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Globalization has become perhaps the most central--and one of the most contested--terms in the social sciences in the present day. If one wishes to understand the conditions in which different groups

Clothes take the ordinary human body and fashion it into something remarkable. Born to the same anatomical legacy, each generation has used garments to shape itself in the image of its own particular

Clothes take the ordinary human body and fashion it into something remarkable. Born to the same anatomical legacy, each generation has used garments to shape itself in the image of its own particular

Design Studies: A Reader is the ideal entry point for any student who wants to understand the many complex roles of design--as process, product, function, symbol, and use. Reflecting the diverse r

After being widely rejected in the late 20th century the work of Karl Marx is now being reassessed by many theorists and activists. Karl Marx, Anthropologist explores how this most influential of mode

Vision is more than looking or seeing. It is integral to all human action. Visual Sense presents a series of readings which offer a range of alternatives to conventional psychological and social scie

Food is not only something we eat, it is something we use to define ourselves. Ingestion and incorporation are central to our connection with the world outside our bodies. Food's powerful social, econ

Food is not only something we eat, it is something we use to define ourselves. Ingestion and incorporation are central to our connection with the world outside our bodies. Food's powerful social, econ

The past 25 years has seen an extraordinary boom in a new kind of cultural complex: the memorial museum. These seek to research, represent, commemorate, and teach on the subject of dreadful, violent

The past 25 years has seen an extraordinary boom in a new kind of cultural complex: the memorial museum. These seek to research, represent, commemorate, and teach on the subject of dreadful, violent

Whether refried, baked, falafelled, or complementing a nice Chianti, the humble bean has long been a part of gourmet and everyday food culture around the globe. As Ken Albala shows, though, over its

Written in the shadow of war, City of Panic argues that cities everywhere have been the dedicated target of political and technological terror throughout the 20th century. The wanton erasure of the p

Drawing on case studies from around the world, a trans-national perspective allows the authors to look at the genealogy of the modern consumer and the development of consumer cultures, from the porcel

Americans began the twentieth century standing in Europe's sartorial shadow, yet ended by outfitting the world in blue jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. How did this come about? What changes in American c

Paris is renowned as the greatest fashion capital in the world. It has a rigid and tightly controlled system that non-western designers have difficulty penetrating. Yet a number of the most influentia

Valorised as 'la perle de l'ExtrÍme Orient', Indochina was France's rival to Britain's 'jewel in the crown'. Advanced, worthy, and accorded special status, it was a showcase of success, but

Tartan has colonized the world. The flexibility of its design and the traditionalism of its symbolism - as well as the travels of the Scots - have taken the fabric around the globe. Tradition

Here is a much-needed overview of what is arguably our most elusive sense. Sight and hearing have been the subject of numerous books, while the so-called "lower senses" have remained relatively unexpl

Here is a much-needed overview of what is arguably our most elusive sense. Sight and hearing have been the subject of numerous books, while the so-called "lower senses" have remained relatively unexpl

There are few philosophers today cool enough to be referenced in the Matrix, interesting enough to be mentioned on Six Feet Under, and popular enough to get over 606,000 hits on Google. Jean Baudrilla

There are few philosophers today cool enough to be referenced in the Matrix, interesting enough to be mentioned on Six Feet Under, and popular enough to get over 606,000 hits on Google. Jean Baudrilla

This is the first sweeping account of Havana and its cultural history in English. The author introduces us to a marginal city with roots in the sixteenth century, taking us through the periods when

When and why did the turntable morph from music machine to musical instrument? Why have mobile phones evolved changeable skins? How did hip-hop videos inspire an edgy new look for the Cadillac? The a

When and why did the turntable morph from music machine to musical instrument? Why have mobile phones evolved changeable skins? How did hip-hop videos inspire an edgy new look for the Cadillac? The a

Why did so many of the 9/11 hijackers spend time in Germany? How did terrorist sleeper cells plant themselves in cities like London, Paris, Rome, and Hamburg? What exactly is Al-Qaida's connection to

Sitting in the ruins of the Third Reich, most Germans wanted to know which of the two post-war German states would erase the material traces of their wartime suffering most quickly and most thoroughly

Sitting in the ruins of the Third Reich, most Germans wanted to know which of the two post-war German states would erase the material traces of their wartime suffering most quickly and most thoroughl

What motivates people to dress in a manner that marks them out as different to the conventional norm? Is it true that, with dress, 'anything goes' in our mix-and-match postmodern culture? Have easily

Van Eyck is now seen as the artist who bridged the gap between the medieval and the modern. The Enlightenment had quietly placed Van Eyck in the Gothic tradition. Then Napoleon looted panels of his ma

Belize, a tiny corner of the Caribbean wedged into Central America, has been a fast food nation since buccaneers and pirates first stole ashore. As early as the 1600s it was already caught in the grea

While music lovers from all over the world have tried to recreate the ambience of French cafés by playing music from stars such as Piaf, Trénet and Chevalier, intellectuals, soci

What do things mean? What does the life of everyday objects after the check-out reveal about people and their material worlds? Has the quest for 'the real thing' become so important because the high t

Friendship is usually seen as a vital part of most people's lives in the West. From our friends, we hope to derive emotional support, advice and material help in times of need. In this pioneering book

Art as Far as the Eye Can See puts art back where it matters -- at the center of politics. Art used to be an engagement between artist and materials but it has now become technologized. Its materials

Khat is a natural substance that, in the Middle East, is as ubiquitous as coffee in the West. It is hugely popular in some African and Arab populations. But critics contend that it is a seriously addi

Recent research has paid little tribute to the rich German collections proudly exhibited at the turn of the twentieth century. With the annexation of German New Guinea in 1884, museums turned to this

Co-published in Association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London This book is a timely and engaging introduction to the way that artists working in all media think about craft. Workmanship is

From the canonical texts of the Arts and Crafts Movement to the radical thinking of today's “DIY” movement, from theoretical writings on the position of craft in distinction to Art and Design to how-to texts from renowned practitioners, from feminist histories of textiles to descriptions of the innovation born of necessity in Soviet factories and African auto-repair shops, The Craft Reader presents the first comprehensive anthology of writings on modern craft.Covering the period from the Industrial Revolution to today, the Reader draws on craft practice and theory from America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The world of craft is considered in its full breadth -- from pottery and weaving, to couture and chocolate-making, to contemporary art, architecture and curation. The writings are themed into sections and all extracts are individually introduced, placing each in its historical, cultural and artistic context.Bringing together an astonishing range of both classic and contemporary texts, Th