Though the term Irish music typically evokes images of fiddles, flutes, and "Riverdance," Ireland and its culture have also given rise to a wealth of orchestral music, including compositions ranging from string quartets to operas. In this important new work, author Axel Klein provides much more than a mere discography: he documents and promotes a largely unknown aspect of Irish culture in a unique combination of discographical and biographical information.

Featuring ninety-three recorded Irish composers and forty-three international composers influenced by Irish music, the volume offers the means for scholars and general readers alike to familiarize themselves with a subject to which most of the world, until now, has not been exposed. As most of the music described is currently available on compact disc, Klein's compilation serves as an invaluable resource guide for both academics and amateur enthusiasts.

Electrochemistry affects several relevant research subjects of physics, chemistry and biology such as the transformation of materials, the transfer of information (especially in living systems), or the conversion and storage of energy. In addition, electrochemical processes constitute a major class of chemical reactions both in the laboratory and on large industrial scales. While conventional analytical electrochemistry provides excellent methods to determine concentrations (e.g. in sensor technology), to yield energy data in the form of redox potentials and to elucidate formal reaction mechanisms via kinetic analysis, these techniques alone are often not immediately suitable to identify unknown species which are formed as intermediates or as products in a redox reaction. The combination of reaction-oriented electrochemistry with species-focussed spectroscopy in spectroelectrochemistry can solve this problem and thus allow for a more complete analysis of electron transfer processes and complex redox reactions. Many research groups from various sub-fields of the chemical sciences have engaged in recent years in using and developing this combined methodology. While the technique has been well developed during the last few decades, its application in various fields of chemistry has only recently become more widespread. Readily accessible, inexpensive equipment and lower barriers to application have contributed to this situation and, at the same time, it is becoming less and less acceptable in chemical research to assign redox transformations without spectral evidence. Spectroelectrochemistry has therefore evolved as a powerful yet usually inexpensive technique which yields mechanistic (chemistry), energy-relevant (electro) as well as electronic structure information (spectro). The whole range of the electromagnetic spectrum can be employed from x-ray absorption to NMR spectroscopies. Yet while the method has become more commonplace, there are still aspects to be considered which require sound knowledge and experience. This book serves as a guide and as an illustration of the kind of research where spectroelectrochemistry can make a difference in the understanding of redox reactions through identification of their intermediates and products. Relevant examples involving UV-VIS-NIR and IR absorption spectroscopy as well as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) are presented in this book with the objective to illustrate the potential and the applications of this technique and to provide practical information. The topics covered include: " organometallics " coordination compounds (mixed-valent complexes, metalloporphyrins) " compounds of biochemical interest such as iron-containing proteins The breadth and variety of reactions and materials covered are complemented by the straightforward interpretation of results in the understanding of redox reactions. The solutions available from the spectroelectrochemical investigation in the book do not only provide simultaneous reaction analysis and species identification but also an assessment of electronic situations and of intra- and intermolecular electron transfer. The book aims to familiarise the scientific community with this method by describing the experimental approaches possible and by pointing out under what diverse circumstances this technique can be useful. This book is essential reading for experts and newcomers alike to acquaint themselves with this simple, inexpensive, yet powerful method and it will also appeal to scientists from all chemical sub-fields who have a basic understanding and experience in electrochemistry.

Khat. A harmless natural stimulant or a lethal epidemic sweeping through the international drugs trade? Khat is a natural substance that, in the Middle East, is as ubiquitous as coffee is in the West. It is hugely popular in some African and Arab populations. But critics contend that it is a seriously addictive stimulant that damages the cardiovascular system. In a groundbreaking study, the authors go behind the veil of the drug, questioning its availability and its effect on its Red Sea producers. Interwoven with case studies from Djibouti to Rome, The Khat Controversy goes deeper to explore contemporary issues relating to globalization, ethnicity and culture. With its popularity escalating in London, Rome, Toronto and Copenhagen, khat is fast becoming a problem in the West. The first study of this contested drug, The Khat Controversy provides a concise introduction to the issues surrounding khat usage and suggests how policymakers should address them. The Khat Controversy: Stimulating the Debate on Drugs has received an honorable mention for the African Studies Association's 2008 Melville J. Herskovits Award.

Khat. A harmless natural stimulant or a lethal epidemic sweeping through the international drugs trade? Khat is a natural substance that, in the Middle East, is as ubiquitous as coffee is in the West. It is hugely popular in some African and Arab populations. But critics contend that it is a seriously addictive stimulant that damages the cardiovascular system. In a groundbreaking study, the authors go behind the veil of the drug, questioning its availability and its effect on its Red Sea producers. Interwoven with case studies from Djibouti to Rome, The Khat Controversy goes deeper to explore contemporary issues relating to globalization, ethnicity and culture. With its popularity escalating in London, Rome, Toronto and Copenhagen, khat is fast becoming a problem in the West. The first study of this contested drug, The Khat Controversy provides a concise introduction to the issues surrounding khat usage and suggests how policymakers should address them. The Khat Controversy: Stimulating the Debate on Drugs has received an honorable mention for the African Studies Association's 2008 Melville J. Herskovits Award.

This book describes the events, activities and negotiations leading up to the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on international drug policy. A range of respected authors from International institutions, academia and civil society organisations detail the background to the negotiations and the outcome; and possible future scenarios for continued reform and change at the High Level Review in 2019. The chapters include consideration of the positions taken by blocs and nation-states at all points on the prohibition - reform continuum. Topics covered include discussions on the importance of human rights, access to essential medicines and the role played by cannabis in revealing the contradictions and divisions in both national and international contexts. The break-down of the previous international consensus on 'the world drug problem' is clearly described and analysed, as is the slow progress being made to the adoption of a human rights and health-based approach to currently illegal drugs. Consideration is also given to the nations and arguments which continue to defend prohibition and its repressive impacts on national populations, and the prioritising of geo-politics over population health this represents in practice. There are lessons and examples here for international politics and national policy reform.