketch that we have.

Through Toporkov's account, Stanislavski is revealed as a multi-faceted personality - funny, furious, kind, ruthless, encouraging, exacting - waging a war against cliches and quick answers, inspiring his actors and driving them to despair in his pursuit of artistic perfection.

Abie follows the arc of a letter from London back to Africa to a coffee plantation that now could be hers if she wants it. Standing among the ruined groves she strains to hear the sound of the past, but the layers of years are too many. Thus begins the gathering of her family's history through the tales of her aunts - four women born to four different wives of a wealthy plantation owner, her grandfather. Asana, Mariama, Hawa and Serah: theirs is the story of a nation, a family and four women's attempts to alter the course of her own destiny.

This useful, resourceful and practical guide provides those working with dyspraxic and DCD children one hundred ideas of how to support and develop their learning. Lists cover the entire school age range and range from developing fine and gross motor skills to preparing children for their next transition either to the next stage of schooling or for their future careers.

Professional athletes' careers and livelihoods depend on results, so when they train they make sure they get the most from their training sessions. Experienced trainer Nick Grantham introduces you to performance based conditioning, explaining why athletic-based strength and conditioning training programmes are superior to all other training methods. Providing you with detailed information in a highly accessible manner, the book ensures you can elevate your training programmes to a new level. Revealing the training S&C strategies and principles used by elite athletes, this book will show that, regardless of your current fitness and exercise experience, anyone can train like an athlete. Providing a strong scientific rationale for an athletic approach to training so you can develop a better understanding of physical preparation, The Strength and Conditioning Bible gives you the key elements of an integrated performance-conditioning programme. An essential resource, this book contains a 16-week, 4 stage plan that balances total-body strength, endurance, mobility, balance, coordination and athleticism. You will be able develop a customisable and realistic fitness programme and with the knowledge gleaned from the book, you will develop and enjoy productive and pain-free workouts for years to come.

This easy to understand text provides illustrated "lessons" that demonstrate the various patternmaking methods and how they are used to develop design variations. Each of the Second Edition's four units address one major segment of a garment-the bodice, the collar, the skirt, and the sleeve-with a series of pictorial examples that progress from the most basic dart manipulations to advanced design variations. Students will master the slash and pivot methods of flat pattern design and understand how garment design variations are derived from each other. Simple illustrations demystify the patternmaking process for the beginner student, showing how a few basic techniques can lead to endless design possibilities. New to this Edition: Updated design variations reflect current styles Improved lesson layouts foster even better understanding of concepts Comprehensive glossary defines important terms Index facilitates navigation from one technique to another

Jean-Luc Nancy and the Thinking of Otherness is the first book in English to provide a sustained account of the relationship between Nancy, Levinas and Heidegger. It investigates Jean-Luc Nancy's reading of Heidegger, focusing on the question of Being-with, and starting with the problem of otherness in Heidegger, the book goes on to establish a dialogue between Nancy and the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. With intellectual agility and command of cinema, literature and visual art, Daniele Rugo insists on the critical significance of Nancy's project for any future philosophy attempting to define itself beyond foundational acts, and according to the continuous crossings at the heart of existence. By discussing Nancy alongside Heidegger and Levinas, Rugo underlines the essential indecision between philosophy-as-literature and philosophy as the re-appropriation of the question of Being. Rugo offers unexpected associations which return thinking to the play of specificity, rather than restricting it to the passage of abstract formulations.

Keeping up with changes in retailing is daunting for both students and instructors, as companies start up, merge, or go out of business. What is retailing? Where is it going? Who are the players and how do they operate? These are just some of the questions this text addresses. Poloian provides examples and references involving retail change such as ownership, technology, and trend-related aspects with the most current information. Many students will go on to build careers in the global marketplace, an understanding of the global nature of business, and new content on the global retail environment is essential. This new edition provides the information and tools necessary to thrive in this competitive industries.

Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit and specialist in the history of philosophy, first created his history as an introduction for Catholic ecclesiastical seminaries. However, since its first publication (the last volume appearing in the mid-1970s) the series has become the classic account for all philosophy scholars and students. The 11-volume series gives an accessible account of each philosopher's work, but also explains their relationship to the work of other philosophers.