Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Empire's Son Empire's Orphan -...

  Nile Green

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  In literary circles of the mid-twentieth century, father and son, Ikbal and Idries Shah, spread seductive accounts of a mystical Middle East. Pitching themselves as the authentic voice of the Muslim world, they penned travelogues and exotic potboilers alongside weighty tomes on Islam and politics. Above all, father and son told Western readers what they wanted to hear: audacious yarns of eastern adventure and harmless Sufi mystics—myths that, as the century wore on and the Taliban seized power, became increasingly detached from reality. 
   
   
   
  This book follows the Shahs from their origins in colonial India to literary London, wartime Oxford, and counterculture California via the Levant, the League of Nations, and Latin America. Nile Green unravels the conspiracies and pseudonyms, fantastical pasts and self-aggrandizing anecdotes, high stakes and bold schemes that for nearly a century painted the defining portrait of Afghanistan. Ikbal and Idries convinced poets, spies, orientalists, diplomats, occultists, hippies, and even a prime minister that they held the key to understanding the Islamic world. From George Orwell directing Muslim propaganda to Robert Graves translating a fake manuscript of Omar Khayyam and Doris Lessing supporting jihad, Green tells the fascinating tale of how the book world was beguiled by the dream of an Afghan Shangri-La that never existed.

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  Composing Capital - Classical...

  Marianna Ritchey

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  The familiar old world of classical music, with its wealthy donors and ornate concert halls, is changing. The patronage of a wealthy few is being replaced by that of corporations, leading to new unions of classical music and contemporary capitalism. In Composing Capital, Marianna Ritchey lays bare the appropriation of classical music by the current neoliberal regime, arguing that artists, critics, and institutions have aligned themselves—and, by extension, classical music itself—with free-market ideology. More specifically, she demonstrates how classical music has lent its cachet to marketing schemes, tech firm-sponsored performances, and global corporate partnerships. As Ritchey shows, the neoliberalization of classical music has put music at the service of contemporary capitalism, blurring the line between creativity and entrepreneurship, and challenging us to imagine how a noncommodified musical practice might be possible in today’s world.

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  Political Rumors - Why We Accept...

  Adam J. Berinsky

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  Political rumors and misinformation pollute the political landscape. This is not a recent phenomenon; before the currently rampant and unfounded rumors about a stolen election and vote-rigging, there were other rumors that continued to spread even after they were thoroughly debunked, including doubts about 9/11 (an "inside job") and the furor over President Obama's birthplace and birth certificate. If misinformation crowds out the truth, how can Americans communicate with one another about important issues? In this book, Adam Berinsky examines why political rumors exist and persist despite their unsubstantiated and refuted claims, who is most likely to believe them, and how to combat them. 
   
   
   
  Drawing on original survey and experimental data, Berinsky shows that a tendency toward conspiratorial thinking and vehement partisan attachment fuel belief in rumors. Berinsky argues that in fighting misinformation, it is as important to target the undecided and the uncertain as it is the true believers. In a world where most people don't pay attention to politics, political leaders are often guilty of disseminating false information—and failing to correct it when it is proven wrong. Berinsky suggests that we should focus on the messenger as much as the message. Just as important as how misinformation is debunked is who does the debunking.

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  Blackinese - Reflections on Race...

  Patricia Bradby Moore

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  In this candid and thought-provoking memoir, a millennial woman of Black and Chinese heritage reflects on the complexities of growing up with a mixed identity in the American South and beyond. From childhood memories to college experiences and a burgeoning career, Blackinese explores the nuances of race, culture, and belonging, tackling everything from food and music to dating, politics, and religion. 
  With vulnerable honesty, author Patricia Bradby Moore takes readers on a journey through her ever-evolving sense of self, which has been shaped by her diverse upbringing and global travels. From navigating the challenges of being multiracial in the U.S. to exploring how race is understood and experienced in other parts of the world, her story speaks to the growing population of mixed-race individuals who don’t fit into simple boxes. 
  Blackinese is an invitation to reflect on identity, empathy, and the shared human experience. With every page, it encourages readers to embrace their complexity and find strength in their uniqueness. This is a memoir for anyone who has ever felt they don’t quite fit the mold and for those who want to better understand what it means to live in a world where the lines of race and identity are anything but clear.

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  Frontiers and Encounters -...

  Lillian Brooks

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  This bundle offers a compelling and deeply insightful look into the complex and often harsh realities faced by both settlers and Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand. This three-part volume captures the resilience, conflict, and cultural endurance that shaped these lands during their formative years of colonization and nation-building.  
  The first section, Surviving the Frontier: Australia’s Harsh Beginnings, explores the brutal and unforgiving conditions faced by early European settlers, convicts, and Indigenous Australians, shedding light on the challenges of survival, frontier violence, and the clash of civilizations.  
  The second section, New Zealand: A Nation’s Journey, traces New Zealand's path from a Māori homeland to a British colony and eventually an independent nation, while examining the cultural encounters, land disputes, and social changes that defined the nation's early years.  
  The third section, Aboriginal Australia: Land, People, and Culture, dives into the rich and enduring heritage of Australia's First Nations, exploring their profound connection to the land, complex social systems, and the ongoing struggle for cultural survival and recognition.  
  Together, these three perspectives provide a nuanced understanding of the human experience on the frontiers of Australia and New Zealand — highlighting both the resilience of Indigenous peoples and the challenges of colonial settlement. This book is essential for those seeking to understand the historical intersections of survival, resistance, and cultural identity in these two remarkable nations.

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  Lurking Under the Surface -...

  Brandon R. Grafius

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  Horror can be a valuable conversation partner for the spiritual questions that animate so many of us. 
   
   
   
  Whether through a movie, television show, novel, or even myth, horror as a genre has always spoken to our deepest human fears and anxieties: fear of death, of the unknown, of knowing too much. Whether you're looking at classic narratives like Frankenstein, or contemporary films like Get Out, which explores racism and white guilt, horror provides a window into our culture and what makes us human. The same can be said of religion. 
   
   
   
  Horror movie buff and religion scholar Brandon Grafius finds common ground between these two seemingly disparate bedfellows—horror and religion—in Lurking under the Surface. What parallels can we draw between The Walking Dead and sacred texts? How do the stories of Hebrew Christian scriptures and apocalyptic films like A Quiet Place and Bird Box help us find hope when it's in short supply? When we treat them both seriously, we see that horror movies and religion lead us through the same sets of questions. Both explore questions of justice, hope, and our relationship to the world and the cosmos. And both offer us ways to make meaning out of the contradictory pieces of our world—a world filled with so much hope and so many recognizable fears lurking just beneath the surface.

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