Bøker utgitt av Combined Academic Publ.

An exploration of the explosive illegal trade in succulents and the passion that drives it Cacti and succulents are phenomenally popular worldwide among plant enthusiasts, despite being among the world’s most threatened species. The fervor driving the illegal trade in succulents might also be driving some species to extinction. Delving into the strange world of succulent collecting, The Cactus Hunters takes us to the heart of this conundrum: the mystery of how and why ardent lovers of these plants engage in their illicit trade. This is a world of alluring desires, where collectors and conservationists alike are animated by passions that at times exceed the limits of law.    What inspires the desire for a plant? What kind of satisfaction does it promise? The answer, Jared D. Margulies suspects, might be traced through the roots and workings of the illegal succulent trade—an exploration that traverses the fields of botany and criminology, political ecology and human geography, and psychoanalysis. His globe-spanning inquiry leads Margulies from a spectacular series of succulent heists on a small island off the coast of Mexico to California law enforcement agents infiltrating a smuggling ring in South Korea, from scientists racing to discover new and rare species before poachers find them to a notorious Czech “cacto-explorer” who helped turn a landlocked European country into the epicenter of the illegal succulent trade.    A heady blend of international intrigue, social theory, botanical lore, and ecological study, The Cactus Hunters offers complex insight into species extinction, conservation, and more-than-human care.     Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.

"Despite his enduring popularity, Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) has long been a marginal figure in American literature, even in the science fiction genre he helped revolutionize. Offering a major new perspective on the author, influential French philosopher David Lapoujade orients Dick within philosophy and draws connections to a wide variety of other thinkers and artists, revealing his oeuvre to comprise a profound reality defined by artifice, precarity, and control"--

"Bringing together ideas from philosophy and cognitive science, Distracted leverages a postphenomenological perspective to reveal how our smartphones make us such bad drivers. Robert Rosenberger shows that we have developed habits of perception regarding our compulsive technology use-habits that may wrest our attention away from the road-and contends that a better understanding of why this combination of technologies is so dangerous could effectively adjust both habits and laws"--

"Aligning discourses surrounding hegemonic colonial visions of the environment and disability, this volume illustrates the ways in which colonial understandings of disability were and continue to be defined by relationships with the environment, collectively creating a form of eco-ableism that continues to this day"--

With a focus on Berlin, this assessment of transatlantic relations since 1945 emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and long-term conflict management at a time when many commentators speculate about a new cold war developing.

"The Xi Jinping Effect explores the relationship between the People's Republic of China's current "paramount leader"- the most powerful individual since Mao Zedong - and multiple areas of political and social transformation. Collectively, this diverse array of essays document the ways in which Xi's neo-totalitarianism has dismantled Reform-Era legacies, while reconfiguring governance and seeking to rewire China's global connections"--

A little-known story of mutiny and murder illustrating the centrality of smuggling and slavery in early American societyOn the night of June 1, 1743, terror struck the schooner Rising Sun. After completing a routine smuggling voyage where the crew sold enslaved Africans in exchange for chocolate, sugar, and coffee in the Dutch colony of Suriname, the ship traveled eastward along the South American coast. Believing there was an opportunity to steal the lucrative cargo and make a new life for themselves, three sailors snuck below deck, murdered four people, and seized control of the vessel.Mutiny on the Rising Sun recounts the origins, events, and eventual fate of the Rising Sun¿s final smuggling voyage in vivid detail. Starting from that horrible night in June 1743, it narrates a deeply human history of smuggling, providing an incredible story of those caught in the webs spun by illicit commerce. The case generated a rich documentary record that illuminates an international chocolate smuggling ring, the lives of the crew and mutineers, and the harrowing experience of the enslaved people trafficked by the Rising Sun. Smuggling stood at the center of the lives of everyone involved with the business of the schooner. Larger forces, such as imperial trade restrictions, created the conditions for smuggling, but individual actors, often driven by raw ambition and with little regard for the consequences of their actions, designed, refined, and perpetuated this illicit commerce. At once startling and captivating, Mutiny on the Rising Sun shows how illegal trade created demand for exotic products like chocolate, and how slavery and smuggling were integral to the development of American capitalism.

"A Field Guide to the Patchy Anthropocene leads the reader through a series of sites, observations, thought experiments, and genre-stretching descriptive practices to take stock of our current planetary crisis. This is a guide for researchers of many stripes; a book that nurtures and promotes a revitalized natural history in direct response to worlds falling apart"--

Originally designed as an educational supplement for the renowned Stanford courses Computer Science 106A and 106B, Bit by Bit is a comic-style resource that uses fractal grids, custom-drawn characters, and fun graphics as a visually immersive introduction to the key concepts of beginner coding, learning pedagogy, education, and visual thinking. Bit by Bit takes readers on a journey that encompasses the full scope of both courses; beginning with the chief elements and fundamentals of programming such as functions, variables, and integers; carrying readers through the basics of Python and C++ into the conceptual world of efficiency and recursion; and walking them through collections of linked data structures. Throughout each section, course and Stanford alum Ecy Femi King is there to guide, cajole, and assist, simultaneously providing useful tips to encourage maximum knowledge absorption and engaging commentary for readers at every level. In short, this book is more than just a cohesive "study buddy" for introductory Stanford courses. Rather, it delivers a far-reaching guide of both pedagogical interest and practical use to students, educators, and researchers worldwide.

Cargoes in Motion considers both the materiality and special trajectories of cargoes across the Indian Ocean world in order to better understand the processes of exchange and their economic, social, cultural, and political effects on the region.

Using original archival analysis, Westerns: A Women’s History provides a revisionist account of the western genre, proving women writers of popular westerns were instrumental in the formation of the genre and used it to subtly critique patriarchy.

Have you ever wondered why you can't summon the energy to declutter those piles of clothes on the floor? Do you wish you knew what policies your workplace could offer so everyone can think more clearly and feel better at work? Or maybe you've felt confused about which ideas even deserve your attention right now? You're not alone. And if you are ready for a change, this book is for you.Coming from a public health expert who spent over two decades designing health initiatives around the world, Decluttered is a mindful exploration of how and why clutter manifests in our lives-and what we can do about it. Jenny Albertini invites readers to explore decluttering from personal and empathetic angles while acknowledging how clutter does not only manifest as "stuff" in our homes, but also in our relationships and in our everyday lives. Blending stories and science with writing prompts and creativity exercises, this book will motivate readers to examine their relationship to their surroundings while reducing clutter for their health, in their homes, in their workplaces, and beyond. Jenny shares her own transformative journey of working in clinics in Africa and training under Marie Kondo, along with inspirational moments with clients from her years as professional organizer. Decluttered will leave its readers feeling: ¿        Enlightened about underlying health issues related to clutter; ¿        Aware of what to prioritize for their decluttering journey; and ¿        Ready to take tangible steps that improve their work lives, home environments, and relationships.A refreshing addition to the well-being and home genres, Decluttered helps to reduce shame and supports readers to transform their cluttered lives and spaces into foundations for healthy, balanced and intentional living.Welcome to your world, decluttered.

Sandra E. Bonura tells the overlooked yet genuine rags-to-riches story of Claus Spreckels and his pioneering role in developing the sugar industry in the United States and the kingdom of Hawai‘i.

Ideal Beauty reveals the woman behind the Garbo mystique, a tough negotiator who used her newfound power in Hollywood to develop a distinctly new feminist screen persona. Examining how she was an icon who helped to define female beauty in the twentieth century, the book also considers Garbo’s spiritual and sexual exploration away from the camera’s glare.

"Awakened and transformed by nuclear weapons testing, Godzilla serves as a terrifying metaphor for humanity's shortsighted destructiveness: this was the intent of Shigeru Kayama, the science fiction writer who drafted the 1954 original film and its first sequel and, in 1955, published these novellas. This book finally provides the first-ever English-language translations of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, revealing valuable insights into Kayama's vision for the Godzilla story"--