Social Movements: The Key Concepts provides an insightful, contemporary introduction to some of the frequently encountered terms and groups that are central to the study of collective action and social and political activism. Following an A-Z format, the entries defined and discussed are drawn from the following areas:

• the ?old? social movements of the nineteenth century
• the ?new? social movements of the 1960s and 1970s
• the rise of contemporary ?network? movements.

Key American, European and global social movements are addressed, with each entry related to contemporary developments and emergent tendencies within the field. Including helpful references for further study, this concise and up-to-date guide is of relevance for those studying a range of disciplines, including sociology, politics, cultural studies and human geography.

Fusing two key concerns of contemporary sociology: globalization and its discontents, and the 'complexity turn' in social theory, authors Chesters and Welsh utilize complexity theory to analyze the shifting constellation of social movement networks that constitute opposition to neo-liberal globalization. They explore how seemingly chaotic and highly differentiated social actors interacting globally through computer mediated communications, face-to-face gatherings and protests constitute a 'multitude' not easily grasped through established models of social and political change. Drawing upon extensive empirical research and utilizing concepts drawn from the natural and social sciences this book suggests a framework for understanding mobilization, identity formation and information flows in global social movements operating within complex societies. It suggests that this 'movement of movements' exhibits an emergent order on the edge of chaos, a turbulence that is recasting political agency in the twenty-first century.

Fusing two key concerns of contemporary sociology: globalization and its discontents, and the 'complexity turn' in social theory, authors Chesters and Welsh utilize complexity theory to analyze the shifting constellation of social movement networks that constitute opposition to neo-liberal globalization. They explore how seemingly chaotic and highly differentiated social actors interacting globally through computer mediated communications, face-to-face gatherings and protests constitute a 'multitude' not easily grasped through established models of social and political change. Drawing upon extensive empirical research and utilizing concepts drawn from the natural and social sciences this book suggests a framework for understanding mobilization, identity formation and information flows in global social movements operating within complex societies. It suggests that this 'movement of movements' exhibits an emergent order on the edge of chaos, a turbulence that is recasting political agency in the twenty-first century.

Social Movements: The Key Concepts provides an insightful, contemporary introduction to some of the frequently encountered terms and groups that are central to the study of collective action and social and political activism. Following an A-Z format, the entries defined and discussed are drawn from the following areas:

• the old social movements of the nineteenth century
• the new social movements of the 1960s and 1970s
• the rise of contemporary network movements.

Key American, European and global social movements are addressed, with each entry related to contemporary developments and emergent tendencies within the field. Including helpful references for further study, this concise and up-to-date guide is of relevance for those studying a range of disciplines, including sociology, politics, cultural studies and human geography.

Walking makes a lot of sense in London, whether for pleasure, exercise or simply to get from A to B. Although the city has a comprehensive public transport system, it's also one of the world's most expensive and very crowded, with the result that walking is often the quickest and most enjoyable way to get around - at least in the centre - and it's also free and healthy! Furthermore, London's reputation for rain is largely unfounded - it actually enjoys lower annual rainfall than New York, Rome and Sydney (but take your brolly just in case!) - and it's rarely too hot or cold to make walking uncomfortable. London has a somewhat haphazard street pattern (to put it mildly), the result of having grown organically over 2,000 years, rather than being planned logically like some modern cities. As a result many attractions are off the beaten track, away from the major thoroughfares and public transport hubs. This favours walking as the best way to explore them, as does the fact that London is a visually interesting city with a wealth of stimulating sights between destinations; you don't see a lot from the seat of a cab or bus and nothing at all when cocooned in a tube train! The starting point for this book was Samuel Johnson's advice to his friend Boswell in the 18th century, on the occasion of the latter's arrival in London: "survey its innumerable little lanes and courts." By extension, wander off the beaten tourist track and you'll find a world of fascinating sights, as you would expect in a city as large and old as London. My aim was to compile a list of these hidden attractions and construct walks around them - which resulted in the 25 walks contained in this book. Most walks can be done in half a day or less, depending, of course, on how fast you walk and how long you spend at the highlighted sights and diversions, particularly the pubs and restaurants. The walks don't always follow the most logical route, but that's deliberate and part of the enjoyment; the aim is to maximise the pleasure and provide a flavour of the area, rather than simply get from the start to finish as quickly as possible. Writing (and updating!) this book has been a fascinating, educational and enjoyable journey, which has had the added bonus of returning me to the weight I was when I got married (over 20 years ago). I hope you find the walks as engaging, rewarding and stomach flattening as I have.

The inspiration for this book was the advice of thegreat Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), something of an expert on London, to hisfriend and biographer James Boswell on the occasion of his trip to London inthe 18th century, to 'survey its innumerable little lanes and courts'. In the21st century these are less numerous than in Johnson's time, so we've extendedhis brief to include alleys, squares and yards, along with a number of mews,roads, streets and gardens. London's Hidden Corners, Lanes & Squarestakes you off the beaten track to seek out places that often fail to registeron the radar of visitors and also most residents. Entries range from ancient history-soakedalleys and lanes in the City - where you half expect to bump into one ofCharles Dickens's characters or even the author himself - to smart,pastel-painted mews in Chelsea built to house horses and carriages (now home tomulti-millionaires); and from unexpected oases of Georgian elegance in traffic plaguedcentral London to tranquil Kensington squares, where you can hear birdsong andalmost smell the scent of money on the breeze. SamuelJohnson also said, 'It is not in the showy evolutions of buildings, but in themultiplicity of human habitations which are crowded together, that thewonderful immensity of London consists.' Every corner featured in this book hasa story to tell, from those who lived there (actresses, bishops, painters,politicians, philosophers, writers...even ghosts of former residents!),significant historical events (from duels and demonstrations to plots andexecutions) and bizarre surviving landmarks such as a brick kiln, a sewer gaslamp and a Parisian pissoir. Althoughthis book isn't intended as a walking guide, most of the places featured areclose to one another in central London - notably in the hubs of Westminster andthe City, where you can easily stroll between them - and all are near publictransport links and easy to reach. Ihope you enjoy discovering London'sHidden Corners, Lanes & Squares as much as we did, and if you happenacross more secret gems on your travels, we would love to hear about them.

A unique and unusual guide to London's hidden and lesser-known sights not found in standard guidebooks. Step beyond the chaos, cliches and queues of London's tourist-clogged attractions to its quirkier side. Discover its loveliest ancient buildings, secret gardens, strangest museums, most atmospheric pubs, cutting-edge art and design, and much more: some 140 destinations in all corners of the city. Written by an experienced London writer and printed in color.