This memoir was originally intended just for the author's children and grandchildren, but because of great interest from friends and family, it is now available to all readers who appreciate active and creative careers and lives.

Leading investigators review the highlights of current fibrosis research and the experimental methodologies used uncover the mechanisms that drive it. In their discussion of research methodologies utilizing cultured cells to model various aspects of the fibrotic response in vitro, the authors describe the isolation, characterization, and propagation of mesenchymal cells, and highlight the similarities and differences between methods that are appropriate for different types of fibroblasts. Approaches for studying collagen gene regulation and TGF-b production are also discussed, along with experimental methodologies utilizing animal models to study the pathogenesis of fibrosis. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Medicine(TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Death squads have become an increasingly common feature of the modern world. In nearly all instances, their establishment is tolerated, encouraged, or undertaken by the state itself, which thereby risks its monoply on the use of force, one of the fundamental characteristics of modern states. Why do such a variety of regimes, under very different circumstances, condone such activity? Death Squads in Global Perspective hopes to answer that question and explain not only their development, but also why they can be expected to proliferate in the early 21st century.

David A. Brenner examines how Jews in Central Europe developed one of the first "ethnic" or "minority" cultures in modernity. Not exclusively "German" or "Jewish," the experiences of German-speaking Jewry in the decades prior to the Third Reich and the Holocaust were also negotiated in encounters with popular culture, particularly the novel, the drama and mass media. Despite recent scholarship, the misconception persists that Jewish Germans were bent on assimilation. Although subject to compulsion, they did not become solely "German," much less "European." Yet their behavior and values were by no means exclusively "Jewish," as the Nazis or other anti-Semites would have it. Rather, the German Jews achieved a peculiar synthesis between 1890 and 1933, developing a culture that was not only "middle-class" but also "ethnic." In particular, they reinvented Judaic traditions by way of a hybridized culture. Based on research in German, Israeli and American archives, German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust addresses many of the genres in which a specifically German-Jewish identity was performed, from the Yiddish theatre and Zionist humour all the way to sensationalist memoirs and Kafka's own kitsch. This middle-class ethnic identity encompassed and went beyond religious confession and identity politics. In focusing principally on German-Jewish popular culture, this groundbreaking book introduces the beginnings of "ethnicity" as we know it and live it today.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible created by Jews seeking a place of legitimacy for diaspora Jewishness and faith among the traditions of Hellenistic culture, was a monumental religious and culturalachievement. ThisGreek Old Testament, in its original form and revised versions, providedthe scripturalbasis for Judaism in the Greek-speaking diaspora, enabledthe emergence and spread of Christianity, and influenced translations of the Bible into African and European languages.Over time, however, theSeptuagint's relevancefaded for Jews,and the Hebrew text eventually reasserted its dominance within Judaism.This led many to neglect the Septuagint as an authentic witness to the biblical tradition. But the Septuagint remained important, inspiring biblical writings and further translations into Latin, Coptic, and Armenian. In combination with the Qumran biblical texts, it provides yet further indication of the multivocal state of the Hebrew Bible around the turn of the eras and proves to be a text of continuous interest for biblical scholarship and cultural-historical studies. Siegfried Kreuzer's Introduction to the Septuagint presents, in English,the most extensive introductionofthe Septuagintto date.It offerscomprehensive overviews of the individual biblical writings, including the history of research, current findings and problems, and perspectives for future research. Additionally, this survey presents a history of the Septuagint in its Greco-Hellenistic background, theories of its genesis, the history of its revisions,its lore in antiquity,andan overview of the most important manuscripts and witnesses of the convoluted transmission history of the text. The text includes extensive bibliographies that show the ongoing interest in Septuagint studies and provide a reliable basis for future studies. A collaboration representing multiple nationalities, professional perspectives, and denominational traditions, this dependable guide invites newcomers and experts alike to venture into the rich world of one of the most influential works of literature in history.

David A. Brenner examines how Jews in Central Europe developed one of the first "ethnic" or "minority" cultures in modernity. Not exclusively "German" or "Jewish," the experiences of German-speaking Jewry in the decades prior to the Third Reich and the Holocaust were also negotiated in encounters with popular culture, particularly the novel, the drama and mass media. Despite recent scholarship, the misconception persists that Jewish Germans were bent on assimilation. Although subject to compulsion, they did not become solely "German," much less "European." Yet their behavior and values were by no means exclusively "Jewish," as the Nazis or other anti-Semites would have it. Rather, the German Jews achieved a peculiar synthesis between 1890 and 1933, developing a culture that was not only "middle-class" but also "ethnic." In particular, they reinvented Judaic traditions by way of a hybridized culture. Based on research in German, Israeli and American archives, German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust addresses many of the genres in which a specifically German-Jewish identity was performed, from the Yiddish theatre and Zionist humour all the way to sensationalist memoirs and Kafka's own kitsch. This middle-class ethnic identity encompassed and went beyond religious confession and identity politics. In focusing principally on German-Jewish popular culture, this groundbreaking book introduces the beginnings of "ethnicity" as we know it and live it today.

Although financial markets often try to distance themselves from gambling, the two factors have far more in common than usually thought. When, historically there were no financial institutions such as banks, lotteries constituted the ways by which expensive items were disposed of, and governments raised money quickly. Gambling tables fulfilled roles that venture capital and banking do today. "Gamblers" created clearinghouses and sustained liquidity. When those gamblers bet on price distributions in futures markets, they were redefined as "speculators." Today they are called "hedge fund managers" or "bankers." Though the names have changed, the actions undertaken have essentially stayed the same. This book shows how discussion on "chance," "risk," "gambling," "insurance," and "speculation" illuminates where societies stood, where we are today, and where we may be heading.

This groundbreaking examination of death squads, which exist worldwide, provides a historical perspective of how governments use death squads and how the participation of non-state forces is an extreme instance of the "subcontracting" of tasks characteristic of modern states. Death squads are not simply a product of the Cold War, or of "weak" third-world nations, but are linked to a crisis of the modern state. This collection brings experts from around the world to look at death squads in places such as El Salvador, Weimar Germany, Bosnia, India, Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa.

Leading investigators review the highlights of current fibrosis research and the experimental methodologies used uncover the mechanisms that drive it. In their discussion of research methodologies utilizing cultured cells to model various aspects of the fibrotic response in vitro, the authors describe the isolation, characterization, and propagation of mesenchymal cells, and highlight the similarities and differences between methods that are appropriate for different types of fibroblasts. Approaches for studying collagen gene regulation and TGF-b production are also discussed, along with experimental methodologies utilizing animal models to study the pathogenesis of fibrosis. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Medicine (TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Although financial markets often try to distance themselves from gambling, the two factors have far more in common than usually thought. When, historically there were no financial institutions such as banks, lotteries constituted the ways by which expensive items were disposed of, and governments raised money quickly. Gambling tables fulfilled roles that venture capital and banking do today. "Gamblers" created clearinghouses and sustained liquidity. When those gamblers bet on price distributions in futures markets, they were redefined as "speculators." Today they are called "hedge fund managers" or "bankers." Though the names have changed, the actions undertaken have essentially stayed the same. This book shows how discussion on "chance," "risk," "gambling," "insurance," and "speculation" illuminates where societies stood, where we are today, and where we may be heading.

Marketing Identities analyzes how Ost und West (East and West), the first Jewish magazine (1901-1923) published in Berlin by westernized Jews originally from Eastern Europe, promoted ethnic identity to Jewish audiences in Germany and throughout the world. Using sophisticated techniques of modern marketing, such as stereotyping, the editors of this highly successful journal attempted to forge a minority consciousness. Marketing Identities is thus about the beginnings of ""ethnicity"" as we know it in the late twentieth century. An interdisciplinary study, Marketing Identities illuminates present-day discussions in Europe and the Americas regarding the experience and self-understanding of minority groups and combines media and cultural studies with German and Jewish history.

Indonesia is a semi-annual journal devoted to the timely study of Indonesia's culture, history, government, economy, and society. It features original scholarly articles, interviews, translations, and book reviews. Published Cornell University's Southeast Asia Program since April 1966, the journal provides area scholars and interested readers with contemporary analysis of Indonesia and an extensive archive of research pertaining to the nation and region. Currently, only back issues of Indonesia are available for purchase through Cornell University Press's website.