Alex Wade - Böcker

If golf is the new football, then surfing must be the new golf. People are flocking to the sport in record numbers, often defying the unforgiving British climate to make the best of what can be some world-class waves. But is it all just surf dudes in VW camper vans heading down for a week's hell-raising in Newquay? Or is the sport attracting a wider range of addicts, often eschewing the established beaches in pursuit of a more solitary, and sometimes more dangerous, goal? In SURF NATION: IN SEARCH OF THE FAST LEFTS AND HOLLOW RIGHTS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Alex Wade takes the pulse of these islands' surfing credentials, and finds a growing army of devotees as well as some stunning locations. A witty and engaging mix of travelogue, reportage and guide to where to find the best breaks, SURF NATION reveals Britain and Ireland to be not just a growing hotbed of surfers but a surf destination of real credibility.

This book positions the Cold War as a liminal time and space that holds sway in the second quarter of the 21st century, informing a broad and deep analysis of how contemporary society was – and continues to be – fashioned by the societies of distribution found in Cold War Sociology.As a conflict that spanned the second half of the 20th century, the influence of the Cold War continues into the second quarter of the 21st century. Its chief organizing concept was distribution, seen in the technologies and techniques that infused the time, from game theory to the Internet and artificial intelligence, to nuclear silos that projected global power. Cold War Sociology demonstrates how distribution continues to shape politics, economic and social policy and everyday life, causing unintended consequences including climate change, war and resource depletion that are increasingly difficult to address. It draws on key thinkers from the past to the present day and applies them to a series of empirical, sociological case studies including food banking, education, computer technology, conspiracy thinking and media.This book will be of vital reading to students of sociology, anthropology, social theory and political theory, including undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers who seek to understand the genesis of the often puzzling and contrarian contemporary world, and how the unintended consequences of the Cold War contain answers to present‑day problems.

This book positions the Cold War as a liminal time and space that holds sway in the second quarter of the 21st century, informing a broad and deep analysis of how contemporary society was – and continues to be – fashioned by the societies of distribution found in Cold War Sociology.As a conflict that spanned the second half of the 20th century, the influence of the Cold War continues into the second quarter of the 21st century. Its chief organizing concept was distribution, seen in the technologies and techniques that infused the time, from game theory to the Internet and artificial intelligence, to nuclear silos that projected global power. Cold War Sociology demonstrates how distribution continues to shape politics, economic and social policy and everyday life, causing unintended consequences including climate change, war and resource depletion that are increasingly difficult to address. It draws on key thinkers from the past to the present day and applies them to a series of empirical, sociological case studies including food banking, education, computer technology, conspiracy thinking and media.This book will be of vital reading to students of sociology, anthropology, social theory and political theory, including undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers who seek to understand the genesis of the often puzzling and contrarian contemporary world, and how the unintended consequences of the Cold War contain answers to present‑day problems.

An eclectic mix of exciting stories every surfer will love  This eclectic mix has something for everyone, from classic tales of monster waves and epic battles to stories of when life among the breakers goes wrong. There are accounts of death and disaster, as well as bravery and triumph. The bizarre and the extreme rub shoulders with perfect breaks and beautiful beaches.Be thrilled by legendary surfers like Laird Hamilton and Shane Dorian as well as learning about local heroes who never made the headlines. Epic battles among pros like Rob Machado and Kelly Slater are recounted alongside stories of weird waves and secret surf spots. There are fascinating encounters with surfing’s true characters, men like Dave Rastovich and big wave world record holder Garrett McNamara; appearances by deadly sharks; stories of big wave surfing by night; and an account of how Agatha Christie’s famous disappearance for 11 days in December 1926 might just have been because she was on a surf trip.Travel from giants like California’s Maverick’s and Maui’s Jaws to tales of Dungeons, dolphins and the derring-do of a man like Colonel ‘Mad Jack’ Churchill. Turn the pages to flick between the left and rights of Britain, Europe, USA, Australia and many strange places in between.Each compelling tale has been chosen to stoke the fire of armchair surfers and hardcore wave-riders alike, and some are illustrated with colour photographs.

Through interviews with developers, gamers, and journalists examining the phenomena of bedroom coding, arcade gaming, and format wars, mapped onto enquiry into the seminal genres of the time including driving, shooting, and maze chase, Playback: A Genealogy of 1980s British Videogames examines how 1980s Britain has become the culture of work in the 21st century and considers its meaning to contemporary society. This crucial and timely work fills a lacuna for students and researchers of sociology, media, and games studies and will be of interest to employees of the videogames and media industries.Research into videogames have never been greater, but exploration of their historic drivers is as elided as the technology is influential, giving rise to a range of questions. What were the social and economic conditions that gave rise to a billion dollar industry? What were the motivations of the early ‘bedroom coders’? What are the legacies of the seminal videogames of the 1980s and how do they inform the current social, political and cultural landscape? With a focus on the characteristics of the UK videogame industry in the 1980s, Wade explores these questions from perspectives of consumption, production and leisure, outlining the construction of a habitus unique to this time.

Through interviews with developers, gamers, and journalists examining the phenomena of bedroom coding, arcade gaming, and format wars, mapped onto enquiry into the seminal genres of the time including driving, shooting, and maze chase, Playback: A Genealogy of 1980s British Videogames examines how 1980s Britain has become the culture of work in the 21st century and considers its meaning to contemporary society. This crucial and timely work fills a lacuna for students and researchers of sociology, media, and games studies and will be of interest to employees of the videogames and media industries.Research into videogames have never been greater, but exploration of their historic drivers is as elided as the technology is influential, giving rise to a range of questions. What were the social and economic conditions that gave rise to a billion dollar industry? What were the motivations of the early ‘bedroom coders’? What are the legacies of the seminal videogames of the 1980s and how do they inform the current social, political and cultural landscape? With a focus on the characteristics of the UK videogame industry in the 1980s, Wade explores these questions from perspectives of consumption, production and leisure, outlining the construction of a habitus unique to this time.

In spite of being well into middle-age, Pac-Man's popularity shows no sign of decline and the character has appeared in over sixty games on virtually every games platform ever released. According to the David Brown celebrity index, in 2008, nearly three decades after initial release, 94% of Americans were able to recognise Pac-Man, which gave the character greater brand awareness than Super Mario. Pac-Man, with its avowed commitment to non-violence was a videogame of many firsts, including being designed to appeal to children and females and providing the first narrative interlude in a videogame. Although iconic, Pac-Man has not been subject to sustained critical analysis. This book helps to fill that gap, providing an extensive, sophisticated, but accessible analysis of the influence of Pac-Man on the way that we live in contemporary western societies.

A Season on the Med: Riviera Football in Italy and France (With a Trip to Athens for Stan) is a story of football where the sun always shines - with a difference. In the wake of Brexit, writer Alex Wade decamped to Menton, the last town on the Cote d'Azur. During a swim between France and Italy, he realised two things. An array of great football clubs - from Nice, Marseille and Monaco to Genoa, Sampdoria and Spezia - were on his doorstep on the French and Italian Rivieras. Plus his hero, Queens Park Rangers' talisman Stan Bowles, once played on the Med. Wade embarked on a journey of discovery to experience Riviera football over the 2021/22 season, with two questions in mind. Is football on the Med more laid-back, languid and amiable than elsewhere? And could he make it to Athens in a tribute to Bowles? Eloquently written with a blend of reportage, travelogue and memoir, A Season on the Med ends in Brumano, Italy, as Wade captures the spirit of Riviera football and confronts the meaning of heroism.

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