Milan Kundera warned that in in the states of East-Central Europe, attitudes to the west and the idea of ‘Europe’ were complex and could even be hostile. But few could have imagined how the collapse of communism and membership of the EU would confront these countries with a life that was suddenly and disconcertingly ‘modern’ and which challenged sustaining traditions in literature, culture, politics and established views on identity. Since the countries of East-Central Europe joined the European Union in 2004 the politicians and oppositionists of the centre-left, who once led the charge against communism, have often been forced to give way to right-wing, authoritarian, populist governments. These governments, while keen to accept EU finance, have been determined to present themselves as protecting their traditional ethno-national inheritance, resisting ‘foreign interference’, stemming the ‘gay invasion’, halting ‘Islamic replacement’ and reversing women’s rights. They have blamed Communists, liberals, foreigners, Jews and Gypsies, revised abortion laws, tampered with their constitutions to control the Justice system and taken over the media to an astonishing degree. By 2019, amid calls for the suspension of their voting rights, both Poland and Hungary had been taken to the European Court of Justice and the European Parliament and had begun to explore ways to put conditions on future EU funding. This book focuses on the interface between tradition, literature and politics in east-central Europe, focusing mainly on Poland but also Hungary and the Czech Republic. It explores literary tradition and the role of writers to ask why these left-liberals, who were once ubiquitous in the struggles with communism, are now marginalised, often reviled and almost entirely absent from political debate. It asks, in what ways the advent of capitalism ‘normalised’ literature and what the consequences might be? It asks whether the rise of chauvinism is ‘normal’ in this part of the world and whether the literary traditions that helped sustain independent political thought through the communist years now, instead of supporting literature, feed nationalist opinion and negative attitudes to the idea of ‘Europe’.
Carl Tighe aims to open up a debate about nationalism in Poland by examining some of the processes of history in one small but important place. Gdansk and its locality was where World War II started, where Solidarity was formed and where contemporary change is focused. Throughout its history the town has been a major site of exchange between East and West, and as such its own history provides valuable insights into the tensions and processes which have shaped modern Europe.
In a world where literary scandals often end up in court, the issue of responsibility in writing has never been more important. In this groundbreaking study, Carl Tighe asks the questions every writer needs to consider: *What is it that writers do? Are they responsible for all the uses to which their writing might be put? Or no more responsible than their readers? *How are a writer's responsibilities compromised or defined by commercial or political pressures, or by notions of tradition or originality? *How does a writer's audience affect their responsibilities? Are these the same for writers in all parts of the world, under all political and social systems? The first part of this book defines responsibility and looks at its relation to ideas such as power, accuracy, kitsch and political correctness. The second part examines how particular writers have dealt with these issues through a series of often-controversial case studies, including American Psycho, Crash and The Tin Drum. Writing and Responsibility encourages its readers to interrogate the choices they make as writers. A fascinating look at the public consequences of the private act of writing, Carl Tighe's book is a must-read for everyone who writes or studies writing.
Druids Hill is set in Manchester and opens with the shocking murder of a fourteen year old - a crime that was never solved. Many years later journalist Emma Tulip witnesses a death on a demonstration against General Pinochet. She had investigated the previous unsolved murder. Somehow these two deaths appeared to be linked. And Emma is now at risk herself." "Druids Hill is a story of police corruption, secret deals, assassination, torture and greed; a political thriller linking events of today with those of the past."--BOOK JACKET.
April 1917: The governor of Minnesota put the State Capitol in St. Paul under heavy military guard. Newspapers filled their columns with rumors of terrorist activities. Then the United States declared war on Germany. In the midst of patriotic hysteria, the state legislature passed a bill establishing the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety to "do ... all acts and things necessary" to defend the state from its enemies. In compelling narrative style, this book offers the first hard look at the motives and activities of this uniquely powerful state agency, which used loyalty as a weapon to protect the existing socio-economic order against a rising tide of radicalism on the home front.
Discusses the misconceptions and historical errors of "The Da Vinci Code" while examining early Christian origins, Gnosticism, the role of Constantine in Christian history, and the novel's accusations against the Catholic Church.
Explores past lives, including real-life incidents of people remembering past lives, age regression and hypnosis, reincarnation, and a scientific study of past lives"--Provided by publisher.
Behavioral Neuroscience: An Introduction provides a basic understanding of what is known about the means by which neurons communicate and about the nervous system which interprets, integrates, and transmits signals into meaningful and appropriate behaviors. The book starts with an overview of the nervous system. The text then describes the general operation and organization of the nervous system; and some of the major types of neurons in the context of their systems. The basic characteristics of neurons and how they communicate; the processes and the basic integrative properties of defined groups of neurons; and complex learning and memory are also considered. The book further tackles the auditory, somesthetic, olfactory, gustatory, visual, and motor systems; the functions of the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine system; and the neural basis of two types of motivated behavior, drinking and feeding. The text also encompasses sleep and activity rhythms; the development of the neural circuitry and its plasticity throughout life; and the development of behavior. Behavioral disorders and the aspects of the human nervous system which make man unique among all living creatures are also looked into. Behavioral psychologists, behavioral neuroscientists, and psychobiologists will find the book invaluable.
Behavior Analysis and Learning, Fourth Edition is an essential textbook covering the basic principles in the field of behavior analysis and learned behaviors, as pioneered by B. F. Skinner. The textbook provides an advanced introduction to operant conditioning from a very consistent Skinnerian perspective. It covers a range of principles from basic respondent conditioning through applied behavior analysis into cultural design. Elaborating on Darwinian components and biological connections with behavior, the book treats the topic from a consistent worldview of selectionism. The functional relations between the organism and the environment are described, and their application in accounting for old behavior and generating new behavior is illustrated. Expanding on concepts of past editions, the fourth edition provides updated coverage of recent literature and the latest findings. There is increased inclusion of biological and neuroscience material, as well as more data correlating behavior with neurological and genetic factors. The material presented in this book provides the reader with the best available foundation in behavior science and is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology or other behavior-based disciplines. In addition, a website of supplemental resources for instructors and students makes this new edition even more accessible and student-friendly.
Koch explores what prayer is, where God is met, and defines the God which believers encounter in prayer. He guides readers on the many pathways to prayer, including petition, thanks and praise, journal writing, meditation, community prayer, and traditional prayer.
How do I pray? Is there a right way to pray? PrayerWays, a practical aid for students who wish to develop their prayer and spiritual life, emphasizes experiencing prayer as well as learning about it. Written in a simple, accessible style, this one-semester course for eleventh and twelfth graders offers background and an explanation of different prayer forms, with reflections and activities for students to try alone or in groups. Topics include "What is prayer?" "Giving God a joyful heart," and "Dwelling on the mystery of God." The full-color text includes photos and original artwork to help students connect to the holy mystery of prayer. Award: PrayerWays won the 1996 Certificate of Merit for the Premier Print Award from the Printing Industries of America. Chosen from thousands of entries, the Premier Print Award goes to those firms who demonstrate a unique ability to create visual masterpieces.
Paranormal Experience and Survival of Death amasses data and surveys from a century of research on the paranormal on four continents: Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Studying the tensions between religious and scientific perspectives, Becker reviews numerous substantiated accounts of demon-possession, of memories of past lives, of ghostly apparitions, and out-of-body experiences. He analyzes the medical evidence and what such experiences imply about survival after death. The author then looks at the reasons for the taboos on scientific discussion of such research within the social sciences, and proposes a new paradigm for a more holistic view of the field.
A concise, exam-orientated revision text that helps candidates prepare for the notoriously difficult SAQ paper for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) Final examination.
In the tradition of Ruskin and Arnold, here's a witty, elegant essay on the contemporary academy by a renowned teacher, scholar, and former administrator.
Using a behavioral perspective, Behavior Analysis and Learning provides an advanced introduction to the principles of behavior analysis and learned behaviors, covering a full range of principles from basic respondent and operant conditioning through applied behavior analysis into cultural design. The text uses Darwinian, neurophysiological, and biological theories and research to inform B. F. Skinner’s philosophy of radical behaviorism. The seventh edition expands the focus on neurophysiological mechanisms and their relation to the experimental analysis of behavior, providing updated studies and references to reflect current expansions and changes in the field of behavior analysis. By bringing together ideas from behavior analysis, neuroscience, epigenetics, and culture under a selectionist framework, the text facilitates understanding of behavior at environmental, genetic, neurophysiological, and sociocultural levels. This "grand synthesis" of behavior, neuroscience, and neurobiology roots behavior firmly in biology. The text includes special sections, "New Directions," "Focus On," "Note On," "On the Applied Side," and "Advanced Section," which enhance student learning and provide greater insight on specific topics. This edition was also updated for more inclusive language and representation of people and research across race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, and neurodiversity. Behavior Analysis and Learning is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology or other behavior-based disciplines, especially behavioral neuroscience. The text is supported by Support Material that features a robust set of instructor and student resources: www.routledge.com/9781032065144.
Each morning the alarm goes off, and a new day begins. Who was born on this day of the year? What happened on this day in history? This book is a fun, quick-moving way to learn more about each day of the year. You will discover people who share your birthday, and you will learn events that took place on your special day. • When did the Titanic sink? (April 15) • What day was Billy Graham born? (November 7) • When did Carnegie Hall open? (May 5) • What day was Jeff Foxworthy born? (September 6) • When did TV show Meet The Press begin? (November 6) • What day was Eric Clapton born? (March 30) • When did St. Jude's Hospital open? (February 4) • What day was Paul Revere born? (January 1) Each day includes a list of historical events, the birthdays of famous people, a scripture, and a short devotional thought to inspire you. You will grow in knowledge and in spiritual development. Read a page each day! Learn for yourself and impress your friends at the same time.
Suicide and Contemporary Science Fiction examines the fascination with suicidal crises evident in a range of science fiction. Specifically, this study explores a seemingly counterintuitive proposition: in moments of dramatic scientific and technological change, the authors of these works frequently cast self-destructive episodes as catalysts for beneficial change. Carlos Gutierrez-Jones argues that this creative self-destruction mechanism is invoked by H. G. Wells as a means of negotiating Victorian anxieties regarding evolutionary theory, by Stanislaw Lem as he wrestles with the prospect of nuclear self-destruction at the dawn of the space age, by William Gibson as he considers the development of artificial intelligence, by Christopher Nolan as he explores the cybernetic colonization of the unconscious, by Rian Johnson as he links aspects of video gaming to the neoliberal militarization of institutions, and by Margaret Atwood as she considers impending ecological disaster and the rise of bioterrorism. These authors often depict such scientific and technological changes in a fashion that requires the central characters to transform themselves in hopes of remaining relevant in a radically altered environment.
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