We live in a world threatened by the loss of one of humanity's greatest treasures--it's linguistic heritage. But few realize that bound up with the loss of language is loss of knowledge about our environment. This book documents the complex interrelationships between the Earth's linguistic, cultural and biological diversity. It offers a general introduction to a complex field and outlines some of the key challenges facing sustainable development from cultural and educational perspectives. 'We need more than ever to find ways to share and maintain this world of diversity in which languages, cultures and environments are mutually supporting and sustainable.'
When the Viking lander on the planet Minerva was destroyed, sending back one last photo of a strange alien being, scientists on Earth were flabbergasted. And so a joint investigation was launched by the United States and the Soviet Union, the first long-distance manned space mission, and a symbol of the new peace between the two great rivals. Humankind's first close encounter with extraterrestrials would be history in the making, and the two teams were schooled in diplomacy as well as in science. But nothing prepared them for alien war—especially when the Americans and the Soviets found themselves on opposite sides. . . . Praise for A World of Difference “A master storyteller.”—Houston Chronicle “[Harry] Turtledove has proved he can divert his readers to astonishing places. he's developed a cult following over the years. . . . I know I'd follow his imagination almost anywhere.”—San Jose Mercury News “Turtledove never tires of exploring the paths not taken, bringing to his storytelling a prodigious knowledge of his subject and a profound understanding of human sensibilities and motivations.”—Library Journal
From the diverse work and often competing insights of women's human rights activists, Brooke Ackerly has written a feminist and a universal theory of human rights that bridges the relativists' concerns about universalizing from particulars and the activists' commitment to justice. Unlike universal theories that rely on shared commitments to divine authority or to an 'enlightened' way of reasoning, Ackerly's theory relies on rigorous methodological attention to difference and disagreement. She sets out human rights as at once a research ethic, a tool for criticism of injustice and a call to recognize our obligations to promote justice through our actions. This book will be of great interest to political theorists, feminist and gender studies scholars and researchers of social movements.
Widely regarded as the standard text on development geography, this volume examines the nature and causes of global inequality and critically analyzes contemporary approaches to economic development across the third world. Students gain a deeper understanding of the interacting dynamics of culture, gender, race, and class; biophysical factors, such as climate, population, and natural resources; and economic and political processesa "all of which have led to the present-day disparities between the first and third worlds. Numerous examples, sidebars, and figures illustrate how people in the global South are experiencing and contesting the forces of globalization. New to This Edition Updated to reflect a decade of economic, political, and social changes Extensively revised; more fully integrates postcolonial and feminist perspectives Broadens the prior edition's focus on Africa with examples from around the world A chapter on the promises and pitfalls of sustainable development.
Widely regarded as the authoritative text on development geography, this volume examines the nature and causes of global inequality and critically analyzes contemporary approaches to economic development across the third world. Students gain a deeper understanding of the interacting dynamics of culture, gender, race, and class; biophysical factors, such as climate, population, and natural resources; and economic and political processes—all of which have led to the present-day disparities between the first and third worlds. Numerous examples, sidebars, and figures illustrate how people in the Global South are experiencing and contesting the forces of globalization.
Recent Barna research indicates that less than one in ten evangelical Christians hold a biblical worldview. A World of Difference seeks to change this disturbing fact by educating readers on how the Christian perspective is uniquely reasonable, verifiable, and liveable. Author Kenneth Richard Samples faced a profound test of his own belief system during a personal life-and-death crisis. In A World of Difference, he uses nine distinct tests to compare the Christian worldview with current religious and philosophical competitors, including Islam, postmodernism, naturalism, and pantheistic monism. Samples tackles tough issues through this in-depth study of Christianity's history, creed, and philosophical basis. An excellent resource for readers who want their view of life and the world to make sense.
Become more culturally competent in an increasingly diverse world Recent years have seen dramatic changes to several institutions worldwide. Our increasingly interconnected, digitized, and globalized world presents immense opportunities and unique challenges. Modern businesses and schools interact with individuals and organizations from a diverse range of cultural and national backgrounds—increasing the likelihood for miscommunication, errors in strategy, and unintended consequences in the process. This has also spilled into our daily lives and the way we consume information today. Understanding how to navigate these and other pitfalls requires adaptability, nuanced cross-cultural communication, and effective conflict resolution. Use Your Difference to Make a Difference provides readers with a skills-based, actionable plan that transforms differences into agents of inclusiveness, connection, and mutual understanding. This innovative and timely guide illustrates how to leverage differences to move beyond unconscious biases, manage a culturally-diverse workplace, create an environment for more tolerant schooling environments, more trusted media, communicate across borders, find and retain diverse talent, and bridge the gap between working locally and expanding globally. Expert guidance on a comprehensive range of topics—teamwork, leadership styles, information sharing, delegation, supervision, giving and receiving feedback, coaching and motivation, recruiting, managing suppliers and customers, and more—helps you manage the essential aspects of international relationships and cultural awareness. This valuable resource contains the indispensable knowledge required to: Develop self-awareness needed to be a cross-cultural communicator Develop content, messaging techniques, marketing plans, and business strategies that translate across cultural borders Help your employees to better understand and collaborate with clients and colleagues from different backgrounds Help teachers build safe environments for students to be themselves Strengthen cross-cultural competencies in yourself, your team, and your entire organization Understand the cultural, economic, and political factors surrounding our world Use Your Difference to Make a Difference is a must-have resource for any educator, parent, leader, manager, or team member of an organization that interacts with co-workers and customers from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Every once in a while a book is published that reminds us what is best about being human. This is such a book. It tells the true and inspiring stories of ordinary people who became extraordinary, who changed their lives in order to make the world a better place. These amazing people live with the joy of knowing they make a difference. Their joy will inspire you. In this inspiration book, writer and film-maker Miles Roston tells the stories of people from around the world who, despite unlikely backgrounds, have used their skills and energy to change the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. They demonstrate that one person can make a difference, and by doing so live a life of sheer joy. Who would have thought that a Catholic priest from New York would end up caring for the dying in a Buddhist hospice in Thailand? Or that a marketing executive with a glamorous job at L'Oreal in Paris would open a beauty salon and restaurant in Cambodia staffed by former street kids? And there are more extraordinary journeys: the couple in Amsterdam who built an animal farm for children in a slum; the rebel leader from Darfur who fights for his people from afar; the blonde Australian who champions the rights of sex workers world-wide; the investment banker from Hong Kong who has helped thousands of children orphaned when the blood supply was contaminated by Aids; and the Methodist minister in America who discovered her preacher husband was gay, then devoted her life to helping young people threatened by violence, drug addiction and unsafe sex. What unites the people in this book is their passion and compassion. And what the book reveals is their secret: that in doing good for others, you transform your own life and gain what one person calls 'the contentment of giving'. Often eye-opening, always challenging, this is a book that can change lives – even your life.
New to the paperback edition is a preface that readdresses the question of the politics of deconstruction in the context of current discussion about the life and works of Paul de Man.
