When Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels, The Ibis Trilogy, ten years ago, he was startled to find how the lives of the 19th century sailors and soldiers he wrote of were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean, but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising at all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history was swept up in the story. Smoke and Ashes is at once a travelogue, memoir and an essay in history, drawing on decades of archival research. In it, Ghosh traces the transformative effect the opium trade had on Britain, India, and China, as well as the world at large. The trade was engineered by the British Empire, which exported Indian opium to sell to China and redress their great trade imbalance, and its revenues were essential to the Empire's financial survival. Yet tracing the profits further, Ghosh finds opium at the origins of some of the world's biggest corporations, of America's most powerful families and prestigious institutions (from the Astors and Coolidges to the Ivy League), and of contemporary globalism itself. Moving deftly between horticultural histories, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant had in the making of our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.

  A breath-taking Japanese inspired YA fantasy, highly illustrated with stunning Manga art, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Xiran Jay Zhao and R. F. Kuang. Meet the Hakai Family Hellmakers: Purveyors of artisan hells and unlucky days to influct upon your enemies.  They'll make it personal... But for a price! Hyo Hakai is a hellmaker. But when a curse destroys her village, she and her brother are forced to flee to the Island of Onogoro - a place where Gods live among humans.  Hyo expects the bodies when they show up, but as she invetigates she is drawn into a tangled web of ens, death, conspiracy and secrets.  A unique YA debut from author and illustrator Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. This beautiful package is highly illustrated with Manga style art.  Drawing on Japanese traditions and classic mystery storytelling, Hyo's world will captivate readers from start to finish.  Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Iron Widow and Spirited Away.  

This innovative book explores forgotten disputes over intellectual property and the ways in which authors, inventors, publishers, courts, and sovereigns have managed these disputes throughout the centuries. With an eye on reform, it chronicles the resilience of legal rules and challenges the methodology behind traditional legal analyses. Disentangling lore from traditions, expert contributors incorporate contextual understandings that are rooted in history, sociology, political science, and literary studies into their analyses. They explore the context of particular cases to reveal the ramifications of specific doctrines for the evolution of intellectual property practices. Chapters illuminate the various facets of intellectual property lore: contract, authorship, common law, and wartime property. Utilising novel methods and previously unpublished materials on copyright, patent, and trademark law, the book examines legal history and developments from multiple perspectives. This rich and accessible book will prove to be a valuable resource for students, academics of intellectual property law, and legal historians. Its use of new materials and exploration of key cases will also be beneficial for intellectual property legal practitioners.

When Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels, The Ibis Trilogy, ten years ago, he was startled to find how the lives of the 19th century sailors and soldiers he wrote of were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean, but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising at all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history was swept up in the story. Smoke and Ashes is at once a travelogue, memoir and an essay in history, drawing on decades of archival research. In it, Ghosh traces the transformative effect the opium trade had on Britain, India, and China, as well as the world at large. The trade was engineered by the British Empire, which exported Indian opium to sell to China and redress their great trade imbalance, and its revenues were essential to the Empire's financial survival. Yet tracing the profits further, Ghosh finds opium at the origins of some of the world's biggest corporations, of America's most powerful families and prestigious institutions (from the Astors and Coolidges to the Ivy League), and of contemporary globalism itself. Moving deftly between horticultural histories, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant had in the making of our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This important Advanced Introduction considers the multiple ways in which law and entrepreneurship intertwine. Shubha Ghosh expertly explores key areas defining the field, including lawyering, innovation policy, intellectual property and economics and finance, to enhance both legal and pedagogical concepts. Key features include: a survey of critical scholarly articles in the field of law and entrepreneurship analysis of challenges to legal professions in the new technological environment traces the roots of law and entrepreneurship to scholarly study of intellectual property. This Advanced Introduction will be a useful resource for scholars and instructors in law and business schools who teach courses on innovation and entrepreneurship. Students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels will also appreciate the insights provided into the basic concepts, methods and future research directions.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This important Advanced Introduction considers the multiple ways in which law and entrepreneurship intertwine. Shubha Ghosh expertly explores key areas defining the field, including lawyering, innovation policy, intellectual property and economics and finance, to enhance both legal and pedagogical concepts. Key features include: a survey of critical scholarly articles in the field of law and entrepreneurship analysis of challenges to legal professions in the new technological environment traces the roots of law and entrepreneurship to scholarly study of intellectual property. This Advanced Introduction will be a useful resource for scholars and instructors in law and business schools who teach courses on innovation and entrepreneurship. Students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels will also appreciate the insights provided into the basic concepts, methods and future research directions.

This new volume presents a range of techniques aimed to enhance the operation of human resource management by applying state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology. With illustrative case studies, the volume uses as examples from several types of problems and includes their possible solutions using advanced AI technology. The volume explores the confluence of smart computing and traditional businesses to foster productivity, profitability, and prosperity and goes on to apply AI techniques in the recruitment process, with enterprise resource planning (ERP) management software, for manpower optimization systems in colleges, for creating uniformity in HRM across organizations, for creating conflicting strategy management techniques, and more. One pandemic-related chapter discusses the use of radio frequency (RF) based technology for monitoring social distance. Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Human Resource Management will help HRM professionals keep abreast of today’s smart technological solutions and will provide valuable information for academicians and researchers on the diverse application of AI in business and management.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the theories and recent debates on international political economy (IPE). It illustrates the theoretical ideas of the discipline and provides an in-depth understanding of regional and global political economy. The book focusses on the functioning of states and the economy within the perspective of world politics. It explores the theories realism, liberalism, liberal interdependence, hegemonic stability and dependency vis-à-vis the contemporary global economic and political scenario. It provides a historical overview into the developments in the field and study of international political economy, institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade organization, the effects of globalization, movement of capital and the contested relationship between human development and democracy. The book examines the effects of neoliberal policies on the functioning of states and highlights the challenges and dilemmas of prioritizing development especially for developing countries. The author also looks at regional formations like the EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, SAARC, APEC and BRICS and their contributions in political and economic cooperation and trade. The book will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the field of political economy, international relations, economics, political science and development studies.

From the global automation leaders at Accenture-the first-ever comprehensive blueprint for how to use and scale AI-powered intelligent automation in the enterprise to gain competitive advantage through faster speed to market, improved product quality, higher efficiency, and an elevated customer experience. Many companies were already implementing limited levels of automation when the pandemic hit. But the need to rapidly change business processes and how organizations work resulted in the compression of a decade's worth of digital transformation into a matter of months. Technology suddenly became the essential element for rapid organizational change and the creation of 360-degree value benefiting all stakeholders. Businesses are faced with the imperative to embrace that change or risk being left behind. In The Automation Advantage, global enterprise technology and automation veterans Bhaskar Ghosh, Rajendra Prasad, and Gayathri Pallail give business leaders and managers the action plan they need to execute a strategic agenda that enables them to quickly and confidently scale their automation and AI initiatives. This practical and highly accessible implementation guide answers leaders' burning questions, such as: How do I identify and prioritize automation opportunities? How do I assess my legacy systems and data issues? How do I derive full value out of my technology investments and automation efforts? How can I inspire my employees to embrace change and the new opportunities presented by automation? The Automation Advantage goes beyond optimizing process to using AI to transform almost any business activity in any industry to make it faster, more streamlined, cost efficient, and customer-focused-vastly improving overall productivity and performance. Featuring case studies of successful automation solutions, this indispensable road map includes guiding principles for technology, governance, culture, and leadership change. It offers a human-centric approach to AI and automation that leads to sustainable transformation and measurable business results.

This book covers relevant synthesizing parameters, their interactions, and advantages of blending fly ash and blast furnace slag as source material, their relationship with mechanical properties and microstructure including guidelines to produce an optimal mix proportion. Further, it discusses related durability aspects, mechanical properties and reaction products and their inter-relationship. It explains phase characterization with XRD/SEM, change in the bond formulations with FTIR, FESEM and EDAX analysis. A mix design guideline based on empirical statistical concept has been put forward for professionals to manufacture customized activated fly ash composites in presence of slag. Aimed at graduate/senior undergraduate students, researchers in civil engineering, construction engineering, ceramics, material sciences, this book: Covers mechanical and microstructural properties, curing, durability of blended Alkali- activated composites with fly ash and blast furnace slag. Proposes a guideline for mix design on chemical compositions of ingredients, relationship of synthesizing parameters, workability, target strength. Describes sustainable green material manufacturing methodologies. Discusses issues like microstructural properties and reaction mechanism. Explores related modern experimental techniques like XRD, FTIR, MIP and so forth.

Focusses on all possible aspects of project appraisal and selection Emphasizes differences from public and private projects in terms of financial and economic evaluations Provides step-by-step methods of analysis of multiple issues involved in the initial appraisal of projects Includes sections on "lessons learned and learning from experience" illustrating applications of the process and implications Covers feasibility analysis including both technical aspects, and financial evaluation

North-east India, 1945. Tensions are rising, but fourteen-year-old Joya doesn't pay much attention to 'political business' - she is more concerned with doing well at school and having fun with her best friends. Yet when her father disappears without a trace, Joya's life falls apart. Forced to drop out of school and support her mother by working in a garment factory, she refuses to accept that her father is gone forever, spending her nights sewing him a suit from scraps of fine material. But as political unrest grows and rumours of corruption spread, Joya questions the true nature of her father's disappearance. And who is the sinister figure known only as the two-tailed snake?

It is a political study of the controversy surrounding the issue of the uniform civil code vis- -vis personal laws from a South Asian perspective.

At the centre of the debate is whether there should be a centralized view of the legal system in a given society or a decentralized view, both horizontally and vertically.

This issue is entangled within the threads of identity politics, minority rights, women 's rights, national integration, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. Champions of each category view it through their own prisms, making the debate extremely complex, especially in politically and socially plural South Asia.

So, this book attempts to harmonize the threads of the debate to provide a holistic political analysis.

This multi-genre collection of chapters presents the dramatic transformation of English Studies in India since the early 1990s. It showcases the shift from the study of mainly British literature and language to a more versatile terrain of multilingualism, culture, performance, theory, and the literary Global South. Tracing this transition, the volume discusses themes like Indian literary history, postcolonial theory, post-pandemic challenges to literary studies, the state of Indian English drama, vernacular literature in English Studies and pedagogy, translations of feminist writers from South Asia, caste, and othering in literature, among other key themes. The volume, with contributions from eminent English Studies scholars, not only reflects the altered terrain of English Language and Literature in India but also invites readers to think about the transformative potential of the present juncture for both literary imagination and literary studies. This timely book, in honour of Professor GJV Prasad, will be of interest to scholars and researchers of English Studies, cultural studies, literature, comparative literature, translation studies, postcolonial studies, and critical theory.

A year of HBR's essential thinking on tech-all in one place. Easy-to-use AI tools, contactless commerce, crypto for business, the mature metaverse-new technologies like these are reshaping organizations at the hybrid office, on factory floors, and in the C-suite. What should you and your company be doing now to take advantage of the new opportunities these technologies are creating-and avoid falling victim to disruption? The Year in Tech 2023: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review will help you understand what the latest and most important tech innovations mean for your organization and how you can use them to compete and win in today's turbulent business environment. Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues-blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more-each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow. You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas-and prepare you and your company for the future.

A biofilm is a collection of microbial cells that have adhered to biotic surfaces such as plant cuticles or animal epithelia, as well as abiotic surfaces such as rocky substratum or catheter exteriors. The life cycle of microorganism includes the fundamental process of biofilm formation for survival in diverse and harsh environments since it is a protected mode of growth allowing colonisation of new habitats by dispersal of microbes from the microbial clusters. The biofilm bound microorganisms remain embedded in an extracellular polymeric matrix that protects the indwelling cells from surfactants, biocides, several invaders like protozoans, and defences offered by the hosts like phagocytic cells. The biofilm bound recalcitrant microbes induce chronic and nosocomial diseases, posing a serious threat to public health. It has been observed that various antimicrobial drugs are able to successfully remove the planktonic (freely suspended) states of microbes as compared to the sessile (substrate-bound) forms, thus resulting in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Modern pharmacological strategies targeting the biofilm matrix differ from the conventional methods of antibiotic usage. This includes the use of natural compounds such as plant bioactive molecules, antimicrobial peptides, green synthesised nanoparticles, or secondary metabolites from other organisms that not only prevent the rise of antimicrobial resistance but are also safe for the host tissues. The book titled "Biofilm Associated on Antimicrobial Resistance and Its Recovery" provides a detailed and systematic review of alternative pharmacological developments in the field of biofilm research. Features: A narrative overview of the mechanism of biofilm formation and its role in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Recent research in the development of antibiofilm remedies involving biogenic compounds. Advancements in the biofilm detection methodologies with the cutting-edge technologies. This book serves as a reference book for researchers who need to understand and analyze the progression of events during microbial biofilm formation, as well as design safer methodologies for its successful eradication. It may also be used as a textbook for a graduate level course in microbiology or microbial biotechnology.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the theories and recent debates on international political economy (IPE). It illustrates the theoretical ideas of the discipline and provides an in-depth understanding of regional and global political economy. The book focusses on the functioning of states and the economy within the perspective of world politics. It explores the theories realism, liberalism, liberal interdependence, hegemonic stability and dependency vis-à-vis the contemporary global economic and political scenario. It provides a historical overview into the developments in the field and study of international political economy, institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade organization, the effects of globalization, movement of capital and the contested relationship between human development and democracy. The book examines the effects of neoliberal policies on the functioning of states and highlights the challenges and dilemmas of prioritizing development especially for developing countries. The author also looks at regional formations like the EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, SAARC, APEC and BRICS and their contributions in political and economic cooperation and trade. The book will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the field of political economy, international relations, economics, political science and development studies.

'Do not miss this book' NAOMI KLEIN, author of This Changes Everything The history of the nutmeg is one of conquest and exploitation - of both human life and the natural environment - and the origin of our contemporary climate crisis. Tracing the threats to our future to the discovery of the New World and the sea route to the Indian Ocean, The Nutmeg's Curse argues that the dynamics of climate change are rooted in a centuries-old geopolitical order constructed by Western colonialism. The story of the nutmeg becomes a parable revealing the ways human history has always been entangled with earthly materials - spices, tea, sugarcane, opium, and fossil fuels. Our crisis, Ghosh shows, is ultimately the result of a mechanistic view of the earth, where nature exists only as a resource for humans to use for our own ends, rather than a force of its own, full of agency and meaning. Writing against the backdrop of the global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, Ghosh frames these historical stories in a way that connects our shared colonial past with the deep inequality we see around us today. By interweaving discussions on everything from the global history of the oil trade to the migrant crisis and the animist spirituality of indigenous communities around the world, The Nutmeg's Curse offers a sharp critique of contemporary society and speaks to the profoundly remarkable ways in which human history is shaped by non-human forces.

This book deals with the pension of uncovered people in India, the informal or unorganized sector workers who contribute more than fifty percent of India's total output. Until recently, these workers don't get any old age security when they retire unlike those from the organized sector workers such as govt. employees or corporates. This book offers insights on the pension system of the informal sector in India. The book is the outcome of field research of two years and the field research was conducted on MSME sector (a sub sector of unorganised sector) which provides the knowledge about the present state of the unorganised sector workers in MSMEs, their financial condition and stress, their work participation, their awareness level of old age financial security or pension and their financial behaviour regarding pension savings in India. This book empirically demonstrates a relationship between financial literacy and willingness to save for retirement benefits among the informal sector workers in India. Access to banking also improves the probability of retirement savings along with the gender and education. By reading this book, readers can understand the demographic change India is going to witness within the next thirty years and its challenges to meet the longevity risk of these workers.

From the author of the international bestseller The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide is a novel of adventure and romance set in the exotic Sundarbans -- treacherous islands in the Bay of Bengal where isolated inhabitants live in fear of drowning tides and man-eating tigers. A headstrong young American arrives in this lush landscape to study a rare species of river dolphin. She enlists the aid of a local fisherman and a translator, and soon their fates on the waterways will be determined by the forces of nature and human folly.

For many centuries, fenugreek has been one of the most popular spices and vegetables serving as an integral part of culinary practices across many cultures. Fenugreek contains exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties, but scientific evidence for its potential health benefits has been considerably understudied and is beginning to grow. This book is a comprehensive compilation and documentation on the scientific profile of fenugreek and its phytoconstituents, including their most known applications and health benefits. It features a wide range of chapters written by highly experienced academics and industrial professionals. Topics cover applications of fenugreek including information on nutrition, fitness supplements, functional food, and excipients of novel drug delivery systems. In addition, it features topics on related products in the areas of nutraceuticals, functional food preparations, and complementary medicines. Features: * Comprehensive review of traditional wisdom and modern scientific evidence on fenugreek * Presents scientific evidence of fenugreek as an ingredient for product development formulation * Contains information on extraction methods, risk assessment, claim validations, and the regulatory status of fenugreek-based products * Covers broad physiological benefits of fenugreek in management of diabetes mellitus, primary hyperlipidemia, inflammation and pain, neuropathy and neuroinflammation, neurological and psychological disorders, kidney and lung disorders, as well as immunological, infectious, and malignant disorders * Enhances awareness of existing scientific knowledge surrounding fenugreek, whilst encouraging future scientific research towards better and safer nutritional and medicinal applications This book is a valuable resource of information on fenugreek for researchers, students, nutritionists, sport medicine practitioners, fitness enthusiasts and trainers, naturopaths, traditional practitioners, and toxicologists. This book helps industries in the fields of nutraceuticals, fitness and sports medicine products to develop their future products. However, this book is not a substitute for medical advice or recommendations.

This illuminating research review details leading articles on the theory and practice of intellectual property law as it applies to the promotion of innovation in economic, social, and legal dimensions. Topics include the role of law and incentives, cumulative and open forms of innovation, as well as discussion of its social dimensions, relationship with market institutions and how to chart a course for future innovation policy. This review offers a compelling overview of the ideas that ignite and enliven innovation scholarship, invaluable to academics and policymakers alike.