Other books that might interest you

• 

  Carbon Technocracy - Energy...

  Victor Seow

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A forceful reckoning with the relationship between energy and power through the history of what was once East Asia’s largest coal mine. 
   
  The coal-mining town of Fushun in China’s Northeast is home to a monstrous open pit. First excavated in the early twentieth century, this pit grew like a widening maw over the ensuing decades, as various Chinese and Japanese states endeavored to unearth Fushun’s purportedly “inexhaustible” carbon resources. Today, the depleted mine that remains is a wondrous and terrifying monument to fantasies of a fossil-fueled future and the technologies mobilized in attempts to turn those developmentalist dreams into reality. 
   
  In Carbon Technocracy, Victor Seow uses the remarkable story of the Fushun colliery to chart how the fossil fuel economy emerged in tandem with the rise of the modern technocratic state. Taking coal as an essential feedstock of national wealth and power, Chinese and Japanese bureaucrats, engineers, and industrialists deployed new technologies like open-pit mining and hydraulic stowage in pursuit of intensive energy extraction. But as much as these mine operators idealized the might of fossil fuel–driven machines, their extractive efforts nevertheless relied heavily on the human labor that those devices were expected to displace. Under the carbon energy regime, countless workers here and elsewhere would be subjected to invasive techniques of labor control, ever-escalating output targets, and the dangers of an increasingly exploited earth. 
   
  Although Fushun is no longer the coal capital it once was, the pattern of aggressive fossil-fueled development that led to its ascent endures. As we confront a planetary crisis precipitated by our extravagant consumption of carbon, it holds urgent lessons. This is a groundbreaking exploration of how the mutual production of energy and power came to define industrial modernity and the wider world that carbon made.

  Show book

• 

  Was Muhammad Crazy?

  Frédéric Joy

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Through a careful psychological re-reading of the Qur'an and other biographical sources about Muhammad, the author identifies the pathological symptoms of the prophet of Islam. His diagnosis is unambiguous: the man suffered from a querulous paranoia with dissociative identity disorder. 
  The author shows that Mohammed identified himself with previous prophets (Jesus and Moses in particular), whom he plagiarized. Adapting their words and deeds to the culture of the Arab world, he imposed these new doctrines on his people primarily through direct aggression and political manipulation. Yet, Islam was phenomenally successful during his lifetime and over the centuries. 
  At this point, another question arises: How did Muhammad manage to convince the masses? The author then analyzes the personality of the submissive people and the success of this religion through the centuries. The author also deconstructs all the scientific and philosophical presuppositions behind the Muslim religion (cosmology, biology, psychology, etc.). Muhammad's moral and political discourse is confronted with its own contradictions.

  Show book

• 

  People That Don't Age - A...

  Larry D. Poole

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  So, the excitement of adding another year to your life has worn off in your life now. You’re not worried about getting older, you just want to age gracefully. Now you’re looking for enjoyable, positive, and powerful ways that can help you achieve this. Well, look no further, you’ve found the perfect book for this! 
  87% of Americans still worry about aging, despite life expectancy continuing to climb.The truth is, this is a natural and beautiful process that should be embraced, and you’re about to learn how. Allow Larry D. Poole to help you unlock a rich and fulfilling life that you deserve! 
  People That Don’t Age is not an ordinary book. It’s a positive and enlightening guide that will allow you to be in control of your health and live better for the rest of your life!Real-life stories that will empower you to reach your potential. The "Toughest Guy on the Planet" will teach you how to overcome obstacles. If you’d like to make it to 100 years then the Sardinians will show you how. Finally, celebrities' "Brain Coach" will teach you how to speed up your reading and learning!Effective routines, diets, and exercises you can start now. Incorporate them into your lifestyle to increase your vitality, achieve happiness, and gain an increased burst of energy!Tips and Tricks that will give you an advantage and have you attaining your professional and personal goals!How to build an optimistic mindset, embrace life’s challenges, and recognize the many rewards that are still coming your way!Safe, natural, and holistic self-help methods to live better and longer by improving your mental and physical health!  
  From now on, you’re going to wake up in a mind and body that you love! 
  Are you ready to uncover secrets that are going to help you enjoy your life?

  Show book

• 

  Something for Nothing - The...

  Brian Tracy

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  America's greatness comes from people working hard to fulfill their dreams. But today that greatness is being undermined by people using the government to steal other people's dreams (and money). Rather than participate and innovate in the marketplace, generating goods and services that benefit society, people are increasingly vying for political advantage to live at the expense of others. Something for Nothing reveals the social and personal threats inherent in this emerging "grabbing match" culture, juxtaposing free-market virtues against government vices, explaining how the something-for-nothing mentality corrupts the political system, undermines corporate success, and stifles the individual's ability to prosper and contribute long-term to society. More than exposing the dangers, however, Tracy helps readers set a personal and culture-wide agenda for change.

  Show book

• 

  Classics - A Very Short...

  John Henderson, Mary Beard

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  We are all classicists—we come into touch with the classics on a daily basis: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the classics differ from their original reality? This introduction to the classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple a Bassae. Through these sculptures, John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of the study of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philosophy, and culture, its source of imagery, and the reasons for the continuation of these images into and beyond the twentieth century. Designed for the general reader and student alike, A Very Short Introduction to Classics challenges listeners to adopt a fresh approach to the Classics as a major cultural influence, both in the ancient world and twentieth-century—emphasizing the continuing need to understand and investigate this enduring subject.

  Show book

• 

  Edinburgh: The Autobiography

  Alan Taylor

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  From one of the earliest mentions of its name in the sixth century to the Covid lockdowns of the twenty-first, this is a magnificent portrait of one of the world's great cities in its many iterations, from 'Edinburgh, the sink of abomination' to the Athens of the North and everything – including the home of the Enlightenment, the Festival City, the Aids Capital of Europe and a Mecca for tourists seeking tartan tat – in between.
  As the nation's capital it has been critical to its progress and a witness to epochal events, such the tumultuous reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Reformation, the Forty-Five rebellion, the Disruption of the Church of Scotland and the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament. All of these and more feature. But this is not simply a book about the great and good, the famous and infamous. There is testimony aplenty from ordinary folk who may not have made their mark on history but who have contributed to Edinburgh's ever-expanding tapestry.
  There are stories of body snatching and murder, drunkenness and drug-taking, sex and shopping, as well rants against inclement weather and the city council.

  Show book