Central Asia is at the forefront of China’s efforts to assert itself as a major world power. Since 1991, Beijing has emerged as the region’s main investor, creditor and trade partner, as well as an increasingly important security provider. But its growing influence has met opposition: in recent years, anti-China protests have erupted across Central Asia, threatening Beijing’s shaky regional hegemony.Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon examine how Central Asians are pushing back agains...

The southernmost and poorest state of the Eurasian space, Tajikistan collapsed immediately upon the fall of the Soviet Union and plunged into a bloody five-year civil war (1992–1997) that left more than 50,000 people dead and more than half a million displaced. After the 1997 Peace Agreements, Tajikistan stood out for being the only post-Soviet country to recognize an Islamic party—the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT)—as a key actor in the civil war as well as in postwar reco...

This classic text retains the superb scholarship of the first edition in a thoroughly revised and accessibly written new edition. With both new and updated essays by distinguished American and Canadian authors, the book provides a comprehensive historical overview of the formation and growth of North American regions from European exploration and colonization to the second half of the twentieth century. Collectively the contributors explore the key themes of acquisition of geographical kno...

From fog-shrouded railway carriages to candlelit séance rooms, from haunted manor houses to snow-swept country roads, the gaslight era produced some of the finest ghost stories ever written—and many of the best have been hiding in the yellowed pages of forgotten magazines for over a century.This collection gathers twenty tales of the supernatural from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, drawn from sources as varied as Belgravia, Bentley’s Miscellany, Temple B...

The Lemon Method: Sour Your Way to Success is a renegade self-help manifesto for those who are tired of being told to "stay positive" in the face of disappointment, rejection, and failure. In this groundbreaking book, Matthew Petchinsky shatters the myth that success is sweet, exposing the raw truth: the greatest breakthroughs are born from bitterness, not bliss.Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience, real-life examples, and brutally honest strategies, The Lemon Me...

"Short Stories For Long Discussions…"Get ready to dive into the most thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating discussions of the year with "After Dinner Conversation - Best Of 2023." This must-have collection features the most compelling philosophy, ethics and social issues as short story fiction from one of the year's top-rated monthly literary magazines. With a diverse range of genres, from science-fiction to historical fiction, and with ...

Contemporary research on the lives and experiences of women of color tends to neglect the influence of women’s perceived access to voice as they manage tensions related to race, class, and gender. Underserved Women of Color, Voice, and Resistance: Claiming a Seat at the Table contributes to current dialogues that construct Black Feminist Theory as active, critical engagement within dominant American institutions that oppress women of color in their daily lives. Women of color face unique s...

Central Asia remains on the periphery, both spatially and in people’s imaginations. When the region does attract international attention, it is often related to security issues, including terrorism, ethnic conflict and drug trafficking.This book brings together leading specialists from a range of disciplines including geography, anthropology, sociology and political science to discuss how citizens and governments within Central Asia think about and practise security.The authors exp...