How Democracies Die

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely.” —New York Times Book Review“Cool and persuasive... How Democracies Die comes at exact

Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face todayDemocracies can die with a coup d'état - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the elect

Democracies die in three stages: the election of an authoritarian leader, the concentration and abuse of governmental power and finally, the complete repression of opposition and citizens. The first s

Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face today Democracies can die with a coup d'etat - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the elec

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely.” —New York Times Book Review“Cool and persuasive... How Democracies Die comes at exact

For readers of On Tyranny and Why Nations Fail, a bracing look at the demise of liberal democracies around the world—and a roadmap for rescuing our own. The first few months of Dona

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely.”—New York Times Book Review“Cool and persuasive... How Democracies Die comes at exactly the right moment.”—The Washington PostDonald Trump’s presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we’d be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang—in a revolution or military coup—but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that, by electing Trump, we have already passed the first one. Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and

Media pundits, politicians, and the public are often skeptical or ambivalent about granting asylum. They fear that asylum-seekers will impose economic and cultural costs and pose security threats to

In the past twenty-five years, a number of countries have made the transition to democracy. The support of international organizations is essential to success on this difficult path. Yet, despite exte

In the past twenty-five years, a number of countries have made the transition to democracy. The support of international organizations is essential to success on this difficult path. Yet, despite exte

At a time when the legitimacy of democracies is in question, calls to improve the quality of public debate and deliberative democracy are sweeping the social sciences. Yet, real deliberation lies far from the deliberative ideal. Theorists have argued that linguistic and cultural differences foster inequality and impede democratic deliberation. In this empirical study, the author presents the collective practices of political translation, which help multilingual and culturally diverse groups work together more democratically than homogeneous groups. Political translation, distinct from linguistic translation, is a set of disruptive and communicative practices developed by activists and grassroots community organizers in order to address inequities hindering democratic deliberation and to entreat powerful groups to work together more inclusively with disempowered groups. Based on ten years of fieldwork, Political Translation provides the first systematic comparative study of deliberation

At a time when the legitimacy of democracies is in question, calls to improve the quality of public debate and deliberative democracy are sweeping the social sciences. Yet, real deliberation lies far from the deliberative ideal. Theorists have argued that linguistic and cultural differences foster inequality and impede democratic deliberation. In this empirical study, the author presents the collective practices of political translation, which help multilingual and culturally diverse groups work together more democratically than homogeneous groups. Political translation, distinct from linguistic translation, is a set of disruptive and communicative practices developed by activists and grassroots community organizers in order to address inequities hindering democratic deliberation and to entreat powerful groups to work together more inclusively with disempowered groups. Based on ten years of fieldwork, Political Translation provides the first systematic comparative study of deliberation

This book explores the ways in which democracies can win counterinsurgencies when they implement a proper strategy. At a time when the USA is retrenching from two bungled foreign wars that involved de

The common assumption is that the path to democratisation is, once begun, near impossible to reverse. Particularly where democratic transition has been properly consolidated conventional wisdom and em

Why has democracy in Colombia and Venezuela evolved in very different directions? In Precarious Democracies, Ana Maria Bejarano provides a comparative historical analysis of how the democratic regimes

Reviewing 40 years of hard, empirical data, from China and India to Chile and Iraq, the authors show that poor democracies beat poor autocracies in every economic measure. In addition, the authors off

Poverty is not simply the result of an individual's characteristics, behaviors or abilities. Rather, as David Brady demonstrates, poverty is the result of politics. In Rich Democracies, Poor People,

Poverty is not simply the result of an individual's characteristics, behaviors or abilities. Rather, as David Brady demonstrates, poverty is the result of politics. In Rich Democracies, Poor People,

For decades, policies pursued by the U.S. and other industrialized nations towards the developing world have been based on a dirty little secret kept among policy experts: that democracy and poor coun

From an award-winning scholar of the political right comes an immersive and harrowing journey through the other-world of gun schools and the curriculum of violence they teach. To understand why so many people die by the gun, we must first understand how people live by it. This is the realization that led sociologist Harel Shapira to embed himself in Tactical Training, a popular firearms school in rural Texas. Here, students are inducted into an ideology of self-defense, where any grocery store trip could become a shootout, and any passerby could be the home intruder that tears a family apart. To shoot and kill in the name of self-defense is not a matter of "if" but "when." Forty-two classes, ten thousand rounds of ammunition, and one concealed carry license later, Shapira has emerged with Basic Pistol, a dark and richly textured plunge into a uniquely American obsession. Basic Pistol follows Shapira's fraught journey through Tactical Training's extensive curriculum and into a community

A Kurt Austin NUMA files adventure, The Pharaoh's Secret is a gripping, action-packed and suspense-filled tale that delves into the mysteries of Ancient Egypt and is set in and beside the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. A deadly poisonOn the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa a mysterious ship runs aground, explodes and releases a poisonous black mist. As the island's inhabitants fall where they stand, someone sends a distress call. A rescue missionKurt Austin and the NUMA team are diving for antiquities when they pick up the call. As the only vessel for hundreds of miles, they attempt to rescue survivors. But something is very wrong about this incident. A secret conspiracyTasked with finding who might be responsible, Kurt uncovers a secretive organization that is using the knowledge and power of the Ancient Egyptians to destabilize northern Africa. If he doesn't find out why and how to stop them, millions will die . . .

鰻魚的謎題：從亞里斯多德到佛洛伊德都解不開的世紀生物大烏龍！「我們自認對鰻魚了解得越多，這種神祕的生物就越是溜之大吉……」這是一本關於鰻魚的書，但它絕對會顛覆你對知識的想像！由非小說類金獎作家尼古拉斯·戴（《蒙娜麗莎失蹤記》作者）與凱迪克榮譽獎得主柯瑞·R·塔伯（《小飛鳥梅爾》插畫家）聯手，帶來這場情節滑溜、充滿驚奇的深海探索之旅。在人類歷史上，鰻魚一直是一個完美的「隱形 misfit（怪咖）」。牠們雖然長得像蛇，但其實是魚類。你可能會以為現代科學早就摸透了牠們的底細：在哪裡出生？怎麼長大？住在哪裡？死於何處？但事實上，科學家研究得越深，就越覺得自己像個傻瓜——因為鰻魚總是能在關鍵時刻溜之大吉，留下科學家們在原地抓頭頓足。本書用幽默的筆觸與明亮生動的插畫，將「科學史」與「生物學」完美融合。這場真實存在的世紀謎團，曾讓歷史上最聰明的大腦們——從哲學家亞里斯多德到心理學大師佛洛伊德——通通百思不得其解！結合科學與歷史，探索鰻魚數世紀以來令亞里斯多德到佛洛伊德等大師都百思不得其解的生態謎團。From the author of the Sibert Medal–winning The Mona Lisa Vanishes and the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Mel Fell comes a slippery, wondrous exploration of a mysterious misfit: the eel. Often misunderstood, the eel has baffled scientists and befuddled philosophers for centuries.You’d think a book about eels would tell you everything you need to know about eels: where they’re born, how they grow, where they live, where they die. But the truth is far stranger: the more we think we know about eels, the more the mysterious creature wriggle

An ode to the different sizes and unique body-type characteristics of dinosaurs, this colorful, chunky board book is a work of art meant to be displayed face-out on nursery bookshelves. Perfect for dinosaur lovers of all ages, Lydia Nichols' charming layered artwork with the rhyming story is a celebration of our favorite prehistoric friends. The dinos in this bright, engaging board book come in many different sizes and shapes, and feature special body parts that make them recognizable as their unique dinosaur selves. Some are tiny, some are big, some have horns, spikes, flippers, or wings, but no matter how they look or how small or how tall, to those who love them, every dino is the best of all. Some Dinos is part of the LAYERED VIEW board book series celebrating the ways in which our differences make the world a diverse place. Whether examining the unique needs of every flower in a garden or the special qualities of every puppy in a dog park, every die-cut page of a LAYERED VIEW book

兩位醫者最深刻的人生告白，帶你重新理解生命真正重要的事。《當呼吸化為空氣》內容簡介人終將一死，但當死亡迫近時，我們才會開始學習如何好好活著。＊蟬聯亞馬遜書店長銷榜的經典動人之作。＊榮獲紐約時報暢銷書。＊入選普立茲獎決選名單、比爾．蓋茲2017年推薦書單。「這本小書擁有非常多層次的意義及諸多的對比關係，比如生與死、病人與醫生、兒子與父親、工作與家庭、信仰與理智。在保羅短暫的一生中，他透過書籍、寫作、醫學、手術、科學等各種方式探尋生命的意義。我非常有幸能閱讀這本書，得以見證這段旅程的一小部分。」――比爾．蓋茲｢患病後，棘手之處在於，你的價值觀不斷在變……你決定要把時間花在當神經外科醫師，可是兩個月後，你不那麼想了。再過兩個月，你也許想去學吹薩克斯風，或想全心服事教會。死亡是個單一事件，可是身罹絕症地活下去，卻是個歷程。｣――保羅．卡拉尼提即將攀上充滿希望的人生巔峰，死亡的陰影卻突然橫亙身前，一位三十七歲的天才神經外科醫師勇敢直視死亡，在所剩時間不多的急迫中，奮力一探生命的最根本價值。二○一四年，三十六歲的卡拉尼提準備完成十年之久的神經外科醫師訓練，其研究還獲得美國神經外科學會最高研究獎，即將獲得史丹佛醫學院外科教授職位並主持自己的研究室。他的人生正邁向生命的高峰，卻被診斷出患有第四期肺癌。前一天他是醫生，還在治療瀕死的病人，第二天他變成病人，掙扎求生。他跟妻子原先設想的未來，就此完全蒸發。在確診自己罹患末期疾病後，這位才華洋溢的年輕神經外科醫師從醫師、病人、兒子、伴侶與父親等不同身分，審視自己三十七年的生命歷程，思索生命與死亡的意義。面對未知與隨時可能降臨的人生終點，他寫道：「我起碼已經了解，醫師的職責不是峻拒死亡，也不是使病人回復舊有生命，而是敞開雙臂，擁抱生命已經分崩離析的病人及家屬，努力幫他們重新站起，去面對、去弄清楚他們本身存在的意義。」卡拉尼提最後於二○一五年三月過世，留下這本深刻且令人感動的書。《當呼吸化為空氣》飽含文學、醫學與哲學的省思，引領我們思考自己的人生價值與有限的生命。各界感動暖心推薦（依姓氏筆畫排序）：Pinko（卵巢癌部落客）、米娜（花漾女孩GOGOGO創辦人）、星希亞（知名抗癌部落客）、黃達夫（和信治癌中心醫院院長）、詹宏志（網路家庭董事長）、葉北辰（諮商心理師）、賴其萬（和信治癌中心醫院醫學教育講座教授）、蔡康永（作家、主持人）、魏國珍（新