Explores why authoritarian regimes bother to hold elections. Behind the Façade examines the question of why authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia bother holding elections. Using comprehensive case studies of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Singapore, Lee Morgenbesser argues that elections allow authoritarian regimes to collect information, pursue legitimacy, manage political elites, and sustain neopatrimonial domination. He demonstrates how these functions are employed to manage the complex strategic interaction that occurs between dictators, political elites, and citizens. Far from being mere window dressing or even a precursor to democracy, flawed elections, Morgenbesser concludes, are paramount to the maintenance of authoritarian rule.

The book examines the typological and technological constitution of the principal advanced façade systems in the contemporary design and experimental scenario, proposing itself as a knowledge and operational tool currently lacking in the technical literature of the sector at an international level. It considers the field of advanced façade systems in a scientific way, constituting a support for the study and the executive design. The book investigates in detail, in an analytical form, the constitution of the components on a typological and geometrical, functional and constructive level, on the basis of the documents and knowledges acquired from the essential contemporary production and construction references. At the same time, the book is configured in a handbook form as a reference for understanding and application with respect to traditional and complex façade systems. For each main type of façade, the book provides explanations and scientific information for investigating and designing the advanced façades according to the characteristics of the mullions and transoms façade system (stick system), of the structural sealant glazing façade system, of the unit façade system, of the suspended façade system and of the double-skin façade system.

Snapshots Behind the Façade is an absorbing collection of observations, many of them profound, on various facets of life on planet Earth. In essence, the author takes a broad look at the fabricated social environment that we humans have created for ourselves and he highlights the curious and nonsensical nature of much of our surroundings. The critique of the war on Iraq will be of special interest to those looking for a definitive explanation of what that war is all about. The author also offers conclusions about the fundamental nature of matters of the ultimate importance: life, death, religion, and the future. After reading this engaging and entertaining book, you may look at a lot of things a lot differently.

Dreaming of being a princess in a faraway land, American real estate agent Sydney Reed entered into a marriage of convenience with Sheikh Malik, but she can no longer live in a loveless relationship. Malik insists that they live forty days together as man and wife in his country before he will sign the divorce papers.

The US in Denial: the 'Facade of Freedom' From a gradual rise to totalitarianism, the common 99% American is losing voice to systems under the influence of Supremacist control through courts ran under prosecutorial discretion: - The innocent incarcerated convicted on hearsay. - Disadvantaged citizens prosecuted by Supremacist representation without a fair trial. - Title IV Funding snowballing into prompted falsified documentation & the termination of parental rights without substantiated reason of abuse or neglect. - Charity organizations (501C3s) not offering tangible support to their represented victims yet primarily funding their employees' trivial duties. - Culture being aligned with ill-repute morals & dysfunctional foundation. The author stands up for defense of civil liberties while addressing the controversial viewpoints of both the conservative & the left-winged citizen. Playing the devil's advocate to both sides of the coin to injustices & denied liberties allows the reader to hone in on their personal beliefs & perspectives regarding liberty & inalienable rights as a citizen within the Civil Union. Essentially, three types of citizens are addressed: Supremacists whose subconscious & intentional motives are to torment other human beings (denying their civil rights to the point of incarceration), Abolitionists (whose desire is to free our citizens from Supremacist enslavement), & the apathetic (whose indifference is shattering America's well-being as the Supremacist continues robbing the average American of civil liberties). Forget the Republican verses the Democrat. Ignore the left-winged verses the right. The people in the House, Senate, & common citizens alike can divide themselves like immature rivals, but in reality both parties are choosing roles as Supremacists or Abolitionists promoting the Constitution or denying it--either upholding fellow Americans or oppressing its citizens. "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - Ronald Reagan

The "red files" revealed. Examining the period from the early 1930s through Stalin's death in 1953—the height of the Stalinist regime—this enlightening book reveals what we have learned from the archives, what has surprised us, and what has confirmed what we already knew. Most of the authors have worked with these archives since they were opened.

This book provides a comprehensive theoretical platform for the use and construction of double skin façade projects. The DSF concept has been used mostly in European buildings; however, its success in other climates should be addressed. Increasing numbers of buildings are featuring double skin façade technology in the US; however, still relatively few have been studied for their performance in operation. This book gives architects a practical guide to analyze and evaluate the actual performance of double skin façade buildings in different climatic contexts. It is important for high-performance buildings to have tools to evaluate a design’s predicted performance to achieve specific sustainable goals. To determine that the application of DSF in different climates will provide better thermal comfort, building simulation tools analyze various thermal comfort parameters through studies of the façade and compare them with the actual building’s performance data. The book takes the reader on an on-site tour of eight DSF buildings around the US. Interviews with the buildings’ architects and engineers, owners, and users offer additional perspectives and insights into the construction and performance of these developments in building design. This will provide architects with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in integrating double skin façades into their projects.