Written by an award-winning historian of science and technology, Planet in Peril describes the top four mega-dangers facing humankind – climate change, nukes, pandemics, and artificial intelligence. It outlines the solutions that have been tried, and analyzes why they have thus far fallen short. These four existential dangers present a special kind of challenge that urgently requires planet-level responses, yet today's international institutions have so far failed to meet this need. The bo...

An essential resource for students and scholars of Latin American history, urban studies, and the history of mobility and transport.Mexico City Mobilities is the first comprehensive study to place regional mobility and transportation infrastructure at the center of the Mexican capital’s two-hundred-year history. Beginning in 1824, when a fledgling national capital began to define its political and territorial identity, historian Michael K. Bess traces the ...

World War II was the quintessential “good war.” It was not, however, a conflict free of moral ambiguity, painful dilemmas, and unavoidable compromises. Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy bequeathed to the world by Hiroshima? With wisdom and clarity, Michael Bess brings a fresh eye to these difficult questions and others, arguing eloquently against the binaries of honor...

For religious persons, the notion of human being is tied inextricably to the notion of God (or the gods) and turns on this question: what is human being? How did we, with our almost infinite capacities for thought, change, and domination, come to be? Imbued with powers far beyond any other animal, humans are too faulty to be considered gods themselves. Yet, the idea of God (or the gods) appears in all distinctive human cultures: it names the other pole of human-it designates a being who re...

A panoramic overview of biotechnologies that can endlessly boost human capabilities and the drastic changes these “superhuman” traits could triggerBiotechnology is moving fast. In the coming decades, advanced pharmaceuticals, bioelectronics, and genetic interventions will be used not only to heal the sick but to boost human physical and mental performance to unprecedented levels. People will have access to pills that make them stronger and faster, informatic device...

In Routes of Compromise Michael K. Bess studies the social, economic, and political implications of road building and state formation in Mexico through a comparative analysis of Nuevo León and Veracruz from the 1920s to the 1950s. He examines how both foreign and domestic actors, working at local, national, and transnational levels, helped determine how Mexico would build and finance its roadways.While Veracruz offered a radical model for regional construction that empower...

The next wave of technological change will shape not just our gizmos and gadgets, but our own bodies and minds. Join award-winning historian Michael Bess to learn what to expect from the “Superhuman Revolution.”In the near future, developments in bioenhancement technologies will not only alter how we make a living, communicate, and interact with each other, but will offer direct and precise control over our own physical and mental states. People will be able to scu...

The lives of five generations, including yours, are indelibly marked by the deeds of those who fought in the Second World War. Join award-winning historian Michael Bess in exploring their stories.In 24 engaging lectures, WWII expert and Vanderbilt professor Michael Bess introduces you to the men and women who faced some of history’s toughest choices. You will meet the man who stopped Hitler’s atomic bomb, the pilots who won the Battle of Midway, the Soviet “Man of ...

New Criticism and Pedagogical Directions for Contemporary Black Women Writers is a collection of critical and pedagogical essays that shed new light on the creative depths of Black women writers. On the one hand, some Black women writers have been heavily anthologized, they have more often than not been restricted by critical metanarratives. Some of their works have been lionized while others remain neglected. On the other hand, some Black women writers have been ignored and under...

Inpatient units treat some of the most clinically challenging psychiatric patients. Clinicians must carefully balance patients' rights with safety concerns of violence and suicide. This updated manual is compact and practical, addressing the common questions and issues clinicians face in day-to-day practice. Chapters are organised around the diagnoses found on inpatient psychiatric units, allowing readers to find their area of interest quickly. A user-friendly question and answer format an...

The Nutrition and Health series of books have, as an overriding mission, to provide health professionals with texts that are considered essential because each includes (1) a synthesis of the state of the science; (2) timely, in-depth reviews by the leading research ers in their respective fields; (3) extensive, up-to-date, fully annotated reference lists; (4) a detailed index; (5) relevant tab les and figures; (6) identification of paradigm shifts and the consequences; (7) virtually no ove...

This is an open access book. Meaning in Life (MIL) International Conference 2022, “Cultivating, Promoting, and Enhancing Meaning in Life Across Cultures and Life Span” will be held 0n 22-25 June 2022, Onsite & Live Online, at The Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, China.The concept of meaning in life (MIL) has recently earned a renaissance of interest. Although MIL has always been framed as significant for human survival, it has simultaneously been portrayed as chronically la...