Collapse


Book Description

From the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword, Jared Diamond's Collapse uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish, while others founder - and what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, Jared Diamond's Collapse also shows how - unlike our ancestors - we can benefit from our knowledge of the past and learn to be survivors. 'A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race' - Daily Mail 'Riveting, superb, terrifying' - Observer 'Gripping ... the book fulfils its huge ambition, and Diamond is the only man who could have written it' - Economis 'This book shines like all Diamond's work' - Sunday Times




Peace Through Tourism


Book Description

Peace through Tourism considers the possibilities for tourism to contribute to efforts to unmask conflict and promote peace. This edited volume considers the intersections between tourism, peace, justice and sustainability through conceptual and empirical works surveying practices, problems and challenges all around the globe. It presents a complex and critical approach, arguing that peace through tourism is dialogic and not as simple as describing a few “good” niche segments of tourism. The pedagogies of peace represented here work to analyse structural violence associated with tourism—such as in the dominance of neoliberal market imperatives over local or social economies; colonising, patriarchal and anthropocentric practices in tourism; and tourism’s complex role in post-conflict settings. Analyses found here place scholars, industry and communities in conversation about building shared tourism futures where peace is understood as peace with justice and differences are bridged through dialogues towards understanding. In light of the many challenges in attaining sustainable development in the 21st century, this volume is an important and timely endeavour. Radical practices are explored that support more ‘just’ tourism futures. With a new introduction, this book is an insightful resource for scholars and researchers of Tourism and Peace and Conflict Studies. The chapters in this book were originally published in Journal of Sustainable Tourism.




Route of the Mayas


Book Description

Journey through the mysterious Mayan ruins of the Yucatan and Central America and learn about the fascinating Mayan civilization through this lavishly illustrated and information-packed book, with more than 1,000 drawings, photos and maps. Colorful cross sections and plans of city-states illustrate the Route of the Mayas. National ads/media.




Popol Vuh


Book Description

One of the most extraordinary works of the human imagination and the most important text in the native languages of the Americas, Popul Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life was first made accessible to the public 10 years ago. This new edition retains the quality of the original translation, has been enriched, and includes 20 new illustrations, maps, drawings, and photos.




La Ruta Maya


Book Description

La Ruta Maya is a 1500-mile route connecting ancient Mayan sites, and providing access to remote areas extending from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula into the Honduras and El Salvador. In this realm of the ancient Maya, travelers will discover more cities than in ancient Egypt; remote villages where traditions and crafts have survived for 3000 years; the longest barrier reef in the Americas; and more. 16 pages of color.




The Madrid Codex


Book Description

This volume offers new calendrical models and methodologies for reading, dating, and interpreting the general significance of the Madrid Codex. The longest of the surviving Maya codices, this manuscript includes texts and images painted by scribes conversant in Maya hieroglyphic writing, a written means of communication practiced by Maya elites from the second to the fifteenth centuries A.D. Some scholars have recently argued that the Madrid Codex originated in the Petén region of Guatemala and postdates European contact. The contributors to this volume challenge that view by demonstrating convincingly that it originated in northern Yucatán and was painted in the Pre-Columbian era. In addition, several contributors reveal provocative connections among the Madrid and Borgia group of codices from Central Mexico. Contributors include: Harvey M. Bricker, Victoria R. Bricker, John F. Chuchiak IV, Christine L. Hernández, Bryan R. Just, Merideth Paxton, and John Pohl. Additional support for this publication was generously provided by the Eugene M. Kayden Fund at the University of Colorado.




World Tourism in the New Millennium


Book Description

Since the beginning of time humans have traveled. Food, water, safety or acquisitions of resources (trade) were the early travel motivations. But the idea of travel for pleasure or exploration soon emerged. Travel has always depended upon technology to provide the means or mode of travel. The earliest travelers walked or rode domesticated animals. Tourism is a collection of activities, services and industries that delivers a travel experience, including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking establishments, retail shops, entertainment businesses, activity facilities and other hospitality services provided for individuals or groups traveling away from home. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) claims that tourism is currently the world's largest industry with annual revenues of over $3 trillion dollars. Tourism provides over six million jobs in the United States, making it the country's largest employer. Presenting models and techniques for tourism forecasting at the outset, the book "e;World Tourism in the New Millennium"e; makes elaborate discussion on current and future scenario of tourism in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. This unique presentation on current and future tourism scenario is a must for students, teachers, tour consultants, tour guides, tourists and general public.




The Tourist Places of the World


Book Description

Formerly a largely Western practice, leisure travel is today the most dynamic industry in the world in terms of growth. Developments in transport and communication systems mean tourism is now an integral part of our understanding of the world, and involved in the exponential increase of links between societies and different cultures. The Tourist Places of the World has comprehensive data on the number of international visitors annually. It also includes an original map ? not dictated by country, but by major tourist areas and places. The hierarchy of destinations drawn is highlighted by the different levels of popularity and passenger flows; from the universal places where all societies meet to the still unfrequented places. Beyond the recognition of global tourism, the challenge is to understand how and why societies can achieve a better life through sustainable development, which encompasses social, economic and environmental dimensions.




The Tourism System


Book Description

This undergraduate text introduces the tourism industry, with sections on planning, developing, and controlling tourism destinations, tourism marketing and promotion, factors influencing the tourism market, and the characteristics of travel. Learning features include objectives, chapter overviews, and summaries, plus a glossary. Mill teaches in the




Seeing Indians


Book Description

A cross disciplinary study of the political motives for eradicating indigenous identity in El Salvador.