John Rennie Short – författare

Disciples of Passion chronicles the civil war in Lebanon through the troubled and sometimes quasi-hallucinatory mind of a young man who has experienced kidnapping, hostage exchange, and hospital internment. As he recalls his village childhood and recounts his relationship with a woman of a different faith , his fragmented narrative probes the uncertainties of political testimonial and ascriptions of responsibility in wartime.

Marilyn Booth''s fluid translation brings to an English audience one of the Arabic language''s finest contemporary novelists. Widely celebrated in France, where she currently lives in exile (from Lebanon), Hoda Barakat writes from personal experience: her novels focus on the civil war in Lebanon and how it shaped the lives of people marginalized by the conflict. Compelling scenarios of war and its aftermath of suffering and destruction are integrated into subtle psychological portraitswith protagonists often propelled into unexpected action.

With keen insight and exhaustive research John Rennie Short narrates the story of urban America from 1950 to the present, revealing a compelling portrait of urban transformation. Short chronicles the steady rise of urbanization, the increasing suburbanization, and the sweeping metropolitanization of the U.S., uncovering the forces behind these shifts and their consequences for American communities. Drawing on numerous studies, first-hand anecdotes, census figures, and other statistical data, Short’s work addresses the globalization of U.S. cities, the increased polarization of urban life in the U.S., the role of civic engagement, and the huge role played by the public sector in shaping the character of cities. With deft analysis the author weaves together the themes of urban renewal, suburbanization and metropolitan fragmentation, race and ethnicity, and immigration, presenting a fascinating and highly readable account of the U.S. in the second half of the twentieth century.

Divided into seven distinct parts, concise and accessible chapters delve into the city and its relation to globalization, urban imaginaries, climate change, Covid-19 and public health, traffic, technology, and everyday life. Conducting poignant analyses of a diverse group of changing cities, including Cali, Megalopolis, Mparntwe and Syracuse, the book explores questions surrounding postcolonial culture, deindustrialization, social inclusion, informal economies, and new class relationships. Short ultimately highlights the progressive possibilities and redemptive power of the urban experience to change lives and attitudes.

Providing a theoretically sophisticated and empirically informed assessment of public policies, this unique book will prove an essential tool for students and scholars of urban and regional studies, human geography, sociology and social policy. Practical in scope, its appeal will extend to policymakers and practitioners with an interest in cities, urban development, globalization and urbanization.

The South China Sea is a geopolitical hotspot where China and the US compete for dominance and the adjacent countries try to improve their position by hedging between these two superpowers.

This book unpacks the conflicting and competing interpretations of what is going on in the South China Sea. It will allow readers to understand the depth and complexity of the issues. It expands our understanding by looking not only at the competing imaginaries of China and the US but also the hedging strategies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, and the role of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This book will appeal to all of those interested in international relations, Southeast Asia, US-China relations and all those seeking to understand conflicts in the South China Sea, one of the world’s geopolitical hotspots.

The South China Sea is a geopolitical hotspot where China and the US compete for dominance and the adjacent countries try to improve their position by hedging between these two superpowers.

This book unpacks the conflicting and competing interpretations of what is going on in the South China Sea. It will allow readers to understand the depth and complexity of the issues. It expands our understanding by looking not only at the competing imaginaries of China and the US but also the hedging strategies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, and the role of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This book will appeal to all of those interested in international relations, Southeast Asia, US-China relations and all those seeking to understand conflicts in the South China Sea, one of the world’s geopolitical hotspots.

Cities and Economies explores the complex and subtle connections between cities and economies. The rise of the merchant city, the development of the industrial city and the creation of the service-dominated urban economy are all explored, along with economic globalization and its effects on cities in both developed and developing economies. This book provides a thorough examination of the role of the city in shaping economic processes and explains the different effects that economies have on cities. It provides an invaluable and unrivaled guide to the relationship between urban structure and economic processes as they compare and contrast across the world.

The authors examine the complex relationships between the city and the economy in historical and global contexts, as well as evaluating the role of world cities, the economic impacts of megacities and the role of the state in shaping urban economic policies. They focus on the ways in which cities have led, and at the same time adapted to, economic shifts. Large cities are viewed as the centres of regional and national economies, while a small number are defined by their centrality in the global economy.

The book:

Cities and Economies uses case studies, photographs and maps expanding across the US, Western Europe and Asia. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book answers some fundamental questions about the economic role of cities. It is an essential text for students of geography, economics, sociology, urban studies and urban planning.