A fascinating and counterintuitive portrait of the sordid, hidden world behind the dazzling artwork of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and moreRenowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explos...

Finalist for the Cundill History PrizeFrom an acclaimed historian, the definitive story of the Venetian Ghetto and the emergence of modern antisemitism.“More than a history of a city, the book is a chronicle of a condition, an elegy for Jewish life lived in the paradox of family flourishing and civic exclusion .... A richly researched history of Italian Jewry and its will to live on.” ―Kirkus Reviews

From an acclaimed historian, the definitive story of the Venetian Ghetto and the emergence of modern antisemitism.In the early sixteenth century, amidst the ruins of war and mounting religious hatred, the world’s first Jewish “ghetto” was established in Venice. Constrained in cramped, often unsanitary conditions, the Jews who were forced to live there were extorted, abused, and subjected to countless humiliating restrictions. In the centuries that followed, the Ven...

In the city that bills you for breathing, three defective operators are still for hire.Augmentation is not power. It is debt you wear under the skin. Your organs remember other people's jobs. Employment erases your consciousness a little more each time. Wetware that hungers while you sleep. Existence is a balance sheet and survival is a premium line item.Stay useful or be reclassified

India faces a crisis of criminal impunity. Crimes against the poor and marginalized go unprosecuted, while crimes committed by the rich and influential are ignored in return for bribes or favors. Those who have enough money to pay the police, or enough power to influence them, can quite literally get away with murder. In Democracy and Impunity, Alexander Lee examines the politics of law enforcement in India and why the police perform so poorly across multiple dimensions--a level o...

A fascinating and counterintuitive portrait of the sordid, hidden world behind the dazzling artwork of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and moreRenowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explos...

Zara loves puzzles. For her, fitting the pieces together is more than just a hobby—it's a way to bring order to the world around her. Every piece has a place, and nothing feels out of control. But life isn't always as simple as a puzzle.Kate, Zara's 84-year-old grandmother, used to have steady hands and a sharp memory. Now, her thoughts sometimes drift, her words repeat, and she forgets things she used to know. Moving in with Zara's family has been both a challenge and a gift, as s...

Our candle magic book for beginners is one of the few books that contains unique and in some places even secret information that is not found in any other such big book of candle magic. Our candle magic guide is packed full of useful information that will make you a candle magic professional. The book includes tables and information from:- the significance of herbs and components;- the meaning of metals;- the value of minerals;- timing tables;- various r...

Why are some countries more democratic than others? For most non-European countries, elections began under Western colonial rule. However, existing research largely overlooks these democratic origins. Analyzing a global sample of colonies across four centuries, this book explains the emergence of colonial electoral institutions and their lasting impact. The degree of democracy in the metropole, the size of the white settler population, and pressure from non-Europeans all shaped the timing ...

A comprehensive exploration of Machiavelli's life and thought – covering everything from his preoccupation with truth, fortune, and power, to his frequently bawdy poetry, love affairs, and friendships.Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Machiavelli really believed – and why he matters so much today.Who was Niccolo Machiavelli and why should we consider him relevant to the problems and vexations of the modern world? Ste...

Thanks to the invidious reputation of his most famous work, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli exerts a unique hold over the popular imagination. But was Machiavelli as sinister as he is often thought to be? Might he not have been an infinitely more sympathetic figure, prone to political missteps, professional failures and personal dramas?

Why do some states provide infrastructure and social services to their citizens, and others do not? In Development in Multiple Dimensions, Alexander Lee examines the origins of success and failure in the public services of developing countries. Comparing states within India, this study examines how elites either control, or are shut out of, policy decisions and how the interests of these elites influence public policy. He shows that social inequalities are not single but multiple,...