This book provides an encompassing and timely analysis of the EU regulatory framework deriving from the enactment of Directive 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages. In the first part, the book discusses the function of minimum wage policies in contemporary labour markets and the role of social partners and collective bargaining in governing minimum wage determinants and trends. The second part provides an article-by-article commentary of the Directive, including insights on crucial aspects such as the EU competence to intervene on wages, the concept of minimum wage adequacy, and the measurement and promotion of collective bargaining coverage. The third part assesses the impact of the Directive across the EU, focussing on the main systemic implications of the Directive as well as on the structural changes that Member States will need to implement. With contributions written by scholars and stakeholders from across Europe, the book sheds light on one of labour law’s most fundamental objectives – to provide for adequate minimum wages. It is an invaluable resource for researchers, policy makers, trade unionists and employers’ representatives.

Secrets of the Samurai is the definitive study of the martial arts of feudal Japan, explaining in detail the weapons, techniques, strategies, and principles of combat that made the Japanese warrior a formidable foe. The book begins with a panoramic survey of the tumultuous early struggles of warlords contending for political ascendancy then outlines the relentless progression of the military class toward absolute power. In addition to illustrating actual methods of combat, the authors discuss in detail the crucial training necessary to develop a warrior's inner power and to concentrate all his energies into a single force. Secrets of the Samurai is an essential text for anyone with interest in Japanese combat techniques, weaponry, or military history. This edition contains a foreword by Adele Westbrook and numerous illustrations by Oscar Ratti. Chapters include: The Bushi The Heimin The Centers of Martial Instruction Armed Bujutsu Unarmed Bujutsu Control and Power Strategic Principles Morality of Bujutsu

This title was first published in 2001. The contributors to this book examine how changing political borders and disappearing obstacles in transport have led to diverging patterns of interaction between European regions, with different outcomes.trajectories are identified and analyzed.

The Postsecular Imagination presents a rich, interdisciplinary study of postsecularism as an affirmational political possibility emerging through the potentials and limits of both secular and religious thought. While secularism and religion can foster inspiration and creativity, they also can be linked with violence, civil war, partition, majoritarianism, and communalism, especially within the framework of the nation-state. Through close readings of novels that engage with animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism, Manav Ratti examines how questions of ethics and the need for faith, awe, wonder, and enchantment can find expression and significance in the wake of such crises.

While focusing on Michael Ondaatje and Salman Rushdie, Ratti addresses the work of several other writers as well, including Shauna Singh Baldwin, Mahasweta Devi, Amitav Ghosh, and Allan Sealy. Ratti shows the extent of courage and risk involved in the radical imagination of these postsecular works, examining how writers experiment with and gesture toward the compelling paradoxes of a non-secular secularism and a non-religious religion.

Drawing on South Asian Anglophone literatures and postcolonial theory, and situating itself within the most provocative contemporary debates in secularism and religion, The Postsecular Imagination will be important for readers interested in the relations among culture, literature, theory, and politics.

First published in 1997, this volume originates from the fourth cycle of GREMI (Groupe de Recherche Europeen sur les Milieux Innovateurs) research, focusing on territorial innovative processes and the competitive advantages of the complex socio-economic fabric of milieu innovateurs. The book is divided into three parts. The first, written by the editors, deals specifically with the multi-faced dimensions of local development, placing particular emphasis on the role of territory in producing/reproducing learning processes, tacit/codified knowledge storage and government structures. The second part reports different case studies and their theoretical systematisation, carried out with the same methodology by some ten equipes working in ten different European countries. The last part is devoted to a more general view on the structural adjustment dynamics of innovative milieu, raising useful questions of strategy and policy.

First published in 1997, this volume originates from the fourth cycle of GREMI (Groupe de Recherche Europeen sur les Milieux Innovateurs) research, focusing on territorial innovative processes and the competitive advantages of the complex socio-economic fabric of milieu innovateurs. The book is divided into three parts. The first, written by the editors, deals specifically with the multi-faced dimensions of local development, placing particular emphasis on the role of territory in producing/reproducing learning processes, tacit/codified knowledge storage and government structures. The second part reports different case studies and their theoretical systematisation, carried out with the same methodology by some ten equipes working in ten different European countries. The last part is devoted to a more general view on the structural adjustment dynamics of innovative milieu, raising useful questions of strategy and policy.

This title was first published in 2001. The contributors to this book examine how changing political borders and disappearing obstacles in transport have led to diverging patterns of interaction between European regions, with different outcomes.trajectories are identified and analyzed.

Comprehensive Assessment of This Globally Relevant Practice As a centuries-old food preservation method, dehydration technology has advanced significantly in the past decades as a result of new methods, sophisticated analytical techniques, and improved mathematical modeling. Providing practical and expert insight from an international panel of experts, Advances in Food Dehydration encompasses these revolutionary advances and effectively supplies the knowledge base required to optimize natural resources and reduce energy requirements in order to meet growing demand for low-cost, high-quality food products. Discusses Ways to Best Optimize Natural Resources Under the editorial guidance of food engineering and dehydration authority Cristina Ratti, this resource addresses the three biggest challenges associated with food dehydration: The complex nature of food systems together with the deep structural and physico-chemical changes that foodstuffs undergo during processing The difficulty to define quality in quantitative terms and to develop appropriate control techniques The lack of realistic models and simulations to represent the phenomena The book's well-developed chapters explain the structural and physico-chemical changes that food undergoes during dehydration, while discussing ways to optimize natural resources. In addition to describing non-convectional heating sources such as microwaves, infrared, and radio frequency, the text also examines the impact of drying on nutraceutical compounds, the bases of rehydration of dry food particles and the stresses on microorganisms during drying and their stability during storage. Advances in Food Dehydration is a user-friendly volume that concisely links the gamut of dehydration concepts into one cohesive reference.

Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction provides a complete foundation in the practice of one of the most distinctive and useful Japanese martial arts. Aikido was created in Japan in the 1920's by Morihei Ueshiba, also known as Osensei. To possess the skills, techniques and attitude of the faithful practitioner of aikido, one must achieve a very high level of integration of the powers of mind and body, the harmonious combination of physical means and ethical motives. By controlling body position and learning how to harmonize important physical and mental abilities, anyone (regardless of size, strength or weight) can fend off attacks using this sophisticated martial art. Written and illustrated by husband/wife team, Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, with over 1,200 illustrations, includes many Aikido techniques in chapters such as: What is Aikido? The Foundations of Aikido The Practice of Aikido The Basic Techniques of Neutralization Advanced Practice And more!

Immerse yourself in the world of the Samurai with this classic text. Code of the Samurai is the 350-year-old summary of the rules and expectations embodied in Bushido--the ancient Japanese "Way of the Warrior." Written by Taira Shigesuke, a Samurai and prominent teacher of military techniques, it was published posthumously in 1834. This influential book was intended as a training manual for young Samurai, outlining personal and professional standards. This accessible and enjoyable translation is by Thomas Cleary, the foremost translator of Asian martial classics, accompanied by the powerful line drawings of master illustrator Oscar Ratti. A new foreword by Alexander Bennett, a leading expert on Samurai history, explains the lasting importance of this classic work and its place within the canon of Japanese literature.

This volume brings together leading scholars from both sides of the Atlantic to examine the significance of 9/11 for the transformation of the Atlantic Alliance over the last decade. Blending international relations, political science, IR theory and history, it asks whether 9/11 represents a major transformative event for an alliance that was still grappling with the implications of the end of the Cold War. Examining key topics such as the alliance's wars in Afghanistan, its military operation in Libya, global partnerships, new security challenges, burden-sharing and relations with the US, Russia and other key actors, it offers a unique insight into the alliance's evolution since 2001.This comprehensive collection will appeal to scholars in political science, international and transatlantic relations, security studies and US and European foreign policy. Its contributors include Tim Bird, Sven Biscop, Magnus Christiansson, Alan Dobson, Trine Flockhart, Bastian Giegerich, Carl Cavanagh Hodge, Steve Marsh, Jeffrey H. Michaels, Magnus Petersson, Michael Ruhle, Terry Terriff and Mark Webber.

This collection reflects on the significance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks for the transatlantic alliance. Offering an analysis of NATO's evolution since 2001, it examines key topics such as the alliance's wars in Afghanistan, its military operation in Libya, global partnerships, burden-sharing and relations with the US and Russia.

The Postsecular Imagination presents a rich, interdisciplinary study of postsecularism as an affirmational political possibility emerging through the potentials and limits of both secular and religious thought. While secularism and religion can foster inspiration and creativity, they also can be linked with violence, civil war, partition, majoritarianism, and communalism, especially within the framework of the nation-state. Through close readings of novels that engage with animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism, Manav Ratti examines how questions of ethics and the need for faith, awe, wonder, and enchantment can find expression and significance in the wake of such crises. While focusing on Michael Ondaatje and Salman Rushdie, Ratti addresses the work of several other writers as well, including Shauna Singh Baldwin, Mahasweta Devi, Amitav Ghosh, and Allan Sealy. Ratti shows the extent of courage and risk involved in the radical imagination of these postsecular works, examining how writers experiment with and gesture toward the compelling paradoxes of a non-secular secularism and a non-religious religion. Drawing on South Asian Anglophone literatures and postcolonial theory, and situating itself within the most provocative contemporary debates in secularism and religion, The Postsecular Imagination will be important for readers interested in the relations among culture, literature, theory, and politics.

Germany's unification in October 1990 was one of the most momentous events in modern European history and world politics since the end of World War II. German unity ended the Cold War in Europe, accelerated the collapse of communist regimes across Eastern Europe, and the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. It also triggered NATO's transformation at the London and Rome summits of the Alliance and deepened Europe's political and economic integration with the signing of the treaty of Maastricht in 1992. This book offers new insights into the role that the Anglo-American 'special relationship' played in this process, and examines the impact that Germany's reunification had on Anglo-American and transatlantic relations.

Comprehensive Assessment of This Globally Relevant Practice As a centuries-old food preservation method, dehydration technology has advanced significantly in the past decades as a result of new methods, sophisticated analytical techniques, and improved mathematical modeling. Providing practical and expert insight from an international panel of experts, Advances in Food Dehydration encompasses these revolutionary advances and effectively supplies the knowledge base required to optimize natural resources and reduce energy requirements in order to meet growing demand for low-cost, high-quality food products. Discusses Ways to Best Optimize Natural Resources Under the editorial guidance of food engineering and dehydration authority Cristina Ratti, this resource addresses the three biggest challenges associated with food dehydration: The complex nature of food systems together with the deep structural and physico-chemical changes that foodstuffs undergo during processing The difficulty to define quality in quantitative terms and to develop appropriate control techniques The lack of realistic models and simulations to represent the phenomena The book's well-developed chapters explain the structural and physico-chemical changes that food undergoes during dehydration, while discussing ways to optimize natural resources. In addition to describing non-convectional heating sources such as microwaves, infrared, and radio frequency, the text also examines the impact of drying on nutraceutical compounds, the bases of rehydration of dry food particles and the stresses on microorganisms during drying and their stability during storage. Advances in Food Dehydration is a user-friendly volume that concisely links the gamut of dehydration concepts into one cohesive reference.

An internationally renowned architect, urban planner, and scholar describes the major technological forces driving the future of cities Since cities emerged ten thousand years ago, they have become one of the most impressive artifacts of humanity. But their evolution has been anything but linear-cities have gone through moments of radical change, turning points that redefine their very essence. In this book, a renowned architect and urban planner who studies the intersection of cities and technology argues that we are in such a moment. The authors explain some of the forces behind urban change and offer new visions of the many possibilities for tomorrow's city. Pervasive digital systems that layer our cities are transforming urban life. The authors provide a front-row seat to this change. Their work at the MIT Senseable City Laboratory allows experimentation and implementation of a variety of urban initiatives and concepts, from assistive condition-monitoring bicycles to trash with embedded tracking sensors, from mobility to energy, from participation to production. They call for a new approach to envisioning cities: futurecraft, a symbiotic development of urban ideas by designers and the public. With such participation, we can collectively imagine, examine, choose, and shape the most desirable future of our cities.

Germany's unification in October 1990 was one of the most momentous events in modern European history and world politics since the end of World War II. German unity ended the Cold War in Europe, accelerated the collapse of communist regimes across Eastern Europe, and the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. It also triggered NATO's transformation at the London and Rome summits of the Alliance and deepened Europe's political and economic integration with the signing of the treaty of Maastricht in 1992. This book offers new insights into the role that the Anglo-American 'special relationship' played in this process, and examines the impact that Germany's reunification had on Anglo-American and transatlantic relations.

A fascinating exploration of how the growth of digital mapping, spurred by sensing technologies, is affecting cities and daily lives   What have smart technologies taught us about cities? What lessons can we learn from today’s urbanites to make better places to live? Antoine Picon and Carlo Ratti argue that the answers are in the maps we make. For centuries, we have relied on maps to navigate the enormity of the city. Now, as the physical world combines with the digital world, we need a new generation of maps to navigate the city of tomorrow. Pervasive sensors allow anyone to visualize cities in entirely new ways—ebbs and flows of pollution, traffic, and internet connectivity.   This book explores how the growth of digital mapping, spurred by sensing technologies, is affecting cities and daily lives. It examines how new cartographic possibilities aid urban planners, technicians, politicians, and administrators; how digitally mapped cities could reveal ways to make cities smarter and more efficient; how monitoring urbanites has political and social repercussions; and how the proliferation of open-source maps and collaborative platforms can aid activists and vulnerable populations. With its beautiful, accessible presentation of cutting-edge research, this book makes it easy for readers to understand the stakes of the new information age—and appreciate the timeless power of the city.

Un certain nombre d'intellectuels paiens de l'Antiquite tardive (IVe et Ve siecles) avaient entrepris une guerre a mots couverts contre la pensee chretienne en train de s'installer. Cet ouvrage redessine les contours des relations polemiques entre les paiens et les chretiens sous le regne de Theodose (379-395). Au cur de ce jeu antagoniste se place la figure complexe et polymorphe de Nicomaque Flavien senior. Les chretiens en avaient fait l'un de leurs adversaires privilegies. Place par ses fonctions officielles aupres de Theodose au centre du systeme judiciaire, il fut un juriste avise, redacteur de lois pour le Prince mais aussi habile propagandiste, dans l'Histoire Auguste, de themes ideologiquement tres proches des positions de l'aristocratie paienne, par exemple en matiere de morale sexuelle ou de gestion des patrimoines. L'analyse de documents meconnus permet egalement de penser que l'homme fut un adepte du neoplatonisme, ce qui n'avait jamais ete etabli jusque-la. La crainte de la repression policiere l'a conduit a crypter son message politique et religieux en recourant de maniere systematique aux ressources inepuisables de l'art de la fiction. L'auteur propose au fond une analyse originale de ce qu'il appelle " le malaise paien," fondee sur le constat que les paiens comme les chretiens privilegiaient dans l'expression et la defense de leurs convictions religieuses des formes litteraires elaborees. Fiction et religion constituent ainsi deux thematiques communes a tous les intellectuels de l'epoque et elles ne sauraient etre dissociees dans l'approche d'une periode aussi riche.