Of Boys and Men


Book Description

The Book that Sparked a National Conversation A Barack Obama 2024 Summer Reading Selection An Economist Best Book of 2022 A New Yorker Best Book of 2022 Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened. In this widely praised book, Richard Reeves, father of three sons, a journalist, and now the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, fail to provide thoughtful solutions. Reeves looks at the structural challenges that face boys and men and offers fresh and innovative solutions that turn the page on the corrosive narrative that plagues this issue. Of Boys and Men argues that helping the other half of society does not mean giving up on the ideal of gender equality.




The Men Who Lost America


Book Description

Questioning popular belief, a historian and re-examines what exactly led to the British Empire’s loss of the American Revolution. The loss of America was an unexpected defeat for the powerful British Empire. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders in Britain must have been to blame, but were they? This intriguing book makes a different argument. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men who directed the British dimension of the war, historian Andrew O’Shaughnessy dispels the incompetence myth and uncovers the real reasons that rebellious colonials were able to achieve their surprising victory. In interlinked biographical chapters, the author follows the course of the war from the perspectives of King George III, Prime Minister Lord North, military leaders including General Burgoyne, the Earl of Sandwich, and others who, for the most part, led ably and even brilliantly. Victories were frequent, and in fact the British conquered every American city at some stage of the Revolutionary War. Yet roiling political complexities at home, combined with the fervency of the fighting Americans, proved fatal to the British war effort. The book concludes with a penetrating assessment of the years after Yorktown, when the British achieved victories against the French and Spanish, thereby keeping intact what remained of the British Empire. “A remarkable book about an important but curiously underappreciated subject: the British side of the American Revolution. With meticulous scholarship and an eloquent writing style, O'Shaughnessy gives us a fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world.”—Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power




The Quotable Actor


Book Description

Collecting advice, quotes, essays, and observations from hundreds of famous actors and highly regarded acting teachers, The Quotable Actor covers a wide range of topics on the art and history of acting. Entertaining, instructive, and informative, it is organized into specific, easy-to-search categories, such as "On Why We Act"; "On Auditioning"; "On Struggling and Building a Career"; and "On Gender Differences and Aging in the Biz." From art and technique to business and lifestyle, entries include fascinating anecdotes and advice from some of the greatest actors in history: Marlon Brando commenting on the rehearsal process Meryl Streep’s advice on building a character Al Pacino recalling what it was like to be a starving young artist Beauty tips from some of Hollywood’s leading ladies Recollections of horrible auditions from A-list stars Musings from Jack Nicholson, Edwin Booth, and many others Additional contributors include Constantin Stanislavski, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ellen Burstyn, Julie Andrews, Paul Newman, and Peter O’Toole—providing insights into the actor’s craft that are equally useful to young actors just starting out and accomplished professionals looking for inspiration in the words of peers.




The Blue Way


Book Description

Turning conventional wisdom on its head, The Blue Way shows why socially progressive companies that make political contributions to "blue" politicians and causes outperform "red" companies. The idea that progressives are better at businesses than conservatives will surprise most people - including many progressives. But as The Blue Way shows, in nearly every sector of the economy, blue companies are the top performers. As a result, an investor who places his money in stocks of blue companies will do better than one who chooses red companies or who chooses to invest in the market as a whole. In The Blue Way, Daniel Adamson and Joe Andrew, cofounders of Blue Investment Management, identify the companies that have the most progressive social values - fair wages, equal opportunity, environmental responsibility - and also contribute to progressive political causes (or are at least neutral). They describe the portfolio they have built around those companies, which to date has out-performed the market. Their innovative investment strategy offers a profitable approach for investors seeking a principled and successful stock portfolio. But The Blue Way is also a stirring manifesto, a call to embrace socially and politically progressive values. As the authors show, these values aren't anti-business; they are pro-American. For decades the American economy has performed better under Democratic administrations than under Republicans. Americans who "buy blue," say Adamson and Andrew, aren't just acting on their values; they are helping to grow the American economy. The authors explain how to build a "blue infrastructure," a progressive ecosystem in which companies and activists with progressive values can support blue politicians and causes. The Blue Way shows how the progressive movement can learn from the success of the blue business world and create a new progressive majority for the future. The Blue Way describes a revolutionary investment strategy back by solid financial research that benefits investors while fostering socially progressive American values.




American Menswear from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century, Second Edition


Book Description

In a glance at American menswear over the past 150 years, change has been sometimes glacial in its evolution, sometimes regressive and nostalgic, and other times abrupt and revolutionary. In this study of American menswear from the Civil War to the twenty-first century, that evolution is chronicled and documented with more than 700 illustrations. In addition to the main categories of suits, sportswear, and outerwear, each era also includes a detailed examination of sleepwear, underwear, swimwear, hats, neckwear, footwear, and accessories. Further, Daniel Delis Hill examines not only American men’s dress and the structures of the menswear industry, but also the historical and socioeconomic drivers that affected men’s style—particularly the shifting conventions and iconoclasms of American ideas and ideals of masculinity.




Alternative and Mainstream Media


Book Description

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Historically, alternative media have been viewed as fundamental, albeit at times culturally peripheral, forces in social change. In this book, however, Kenix argues that these media do not uniformly subvert the hierarchies of access that are so central to mainstream media - in fact, their journalistic norms and routines have always been based on the professional standards of the mainstream. Kenix goes on to posit the perception of 'mainstream' and 'alternative' as a misconception. She argues that, although alternative media can - and do - construct distinct alternative communications, they have always existed on the same continuum as the mainstream and the two will continue to converge. Through comparative analysis, this book argues that many alternative and mainstream media are merging to create a continuous spectrum rooted in commercial ideology. Indeed, much of what is now considered alternative media actually draws very little from principles of the independent press, whereas many contemporary mainstream media now use communication techniques more commonly associated with media that do not operate for financial gain. This book puts forward a controversial but convincing argument around the relationship between alternative and mainstream media, drawing on examples from the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen and develop the central premise.




Uranium


Book Description

The fascinating story of the most powerful source of energy the earth can yield Uranium is a common element in the earth's crust and the only naturally occurring mineral with the power to end all life on the planet. After World War II, it reshaped the global order-whoever could master uranium could master the world. Marie Curie gave us hope that uranium would be a miracle panacea, but the Manhattan Project gave us reason to believe that civilization would end with apocalypse. Slave labor camps in Africa and Eastern Europe were built around mine shafts and America would knowingly send more than six hundred uranium miners to their graves in the name of national security. Fortunes have been made from this yellow dirt; massive energy grids have been run from it. Fear of it panicked the American people into supporting a questionable war with Iraq and its specter threatens to create another conflict in Iran. Now, some are hoping it can help avoid a global warming catastrophe. In Uranium, Tom Zoellner takes readers around the globe in this intriguing look at the mineral that can sustain life or destroy it.




Menswear Revolution


Book Description

In recent years, menswear has moved decisively center stage. Menswear Revolution investigates the transformation of men's fashion through the lens of shifting masculinities, examining how its increasing diversity has created new ways for men to explore and express their identities. Harnessing sustained market growth and creative dynamism on the runway, ground-breaking designers from Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane to Craig Green have revolutionized the discipline with their bold re-imaginings of the male wardrobe. Analysing the role of the media in shaping attitudes to men's fashion, Menswear Revolution studies how competing narratives of masculinity are reflected in popular discourse. Taking us from the mod and peacock revolutions of the 1960s to the new wave aesthetics of the 1980s, the book explores historical precedents for today's menswear scene – and looks at the evolution of the 'ideal' male body, from the muscular to the lean and boyish. Combining interviews with fashion professionals with close analyses of garments and advertising, Menswear Revolution provides an authoritative account of menswear design today. Highlighting its relationship to changing concepts of gender, the book provides a much-needed update to scholarship on masculinity, fashion and the body.




Saudi Capital Market


Book Description

A thriving capital market, one that not only brings investment funds into a country but also distributes profits in a transparent manner, is essential for any economy, especially a rapidly developing one such as Saudi Arabia. Already a key player on the world stage, the Kingdom is going through a major planned economic transformation and diversification. In particular, a robust and transparent capital market, with a high level of integrity and sound enforcement, is well on the way to fruition. This book is the first in English to analyse and evaluate the roles of economic planning and a capital market in Saudi Arabia’s economic modernization. In the process of examining the level of transparency and fairness in Saudi Arabia’s capital market, the author provides detailed information and analysis of such issues and topics as the following: – market disclosure rules; – insider trading laws; – gaps in enforcement; – dispute resolution; – role of securities agencies; – Saudi Arabia’s position in international organizations; and – repercussions of the 2006 Saudi stock market collapse. The author draws on a wide range of sources in both English and Arabic, and concludes with well-grounded proposals for appropriate judicial, administrative, and enforcement policies. Investors, their management and attorneys, and other advisors with an eye on trade development in the Middle East will derive great benefit from the current and detailed information in this book. Lawyers and policymakers will discover all they need to know about the Saudi capital market, its developing trends, and applicable laws.




The Country Gentleman


Book Description