The A to Z of the Berbers (Imazighen)
The A to Z of the Berbers (Imazighen)

Author: Hsain Ilahiane

Publisher: A to Z Guide Series

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780810868465

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Berbers are the ancient inhabitants of North Africa, but rarely have they formed an actual kingdom or separate nation state. Ranging anywhere between 15-50 million, depending on how they are classified, the Berbers have influenced the culture and religion of Roman North Africa and played key roles in the spread of Islam and its culture in North Africa, Spain, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Taken together, these dynamics have over time converted to redefine the field of Berber identity and its socio-political representations and symbols, making it an even more important issue in the new century. Through the use of maps, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy and politics-past and present-The A to Z of the Berbers (Imazighen) provides necessary information on this under-studied group of people.

The A to Z of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The A to Z of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author: Ante Cuvalo

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-04-08

Total Pages: 506

ISBN-13: 1461671787

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Diversity has always been at the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina's character; even its dual name and physical geography display a particular heterogeneity. The medieval Bosnian state never enjoyed lasting political and ideological unity as its feudal, regional, and religious rifts pulled at the country's seams. Furthermore, because of its location and by a quirk of history, three major world religious and cultural traditions (Catholicism, Islam, and Orthodoxy) became cohabitants in this small Balkan country. Recently, the rebirth of its statehood has been exceptionally bloody and its diversity has been shaken. Even 11 years after the guns were silenced, the country is still under the "benevolent" protection of the international community, whose officials are keeping the state-building process in perpetual suspense, with no final result in sight. The A to Z of Bosnia and Herzegovina sheds light on the uncertain situation Bosnia and Herzegovina faces, while providing essential background information. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and more than 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on individual topics spanning Bosnia and Herzegovina's political, economic, religious, and social system along with short biographies on important figures.

Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen)
Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen)

Author: Hsain Ilahiane

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2017-03-27

Total Pages: 489

ISBN-13: 1442281820

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Berbers, also known as Imazighen, are the ancient inhabitants of North Africa, but rarely have they formed an actual kingdom or separate nation state. Ranging anywhere between 15-50 million, depending on how they are classified, the Berbers have influenced the culture and religion of Roman North Africa and played key roles in the spread of Islam and its culture in North Africa, Spain, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Taken together, these dynamics have over time converted to redefine the field of Berber identity and its socio-political representations and symbols, making it an even more important issue in the 21st century. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Berbers contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Berbers.

The A to Z of the Ottoman Empire
The A to Z of the Ottoman Empire

Author: Selcuk Aksin Somel

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 0810875799

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The A to Z of the Ottoman Empire is an in-depth treatise covering the political, social, and economic history of the Ottoman Empire, the last member of the lineage of the Near Eastern and Mediterranean empires and the only one that reached the modern times both in terms of internal structure and world history.

The A to Z of the Druzes
The A to Z of the Druzes

Author: Samy Swayd

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2009-07-27

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0810870029

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The Druzes are one of the smallest, least studied, and most esoteric religious communities in the Middle East. This is because the Druze teachings remain inaccessible not only to outsiders but also to uninitiated members within the Druze community itself. Furthermore, proselytizing_inducing someone to convert to one's own religious faith_has been prohibited since the establishment of the sect in the 11th century. In order to resist assimilation by the various empires and colonial powers that sought to dominate them_the Byzantines, various Arab dynasties, the Mamluks and Ottomans, the British and French, in addition to the nations that govern them_the Druzes disguise and conceal their beliefs. Therefore, not much is known by outsiders about the Druzes. This dictionary provides nearly 1,000 concise and informative cross-referenced A to Z entries on religious, political, and cultural themes, as well as entries on a number of major families and individuals (artists, writers, diplomats, and leaders) who have contributed to the Druze communities. This volume is also complemented with a chronology, an introductory essay, and a bibliography.

The A to Z of Denmark
The A to Z of Denmark

Author: Alastair H. Thomas

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-05-10

Total Pages: 564

ISBN-13: 0810872056

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Denmark is the oldest monarchy in Europe. At different points in its history, Denmark's boundaries have encompassed England, Sweden, West Africa, India, and the West Indies. Despite its changing and relatively small boundaries, Denmark has played a much larger part in the politics of Europe than might be expected. Additionally, through its territories (Faroe Islands and Greenland), Denmark has managed to retain an important presence in the North Atlantic. Today, democratic Denmark, with its thriving capital Copenhagen, is peaceful, prosperous, and progressive. Within NATO, Denmark has contributed to peace-keeping in the Persian Gulf and Bosnia. The "Danish Model" of welfare gives Danes a real sense of social security and presents many naysayers with a provocative example of a successfully managed welfare state. Danes have a reputation for inventiveness and good design, whether in architecture, furniture, or industrial design. The A to Z of Denmark relates the history of this successful country through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on kings, politicians, officials, explorers, authors, architects, composers, painters, astronomers, educationists, reformers, political parties, social movements, and other aspects of Danish society.

The A to Z of Wittgenstein's Philosophy
The A to Z of Wittgenstein's Philosophy

Author: Duncan Richter

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-02-12

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1461731852

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Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was undoubtedly one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century, and perhaps of any century. He was also a fascinating, charismatic, and irritating man. His philosophical ability was recognized almost immediately by Bertrand Russell, and during his lifetime his work influenced first logical positivism and then ordinary language philosophy. Since then it has also become central in post-analytical philosophical thought. Beyond the world of academic philosophy it has inspired playwrights, poets, novelists, architects, filmmakers, and biographers. The A to Z of Wittgenstein's Philosophy is intended for anyone who wants to know more about the philosophy and the life of this enigmatic thinker. The book contains an introductory overview of his life and work, a timeline of the major relevant events in and after his life, an extensive bibliography, and, above all, an A-Z of ideas, people, and places that have been involved in his philosophy and its reception. The dictionary is written with no particular agenda and includes entries on philosophers (and others) who influenced Wittgenstein, those he influenced in turn, and some of the main figures in contemporary Wittgenstein scholarship. Suggestions for further reading are also included, as well as a guide to the literature on Wittgenstein and a bibliography broken down by subject area.

The A to Z of the Crusades
The A to Z of the Crusades

Author: Corliss K. Slack

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2009-07-24

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0810863316

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During the late 11th through the early 14th centuries at least seven major expeditions were made between Western Europe and the Holy Land with the goal of ending Muslim control of Jerusalem. Ultimately the crusaders were driven out, but not before a cultural exchange had taken place that had an immense impact on Western Europe and an equally enormous, albeit less positive, impact on Arabs and the Islamic world. Although the crusades occurred many centuries ago, echoes still resound through the current clashes of nations and ideologies, kidnappings for ransom, assassinations, and the declaring of 'jihad'_all making the crusades an eminently timely subject. This one-volume overview provides an accessible reference work for scholars, students, and general readers on the period with numerous entries on key persons, places, events, battles and sieges, use of weapons and armor, and the deeper issues of the political and cultural background. Complete with a detailed chronology and a bibliography, this work allows readers to learn how Europe was changed forever by these battles with Islam.

The A to Z of Shamanism
The A to Z of Shamanism

Author: Graham Harvey

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-04-01

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 1461731844

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The A to Z of Shamanism has the duel task of exploring the common ground of shamanic traditions and evaluating the diversity of both traditional indigenous communities and individual Western seekers. This is done in an introduction, a bibliography, a chronology, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries, which explore the consistent features of a variety of shamans, the purposes shamanism serves, the function and activities of the shaman, and the cultural contexts in which they make sense.

The A to Z of Logic
The A to Z of Logic

Author: Harry J. Gensler

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-02-12

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1461731828

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The A to Z of Logic introduces the central concepts of the field in a series of brief, non-technical, cross-referenced dictionary entries. The 352 alphabetically arranged entries give a clear, basic introduction to a very broad range of logical topics. Entries can be found on deductive systems, such as propositional logic, modal logic, deontic logic, temporal logic, set theory, many-valued logic, mereology, and paraconsistent logic. Similarly, there are entries on topics relating to those previously mentioned such as negation, conditionals, truth tables, and proofs. Historical periods and figures are also covered, including ancient logic, medieval logic, Buddhist logic, Aristotle, Ockham, Boole, Frege, Russell, Gödel, and Quine. There are even entries relating logic to other areas and topics, like biology, computers, ethics, gender, God, psychology, metaphysics, abstract entities, algorithms, the ad hominem fallacy, inductive logic, informal logic, the liar paradox, metalogic, philosophy of logic, and software for learning logic. In addition to the dictionary, there is a substantial chronology listing the main events in the history of logic, an introduction that sketches the central ideas of logic and how it has evolved into what it is today, and an extensive bibliography of related readings. This book is not only useful for specialists but also understandable to students and other beginners in the field.