Ben Phillips – författare

Invasive populations are ubiquitous and invariably carry consequences. A gene for herbicide resistance spreads; a tumour grows in a loved one's body; an agricultural pest sweeps across the country; a new pathogen proliferates around the world. All of these are invasive populations — populations of genes, cells, or organisms spreading without control and having massive impact. Our collective desire to understand how invasive populations spread has inspired a rich body of basic theory developed from foundations laid in physics and statistics over a century ago. This theory has, however, often failed to explain real patterns in nature because a key consideration has been missing — evolution. The last few decades have seen a growing awareness that evolution plays out on timescales that matter to many systems. The recent emergence of evolutionary thinking in invasion biology has generated important new ideas and has enriched our understanding not only of invasions but of ecology and evolution more broadly.This accessible textbook introduces these new ideas. It provides both a survey of the field — a story about the history and development of our understanding — as well as a synthesis of the new developments. There are many titles on biological invasions that typically take a purely ecological viewpoint, whilst those texts in which evolution does feature have tended to concentrate on adaptation to new environments. This book instead focuses on the intimate interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes as populations spread through time and space.The Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Populations is an advanced textbook aimed at graduate students and researchers in ecology and evolutionary biology seeking a broad, up-to-date, and authoritative overview of the field. The study of biological invasions is no longer a specialized sub-discipline of ecology; this book will also be of relevance to a far broader academic readership from disciplines ranging across physics, mathematics, and medicine.

Invasive populations are ubiquitous and invariably carry consequences. A gene for herbicide resistance spreads; a tumour grows in a loved one's body; an agricultural pest sweeps across the country; a new pathogen proliferates around the world. All of these are invasive populations — populations of genes, cells, or organisms spreading without control and having massive impact. Our collective desire to understand how invasive populations spread has inspired a rich body of basic theory developed from foundations laid in physics and statistics over a century ago. This theory has, however, often failed to explain real patterns in nature because a key consideration has been missing — evolution. The last few decades have seen a growing awareness that evolution plays out on timescales that matter to many systems. The recent emergence of evolutionary thinking in invasion biology has generated important new ideas and has enriched our understanding not only of invasions but of ecology and evolution more broadly.This accessible textbook introduces these new ideas. It provides both a survey of the field — a story about the history and development of our understanding — as well as a synthesis of the new developments. There are many titles on biological invasions that typically take a purely ecological viewpoint, whilst those texts in which evolution does feature have tended to concentrate on adaptation to new environments. This book instead focuses on the intimate interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes as populations spread through time and space.The Ecology and Evolution of Invasive Populations is an advanced textbook aimed at graduate students and researchers in ecology and evolutionary biology seeking a broad, up-to-date, and authoritative overview of the field. The study of biological invasions is no longer a specialized sub-discipline of ecology; this book will also be of relevance to a far broader academic readership from disciplines ranging across physics, mathematics, and medicine.

Over the course of the nineteenth century Siberia developed a fearsome reputation as a place of exile, often imagined as a vast penal colony and seen as a symbol of the iniquities of autocratic and totalitarian Tsarist rule. This book examines how Siberia’s reputation came about and discusses the effects of this reputation in turning opinion, especially in Western countries, against the Tsarist regime and in giving rise to considerable sympathy for Russian radicals and revolutionaries. It considers the writings and propaganda of a large number of different émigré groups, explores American and British journalists’ investigations and exposé press articles and charts the rise of the idea of Russian political prisoners as revolutionary and reformist heroes. Overall, the book demonstrates how important representations of Siberian exile were in shaping Western responses to the Russian Revolution.

Over the course of the nineteenth century Siberia developed a fearsome reputation as a place of exile, often imagined as a vast penal colony and seen as a symbol of the iniquities of autocratic and totalitarian Tsarist rule. This book examines how Siberia’s reputation came about and discusses the effects of this reputation in turning opinion, especially in Western countries, against the Tsarist regime and in giving rise to considerable sympathy for Russian radicals and revolutionaries. It considers the writings and propaganda of a large number of different émigré groups, explores American and British journalists’ investigations and exposé press articles and charts the rise of the idea of Russian political prisoners as revolutionary and reformist heroes. Overall, the book demonstrates how important representations of Siberian exile were in shaping Western responses to the Russian Revolution.

Inequality is the crisis of our time. The growing gap between a few at the top and the rest of society damages us all. No longer able to deny the crisis, every government in the world is now pledged to fix it – and yet it keeps on getting worse. In this book, international anti-inequality campaigner Ben Phillips shows why winning the debate is not enough: we have to win the fight. Drawing on his insider experience, and his personal exchanges with the real-life heroes of successful movements, he shows how the battle against inequality has been won before, and he shares a practical plan for defeating inequality again. He sets a route map for us to overcome deference, build our collective power, and create a new story. Most books on inequality are about what other people ought to do about it – this book is about why winning the fight needs you. Tired of feeling helpless in the face of spiralling inequality? Want to know what you can do about it? This is the book for you.

Inequality is the crisis of our time. The growing gap between a few at the top and the rest of society damages us all. No longer able to deny the crisis, every government in the world is now pledged to fix it – and yet it keeps on getting worse. In this book, international anti-inequality campaigner Ben Phillips shows why winning the debate is not enough: we have to win the fight. Drawing on his insider experience, and his personal exchanges with the real-life heroes of successful movements, he shows how the battle against inequality has been won before, and he shares a practical plan for defeating inequality again. He sets a route map for us to overcome deference, build our collective power, and create a new story. Most books on inequality are about what other people ought to do about it – this book is about why winning the fight needs you. Tired of feeling helpless in the face of spiralling inequality? Want to know what you can do about it? This is the book for you.