Technology, Tradition and Survival


Book Description

The contributors address the history, originality, variety and sophistication of traditional science, technology and material culture in the Middle East and Central Asia, their influence on the history of Europe and the West, and the threat posed by modern Western technologies.




Technology, Tradition and Survival


Book Description

The contributors address the history, originality, variety and sophistication of traditional science, technology and material culture in the Middle East and Central Asia, their influence on the history of Europe and the West, and the threat posed by modern Western technologies.




Survival Nexus


Book Description

"The impact of science and technology on world affairs is shaped by politics, economics, business, ethics, law, psychology, and culture. This nexus is a neglected aspect of international affairs. It cuts across and unites diverse issues critical to human survival: climate change, global health, nuclear weapons, Internet governance, cybersecurity, jobs, competitiveness, poverty, hunger, and the management of new technologies like autonomous weapons, hypersonic missiles, geoengineering, and gene drivers. Advances in science and technology promise both great benefits and critical threats. Appropriate policies can stimulate and guide scientific and technological advance to create new ways to achieve a healthy environment, sustainable energy systems, equitable growth, full employment, and reduced poverty. But we are allowing technology to push ourselves into uncharted and dangerous territory. Long-standing modes of international cooperation are under increasing pressure, and we are making too little effort to strengthen and update them. Nor are we building the strong global norms that we need to manage new technologies. Underlying all of the global problems discussed in this book are considerations of basic ethics: our willingness to respect scientific facts, to act today to forestall long-run dangers, and to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits, costs, and risks from advances in science and technology"--




Eco-Architecture V


Book Description

This book contains the proceedings of the fifth International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature (Eco-Architecture 2014). Eco-Architecture implies a new approach to the design process intended to harmonise its products with nature. This involves ideas such as minimum use of energy at each stage of the building process, taking into account the amount required during the extraction and transportation of materials, their fabrication, assembly, building erection, maintenance and eventual future recycling. Another important issue is the adaptation of the architectural design to the natural environment, learning from nature and long time honoured samples of traditional constructions. The papers in this book deal with topics such as building technologies, design by passive systems, design with nature, cultural sensitivity, life cycle assessment, resources and rehabilitation and many others. Also included are case studies from many different places around the world. Eco-Architecture by definition is a highly multi-disciplinary subject. Eco-Architecture V: Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature will therefore be of interest to, in addition to architects, many other professionals, including engineers, planners, physical scientists, sociologists and economists. Topics covered include: Design with nature; Energy efficiency; Building technologies; Ecological impacts of materials; Bioclimatic design; Water quality; Green facades; Ecological and cultural sensitivity; Education and training; Case studies; Design by passive systems; Adapted reuse; Life cycle assessment and durability; Transformative design; Sustainability indices in architecture.




Moon of the Crusted Snow


Book Description

2023 Canada Reads Longlist Selection National Bestseller Winner of the 2019 OLA Forest of Reading Evergreen Award Shortlisted for the 2019 John W. Campbell Memorial Award Shortlisted for the 2019/20 First Nation Communities READ Indigenous Literature Award 2020 Burlington Library Selection; 2020 Hamilton Reads One Book One Community Selection; 2020 Region of Waterloo One Book One Community Selection; 2019 Ontario Library Association Ontario Together We Read Program Selection; 2019 Women’s National Book Association’s Great Group Reads; 2019 Amnesty International Book Club Pick January 2020 Reddit r/bookclub pick of the month “This slow-burning thriller is also a powerful story of survival and will leave readers breathless.” — Publishers Weekly “Rice seamlessly injects Anishinaabe language into the dialogue and creates a beautiful rendering of the natural world … This title will appeal to fans of literary science-fiction akin to Cormac McCarthy as well as to readers looking for a fresh voice in indigenous fiction.” — Booklist A daring post-apocalyptic novel from a powerful rising literary voice With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow. The community leadership loses its grip on power as the visitors manipulate the tired and hungry to take control of the reserve. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Guided through the chaos by an unlikely leader named Evan Whitesky, they endeavor to restore order while grappling with a grave decision. Blending action and allegory, Moon of the Crusted Snow upends our expectations. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn.




Islam in a Zongo


Book Description

Drawing on empirical and archival research, this ethnography is an exploration of the diversity and complexity of 'everyday' lived religion among Muslims in Ghana's Asante region, demonstrating the interconnectedness of Islam with people's lives in a zongo community.




Primitive Technology


Book Description

From the craftsman behind the popular YouTube channel Primitive Technology comes a practical guide to building huts and tools using only natural materials from the wild. John Plant, the man behind the channel, Primitive Technology, is a bonafide YouTube star. With almost 10 million subscribers and an average of 5 million views per video, John's channel is beloved by a wide-ranging fan base, from campers and preppers to hipster woodworkers and craftsmen. Now for the first time, fans will get a detailed, behind-the-scenes look into John's process. Featuring 50 projects with step-by-step instructions on how to make tools, weapons, shelters, pottery, clothing, and more, Primitive Technology is the ultimate guide to the craft. Each project is accompanied by illustrations as well as mini-sidebars with the history behind each item, plus helpful tips for building, material sourcing, and so forth. Whether you're a wilderness aficionado or just eager to spend more time outdoors, Primitive Technology has something for everyone's inner nature lover.




Castles Made of Sand


Book Description

"Extensively researched—with detailed source notes and an expansive bibliography—and cogently argued, Gerolymatos's study of diplomacy by espionage is timely and instructive." - Publishers Weekly With roots in imperialism and the nineteenth-century mindset of the "Great Game," Western nations have waged an intricate spy game this past century to establish control over the Middle East, secure access to key resources and regions of commerce, and prevent the spread of Soviet communism into the region. From the Suez Canal to the former Ottoman Empire, British and American intelligence communities have conspired to topple regimes and initiate Muslim leaders as pawns in a geopolitical chess game fought against Marxist expansion. Yet while the Iron Curtain was doomed to fall near the end of the twentieth century, this pattern of tunnel vision has created a different monster. The resulting resurgence of Muslim radicalism, and the induction of Arabs and other Muslims into the dark arts of espionage and sabotage, have only served to fan the flames in an already incendiary region and deepen the tensions between the Middle East and the West today. An authority on international studies and the history of guerilla warfare, André Gerolymatos offers the contemporary reader insight into the intelligence game that is still waged internationally with lethal intent, and into the Middle Eastern terrorist networks that had evolved over the decades. In this definitive account of covert operations in the Middle East, the author brings to life the extraordinary men and women whose successes and failures have shaped relations, and he reveals how the explosive nature of the region today has direct roots in the history of American and Western intervention.




Culture and Customs of Turkey


Book Description

With exhaustive coverage on one of the world's most diverse and exciting countries, Culture and Customs of Turkey is an essential addition to high school and public library shelves. Illustrative accounts of past traditions help readers to understand contemporary culture today, covering such customs as religious beliefs, folklore, gender issues, art, performing arts, cuisine, and festivals. Students will learn how Turkey has become culturally rich and diverse, mixing Western and Eastern traditions to form a unique bridge between Europe and Asia. This latest volume in the Culture and Customs of Europe series is a must-have for high school students studying world history and culture, as well as for general readers interested in global hotspots. Swirling with both Western and Eastern traditions, sitting on the edge of the war in the Middle East, Turkey is one of the world's cultural and political hotspots.With exhaustive coverage on one of the world's most diverse and exciting countries, Culture and Customs of Turkey is an essential addition to high school and public library shelves. Illustrative accounts of past traditions help readers to understand contemporary culture today, covering such customs as religious beliefs, folklore, gender issues, art, performing arts, cuisine, and festivals. Students will learn how Turkey has become culturally rich and diverse, mixing Western and Eastern traditions to form a unique bridge between Europe and Asia. This latest volume in the Culture and Customs of Europe series is a must-have for high school students studying world history and culture, as well as for general readers interested in global hotspots.




Islamist Radicalisation in North Africa


Book Description

This book focuses on the current issues and analytical approaches to the phenomenon of radicalisation in North Africa. Taking a comprehensive approach to the subject, it looks at the processes that lead to radicalisation, rather than the often violent outcomes.