Alastair Bonnett – författare

Turn the pages of this thought-provoking book and discover maps that challenge conventional wisdom, confront social and political norms and offer fresh perspectives on familiar landscapes.This meticulously curated selection of 40 maps spans the ages, from ancient parchment scrolls to cutting-edge digital creations. Each map is a window into a different facet of our world, shedding light on the complex interplay of geography, geopolitics, art, history, science and society.Maps have always held the power to transport us, not just from one place to another, but from one state of mind to another. Beyond their utilitarian function, maps have an extraordinary ability to tell stories, reveal truths and inspire revolutions.They are not mere drawings of geographic boundaries, but gateways to the collective wisdom of humanity. You'll encounter maps that dissect the intricate tapestry of human migration, maps that unveil the secrets of the cosmos and maps that expose the stark realities of our changing climate. These maps are not just illustrations; they are provocations, invitations to rethink the world.40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World is not just a book for geographers or history buffs; it is a profound exploration for anyone with a curious mind. Whether you're an armchair traveller, a seasoned explorer, a student of geopolitics or an art aficionado, this book will challenge your preconceptions, spark lively discussions and deepen your appreciation for the interconnectedness of our world.

This introductory text provides students for the first time with an historical and international analysis of the development of anti-racism. Drawing on sources from around the world, the author explains the roots and describes the practice of anti-racism in Western and non-Western societies from Britain and the United States to Malaysia and Peru.Topics covered include:* the historical roots of anti-racism* race issues within organisations* the practice of anti-racism* the politics of backlash.This lively, concise book will be an indispensable resource for all students interested in issues of race, ethnicity and in contemporary society more generally.

This introductory text provides students for the first time with an historical and international analysis of the development of anti-racism. Drawing on sources from around the world, the author explains the roots and describes the practice of anti-racism in Western and non-Western societies from Britain and the United States to Malaysia and Peru.Topics covered include:* the historical roots of anti-racism* race issues within organisations* the practice of anti-racism* the politics of backlash.This lively, concise book will be an indispensable resource for all students interested in issues of race, ethnicity and in contemporary society more generally.

We are familiar with the importance of 'progress' and 'change'. But what about loss? Across the world, from Beijing to Birmingham, people are talking about loss: about the loss that occurs when populations try to make new lives in new lands as well as the loss of traditions, languages and landscapes. The Geography of Nostalgia is the first study of loss as a global and local phenomenon, something that occurs on many different scales and which connects many different people.The Geography of Nostalgia explores nostalgia as a child of modernity but also as a force that exceeds and challenges modernity. The book begins at a global level, addressing the place of nostalgia within both global capitalism and anti-capitalism. In Chapter Two it turns to the contested role of nostalgia in debates about environmentalism and social constructionism. Chapter Three addresses ideas of Asia and India as nostalgic forms. The book then turns to more particular and local landscapes: the last three chapters explore the yearnings of migrants for distant homelands, and the old cities and ancient forests that are threatened by modernity but which modern people see as sites of authenticity and escape.The Geography of Nostalgia is a reader friendly text that will appeal to a variety of markets. In the university sector it is a student friendly, interdisciplinary text that will be welcomed across a broad range of courses, including cultural geography, post-colonial studies, landscape and planning, sociology and history.

White Identities provides a comprehensive overview of this debate, drawing together the various strands of recent research into an accessible but challenging introduction. The author argues that 'White Studies', as it is presently conceived, is an American project, reflecting American interpretations of race and history. However the book shows that the impact of white identities is international in scope and significance. Thus, only a thorough historical and international perspective on whiteness can provide a proper introduction to the subject, an introduction that has relevance to students worldwide.

Turn the pages of this thought-provoking book and discover maps that challenge conventional wisdom, confront social and political norms and offer fresh perspectives on familiar landscapes.This meticulously curated selection of 40 maps spans the ages, from ancient parchment scrolls to cutting-edge digital creations. Each map is a window into a different facet of our world, shedding light on the complex interplay of geography, geopolitics, art, history, science and society.Maps have always held the power to transport us, not just from one place to another, but from one state of mind to another. Beyond their utilitarian function, maps have an extraordinary ability to tell stories, reveal truths and inspire revolutions.They are not mere drawings of geographic boundaries, but gateways to the collective wisdom of humanity. You'll encounter maps that dissect the intricate tapestry of human migration, maps that unveil the secrets of the cosmos and maps that expose the stark realities of our changing climate. These maps are not just illustrations; they are provocations, invitations to rethink the world.40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World is not just a book for geographers or history buffs; it is a profound exploration for anyone with a curious mind. Whether you're an armchair traveller, a seasoned explorer, a student of geopolitics or an art aficionado, this book will challenge your preconceptions, spark lively discussions and deepen your appreciation for the interconnectedness of our world.

This title looks at the role nostalgia plays in the radical imagination to offer a new guide to the history and politics of the left. In "Left in the Past", Bonnett re-assesses the place of nostalgia within radical politics and, in doing so, provides a new introduction to the history and politics of the left. Bonnett argues that nostalgia has been a chronic, but repressed, aspect of the socialist imagination. "Left in the Past" is premised on the idea that, in our 'post-socialist era', the relationship between radicalism and a sense of loss, and the ambivalent position of socialism in and against modernity, can be viewed with greater clarity. In section one of the book, Bonnett shows the centrality and repression of nostalgia in both 19th-century radicalism and anticolonial radicalism. In section two, he explores the consequences of this inheritance by way of 20th century and contemporary studies of revolutionary intellectuals and intellectual culture. Bonnett's unique approach in how to understand the left in an age of post-socialism will make book a needed resource for anyone interested in the history and politics of the left and radicalism.

First published in 1993, Radicalism, Anti-Racism and Representation is a study set within a wider political context for the discussion of ‘racial’ representation and anti-racism. The second half of the book is devoted to interview-based exploration of the ambiguities and political characteristics of ‘race’ equality consciousness amongst public educators. It is shown that there is no one anti-racism. Different ideals and assumptions have been arrived at within different historical and geographical contexts. It is suggested that this intellectual plurality provides a resource for those wishing to rethink anti-racism in the light of its contemporary malaise. The study also explores and explains the development of self-critical, reflexive, anti-racist and radical consciousness amongst educators. The book provides the first sociological study of anti-racism. Indeed, it is the first to provide a substantive critique of anti-racism from outside the New Right. It is also the first to look at this phenomenon geographically and to compare anti-racism in ‘multiracial’ and ‘white’ areas. This book will be of interest to students of human geography, sociology, history, ethnic studies, and race studies.

First published in 1993, Radicalism, Anti-Racism and Representation is a study set within a wider political context for the discussion of ‘racial’ representation and anti-racism. The second half of the book is devoted to interview-based exploration of the ambiguities and political characteristics of ‘race’ equality consciousness amongst public educators. It is shown that there is no one anti-racism. Different ideals and assumptions have been arrived at within different historical and geographical contexts. It is suggested that this intellectual plurality provides a resource for those wishing to rethink anti-racism in the light of its contemporary malaise. The study also explores and explains the development of self-critical, reflexive, anti-racist and radical consciousness amongst educators. The book provides the first sociological study of anti-racism. Indeed, it is the first to provide a substantive critique of anti-racism from outside the New Right. It is also the first to look at this phenomenon geographically and to compare anti-racism in ‘multiracial’ and ‘white’ areas. This book will be of interest to students of human geography, sociology, history, ethnic studies, and race studies.

White Identities provides a comprehensive overview of this debate, drawing together the various strands of recent research into an accessible but challenging introduction. The author argues that 'White Studies', as it is presently conceived, is an American project, reflecting American interpretations of race and history. However the book shows that the impact of white identities is international in scope and significance. Thus, only a thorough historical and international perspective on whiteness can provide a proper introduction to the subject, an introduction that has relevance to students worldwide.

We are familiar with the importance of 'progress' and 'change'. But what about loss? Across the world, from Beijing to Birmingham, people are talking about loss: about the loss that occurs when populations try to make new lives in new lands as well as the loss of traditions, languages and landscapes. The Geography of Nostalgia is the first study of loss as a global and local phenomenon, something that occurs on many different scales and which connects many different people.The Geography of Nostalgia explores nostalgia as a child of modernity but also as a force that exceeds and challenges modernity. The book begins at a global level, addressing the place of nostalgia within both global capitalism and anti-capitalism. In Chapter Two it turns to the contested role of nostalgia in debates about environmentalism and social constructionism. Chapter Three addresses ideas of Asia and India as nostalgic forms. The book then turns to more particular and local landscapes: the last three chapters explore the yearnings of migrants for distant homelands, and the old cities and ancient forests that are threatened by modernity but which modern people see as sites of authenticity and escape.The Geography of Nostalgia is a reader friendly text that will appeal to a variety of markets. In the university sector it is a student friendly, interdisciplinary text that will be welcomed across a broad range of courses, including cultural geography, post-colonial studies, landscape and planning, sociology and history.

The West is on everyone's lips: it is defended, celebrated, hated. But how and why did it emerge? And whose idea is it? This book is about representations of the West. Drawing on sources from across the world - from Russia to Japan, Iran to Britain - it argues that the West is not merely a Western idea but something that many people around the world have long been creating and stereotyping. The Idea of the West looks at how the great political and ethnic forces of the last century defined themselves in relation to the West, addresses how Soviet communism, 'Asian spirituality', 'Asian values' and radical Islamism used and deployed images of the West. Both topical and wide-ranging, it offers an accessible but provocative portrait of a fascinating subject and it charts the complex relationship between whiteness and the West.

"I cannot imagine a better guide to the transition between school and undergraduate geography than this short, informative and confidently-argued book. Written without fuss but based on solid learning and clear thinking, it tackles head-on a question many professional academic geographers would rather avoid."- Alisdair Rogers, University of Oxford"A beautiful little book that helps to introduce the core concepts of geography and provides an ideal framework for relating other fields of knowledge and academia."- Stefan Zimmermann, University of OsnabruckWhat is Geography? Geography is a fundamental fascination with, and a crucial method for, understanding the way the world works.

This text offers readers a short and highly accessible account of the ideas and concepts constituting geography. Drawing out the key themes that define the subject, What is Geography? demonstrates how and why these themes - like environment and geopolitics- are of fundamental importance.

Including discussion of both the human and the natural realms, the text looks at key themes like environment, space, and place - as well as geography's methods and the history of the discipline.

Introductory but not simplified, What is Geography? will provide students with the ability to understand the history and context of the subject without any prior knowledge. Designed as a key transitional text for students entering undergraduate courses, this book will be of interest to all readers interested in and intrigued by the "geographical imagination".

"I cannot imagine a better guide to the transition between school and undergraduate geography than this short, informative and confidently-argued book. Written without fuss but based on solid learning and clear thinking, it tackles head-on a question many professional academic geographers would rather avoid."- Alisdair Rogers, University of Oxford"A beautiful little book that helps to introduce the core concepts of geography and provides an ideal framework for relating other fields of knowledge and academia."- Stefan Zimmermann, University of OsnabruckWhat is Geography? Geography is a fundamental fascination with, and a crucial method for, understanding the way the world works.

This text offers readers a short and highly accessible account of the ideas and concepts constituting geography. Drawing out the key themes that define the subject, What is Geography? demonstrates how and why these themes - like environment and geopolitics- are of fundamental importance.

Including discussion of both the human and the natural realms, the text looks at key themes like environment, space, and place - as well as geography's methods and the history of the discipline.

Introductory but not simplified, What is Geography? will provide students with the ability to understand the history and context of the subject without any prior knowledge. Designed as a key transitional text for students entering undergraduate courses, this book will be of interest to all readers interested in and intrigued by the "geographical imagination".

Racism is a world problem. From Morocco to China, Brazil to Indonesia, racism is being debated and contested. Multiracism broadens the horizon on this global challenge, showing that racism has a diverse history with multiple roots and routes.Drawing on examples of racism from across the globe, with particular focus on cases from Asia and Africa, Alastair Bonnett rethinks the origins of racism and the connections between racism and modernity. Arguing that plural modernities are interwoven with plural racisms, he explores the relationship of racism to history, religion, politics, and nationalism, as well as to anti-Black prejudice and discourses of whiteness. Empirically rich, with numerous in-depth case studies, Multiracism equips readers to understand racism in a multipolar world where power is no longer the sole possession of the West. It provides and provokes a new, international, and post-Western vision of racism for the twenty-first century.

Racism is a world problem. From Morocco to China, Brazil to Indonesia, racism is being debated and contested. Multiracism broadens the horizon on this global challenge, showing that racism has a diverse history with multiple roots and routes.Drawing on examples of racism from across the globe, with particular focus on cases from Asia and Africa, Alastair Bonnett rethinks the origins of racism and the connections between racism and modernity. Arguing that plural modernities are interwoven with plural racisms, he explores the relationship of racism to history, religion, politics, and nationalism, as well as to anti-Black prejudice and discourses of whiteness. Empirically rich, with numerous in-depth case studies, Multiracism equips readers to understand racism in a multipolar world where power is no longer the sole possession of the West. It provides and provokes a new, international, and post-Western vision of racism for the twenty-first century.

Originality is needed to achieve top marks in assignments, but what does it even mean?

Simply put, it opens doors: to making a difference; to excellent marks, to success. You’ll often find marking criteria stating you need to make an ‘original contribution’, ‘show originality’, or ‘evidence of originality’, yet it is not taught or even explained. This book addresses this, providing you with the techniques and methods you need to transform your work and achieve better grades. It will even give you the upper hand in the age of AI. 

Key features include:

·       Diverse examples of originality in writing

·       “Try this” exercises, allowing you to develop your skills

·       Different ways of being original, such as taking photos and drawing maps

·       Originality in different forms of assignments, such as presentations and exams

With the guidance in this book, anyone can be original. Student Success is a series of essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to boosting your employability and managing your wellbeing, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. 

Originality is needed to achieve top marks in assignments, but what does it even mean?

Simply put, it opens doors: to making a difference; to excellent marks, to success. You’ll often find marking criteria stating you need to make an ‘original contribution’, ‘show originality’, or ‘evidence of originality’, yet it is not taught or even explained. This book addresses this, providing you with the techniques and methods you need to transform your work and achieve better grades. It will even give you the upper hand in the age of AI. 

Key features include:

·       Diverse examples of originality in writing

·       “Try this” exercises, allowing you to develop your skills

·       Different ways of being original, such as taking photos and drawing maps

·       Originality in different forms of assignments, such as presentations and exams

With the guidance in this book, anyone can be original. Student Success is a series of essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to boosting your employability and managing your wellbeing, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. 

Do you want to get better at developing your argument, but don't know where to start? This book breaks down different types of argument, from writing to presenting and exam technique. It's ideal for students of all levels and of all study areas, making this a go-to text for everyone. Key features include: - Chapter objectives and key topics to ensure it's the right chapter for you - Tips, exercises and useful phrases to apply the content to your learning - A glossary and further reading to broaden your arguing technique  Student Success is a series of essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to boosting your employability and managing your wellbeing, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university.

Do you want to get better at developing your argument, but don't know where to start? This book breaks down different types of argument, from writing to presenting and exam technique. It's ideal for students of all levels and of all study areas, making this a go-to text for everyone. Key features include: - Chapter objectives and key topics to ensure it's the right chapter for you - Tips, exercises and useful phrases to apply the content to your learning - A glossary and further reading to broaden your arguing technique  Student Success is a series of essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to boosting your employability and managing your wellbeing, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university.

Geography is fundamental to understanding the way the world works. This text offers readers a short and highly accessible account of the ideas and concepts constituting geography. Including discussion of both the human and the natural realms, the text looks at key themes such as environment, space, and place—as well as geography's methods and the history of the discipline—showing us how and why they are essential for a thriving planet.Introductory but not simplified, Bonnett provides students with the ability to understand the history and context of the subject without any prior knowledge. This short, elegant book will be of interest to all readers intrigued by the “geographical imagination.”

Geography is fundamental to understanding the way the world works. This text offers readers a short and highly accessible account of the ideas and concepts constituting geography. Including discussion of both the human and the natural realms, the text looks at key themes such as environment, space, and place—as well as geography's methods and the history of the discipline—showing us how and why they are essential for a thriving planet.Introductory but not simplified, Bonnett provides students with the ability to understand the history and context of the subject without any prior knowledge. This short, elegant book will be of interest to all readers intrigued by the “geographical imagination.”

'A fizzingly entertaining and enlightening book' Daily Telegraph'Mesmerising' Geographical Magazine'A fascinating delve into uncharted, forgotten lost places. But it's not just a trivia-tastic anthology of remote destinations but a nifty piece of psycho-geography, explaining our human need for these cartographical   conundrums.' WanderlustIn a world of Google Earth, in which it is easy to believe that every discovery has been made and every adventure already had, Off the Map is a stunning testament to how mysterious our planet still is.From forgotten enclaves to floating islands, from hidden villages to New York gutter spaces, Off the Map charts the hidden corners of our planet. And while these are not necessarily places you would choose to visit on holiday - Hobyo, the pirate capital of Somalia, or Zheleznogorsk, a secret military town in Russia - they each carry a story about the strangeness of place and our need for a geography that understands our hunger for the fantastic and the unexpected.But it also shows us that topophilia, the love of place, is a fundamental part of what it is to be human. Whether you are an urban explorer or an armchair traveller, Off the Map will inspire and enchant. You'll never look at a map in quite the same way again.

'Extraordinary... A fascinating and intelligent book.' Sunday TimesNew islands are being built at an unprecedented rate whether for tourism or territorial ambition, while many islands are disappearing or fragmenting because of rising sea levels. It is a strange planetary spectacle, creating an ever-changing map which even Google Earth struggles to keep pace with.In The Age of Islands, explorer and geographer Alastair Bonnett takes the reader on a compelling and thought-provoking tour of the world's newest, most fragile and beautiful islands and reveals what, he argues, is one of the great dramas of our time.From a 'crannog', an ancient artificial island in a Scottish loch, to the militarized artificial islands China is building in the South China Sea; from the disappearing islands that remain the home of native Central Americans to the ritzy new islands of Dubai; from Hong Kong and the Isles of Scilly to islands far away and near: all have urgent stories to tell.

This is the age of ruins. The wrecks of our speeding, super-sizing, impatient era can be found on the Moon and at the bottom of the sea, in the internet’s haunted attics, in desecrated jungles and in abandoned shopping malls inhabited by dust and spiders. We live amid the accumulating debris of an economy that can’t stop producing, building and digging, creating mountains of stuff, little of which lasts very long. The old ruins, those pleasant antiquities, blocks of Sun-warmed marble wedged in romantic sands, are reassuring, and speak of a time when clocks turned slowly. The ruins of the industrial era, old brick-built factories, seem equally distant. They are sweetly melancholic: the wind pushes one last squeak from a rusty wheel and corridors echo with memories of heavy, well-oiled machines. The old ruins appeal to us because we’re nostalgic for a world that was less frantic. We like to be fooled that ruins are from the past when, in fact, they describe our present.This is a book about 21 new ruins. Each one challenges our ideas about what ruins look like and each one has a unique story to tell. They all linked, not just by their novelty, but because each offers a portrait of a world in which abandonment and collapse have become normalised. Part of what makes the new ruins so strange is their uncertainty. Yesterday’s ruins are frozen in time. No one is planning to rebuild Pompeii. The new ruins are queasier. They are dead but, somehow, keep breathing: the ruined virtual kingdom can be rebooted, so too the empty retail park. Perhaps even wrecked nature can be resurrected, the Amazon rebuilt, the ocean’s eco-systems reconstructed. The new ruins are zombies, dead but always threatening to spring back to life.In many cities ruins are everywhere. Ruination flows from so many aspects of modern life – its remorseless innovation as well as its destructiveness – that we may be losing our ability to see what a strange, churning world it has created. This title drags new ruins into the light and shows how extraordinary they are. You will never think of ruins in the same way again.

Explore the World’s Most Extraordinary Islands: A Journey Through the Strange, Scary, Remote, and Naturally OddDive in to a captivating exploration of 29 of the world’s most unique and enigmatic islands, each with its own compelling story. This visually stunning book is divided into four sections, each revealing a different facet of these extraordinary locales:Strange Uncover islands that defy the ordinary. From Ocean Flower in China, an artificial lotus-shaped archipelago now mired in financial ruin, to Santa Cruz Del Islote, 'the world's most crowded island', these islands challenge the boundaries of imagination. Marvel at the Floating City in the Pacific, a visionary eco-island, and learn about Kihnu, famous for the central and visible role of its women.Scary Venture into the eerie and unsettling. Discover Runit’s ominous concrete dome packed with nuclear waste, or the haunted island of Poveglia off the coast of Venice. Experience the chilling history of Fire Island, where Russia's most dangerous murderers are imprisoned.Remote Journey to the furthest corners of the Earth. Explore Socotra and its unique flora and fauna, and Inaccessible Island, surrounded by cliffs and rarely seen by human eyes. Visit Fort Jefferson, a remote and enigmatic outpost of the American landscape. Encounter North Sentinel Island, home to the world’s last uncontacted tribe.Naturally Odd Marvel at nature’s peculiar creations. Witness René-Levasseur, a circular island formed by a meteor impact, and Ferdinandea, a volcanic island currently underwater. Discover the magical floating islands of pumice and ice, and the first discovered extraterrestrial islands. Each chapter is a voyage into islands of wonder and mystery, offering a unique perspective on our world's most intriguing and lesser-known corners. Whether it’s an exploration of ambitious human endeavours or natural marvels, this book is a visual and narrative feast for the curious traveller.