"Jack Benny became one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century--by being the top radio comedian, when the comics ruled radio, and radio was the most powerful and pervasive mass medium
An in-depth look at the dynamic cultural world of tea in Japan during its formative periodAround Chigusa investigates the cultural and artistic milieu in which a humble jar of Chinese origin dating to
Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have reached a transitional moment. Created as a way to direct excess wealth toward economic development and long-term financial returns, some countries are now seeing a
If the universe is aimless, how do selves and aims emerge? Why do living beings have aims when inanimate things do not? Current science encourages us to reject the ghost-in-the-machine explanation—tha
At the close of the nineteenth century, new printing and paper technologies fueled an expansion of the newspaper business. Newspapers soon saturated the United States, especially its cities, whic
With a uniquely balanced combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, Thai food burst onto Los Angeles's culinary scene in the 1980s. Flavors of Empire examines the rise of Thai food and
How are we to conceive of acts that suddenly expose the injustice of the prevailing order? These acts challenge long-standing hidden or silently tolerated injustices, but as they are unsupported by ex
Investors are tempted daily with misinformation. They make lucky bets that breed false confidence, and their high-stakes gambles can take an emotional toll. How can anyone stay focused in such a volat
Galileo never set foot on the Iberian Peninsula, yet, as Enrique García Santo-Tomás unfolds in The Refracted Muse, the news of his work with telescopes brought him to surprising prominen
For many years it has been known that scholars of Chinese history and culture must keep abreast of scholarship in Japan, but the great majority have found that to be difficult. Japanese for Sinologist
In the years between the Revolutionary War and the drafting of the Constitution, American gentlemen--the merchants, lawyers, planters, and landowners who comprised the independent republic's elite--wo
Economists often act as if their methods explain all human behavior. But in Cents and Sensibility, an eminent literary critic and a leading economist make the case that the humanities, especially the
What does it mean to call something "contemporary"? More than simply denoting what's new, it speaks to how we come to know the present we're living in and how we develop a shared story about it. The s
There are an ever-increasing number of books on improvisation, ones that richly recount experiences in the heat of the creative moment, theorize on the essence of improvisation, and offer convincing a
For decades, political observers and pundits have characterized the Islamic Republic of Iran as an ideologically rigid state on the verge of collapse, exclusively connected to a narrow social base. In
A History of Infamy explores the broken nexus between crime, justice, and the truth in mid-twentieth-century Mexico. Facing the violence and impunity that defined politics, policing, and the judicial
Two spectacular dead bodies—Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, found dumped and posed in a vacant lot in January 1947, and Marilyn Monroe, found dead in her home in August 1962—bookend this n
Forgotten Peace examines Colombian society’s attempt to move beyond the Western Hemisphere’s worst mid-century conflict and how that effort molded notions of belonging and understandings of the past.
Cicero remains little known even among political theorists and political philosophers. This book will change that, and do so forcefully: Gary Remer has recovered a vibrant tradition of political mor
The first rule of warfare is to know one’s enemy. The second is to know thyself. More than fifteen years and three quarters of a trillion dollars after the US invasion of Afghanistan, it’s clear that
John Gennari sets out on a quest to find ?tutti,” the everythingness that sits on the edge?now smooth, now serrated?between Italian America and African America. ?Tutti,” a black friend of his says, ?
Extraordinary Bodies is a cornerstone text of disability studies, establishing the field upon its publication in 1997. Framing disability as a minority discourse rather than a medical one, the book ad
Designed for the nonprofessional investor, the authors’ investing model is based on the acronym “HOLD,” (Happiness, Opportunity, Lifestyle, Design), which promises to both generate profits and enrich
Become a DIY Video Mogul in JUST 6 Weeks!It sounds crazy. But the iPhone you use every day is also the fastest money-making tool the world has ever known. This step-by-step, nuts-and-bolts guide from
This life-changing book goes far beyond simple "money magic." This is a tome of true financial sorcery that will teach you to blend magical and mundane actions to ensure success no matter what life th
In 2020, it will have been twenty-five years since one of the greatest wildlife conservation and restoration achievements of the twentieth century took place: the reintroduction of wolves to the world
From bell ringing to fireworks, gongs to cannon salutes, a dazzling variety of sounds and soundscapes marked the China encountered by the West around 1800. These sounds were gathered by diplomats, tra
Antisemitism emerged toward the end of the nineteenth century as a powerful political movement with broad popular appeal. It promoted a vision of the world in which a closely-knit tribe called "the Je
Jim Crow Sociology: The Black and Southern Roots of American Sociology is an extraordinary new volume that examines the origin, development, and significance of Black Sociology through the accomplishm
Recognized in America chiefly for his films, Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) in fact reinvented interdisciplinarity in post-war Europe. Pasolini self-confessedly approached the cinematic image through
When we talk about the economy, "the market" is often just an abstraction. While the exchange of goods was historically tied to a particular place, capitalism has gradually eroded this connection to c
The term "Judeo-Christian" is remarkably easy to pass over without consideration. It seems obvious that Judaism and Christianity share texts, tenets, and values--and that these influenced the founders
Forever immortalized in the television series Mad Men, the mid-twentieth century marketing world influenced nearly every aspect of American culture--music, literature, politics, economics, consumerism
