The rise of the West is often attributed the presence of certain features in Western countries from the 16th century that were absent in more traditional societies: the abolition of serfdom and Protestant ethics, the protection of property rights, and free universities. The problem with this reasoning is that, before the 16th century, there were many countries with social structures that possessed these same features that didn't experience rapid productivity growth. This book offers a new interpretation of the 'Great Divergence' and 'Great Convergence' stories. It explores how Western countries grew rich and why parts of the developing world (South and East Asia and the Middle East) did not catch up with the West from 1500 to 1950 but began to narrow the gap after 1950. It also examines why others (Latin America, South Africa, and Russia) were more successful at catching up from 1500 to 1950, but then experienced a slowdown in economic growth compared to other developing countries. Mixed Fortunes offers a novel interpretation of the rise of the West and of the subsequent development of 'the rest' and China and Russia, important examples of two groups of developing countries, are examined in greater detail.

Two of the world's most pressing needs—biodiversity conservation and agricultural development in the Third World—are addressed in Karl S. Zimmerer's multidisciplinary investigation in geography. Zimmerer challenges current opinion by showing that the world-renowned diversity of crops grown in the Andes may not be as hopelessly endangered as is widely believed. He uses the lengthy history of small-scale farming by Indians in Peru, including contemporary practices and attitudes, to shed light on prospects for the future. During prolonged fieldwork among Peru's Quechua peasants and villagers in the mountains near Cuzco, Zimmerer found convincing evidence that much of the region's biodiversity is being skillfully conserved on a de facto basis, as has been true during centuries of tumultuous agrarian transitions. Diversity occurs unevenly, however, because of the inability of poorer Quechua farmers to plant the same variety as their well-off neighbors and because land use pressures differ in different locations. Social, political, and economic upheavals have accentuated the unevenness, and Zimmerer's geographical findings are all the more important as a result. Diversity is indeed at serious risk, but not necessarily for the same reasons that have been cited by others. The originality of this study is in its correlation of ecological conservation, ethnic expression, and economic development. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1997. Two of the world's most pressing needs—biodiversity conservation and agricultural development in the Third World—are addressed in Karl S. Zimmerer's multidisciplinary investigation in geography. Zimmerer challenges current opinion by showing that the worl

For more than a century, scientists have raced to unravel the human family tree and have grappled with its complications. Now, with an astonishing new discovery, everything we thought we knew about primate origins could change. Lying inside a high-security vault, deep within the heart of one of the world's leading natural history museums, is the scientific find of a lifetime - a perfectly fossilized early primate, older than the previously most famous primate fossil, Lucy, by forty-four million years. A secret until now, the fossil - "Ida" to theresearchers who have painstakingly verified her provenance - is the most complete primate fossil ever found. Forty-seven million years old, Ida rewrites what we've assumed about the earliest primate origins. Her completeness is unparalleled - so much of what we understand about evolution comes from partial fossils and even single bones, but Ida's fossilization offers much more than that, from a haunting "skin shadow" to her stomach contents. And, remarkably, knowledge of her discovery and existence almost never saw the light of day. With exclusive access to the first scientiststo study her, the award-winning science writer Colin Tudge tells the history of Ida and her place in the world. A magnificent, cutting-edge scientific detective story followed her discovery, and The Link offers a wide-ranging investigation into Ida and our earliest origins. At the same time, it opens a stunningly evocative window into our past and changes what we know about primate evolution and, ultimately, our own.

Through research in the field of social care in six European Countries (France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and the U.K.) the authors of this volume highlight the role of nonprofit and commercial organizations in the new "welfare mix systems" and main social and institutional effects of such new order. This volume in the Nonprofit and Civil Society Studies series is the first attempt to bridge the relevant gap existing between the literature on the welfare state and studies on the nonprofit sector.

Multi-generational saga with events in UK, Australia and South Africa.

Multi-generational saga with events in UK, Australia and South Africa.

Renowned astronomer Sir Patrick Moore takes readers on a brief but comprehensive tour of the universe. Starting with the earth and its moon he gives the reader all the basic facts and figures about each planet and its moons, their relationships to each other and the place of our universe in space. Moore describes and explains comets, meteors and asteroids and informs the text with wit, observation and the experience of over 60 years of active observation of space.

Buildings and their associated systems are the largest source of greenhouse gases in the world. The 2030 Challenge aims to produce zero-net energy from new North American construction by 2030 while achieving a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions from existing buildings. With less than 4 percent of commercial and residential structures in the United States and Canada certified by 2015, we seem destined to fall catastrophically short of this target. Reinventing Green Building combines a unique, insider's critique of the current state of affairs with a potent vision for the future. This highly visual, data-driven analysis brings together the wisdom of today's leading practitioners including: Up-to-date information on green building issues, energy economics, and new technology Dramatic new approaches to certification system design and user experience Creative, outside-the-box solutions using the Internet of Things, big data analytics, and cloud-based technologies for building management The green building revolution has failed to fulfill its promise to transform the marketplace in a meaningful way. Smart, simple, and sustainable: Reinventing Green Building presents a new approach to certification, designed to radically cut costs while dramatically increasing marketplace acceptance integrating true climate mitigation and better building performance. Jerry Yudelson, dubbed "The Godfather of Green" by Wired magazine in 2011, has many years of professional experience in the green building field, elected as a LEED Fellow and having served as the president of the Green Building Initiative. He is the author of thirteen books in the field, including Dry Run, Choosing Green, and Green Building A–Z.

On a Bangalore night in April 2008, cricket and India changed forever. It was the first night of the Indian Premier League – cricket, but not as we knew it. It involved big money, glitz, prancing girls and Bollywood stars. It was not so much sport as tamasha: a great entertainment. The Great Tamasha examines how a game and a country, both regarded as synonymous with infinite patience, managed to produce such an event. James Astill explains how India's economic surge and cricketing obsession made it the dominant power in world cricket, off the field if rarely on it. He tells how cricket has become the central focus of the world's second-biggest nation: the place where power and money and celebrity and corruption all meet, to the rapt attention of a billion eyeballs. Astill crosses the subcontinent and, over endless cups of tea, meets the people who make up modern India – from faded princes to back-street bookmakers, slum kids to squillionaires – and sees how cricket shapes their lives and that of their country. Finally, in London he meets Indian cricket's fallen star, Lalit Modi, whose driving energy helped build this new form of cricket before he was dismissed in disgrace: a story that says much about modern India. The Great Tamasha is a fascinating examination of the most important development in cricket today. A brilliant evocation of an endlessly beguiling country, it is also essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the workings of modern India.

From the settlement of the earliest peoples in the Americas to the close of the seventeenth century, enormous changes took place in what was to become the continental United States. To help students understand this sweep of history, this unique resource provides detailed description and expert analysis of the ten most important events through the seventeenth century: First Encounters, c. 40,000 BCE - 1492 AD; The Expedition of Coronado, 1540-1542; The Founding of St. Augustine, 1565; Early English Colonization Efforts, c. 1584-1630; Early European-Native American Encounters, 1607-1637; The Introduction of Slavery into America, 1619; The Surrender of New Amsterdam, 1664; King Philip's War, 1675-1676; The Glorious Revolution in America, 1688-1689; and The Salem Witch Trials, 1692. Each event is dealt with in a separate chapter. The examination goes beyond traditional textbook treatment of history by considering the immediate and far-reaching ramifications of each event. Each chapter features an introductory essay that presents the facts of the event in a clear, chronological manner that makes complex history understandable. This essay is followed by an interpretive essay, written by a recognized authority in the field in a style designed to appeal to a general readership and promote critical thinking, that places the event in a broader context and assesses it in terms of its political, economic, sociocultural, and international significance. With an illustration and an annotated bibliography for each event, a glossary of names, events, and terms of the period, a timeline of important events in American history through the seventeenth century, Events That Changed America Through the Seventeenth Century is an ideal addition to the high school, community college, and undergraduate reference shelf, as well as excellent supplementary reading in social studies and American history courses.