De Gruyter

The World is Born From Zero is an investigation into the relationship between video games and science fiction through the philosophy of speculation. Cameron Kunzelman argues that the video game medium is centered on the evaluation and production of possible futures by following video game studies, media philosophy, and science fiction studies to their furthest reaches. Claiming that the best way to understand games is through rigorous formal analysis of their aesthetic strategies and the cultural context those strategies emerge from, Kunzelman investigates a diverse array of games like The Last of Us, VA-11 Hall-A, and Civilization VI in order to explore what science fiction video games can tell us about their genres, their ways of speculating, and how the medium of the video game does (or does not) direct us down experiential pathways that are both oppressive and liberatory. Taking a multidisciplinary look at these games, The World is Born From Zero offers a unique theorization of science fiction games that provides both science fiction studies and video game studies with new tools for thinking how this medium and mode inform each other.

A narrative chronicle of Israeli democracy that defines historic phases and follows thematic challenges to democracy, including: competition between religion and the rule of law; the statist society and chaotic minoritocracy; modern illiberal populism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The comprehensive portrait exposes endemic flaws of democracy in Israel, but also shows that Israel has considerable capacity – and responsibility – to fulfill the promise of democracy.

This history of early Christian creeds contains an up-to-date account of their origin and development from the credal texts in the New Testament to the fully fledged classical formulae of the 4^th century. It includes the creeds’ use and alteration in subsequent periods until the time of Charlemagne and the beginnings of the filioque controversy. In addition, the author provides a scholarly commentary on the most common ancient confessions: the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.

Going beyond previous studies, the book contains chapters dedicated to the use of creeds in law, art, music, everyday life and even magic. Recently discovered source texts, such as a new Ethiopic version of the Roman Creed and a short recension of the Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople, receive extensive treatment. Credal developments in the eastern churches beyond the borders of the Roman Empire complete this comprehensive overview.

This volume is intended both as a textbook for advanced students of theology and cognate disciplines and as a reference book on the creeds in a wide range of contexts. All source texts are accompanied by modern English translations.

Winner of the Alberigo Award 2024 awarded by the European Academy of Religion.

Finalist in the Leadership - Think Differently category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

The pandemic, climate change, rising populism, geo-political unrest – just a few of the issues causing turbulence in today’s world. We are living and working in times that are complex and fast changing.

The Dao of Complexity is a book about challenging and deepening worldviews. It explores the remarkable resonance between complexity and Daoism, engaging with the processual, contextual and emergent nature both of ourselves and of the world of which we are a part. It connects to ideas from such diverse fields as quantum physics, brain science, political theory and economics.

Jean asks what ‘making sense’ of the world means in these turbulent times and how that can galvanise action for those of us trying to make a difference, trying to ‘make waves’ in a world of increasing connectivity, polarisation and fragility.

Taking its lead from Daoist texts, the design encourages readers to open at any page and use the short, stand-alone, yet networked pieces as reflective starting points.

This book will be of interest to scholars and those striving for social change, as well as managers and policy makers looking for inspiration. The general reader interested in science, philosophy and ancient wisdom will find relatable material to explore how to engage effectively in this complex world.

Winner in the Leadership - Mentoring/Coaching category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

We live and work in a world of change. Helping individuals and teams prepare for, respond to, and learn from change are critical for thriving. Managers and leaders at all levels play a vital role in developing talent, increasing performance, and supporting transitions and transformations. This book is about effectively coaching others in your role as a manager-coach. A manager-coach is a person who uses coaching-related knowledge, approaches, and skills to coach team members in the organization who report to them or who have sought their coaching.

In 16 chapters, leaders at all levels, human resource professionals, and graduate students will find research-based, practical approaches to developing talent, improving performance, and supporting transformation. Topics include the change coaching process, theoretical foundations of coaching, use of self in managerial coaching, six coaching skills, how to coach across differences, specialty coaching (peer, team, and executive), ethical considerations for coaching, and continuous development for manager-coaches.

Provides models, frameworks and tools that can be used to coach team members.

This book covers multivariable and vector calculus. It can be used as a textbook for a one-semester course or self-study. It includes worked-through exercises, with answers provided for many of the basic computational ones and hints for the more complex ones.. This second edition features new exercises, new sections on twist and binormal vectors for curves in space, linear approximations, and the Laplace and Poisson equations.

The Make America Great Again movement in the United States gives voice to a rising nationalism and tribalism we see around the world, from Modi’s India, to Putin’s Russian, Orban’s Hungary, and Netanyahu’s Israel. Against such a tribalism is the dream of a world citizenship, the cosmopolitan ideal that sees all human beings as part of one large political world. Tribalism and Cosmopolitanism is dedicated to exploring the humanity of both tribal affiliation and cosmopolitan dreams.

Volume 13 of the HA. The Yearbook of Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities centers on the compelling theme of tribalism and cosmopolitanism. Inspired by the 2024 Hannah Arendt Center Conference Tribalism and Cosmopolitanism: How Can We Imagine a Pluralist Politics, it brings together contributions by prominent thinkers such as Sebastian Junger, Fintan O’Toole, Seyla Benhabib, Niobe Way, Leon Botstein, Lyndsey Stonebridge, and more, featuring insightful conversations and talks held at the conference, alongside in-depth essays that build on and expand on the themes of tribalism and cosmopolitanism. An illuminating anthology of texts relating to both tribalism and cosmopolitanism from Anthony Appiah, Hannah Arendt, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Cicero, Emile Durkheim, Epictetus, Sigmund Freud, Immanuel Kant, Ibn Khaldûn, Martha Nussbaum, and more enriches the volume. The goal is to offer a broad introduction to the inquiry into the human tension between our need to belong to tribes and our aspirations to cosmopolitan humanism. Present scholarship and canonical texts are put into conversation to provide an extended sourcebook of ideas for the interested reader.

Spirit possession is more commonly associated with late Second Temple Jewish literature and the New Testament than it is with the Hebrew Bible. In Unfamiliar Selves in the Hebrew Bible, however, Reed Carlson argues that possession is also depicted in this earlier literature, though rarely according to the typical western paradigm. This new approach utilizes theoretical models developed by cultural anthropologists and ethnographers of contemporary possession-practicing communities in the global south and its diasporas. Carlson demonstrates how possession in the Bible is a corporate and cultivated practice that can function as social commentary and as a means to model the moral self.
The author treats a variety of spirit phenomena in the Hebrew Bible, including spirit language in the Psalms and Job, spirit empowerment in Judges and Samuel, and communal possession in the prophets. Carlson also surveys apotropaic texts and spirit myths in early Jewish literature—including the Dead Sea Scrolls. In this volume, two recent scholarly trends in biblical studies converge: investigations into notions of evil and of the self. The result is a synthesizing project, useful to biblical scholars and those of early Judaism and Christianity alike.

Every CEO aims to deliver sustainable growth. But as the impacts of climate risk escalate, this challenge will intensify in the years ahead. To succeed, the board must enhance its sustainability fluency and own the climate agenda.

Navigating Sustainable Growth addresses anyone grappling with how leading companies can thrive in an emerging future that prioritizes decarbonization and dematerialization. With over 300 examples of practices by 180 leading global companies, this timely book explores two major themes:

• To deliver sustainable growth, companies cannot rely on strong financials alone. They must also demonstrate a track record of reducing negative impacts and creating value through sustainable offerings — and help suppliers and customers do the same.
• The board owns the critical 5-7-year planning horizon that is key to how successful companies create long-term value. As climate risks amplify, the short-term focus of most executive teams leads to missing new opportunities while facing new perils.

As a bonus, the book offers The Climate Story. This eight-step, data-rich synopsis explains how we arrived at this crossroads, and where it will take us.

This book will help investors, citizens, students, and educators discover proven strategies for sustainable growth; CEOs and corporate secretaries to reframe board agendas; and boards to measure performance and chart a course to transform climate risk into opportunity.

Why do we love wizards? Where do these magical figures come from? Thinking Queerly traces the wizard from medieval Arthurian literature to contemporary YA adaptations. By exploring the link between Merlin and Harry Potter, or Morgan le Fay and Sabrina, readers will see how the wizard offers spaces of hope and transformation for young readers. In particular, this book examines how wizards think differently, and how this difference can resonate with both LGBTQ and neurodivergent readers, who’ve been told they don’t fit in.

This book is an introduction to machine learning, with a strong focus on the mathematics behind the standard algorithms and techniques in the field, aimed at senior undergraduates and early graduate students of Mathematics.

There is a focus on well-known supervised machine learning algorithms, detailing the existing theory to provide some theoretical guarantees, featuring intuitive proofs and exposition of the material in a concise and precise manner. A broad set of topics is covered, giving an overview of the field. A summary of the topics covered is: statistical learning theory, approximation theory, linear models, kernel methods, Gaussian processes, deep neural networks, ensemble methods and unsupervised learning techniques, such as clustering and dimensionality reduction.

This book is suited for students who are interested in entering the field, by preparing them to master the standard tools in Machine Learning. The reader will be equipped to understand the main theoretical questions of the current research and to engage with the field.

The Hatata Inquiries are two extraordinary texts of African philosophy composed in Ethiopia in the 1600s. Written in the ancient African language of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), these explorations of meaning and reason are deeply considered works of rhetoric. They advocate for women’s rights and rail against slavery. They offer ontological proofs for God and question biblical commands while delighting in the language of Psalms. They advise on right living. They put reason above belief, desire above asceticism, love above sectarianism, and the natural world above the human. They explore the nature of being as well as the nature of knowledge, the human, ethics, and the human relation with the divine. They are remarkable examples of something many assume doesn’t exist: early written African thought.

This accessible English translation of the Hatata Inquiries, along with extensive footnotes documenting the cultural and historical context and the work’s many textual allusions, enables all to read it and scholars to teach with it. The Hatata Inquiries are essential to understanding the global history of philosophy, being among the early works of rational philosophy.

The book includes a translation by Ralph Lee with Mehari Worku and Wendy Laura Belcher of the Hatata Zara Yaqob and the Hatata Walda Heywat. The appendices by Jeremy R. Brown provide information on the scribal interventions in and the differences between the manuscripts of the two Hatatas. The book also includes a map, chronology, summary of the translation principles, and a discussion of the authorship debate about the Hatata Inquiries.

Energy is an enabler of – and a constraint on – military power. Operational Energy provides military officers with knowledge and skills to plan effectively for the operational energy needs of their forces. Operational energy is the energy used to train, move, and sustain military forces and weapons platforms for military operations.

Energy has always played a role in battlefield outcomes. Over the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries the importance of energy in warfighting has grown. Today, energy is a critical pillar of national defense and a major factor in military power. In modern warfare, attaining energy superiority over one’s adversaries is a critical condition for success on the battlefield. Operational energy planning is an integral part of all combat and regular operations.

Operational Energy is a valuable and extensive resource for students of US Department of Defense courses in military universities, colleges, and academic training programs; scholars of geopolitics, and researchers on US and global energy security.

Operational Energy is to date the only textbook on defense energy planning, analysis, and strategy. It examines in detail fuel types, geopolitical issues, energy supply risks, market economic factors, and technology, presenting topics for future research. It also includes chapter summaries, main points for study, and case studies.

The goal of this book is to use the history of the 26th Amendment and the ongoing fight to promote and defend youth voter participation as a prism through which to teach the history of the struggle for the fundamental right to vote in the United States. The book centers on case studies of four US institutions—Tuskegee University, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and Bard College, which offer unique insights into the role of college communities in the fight for suffrage, and their contributions to the evolution of the right to vote in the United States.

Targeted for chemists, the current textbook outlines the principles, experimental methods and data analysis in X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). The authors introduce EXAFS, Near-Edge XAS, X-Ray Imaging and many other advanced experimental techniques. A special section of the book is devoted to applications of XAS in chemistry, materials and environmental sciences.

Finalist in the Marketing - Branding category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

Boeing Max 737’s twin crashes, Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal, worms in Cadbury’s chocolates, cyanide in Tylenol, the #MeToo movement… In the past 24–48 hours, chances are you have read about a brand believed to have transgressed in some part of the world. These and other transgressions – real or perceived – plague company brands and, as in the case of the #MeToo movement, human brands, routinely and globally. And they often come with serious consequences: consumer injury, billions of dollars in recovery and restitution, legal nightmares, bankruptcy, and damage to the brand. Despite their universal prevalence, negative outcomes, and the justified media frenzy around their occurrence, in-depth, thorough, and critical reflections on brand transgressions are scarce. Consequently, barring the lens of some quick-fix solution, managers lack a precise understanding of how to handle such potentially explosive situations.

Managing Brand Transgressions: 8 Principles to Transform Your Brand presents over 25 case studies of brands like Boeing, Cadbury, Dolce & Gabbana, Fox News, Maggi, Starbucks, Stoli Vodka, and Tylenol in countries such as USA, China, India, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Latvia. Through these real-life stories, the book captures a snapshot of approximately 50 years of company responses to crises – some successful, some not – caused by brand transgressions. Most importantly, it provides managers with a roadmap of eight principles that companies must use to turn transgressions into opportunities and transform their brands from inside out. Thoroughly researched, gripping, and provocative, this book can guide a brand not only through its crisis but prevent it from becoming a dinosaur.

Organizations often declare that their biggest asset is their people. As such, business leaders make constant efforts to hire the best talent – and to get the best out of their workers. But a confluence of forces is reshaping all aspects of talent management. A war for talent rages and will be exacerbated in the long-term by demographic aging; the half-life of skills is decreasing as AI powers more parts of business workflows; flexible and hybrid work models are becoming commonplace; and management methods focused on measurement and efficiency are not sufficient for engaging a purpose-seeking generation.

In these turbulent times, CEOs and their entire teams – not just HR – need to rethink how they can create a people advantage, going beyond traditional approaches to organization, performance management, and compensation. This book – a collection of recent essays written by researchers at the BCG Henderson Institute, Boston Consulting Group’s think tank – aims to help leaders to reinvent work by providing a forward-looking perspective on all aspects of talent management.

Across five chapters, the book discusses

• How to attract the talent of the future
• How to shape the workforce in an evolving context
• How to embrace new models of work
• How to build the workplace of the future
• How to establish new models of leadership and culture

By providing a combination of new ideas, real-world examples, and concrete recommendations, Reinventing Work serves as a guide for leaders to effectively navigate the changing nature of work.

The targets of workplace bullies often suffer long after the bullying stops. Resentment, anger, emotional pain, and even physical ailments can prevent them from moving forward with their lives. How can people who have been bullied at work grow from victim to survivor?

Thriving After Workplace Bullying – Journey from Victim to Survivor, tells the stories of the survivors of workplace bullying focusing on their resilience, how they moved past the hurt, and crucially, how they changed from perceiving themselves as a victim to feeling empowered.

This book delves into what workplace bullying is, its costly impact on both the target and organization, and through in-depth studies and interviews, helps us understand how to avoid workplace bullying.

Thriving After Workplace Bullying is essential reading for organizational leaders, Human Resources professionals, and anyone invested in employee welfare.

Finance is the study of how individuals, institutions, governments, and businesses acquire, spend, and manage their money and other financial assets to maximize their value or wealth. Fundamentals of Finance introduces the nuances of finance in a comprehensive yet concise manner and is essential reading for professionals building a career in finance or for students taking a course in finance. The book consists of four parts:

• Part I: "Introduction to Finance, Money and Interest Rates, and Time Value of Money" focuses on the role financial markets play in the financial system and financial basics that underlie how markets operate.
• Part II: "Investments and Portfolio Management" discusses the characteristics of stocks and bonds, how securities are valued, the operations of securities markets, formation of optimal portfolios, and derivatives.
• Part III: "Financial Management/Corporate Finance" explores financial planning, asset management, and fund-raising activities that will enhance a firm’s value.
• Part IV: "Management of Financial Institutions" focuses on management of financial institutions in general, and risk management in financial institutions in particular.

The book’s many examples, appendices, graphs and tables provide valuable know-how to a wide audience, making it an excellent resource for professionals as well as students who wish to attain a broad understanding of finance.

Please contact Stefan.Giesen@degruyter.com to request additional instructional material comprising a chapter-wise listing of questions and answers.

This volume is the first in a new series of editions of Coptic-language "magical" manuscripts from Egypt, written on papyrus, ostraca, parchment, and paper, and dating to between the fourth and twelfth centuries CE. Their texts attest to non-institutional rituals intended to bring about changes in the lives of those who used them – heal disease, curse enemies, bring about love or hatred, or see into the future.

These manuscripts represent rich sources of information on daily life and lived religion of Egypt in the last centuries of Roman rule and the first centuries after the Arab conquest, giving us glimpses of the hopes and fears of people of this time, their conflicts and problems, and their vision of the human and superhuman worlds.

This volume presents 37 new editions and descriptions of manuscripts, focusing on formularies or "handbooks", those texts containing instructions for the performance of rituals. Each of these is accompanied by a history of its acquisition, a material description, and presented with facing text and translations, tracings of accompanying images, and explanatory notes to aid in understanding the text.

The second edition of the Macromolecular Chemistry broadens into two areas: biomacromolecules, Volume 1 and polymers, Volume 2. Biomacromolecules covers carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, their classifications and properties. The first chapter looks at the structural formulas and cyclic forms of monosaccharides, as well as their synthesis and breakdown. Cyclization, enolization, isomerization, tautomerization, mutarotation, and epimerization are all briefly described. Examples of disaccharides and polysaccharides are also presented. The second chapter covers triglycerides, steroids, vitamins, and their constituents. The third chapter examines the primary structure of proteins, including amino acid properties, peptide bond formation, and peptide synthesis. It also addresses secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures. The book concludes with a chapter on nucleic acids, which covers the chemistry of nucleosides and oligonucleotides as well as topics such as genetic code, DNA secret code, Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA fingerprinting.

Der vorliegende Band zieht Bilanz aus fünf Jahren Provenienzforschung am Kunstmuseum Basel. Elf Essays, hervorgegangen aus intensiven Recherchen in Archiven im In- und Ausland, stellen ausgewählte Gemälde, Skulpturen und Papierarbeiten aus dem Museumsbestand vor. Mit den Wegen der Kunstwerke gelangen auch die Schicksale der jüdischen Familien wieder ans Licht, denen diese einst gehörten. Daneben rückt die Schweiz als Exil- und Transitland für vor dem Nationalsozialismus Geflüchtete in den Blick. Dieses Buch hält das Gleichgewicht zwischen Fallproblematik, Institutionsgeschichte und Würdigung der ehemaligen Eigentümer*innen. Die transparente Darlegung der Untersuchungsprozesse eröffnet den Diskurs darüber, warum diese Forschung betrieben wird und was daraus folgt. 

Trotz aller wissenschaftlichen Bemühungen und neuen Erkenntnisse bleiben offene Fragen bestehen, die dazu einladen, die komplexen Fallbeispiele kritisch zu reflektieren.

• Umfassende Aufarbeitung von Schicksalen jüdischer Voreigentümer*innen anhand wissenschaftlicher Tiefenrecherche
• Ausgewählte Fallbeispiele: Albrecht Altdorfer, Carl Blechen, Carl Gustav Carus, Gustave Courbet, Eugène Delacroix, Käthe Kollwitz, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Max Liebermann, Aristide Maillol, Hans von Marées, Adolph von Menzel, Otto Meyer-Amden, Henri Rousseau, Camille Pissarro
• Aktueller Forschungsansatz
• Übernahme von historischer Verantwortung für die Sammlungsgeschichte einer musealen Institution

This book teaches the basics of the structure of the English language with plentiful extracts from novels, poems and plays, so that literature students learn how to identify parts of speech and discuss their effects. No previous linguistics experience is assumed. Each chapter is divided into a definition of a specific linguistic feature; a demonstration of it in a literary text; a literary exercise where readers identify it themselves and assess its effect; and a brief summary of the teaching point. Interpretation is subjective and readers will learn how to build linguistic evidence to support their view. Essential knowledge for anyone who analyses English Literature.

The De Gruyter Handbook of Organizational Conflict Management offers insightful contributions covering a myriad of conflict management topics ranging from fundamental issues, such as emotional intelligence and cultural differences, to cutting-edge themes such as political conflicts and mindfulness training. Renowned conflict management scholars and leading practitioners have contributed chapters to this handbook based on their research and their practical experience in the field of confl ict management. Many of the authors have influenced the topic of conflict management as it has become both a fi eld of academic study in universities and a necessary leadership skill.

The handbook is organized in four sections. The first section covers interpersonal conflict management and focuses on perceptions, conflict styles, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and change. The second section includes ethnic and cultural issues in organizational conflict management, such as microaggressions, ethnicity and religion, and political conflicts. The third section offers methods for managing organizational conflicts, including mediation, negotiation, ombudspersons, and conflict coaching. This section also offers guidance on developing an organizational conflict management system and discusses HR’s role in managing conflicts. The fourth section introduces chapters on special topics in conflict management, such as workplace bullying, gender issues, birth order personality, human connections, and forgiveness.

This handbook is an essential reference for scholars and practitioners. It offers organizational leaders insights into the causes and solutions to organizational conflict management. In addition, it is an excellent textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in organizational conflict management.

For two decades, Rockstar Games have been making games that interrogate and represent the idea of America, past and present. Commercially successful, fan-beloved, and a frequent source of media attention, Rockstar’s franchises are positioned as not only game-changing, ground-breaking interventions in the games industry, but also as critical, cultural histories on America and its excesses.

But what does Rockstar’s version of American history look like, and how is it communicated through critically acclaimed titles like Red Dead Redemption (2010) and L.A. Noire (2011)? By combining analysis of Rockstar’s games and a range of official communications and promotional materials, this book offers critical discussion of Rockstar as a company, their video games, and ultimately, their attempts at creating new narratives about U.S. history and culture. It explores the ways in which Rockstar’s brand identity and their titles coalesce to create a new kind of video game history, how promotional materials work to claim the "authenticity" of these products, and assert the authority of game developers to perform the role of historian.

By working at the intersection of historical game studies, U.S. history, and film and media studies, this book explores what happens when contemporary demands for historical authenticity are brought to bear on the way we envisage the past – and whose past it is deemed to be. Ultimately, this book implores those who research historical video games to consider the oft-forgotten sources at the margins of these games as importance spaces where historical meaning is made and negotiated.

Watch our book talk with the author Esther Wright here: https://youtu.be/AaC_9XsX-CQ

Following the horrific attack on October 7, support for a devastating military retaliation and resolution has taken center stage. Nevertheless, within Israel, numerous critical voices cast doubt on the sustainability of such approaches. They champion the principles of morality, legality, and common sense as the true keys to a lasting solution. This book focuses on these voices which are critical of Israeli government policies. They are deeply grieving and affected by the October 7 attack, while also able to hold both Palestinian and Israeli pain and aspirations not as mutually exclusive, but as an impetus for creating a better and more equitable future for all who inhabit the land. It chronicles the reactions of intellectuals and scholars to unfolding events. All the pieces in this volume were written within a few days to a few months of October 7 and comprise an archive of a particular discourse taking shape in Israel at this historical juncture.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Vivian Silver, who devoted her life to waging peace through valiant activism, and was murdered in her home on October 7. The editor’s royalties will go to support an annual lecture in her memory on the themes of peace and democracy.

Read the interview with Lihi Ben Shitrit on De Gruyter Conversations and learn more about the book and the editor!

With contributions by Shaul Arieli, Eva Illouz, Idan Landau, Yaniv Ronen, Yofi Tirosh, Assaf David, Ameer Fakhoury, Ghadir Hani, Eran Tzidkiyahu, Orit Kamir, Orly Noy, Noam Shuster-Eliassi, Jessica Ausinheiler, Meirav Jones, Tal Correm, Anwar Mhajne, David Kretzmer, Omer Bartov, Rawia Aburabia, Hannah Safran, Tanya Zion-Waldoks, Galit Cohen-Kedem, Avi Shilon, Hagar Kotef, Merav Amir, Ali Al-Awar, and Nicholas Kristof.

Finalist in the Leadership - HR and Employee Development category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

Talent management is a linchpin of organisational triumph in our dynamic and swiftly evolving business world. As a key decision-maker, your capacity to craft astute talent decisions holds the potential to transcend your company from mere mediocrity to unparalleled excellence.

However, brace yourself for a revelation: Many of your long-held convictions about talent may be profoundly flawed. What if we shared a secret that could revolutionise your perspective? What if the gateway to unleashing your team’s boundless talents resides within your thoughts and judgments? Imagine the possibilities if you could harness exponential outcomes by elevating the calibre of your decision-making.

In ReThinking Talent Decisions, Sharna Wiblen, PhD, presents an uncomfortable truth: Talent decisions are always subjective. Drawing on examples from business, sports, movies and everyday interactions, Sharna emphasises the importance of understanding complexity and encourages deliberate, intentional, and informed decisions and conversations around talent.

This indispensable guide will give you insight into: 　　

• The Power of Personal Judgment: Learn how your own perspectives shape the today and the future of work.
• The Complexity of Talent Decisions: Recognise the critical need for key decision-makers to collectively define talent in your unique context.
• The Human Element: Understand how harnessing your mind can propel you, your team, and your organisation to new heights.
• Perceptions and Values: Learn how aligning perceptions and values can revolutionise your approach.
• A New Paradigm: Realise that talent management is a judgment-oriented endeavour.
• Navigating the Intersection of Talent and Technology: Delve into the world of technology systems and understand how they bolster and shape talent decisions in today’s digital age. 　　

ReThinking Talent Decisions is your secret weapon for achieving unparalleled success in the ever-competitive corporate arena. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a rising star, the wisdom within these pages will empower you to master the art and science of talent decisions.　

Pharmaceutical chemistry (PC) represents a dynamic field of research that plays a pivotal role in the development of life-saving pharmaceuticals. PC is a precise science: One needs to rely on the accuracy of previous discoveries that have provided massive amount of precious information and databases as a solid foundation to move forward. PC is also an art where the artist uses a subtle mixture of knowledge, experimental learning, creativity, intuition, boldness, and serendipity to paint the right canvas.

Nature often serves as a stimulus for pharmaceutical chemists. Many drugs are derived from natural compounds found in plants, fungi, or microorganisms. Chemists study these natural sources, seeking inspiration to design synthetic molecules that mimic the therapeutic properties of the originals while optimizing their characteristics.

Francis Collins, geneticist and expert in the pharmaceutical industry, explains that the molecular cause of 4,000 diseases is no longer a secret to humanity, but there are only treatments available for 250 of them. Therefore, the world requires more professionals who can produce better medicines and solve more needs. For this reason, it is urgent to discover a new system, new drugs, better industrial processes and faster responses for rare and complex diseases. That is the importance and need for more students in love with PC.

It is the author's wish that volumes 1 and 2 of this series may serve as motivation for students who intend to get started in the exciting world of drug design, synthesis and development. There is no nobler objective than improving health and quality of life of the human race. The unprecedented increase in human life expectancy, which has almost doubled in a hundred years, is mainly due to drugs and to those who discovered them. It is more important to create awareness in the student that he/she is responsible for his own learning and not simply a passive consumer of information. In this way we will be able to train versatile professionals with an attitude of transformative social change.

This volume focuses on the depiction of women in video games set in historical periods or archaeological contexts, explores the tension between historical and archaeological accuracy and authenticity, examines portrayals of women in historical periods or archaeological contexts, portrayals of female historians and archaeologists, and portrayals of women in fantastical historical and archaeological contexts.　

It includes both triple A and independent video games, incorporating genres such as turn-based strategy, action-adventure, survival horror, and a variety of different types of role-playing games. Its chronological and geographical scope ranges from late third century BCE China, to mid first century BCE Egypt, to Pictish and Viking Europe, to Medieval Germany, to twentieth century Taiwan, and into the contemporary world, but it also ventures beyond our universe and into the fantasy realm of Hyrule and the science fiction solar system of the Nebula.　

The goal of this book is to provide a mathematical perspective on some key elements of the so-called deep neural networks (DNNs). Much of the interest in deep learning has focused on the implementation of DNN-based algorithms. Our hope is that this compact textbook will offer a complementary point of view that emphasizes the underlying mathematical ideas. We believe that a more foundational perspective will help to answer important questions that have only received empirical answers so far.

The material is based on a one-semester course Introduction to Mathematics of Deep Learning" for senior undergraduate mathematics majors and first year graduate students in mathematics. Our goal is to introduce basic concepts from deep learning in a rigorous mathematical fashion, e.g introduce mathematical definitions of deep neural networks (DNNs), loss functions, the backpropagation algorithm, etc. We attempt to identify for each concept the simplest setting that minimizes technicalities but still contains the key mathematics.

The term ‘Judeo-Christian’ in reference to a tradition, heritage, ethic, civilization, faith etc. has been used in a wide variety of contexts with widely diverging meanings. Contrary to popular belief, the term was not coined in the United States in the middle of the 20th century but in 1831 in Germany by Ferdinand Christian Baur. By acknowledging and returning to this European perspective and context, the volume engages the historical, theological, philosophical and political dimensions of the term’s development. Scholars of European intellectual history will find this volume timely and relevant.

Catalysis is at the heart of the chemical industry, which uses solid catalysts for the large-scale production of commodity chemicals. Catalysis at surfaces is also the basis for the ongoing transition to a sustainable energy supply, which requires molecules such as hydrogen, ammonia or methanol to store energy in chemical bonds, and environmental protection equally relies on heterogeneous catalysis.

Catalysis at surfaces is a truly interdisciplinary field, which requires profound knowledge from chemistry, physics and engineering as provided by this textbook. All essential tools are described ranging from the synthesis and modification of porous solids over bulk- and surface-sensitive characterization techniques to currently applied theoretical methods. A close-up to the important aspects of surface catalysis is provided, which comprises the established knowledge about mechanisms and active sites, promotors and poisons in redox and acid-base catalysis.

This advanced textbook is recommended for Master and PhD students, for whom it provides the fundamentals and all relevant aspects of catalyst synthesis, characterization and application in suitable reactors. It is not only thermal catalysis that is covered in depth, but also photo- and electrocatalysis as emerging fields in the Energiewende.

The book describes on an introductory level the designing of chemical processes and products so as to reduce or eliminate the use or production of toxic or hazards substances. It explains the code of conduct meant to reduce the environmental impact of any chemical process, whether at laboratory scale or industrial scale. The synonyms of Green Chemistry are the Sustainable Chemistry or the low-environmental-impact Chemistry.

This book provides a comprehensive survey on these important polymeric materials. Polyurethanes are widely used - hence understanding their chemistry, properties, production, analysis, environmental issues and the extensive overview on their applications, is mandatory for anybody embarking in this industry.

Reflecting Oil presents innovative reflections on crude oil, one of the most important fossil fuels characterising modern life: On the one hand, oil functions as a fuel for unrestricted mobility and on the other, as a basis for shaping the material world, thus laying the foundation for a ubiquitous petroculture.

Yet despite these profound repercussions on our existence, crude oil is a substance we rarely encounter directly with our senses. This lack of contact is logical in view of its specific properties (unusual odor, toxicity, etc.), but the question arises as to why this connection is not explicitly sought after in the sciences.

Reflecting Oil is the result of different artistic research processes which entailed practical handling and holistic observation of the raw substance in the context of petroculture. This mode of research focusing on sensory perception—such as the differentiation of colors and smells, etc., and aesthetic and symbolic interpretation—provided findings on the levels of multi-sensory and practical knowledge.

Drawing on a collaboration between art and science, such interdisciplinary investigations into crude oil as the basis of our petromodernity can be vital for the necessary shift towards sustainable energy cultures. A more comprehensive understanding and awareness of how oil and fossil fuels shape our lives can stimulate the necessary cultural, social, and technological transformations towards a sustainable future.

• Artistic crude oil experiments
• Crude oil-based artworks
• Interdisciplinary and holistic reflection on the substance crude oil in the context of petroculture

Queer linguistics – in its position as both a linguistic science of and for queer folk – is inherently agitating to the disciplinary anxiety of a general linguistic science. It represents, as all queer science does, a disruption of the normative modes of knowledge production and a displacement of academic authority. This collection reconsiders the placement of the queer subject, both as the researcher and as the researched, within and beyond the discipline and provides an intellectual space for the interdisciplinary (and sometimes anti-disciplinary) linguistic science of gender and sexuality. In three sections, it respectively considers the development of hyper-speciated queer linguistic subfields, the interdisciplinarity of intersectional approaches to queer language, and the institution of queer linguistic science both within and beyond the academy. Taken together, the essays in this collection confront the scientific and institutional discipline of linguistics from a queer vantage point, one which is perhaps inherently interdisciplinary in its formulation.

Can the academic humanities serve the general public to address some of today’s most critical challenges? This unusual volume builds on the conversation series "Humanities for Humans," curated by Irene Kacandes and funded by the De Gruyter Foundation and the New York nonprofit 1014: Space for Ideas, to answer this question in the affirmative. By asking some North America’s most prominent academics to think aloud in clear language on topics such as racism, migration, inequality, sustainability, building connection and working toward repair of our communities, this book demonstrates the ultimate value of the imagination in solving seemingly intractable problems. The authors define and distinguish. They offer historical context and concrete examples from North and South America, from Europe, from indigenous cultures, from artists and ordinary folk. By also sharing their own personal trajectories, however, these authors simultaneously anchor their insights in practical terms while highlighting the tangible role of the humanities in the everyday world.

NMR Multiplet Interpretation: An Infographic Walk-Through focuses on complex first-order ¹H multiplet interpretation that the synthetic organic chemist should expect to tackle. The 2^nd edition also expands upon the interpretation of (¹H and ¹⁹F) multiplets and ties the shape of multiplets to the structural features of hypothetical chemical compounds. The book provides thoroughly-visualized illustrations, embracing an elegant and intuitive methodology from the scientific literature. Moreover, it identifies core mnemonic rules and diagrams that help the reader quickly internalize key concepts. It includes progressively-challenging problems—from simple, intermediate, advanced, to expert—and corresponding colorful answer keys that are presented wholly-visually. While this is not a textbook nor a scientific publication, it does strive to be a unique learning tool that fills an apparent need for highly-visual pedagogical materials for chemists who want to develop practical confidence with first-order multiplet interpretation and prediction. It can be either a great companion to more traditional coursework in NMR spectroscopy for students or a continuing educational tool for researchers.

Conventional approaches to board governance have been unable to keep pace with the momentum of change, as well as the uncertainty and asymmetric competition that characterizes the 21st century. Adapt or Fail! A 5x5 Governance Framework for Boards of Directors provides practical ways boards can lead and accelerate adaptation, even in the face of extreme uncertainty and inevitable adversity. It pulls back the curtain on governance successes and failures. It highlights the critical questions every board should ask and the lessons worth learning if organizations are to successfully adapt.

The book describes the five essential powers common to all boards and explores how to use them. Whether for profit or not, large or small, public or private, all boards must conduct the business of the board itself; set direction and policy; approve key decisions and then prudently delegate; oversee the execution of direction within policy; and verify before trusting.

Written by two governance experts who have lived and breathed these issues, the book shows how boards can embed a systematic and disciplined process of continuous adaptation by detecting signals (external/internal); interpreting those signals; responding through experimentation and innovation; judging the effectiveness of the response; and then adapting as necessary. This is an indispensable resource for board members and trustees in both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

The present volume of the series Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses explores various conceptions of evil in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including key terms from their respective sacred texts, major theodicy discussions and contemporary developments. Throughout history and even today, religious scholars and believers have struggled with the question of the origin of evil and how a benevolent God can allow evil to exist in the world. Why does a compassionate God not prevent deadly diseases or natural disasters? What do religions define as evil, and is God responsible for or even the creator of this evil?

The articles, written by distinguished scholars in their respective fields, offer a variety of answers to such existential questions. The articles address topics such as the origin of evil, the responses to evil in sacred texts and religious traditions, and the role of human agency. Each author offers a critical analysis of these topics as well as recommendations for future research. The volume also highlights commonalities and differences among the three monotheistic religions.

At a time when the world demands profound change, transformation begins within. As part of a two-volume work, this first volume explores the personal journeys that fuel collective leadership, weaving together research, art, case studies, and practices from the global Inner Development Goals (IDG) community. Through deep reflection and shared wisdom, it invites readers to embrace a new paradigm of interconnectedness—where individual insight, systemic understanding, and empathy drive meaningful action.

The second volume From "We" to "Systems Change" builds on this foundation to explore transformation beyond the individual.

This interdisciplinary study introduces readers to Friedrich Schleiermacher’s diverse pathways of reflection and creative practice that are related to the field of translation. By drawing attention to Schleiermacher’s various writings on a range of subjects (including philology, criticism, hermeneutics, dialectics, rhetoric and religion), the author makes it clear that the frequently cited lecture Über die verschiedenen Methoden des Übersetzens (On the Different Methods of Translating) represents but a fraction of Schleiermacher’s contributions to modern-day insights into translation. The analysis of Schleiermacher’s various pathways of reflection on translation presented in this book leads to the conclusion that translation is part of the essence of the world, as it is a fundamental tool of our cognition and a foundation of our existence. In Schleiermacher’s works, transfer, translation, mediation, and communication underpin our very existence in the world and our self-awareness. At the same time, they represent fundamental categories for a project that focuses on the consolidation and assimilation – through translation – of that which is foreign, different, diverse.

This class-tested textbook gives an overview of the structure and functions of proteins and explains how amino acids form a defined structural entity with specific properties. The authors also introduce modern methods for purification and separation of proteins as well as different techniques for analyzing their structural and functional properties. A separate part of the book is devoted to enzymes and kinetics of enzymatic reactions.

New in the second edition: Since the development of computing techniques has evolved considerably during the last few years, the text benefits from the addition of a chapter on the use of computing, particularly on the use of Alpha Fold in protein research. This AI-based software can determine the protein structures from the amino acid sequence with excellent reliability. Also included a discussion on the use of molecular dynamicsand a real life example of protein purification.

Readers of this book receive an overview of the main perspectives and research of recent decades in the fruitful collaboration between Classics and Cognitive studies. It is intended as a stocktaking of various branches of Classics, such as literary criticism and poetics, linguistics, ancient history and archaeology. Four major research areas or clusters have been chosen for the presentation of the chapters. Chapter one discusses recent studies of 'cognitive' materiality and material agency in relation to the human mind, chapter two the so-called 'spatial turn' and cognition and the perception of space in place in relation to antiquity, chapter three imagination and vision and cognitive approaches to seeing, while chapter four considers experience and experientiality and the 'sensory turn' as applied to ancient sources. Finally, the fifth chapter is a special case and a different medium: it consists of three interviews with three well-known pioneers of the study of emotions in antiquity, David Konstan, Angelos Chaniotis and Douglas Cairns, who in various direct and indirect ways have greatly influenced the interplay and dialogue between classical studies and cognitive approaches in recent decades.

This book takes stock of a rapidly developing and highly controversial field that is currently in full bloom.

In 2007 and 2008, Barack Obama ran for president with a message of a shared purpose uniting all Americans, and was elected with expectations that he would usher in a new national culture under an approach grounded in public engagement that would transcend partisan divisions. But in an institutional system designed for incremental and contested policy-making governance, enacting these transformational ambitions proved to be far more difficult than anticipated.

This innovative volume assesses the legacy of President Obama, with a conceptual focus on the challenge of meeting his goals with the realities of governing. A diverse group of political science, history, and communication studies experts systematically examines Obama’s performance, accomplishments, and shortcomings through the lens of the expectations gap – the tensions and obstacles of translating campaign promises into policies.

The wide, representative set of case studies address campaigning and coalition building, party polarization, presidential communication, executive power, leadership and decision-making, and domestic and foreign policy. With original and deep analysis, these scholars make a unique, enduring contribution to understanding the Obama presidency, the office of the president, and indeed American politics. This insightful, accessible book will be of great interest to students and scholars of the presidency, political communication & rhetoric, and broadly across US government and democracy.

Life in all its forms is based on nucleic acids which store and transfer genetic information. The book addresses main aspects of synthesis, hydrolytic stability and solution equilibria of nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides, as well as synthesis of their structural analogs that are of interest in chemotherapy. In addition, recent achievements in chemistry of catalytic nucleic acids, development of oligonucleotide based drugs and novel strategies for their targeting and delivery are discussed. The central theme always is the correlation of structure and function.

The concept of justice is a fundamental tenet of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, exerting a profound influence on their respective theological, ethical, and social perspectives. The pursuit of a just world is a central concern of these religions, with a particular emphasis on human responsibility, compassion, and mercy. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the understanding of justice in each one of the three religions, elucidating the similarities and differences between them. Each chapter provides perspectives on justice in the respective holy scriptures, as well as key classical and traditional views on the topics of divine-human relations and social and political justice issues. Additionally, modern interpretations are presented, including the tension between freedom and religious duties and responsibilities of individuals and among societies. Given the paucity of literature on this topic, this book offers a rare and essential contribution to understanding justice in the context of the monotheistic faiths.

The Qur’an with Cross-References provides for nearly every verse in the Qur’an a selection of other verses which shed light upon, clarify, or explain the verse you are reading. The Qur’an in its printed edition has not yet been cross-referenced, despite the fact that　Qur’an commentators realized quite early on the central importance of　tafsīr al-Qur’ān bi’l-Qur’ān　(interpreting the Qur’an through the Qur’an itself). Even some modern Muslim exegetes claim to follow this method. However, the cross-references they provided are very limited.

Perhaps, the most extensive treatment and pioneered work on　tafsīr al-Qur’ān bi’l-Qur’ān　is that composed by Rudi Paret entitled　Der Koran: Kommentar und Konkordanz.　Paret’s work is certainly very rich, which includes – in addition to possible cross-references – interpretations of and alternate renderings for a given verse or passage. Furthermore, as the term "Konkordanz" may indicate, his　Der Koran　provides all identical or similar phraseology and usage in different places of the Qur’an, a model that will not be followed in this Qur’an cross-references project.

Instead, The Qur’an with Cross-References is based on connection between words, phrases, themes, concepts, events, and characters. One word may occur several times in the Qur’an, but the cross references will be made only where there is connection in meaning between two or more verses or passages. In preparing this cross-references project, several models and methods used for the cross-references of the Bible are consulted. As is well-known, Bible cross-references have been a long-established tradition, while the Qur’an, at least in its printed edition, has not been cross-referenced.

The Qur’an with Cross-References is the first of its kind. The field has needed something like this, because in the existing Qur’an there is nothing to indicate that certain passages can shed light upon, clarify, or explain other passages.

This book provides an overview of approaches to language and culture, and it outlines the broad interdisciplinary field of anthropological linguistics and linguistic anthropology. It identifies current and future directions of research, including language socialization, language reclamation, speech styles and genres, language ideology, verbal taboo, social indexicality, emotion, time, and many more. Furthermore, it offers areal perspectives on the study of language in cultural contexts (namely Africa, the Americas, Australia and Oceania, Mainland Southeast Asia, and Europe), and it lays the foundation for future developments within the field. In this way, the book bridges the disciplines of cultural anthropology and linguistics and paves the way for the new book series Anthropological Linguistics.

It is asserted by Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike that sin is a central part of human life. Where sin comes from, however, is answered differently in the respective religions. While both the Bible and the Qur’an agree that there was a kind of "fall" of Adam at the beginning of human history, this fall is interpreted solely in classical Christian theology in terms of an "original" or "ancestral sin." Moreover, the classical doctrine of original sin is becoming increasingly called into question in today's Christian theology. This example already shows that the concept of sin is anything but clear. What does sin mean? Is sin primarily a violation of God's commandments? Or does the term "sin" refer to a radical corruption of man’s nature? How does sin relate to man’s redemption, toward which all three religions aim? The book "The Concept of Sin in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" addresses these and related questions. It analyzes how "sin" has been understood in the three religions in the past and the present and points out similarities and differences.

Oswald von Wolkenstein (um 1377–1445) ist der herausragende deutschsprachige Dichter und Komponist der ersten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts. Seine Texte, vielfach autobiographisch geprägt, und seine ein- und mehrstimmigen Melodien bieten ein einzigartiges Spektrum spätmittelalterlicher Liedkunst. Die vorliegende Ausgabe enthält eine umfangreiche, repräsentative Auswahl. Die Texte sind ausführlich kommentiert und in das heutige Deutsch übersetzt, beigegeben sind die von Oswald selbst komponierten oder adaptierten Melodien in moderner Umschrift. Die Auswahl richtet sich als Grundlagentext für die germanistische und musikwissenschaftliche Lehre an Studierende und an Forschende der Literatur-, Musik- und Geschichtswissenschaft ebenso wie an Praktiker der alten Musik.

Organic Chemistry: 25 Must-Know Classes of Organic Compounds covers the main organic compounds. It includes aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, halide, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing compounds. It presents heterocyclic compounds and common organic mechanisms and describes carbonyl compounds, organic polymers and organic molecules with applications in medicinal chemistry.

The term nutraceuticals is applied to the products isolated from the herbal sources, nutrients or dietary supplements, processed foods, (cereals, soup and beverages) and specific diets, that may also used as medicine other than nutrition. It usually refers to the foods derived products which may sell in medicinal form, possessing physiological benefits to the host while promoting health and wellness and provide protection against chronic disorders. They may also increase the life expectancy, delay the aging and/or support the structure and function of the body organs. Demand for nutraceuticals with potential to prevent and treat chronic disorders has been interestingly increasing over the past few years. Based on food sources, nutraceuticals are classified into dietary fibers, probiotics, prebiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamins, polyphenols and spices.

A dietary supplement is generally considered as product containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and medicinal plants that are indented to be used to supplement the diet or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combinations of these ingredients. Broadly, nutraceuticals are any of these ingredients or supplements using for health purposes other than nutrition.

This book on the fundamentals of Nutraceuticals is organized in two parts i.e., the introductory aspects of macro- and micro-nutrients, gut microbiota regulation, nutraceuticals and drug interactions, while the second part is focusing on the biological benefits of nutraceuticals in different disease states. Besides, this book is also addressing the safety aspects of nutraceuticals and phytotherapeutic support in pregnancy. Including contributions from the experts in the field, target audience (pharmacists, nutritionists, other healthcare providers, and researchers in food and nutrition sector) will be benefited with the updated literature on nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.

This handbook provides a systematic overview of the present state of international research in digital public history. Individual studies by internationally renowned public historians, digital humanists, and digital historians elucidate central issues in the field and present a critical account of the major public history accomplishments, research activities, and practices with the public and of their digital context. The handbook applies an international and comparative approach, looks at the historical development of the field, focuses on technical background and the use of specific digital media and tools. Furthermore, the handbook analyzes connections with local communities and different publics worldwide when engaging in digital activities with the past, indicating directions for future research, and teaching activities.

The conflict in Ukraine has deep domestic roots. A third of the population, primarily in the East and South, regards its own Russian cultural identity as entirely compatible with a Ukrainian civic identity. The state’s reluctance to recognize this ethnos as a legitimate part of the modern Ukrainian nation, has created a tragic cycle that entangles Ukrainian politics.

The Tragedy of Ukraine argues that in order to untangle the conflict within the Ukraine, it must be addressed on an emotional, as well as institutional level. It draws on Richard Ned Lebow’s ‘tragic vision of politics’ and on classical Greek tragedy to assist in understanding the persistence of this conflict. Classical Greek tragedy once served as a mechanism in Athenian society to heal deep social trauma and create more just institutions. The Tragedy of Ukraine reflects on the ways in which ancient Greek tragedy can help us rethink civic conflict and polarization, as well as model ways of healing deep social divisions.

The Syriac treatise published in the present volume is in many respects a unique text. Though it has been preserved anonymously, there remains little doubt that it belongs to Porphyry of Tyre. Accordingly, it enlarges our knowledge of the views of the most famous disciple of Plotinus. The text is an important witness to Platonist discussions on First Principles and on Plato’s concept of Prime Matter in the Timaeus. It contains extensive quotations from Atticus, Severus, and Boethus. This text thus provides us with new textual witnesses to these philosophers, whose legacy remains very poorly attested and little known. Additionally, the treatise is a rare example of a Platonist work preserved in the Syriac language. The Syriac reception of Plato and Platonic teachings has left rather sparse textual traces, and the question of what precisely Syriac Christians knew about Plato and his philosophy remains a debated issue. The treatise provides evidence for the close acquaintance of Syriac scholars with Platonic cosmology and with philosophical commentaries on Plato’s Timaeus.

This book offers for the first time a comprehensive study of the reception and reworking of the Peripatetic theory of the soul in the Kitāb al-Nafs (Book of the Soul) by Avicenna (d. 1037). This study seeks to frame Avicenna’s science of the soul (or psychology) by focusing on three key concepts: subject, definition, and activity. The examination of these concepts will disclose the twofold consideration of the soul in Avicenna’s psychology. Besides the ‘general approach’ to the soul of sublunary living beings, which is the formal principle of the body, Avicenna’s psychology also exhibits a ‘specific orientation’ towards the soul in itself, i.e. the human rational soul that, considered in isolation from the body, is a self-subsistent substance, identical with the theoretical intellect and capable of surviving severance from the body. These two investigations demonstrate the coexistence in Avicenna’s psychology of a more specific and less physical science (psychologia specialis) within a more general and overall physical one (psychologia generalis).

"Reading the book, you can feel the long practical experience of the author. The text is easy to read, even where concepts can be complex. The strong theoretical background of the author is well known from other publications. In this book, however, the topics are presented on a level that every engineer and scientist in the chemical industry and process industry should know and can understand... This book would have been very helpful at the beginning of my career to close the addressed gap. Therefore, I can strongly recommend it not only to all students close to their degree, but also to engineers and scientists just starting their industrial career in the related industrial sectors that are subsumed under the term process industry (chemical or petrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, food industry, biochemical industry, environmental technology, etc.). The book is like an investment. Doing a better job and getting a better job evaluation might pay for the book …" Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Fleischer, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

Process Engineering is based on almost 30 years of practical experience of the author in process simulation, design and development. The book is a missing link between students and practitioners. The author has coached many graduates in their first months and knows what the typical questions are.

Coming from the university, graduates often do not know which relevance their knowledge has and how to apply it in real life, whereas established practitioners often stick to the narrow way of their experience, forgetting that science continuously makes progress. There is a gap to be bridged.

From his own professional experience, the author covers many topics of the process engineering business, but three guest contributions are a valuable supplement to the content of the third edition. Already in the 2nd edition, Verena Haas from BASF SE wrote an excellent chapter on dynamic process simulation. For the new 3rd edition, Gökce Adali and Michael Benje added two chapters on digitalization and patents, respectively.

Preparing the reader for the everyday business!

This book is the first of two volumes that aim to produce something not previously attempted: a synthetic history of Muslim responses to the Bible, stretching from the rise of Islam to the present day. It combines scholarship with a genuine narrative, so as to tell the story of Muslim engagement with the Bible.

Covering Sunnī, Imāmī Shī'ī and Ismā'īlī perspectives, this study will offer a scholarly overview of three areas of Muslim response, namely ideas of corruption, use of the Biblical text, and abrogation of the text. For each period of history, the important figures and dominant trends, along with exceptions, are identified. The interplay between using and criticising the Bible is explored, as well as how the respective emphasis on these two approaches rises and falls in different periods and locations.

The study critically engages with existing scholarship, scrutinizing received views on the subject, and shedding light on an important area of interfaith concern.

This graduate-level mathematics textbook provides an in-depth and readable exposition of selected topics in complex analysis. The material spans both the standard theory at a level suitable for a first-graduate class on the subject and several advanced topics delving deeper into the subject and applying the theory in different directions. The focus is on beautiful applications of complex analysis to geometry and number theory. The text is accompanied by beautiful figures illustrating many of the concepts and proofs.

Among the topics covered are asymptotic analysis; conformal mapping and the Riemann mapping theory; the Euler gamma function, the Riemann zeta function, and a proof of the prime number theorem; elliptic functions, and modular forms. The final chapter gives the first detailed account in textbook format of the recent solution to the sphere packing problem in dimension 8, published by Maryna Viazovska in 2016 — a groundbreaking proof for which Viazovska was awarded the Fields Medal in 2022.

The book is suitable for self-study by graduate students or advanced undergraduates with an interest in complex analysis and its applications, or for use as a textbook for graduate mathematics classes, with enough material for 2-3 semester-long classes. Researchers in complex analysis, analytic number theory, modular forms, and the theory of sphere packing, will also find much to enjoy in the text, including new material not found in standard textbooks.

This book is intended for beginning students, both chemistry majors and other students who require it for their program. The material is presented in a concise and student-friendly way, without the inclusion of topics unnecessary at that level. A complete section is designed to lead students through the naming of organic compounds in a self-taught manner. Reactions are grouped by mechanistic type and stereochemistry is emphasized throughout. An introduction to the spectroscopic methods used for structure determination is included. Problems are included at each stage and new in this edition are complete answers to the problems as well as an introduction to the molecules of nature.

The philosophy of the book, which makes it quite distinct from many existing texts on the subject, is based on treating the concepts of measure and integration starting with the most general abstract setting and then introducing and studying the Lebesgue measure and integration on the real line as an important particular case.　

The book consists of nine chapters and appendix, with the material flowing from the basic set classes, through　measures, outer measures and the general procedure of measure extension, through measurable functions　and　various types of convergence of sequences of such based on the idea of measure, to the fundamentals of the abstract Lebesgue integration, the basic limit theorems, and the comparison of the Lebesgue and Riemann integrals. Also, studied are Lp spaces, the basics of normed vector spaces, and signed measures. The novel approach based on the Lebesgue measure and integration theory is applied to develop a better understanding of differentiation and extend the classical total change formula linking differentiation with integration to a substantially wider class of functions.

Being designed as a text to be used in a classroom, the book constantly calls for the student's actively mastering the knowledge of the subject matter. There are problems at the end of each chapter, starting with Chapter 2 and totaling at 125. Many important statements are given as problems and frequently referred to in the main body. There are also 358 Exercises throughout the text, including Chapter 1 and the Appendix, which require of the student to prove or verify a statement or an example, fill in certain details in a proof, or provide an intermediate step or a counterexample. They are also an inherent part of the material. More difficult problems are marked with an asterisk, many problems and exercises are supplied with ``existential'' hints.　

The book is generous on Examples and contains numerous Remarks accompanying definitions, examples, and statements to discuss certain subtleties, raise questions on whether the converse assertions are true, whenever appropriate, or whether the conditions are essential.　 　　

With　plenty of examples, problems, and exercises, this well-designed text is ideal for a one-semester Master's level graduate course on real analysis with emphasis on the measure and integration theory for students majoring in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering.　

• A concise but profound and detailed presentation of the basics of real analysis with emphasis on the measure and integration theory.
• Designed　for a one-semester graduate course, with plethora of examples, problems, and exercises.
• Is of interest to students and instructors in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering.
• Prepares the students for more advanced courses in functional analysis and operator theory.　　

Contents
Preliminaries
Basic Set Classes
Measures
Extension of Measures
Measurable Functions
Abstract Lebesgue Integral
Lp Spaces
Differentiation and Integration
Signed Measures
The Axiom of Choice and Equivalents

Nietzsche is known as a severe critic of German Idealism, but what exactly is the relation between his thought and theirs? And how does Nietzsche's stance differ from the critique of idealism in Kierkegaard and Schopenhauer?
The papers from leading international specialists in German Idealism, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche address these questions.
The aim of the volume is to introduce novel ways of addressing the complex relations between Nietzsche and his immediate philosophical predecessors: Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Hegel, Schelling, Fichte and Kant. The focus is on the profound interconnections and affinities between their ways of thinking. Each paper considers one particular aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy (such as his notion of "spirit", "law", "power", "will", his "physiology" or his critique of morality) in relation to the above-mentioned philosophers. This largely systematic approach reveals surprising affinities between Nietzsche and the German idealists, despite their patent differences and generates new perspectives from which to understand and reinterpret Nietzsche's thought.

Contributors: Maria J. Branco; Danielle Cohen Levinas; Joao Constancio; Carlos J. Correia; Katia Hay; Lore Hühn; Jose Justo; Elisabetta Marques J.de Sousa; Frederick Neuhouser; Leonel R. dos Santos; Philipp Schwab; Herman Siemens.

From the deserts of Egypt to the emergence of the great monastic orders, the story of late antique and medieval monasticism in the West used to be straightforward. But today we see the story as far 'messier' - less linear, less unified, and more historicized. In the first part of this book, the reader is introduced to the astonishing variety of forms and experiences of the monastic life, their continuous transformation, and their embedding in physical, socio-economic, and even personal settings. The second part surveys and discusses the extensive international scholarship on which the first part is built. The third part, a research tool, rounds off the volume with a carefully representative bibliography of literature and primary sources.

This volume builds on recent scholarship on contemporary poetry in relation to medieval literature, focusing on postmodern poets who work with the medieval in a variety of ways. Such recent projects invert or “queer” the usual transactional nature of engagements with older forms of literature, in which readers are asked to exchange some small measure of bewilderment at archaic language or forms for a sense of having experienced a medieval text. The poets under consideration in this volume demand that readers grapple with the ways in which we are still “medieval” – in other words, the ways in which the questions posed by their medieval source material still reverberate and hold relevance for today’s world. They do so by challenging the primacy of present over past, toppling the categories of old and new, and suggesting new interpretive frameworks for contemporary and medieval poetry alike.

Christopher Melchert proposes to historicize Islamic renunciant piety (zuhd). As the conquest period wound down in the early eighth century c.e., renunciants set out to maintain the contempt of worldly comfort and loyalty to a greater cause that had characterized the community of Muslims in the seventh century. Instead of reckless endangerment on the battlefield, they cultivated intense fear of the Last Judgement to come. They spent nights weeping, reciting the Qur’an, and performing supererogatory ritual prayers. They stressed other-worldliness to the extent of minimizing good works in this world.

Then the decline of tribute from the conquered peoples and conversion to Islam made it increasingly unfeasible for most Muslims to keep up any such régime. Professional differentiation also provoked increasing criticism of austerity. Finally, in the later ninth century, a form of Sufism emerged that would accommodate those willing and able to spend most of their time on religious devotions, those willing and able to spend their time on other religious pursuits such as law and hadith, and those unwilling or unable to do either.

The book reviews the history of current brand and generic business in pharmaceuticals manufacturing practices. Based on examples, the reader can interpolate, extrapolate and exploit mutual behavior (physical and chemical properties) of chemicals to design and commercialize processes that fulfi ll the demands, also manipulate chemical unit processes and unit operations to reduce/minimize effl uents and lower environmental impact i.e. reduce global warming. Readers will be able to simplify process development, design and commercialize economic manufacturing processes.

The sixth volume of the series "Key Concepts of Interreligious Discourses" investigates the roots of the concept of "person" in Judaism, Christianity and Islam and its relevance for the present time.

The concept of "person" lies at the core of central ideas in the modern world, such as the value and development of personal identity, the sanctity of human person and the human rights based on that. In societies that are shaped by a long Christian tradition, these ideas are associated often with the belief in the creation of man in the image of God. But although Judaism shares with Christianity the same Biblical texts about the creation of man and also the Qurʾān knows Adam as the first human being created by God and his representative on earth, the focus on the concept of "person" is in each one of these religions a different one. So, the crucial question is: how did the concept of "person" evolve in Judaism, Christianity and Islam out of the concept of "human being"? What are the special features of personhood in each one of these traditions?

The volume presents the concept of "person" in its different aspects as anchored in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It unfolds commonalities and differences between the three monotheistic religions as well as the manifold discourses about the meaning of "person" within these three religions.

In the two-volume set ‘A Selection of Highlights’ we present basics of mathematics in an exciting and pedagogically sound way. This volume examines fundamental results in Algebra and Number Theory along with their proofs and their history. In the second edition, we include additional material on perfect and triangular numbers. We also added new sections on elementary Group Theory, p-adic numbers, and Galois Theory.

• A true collection of mathematical gems in Algebra and Number Theory, including the integers, the reals, and the complex numbers, along with beautiful results from Galois Theory and associated geometric applications.
• Valuable for lecturers, teachers and students of mathematics as well as for all who are mathematically interested.

The book is focused on Bio Products derived from renewable resources processed by conventional catalytic thermochemical processes and or emerging bioprocessing techniques including fermentation and synthetic biology. It highlights some of these developments—from discovery, lab feasibility, scale up and eventual commercialization of interest and value in all the major sectors of the economy.

This is the first book on the boundary-pushing practice of the artist, dancer, and educator Suzanne Harris (1940–1979). Harris was a protagonist in key avant-garde projects of the downtown New York City artists’ community in the 1970s (the Anarchitecture group, 112 Greene Street, FOOD, The Natural History of the American Dancer, Heresies); yet her own oeuvre fell into abeyance.

Harris’ postminimalist work broke the mold of art categories, (feminist) art practices, art spaces, and the common notion of space. By transcending sculpture and dance, she created ephemeral, site-specific installations, which she conceived as body-oriented choreographic situations. Her approach of sensory awareness led to a holistic philosophy of space, which again is paradigmatic for a materialist approach to (social) space that emerged in the arts at the time.

• Rediscovery of a forgotten female artist
• New insights into the New York art scene
• Recipient of the Terra Foundation for American Art International Publication Grant

Artistic research in Wiener’s œuvre

• Artistic research in Wiener’s (1935–2021) œuvre
• Oswald Wiener’s approach to cognitive psychology
• On the link between informatics and self-observation
• Also available in German Oswald Wieners Theorie des Denkens 978-3-11-065960-3

This is volume 13 of the edition of the complete Jerusalem Talmud. Within the Fourth Order Neziqin (“damages”), these two tractates deal with various types of oaths and their consequences (Ševu‛ot) and laws pertaining to Jews living amongst gentiles, including regulations about the interaction between Jews and “idolators” (‛Avodah Zarah).

Thisvolume is the eleventh in the series Jerusalem Talmud, the first in a three volume edition, translation, and commentary of the Fourth Order Neziqin.
The thirty chapters of Neziqin that deal with aspects of Civil Law are usually divided into three “gates”, known as the First Gate, Bava qamma, the Middle Gate, Bava mesi‘a, and the Last Gate, Bava batra. In contrast to the Babylonian Talmud, the treatment in the Jerusalem Talmud is fragmentary.

When in 1939 Friedrich Klingner’s new edition of Horatius, published in the “Bibliotheca Teubneriana” deposed the hitherto authoritative text edited by Vollmer, this had an epoch-making effect on both teaching and research. Klingner’s text held a leading position internationally over many decades.

Klingner’s edition was a keystone in particular for students of Latin in the tradition of German grammar schools and universities. Even today, scholars continually have recourse to Klingner’s constitution of the text. Following numerous enquiries from customers, the publishers have decided to re-issue Klingner’s Horatius text as an unrevised reprint of the 3rd edition from 1959.

This book focuses on functional phase space methods in quantum optics and provides a comprehensive introduction to the Wigner functional formalism. The book shows how this formalism can be used for analyzing and designing practical photonic quantum information systems. It also explains in detail the application of the Wigner functional formalism to parametric down-conversion, an important process in quantum optics.

The subordination of women to men is a powerful but invisible force that shapes international politics, economics, and security. Putting Women in their Place centers these lopsided power dynamics to examine how gender hierarchy both drives international dynamics and conditions how men and women experience things.

By critically assessing the ways gender norms shape political decision-making, economic development and financial disparities, and violence and conflict, Hilary Matfess expertly explains complex concepts and provides a compelling, approachable framework for interpreting global politics. This book weaves together personal stories, policy analysis, and the latest research to reveal the intertwining nature of gender oppression and systems of power, from local communities to the United Nations. It also offers a roadmap for rethinking world affairs through a feminist lens that foregrounds women’s agency, individuality, and varied motivations.

Discover the scientifically proven path to unlocking your creative potential, no matter your age, profession or background.

From personal breakthroughs to organizational transformation, Creativity in the Age of AI shows you how to leverage cutting-edge AI tools to amplify your natural abilities. This concise, practical guide will help you:

• Gain confidence in your ability to become more creative through understanding the neuroscience behind creative thinking
• Master 12 powerful approaches to enhance creativity, from challenging mental models to interdisciplinary thinking
• Learn to amplify these approaches using cutting-edge AI tools
• Experiment with these methods to address personal, professional, and organizational challenges
• Build a customized, dynamic portfolio of creativity tools tailored to your unique needs
• Overcome common obstacles to implementing creative solutions
• Draw inspiration from remarkable innovators including Nobel Prize winners, artists, musicians, architects and entrepreneurs

This accessible book distills decades of research and practice, including principles from the lead author's popular Wharton MBA creativity course taught for over a decade.

Build a personalized toolkit for unstoppable innovation in today’s challenging times and transform your creative potential into practical solutions enhanced by the power of AI!

(English / German)
Making queer and feminist positions visible in art is an aesthetic strategy with a political impact that marks a transition from a state of invisible impotence to powerful visibility and political relevance. This volume brings together theoretical contributions and artistic interventions by actors in the field of queer and feminist art, addressing the conditions that confront queer and feminist artists in different geographical and temporal contexts. They examine the potential of art exhibitions and art criticism as media of visualization and concealment, and they also explore the possibilities of virtual environments and feminist graphic design, as well as presenting various ways of making marginalized art visible.

Die Sichtbarmachung queerer und feministischer Positionen in der Kunst ist eine ästhetische Strategie mit politischer Wirkung, die den Übergang von einem Zustand unsichtbarer Ohnmacht zu machtvoller Sichtbarkeit und politischer Relevanz markiert. Der Band vereint theoretische Beiträge und künstlerische Interventionen von Akteur*innen im Feld queerer und feministischer Kunst: Sie thematisieren die Bedingungen, mit denen queere und feministische Künstler*innen in unterschiedlichen geografischen und zeitlichen Kontexten konfrontiert sind. Sie untersuchen das Potenzial von Kunstausstellungen und Kunstkritik als Medien des Sichtbarmachens und Verbergens. Möglichkeiten virtueller Umgebungen und feministischen Grafikdesigns werden ausgelotet und unterschiedliche Formen des Sichtbarmachens marginalisierter Kunst vorgestellt.

Essential knowledge of steel-framed structure design is a cornerstone for architectural, civil, and structural engineers, as well as for students planning careers in structural design and construction. Structural Steel Design, Fourth Edition delivers a comprehensive understanding of structural steel design, starting with the fundamentals and progressing to the design of a complete structural system. It emphasizes not just the individual steel elements or components but their integration within the broader context of the entire structure.

By working through the chapters and corresponding design project tasks, readers will complete the design of a full steel structure, allowing them to grasp the connections between discrete components and the larger system. This approach reinforces the importance of seeing the "big picture" in structural design.

Encouraged by the American Institute for Steel Construction, this book goes beyond traditional textbook exercises by offering real-world examples, project-based exercises, and open-ended problems that challenge the reader to make decisions and navigate the iterative nature of structural design. Practical details and real-world end-of-chapter problems reflect the types of challenges encountered in professional engineering practice, making this text not just an academic resource but a practical guide for aspiring engineers.

Over a period of 22 years (1934-1955), the mathematician Kurt Gödel wrote down philosophical remarks, the so-called Maximen Philosophie (Max Phil). They are preserved in 15 notebooks in Gabelsberger shorthand. The first booklet contains general philosophical considerations, booklets two and three consist of Gödel's individual ethics. The following books show that Gödel developed a philosophy of science in which he places his discussions on physics, psychology, biology, mathematics, language, theology and history in the context of a metaphysics.

A complete, historical-critical edition of Gödel's Philosophical Notebooks is now being prepared for the first time at the Kurt Gödel Research Centre of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. One volume will be published each year as part of this edition.

Volume 5 is particularly interesting because Gödel reveals his satisfaction with it at the beginning of 'Maximen V'. He states that he has arrived at independent thought here, which has not primarily come about through discussion with other authors. Furthermore, in addition to numerous remarkable philosophical considerations, there is a previously unknown interpretation of his (second) incompleteness theorem that goes beyond the mathematical one.

Over a period of 22 years (1934–1955), mathematician Kurt Gödel put down a series of philosophical remarks – the so-called Philosophical Maxims (Max Phil) – in writing. They have been passed down in 15 notebooks written in Gabelsberger shorthand. The first notebook contains general philosophical reflections, while the second and third notebooks consist of Gödel’s applied individual ethics. The notebooks that follow show that Gödel developed a philosophy of science in which he placed his considerations of physics, psychology, biology, mathematics, language, theology, and history within the context of a particular metaphysics. Now for the first time ever, a complete, historical-critical edition of Gödel’s philosophical notebooks is being prepared by the Kurt Gödel Research Center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. One volume will be published yearly as part of this series.

Volume 2 contains both notebooks of "Time Management (Max) I and II" and thereby Gödel’s applied individual ethics, which he received among others through his teacher Heinrich Gomperz. Gödel thus incorporates the ethical ideal of self-perfection into his opus. The volume is prefaced by an introduction to relevant considerations from the ethics of the Stoics as well as ancient dietetics, which provide the philosophical background to understand Gödel’s approach. In addition, editor Eva-Maria Engelen presents how this fits into the context of Gödel’s Philosophical Notebooks.

Over a period of 22 years (1934–1955), mathematician Kurt Gödel put down a series of philosophical remarks – the so-called Philosophical Maxims (Max Phil) – in writing. They have been passed down in 15 notebooks written in Gabelsberger shorthand. The first notebook contains general philosophical reflections, while the second and third notebooks consist of Gödel’s applied individual ethics. The notebooks that follow show that Gödel developed a philosophy of science in which he placed his considerations of physics, psychology, biology, mathematics, language, theology, and history within the context of a particular metaphysics. Now for the first time ever, a complete, historical-critical edition of Gödel’s philosophical notebooks is being prepared by the Kurt Gödel Research Center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. One volume will be published yearly as part of this series.

With the notebook "Maxims III," a new section of Gödel’s philosophical notebooks begins. This notebook sheds light on the relationship between various disciplines – in particular psychology, mathematics (specifically logic), and theology – and their respective significance for both the thinking and working scholar and for the knowledge system. It also contains considerations on heuristics and scholarly methods. The role of fundamental or simple concepts in thinking also becomes apparent.

A Badge of Injury is a contribution to both the fields of queer and global history. It analyses gay and lesbian transregional cultural communication networks from the 1970s to the 2000s, focusing on the importance of National Socialism, visual culture, and memory in the queer Atlantic. Provincializing Euro-American queer history, it illustrates how a history of concepts which encompasses the visual offers a greater depth of analysis of the transfer of ideas across regions than texts alone would offer. It also underlines how gay and lesbian history needs to be reframed under a queer lens and understood in a global perspective. Following the journey of the Pink Triangle and its many iterations, A Badge of Injury pinpoints the roles of cultural memory and power in the creation of gay and lesbian transregional narratives of pride or the construction of the historical queer subject. Beyond a success story, the book dives into some of the shortcomings of Euro-American queer history and the power of the negative, writing an emancipatory yet critical story of the era.

Azuma Old Japanese is an areal term for the two major dialects of Eastern (‘Azuma’) Japan during the eighth century: Eastern Old Japanese and Töpo-Suruga Old Japanese. This volume is an exhaustive, comparative reference grammar based on the linguistic data contained in the Man’yōshū poetic anthology (759 CE). It contains chapters dedicated to the different lexical categories, the lexicon, the phonology, and the historical development.

This volume serves to fill the last remaining gap in English language scholarship on the grammar of premodern Japanese dialects, and significantly contributes to our understanding of the historical development of the earliest attested Japanese dialects. It also contains an extensive reconstruction of Proto-Japanese.

Over the last twenty years, the rise of Qur'anic studies has been one of the most remarkable developments within the wider framework of Islamic scholarship. This evolution can be viewed from three angles: exponential growth in the accessibility of relevant primary; the use of contemporary methods for developing new analytical agendas; a renewed appreciation of diverse hermeneutical orientations. A veritable gold-rush of publications, theses, colloquia and study projects devoted to the Qur'an in the past two decades illustrates these developments. This scholarly community subsists primarily in European countries and the United States, but its effects are not limited there. The reception and dissemination of this work in Muslim-majority countries is constant and bodes as a promising opportunity to establish a real dialogue between scholars and lived community. The present book contains expert contributions emerging from this nexus, with scholars from North African, Middle Eastern and Western backgrounds who share a common ambition: to advance academic study of the Qurʾan by promoting cooperation across global boundaries.

This volume represents the first time that researchers on signed language and gesture have come together with a coherent focus under the framework of cognitive linguistics. The pioneering work of Sherman Wilcox is highlighted throughout, scaffolding much of the research of these contributors. The five sections of the volume reflect critical areas of Dr. Wilcox’s own research in cognitive linguistics: Guiding research principles in signed language, gesture, and cognitive linguistics; iconicity across signed and spoken linguistics; multimodality; blending, depiction and metaphor in signed languages; and specific grammatical constructions as form-meaning pairings. The authors of this volume exemplify and continue Dr. Wilcox’s work of bridging signed and spoken language disciplines by contributing chapters that represent a multiplicity of perspectives on signed, spoken, and gesture data. This volume presents a unified collection of cognitive linguistics research by leading authors that will be of interest to readers in the fields of signed and spoken language linguistics, gesture studies, and general linguistics.

The idea that there is a distinctively practical use of reason, and correspondingly a distinctively practical form of knowledge, unites many otherwise diverse voices in the history of practical philosophy: from Aristotle to Kant, from Rousseau to Marx, from Hegel to G.E.M. Anscombe, and many others. This volume gathers works by scholars who take inspiration from these and many other historical figures in order to deepen our systematic understanding of questions raised by their work that still are, or ought to be, at the center of contemporary philosophical debate: the form and nature of practical reasoning, agential self-consciousness or practical knowledge, how knowledge of the good relates to our motivational capacity, and the shape of philosophical thinking about sound forms of living together. Accordingly, the volume is divided into three parts: action theory, meta-ethics, and political philosophy. This fusion of perspectives delivers novel possibilities not only for answering the systematic questions outlined above, but also for understanding both what unifies and distinguishes those historical voices that have sought to articulate the concept of practical reason.

“This fascinating volume brings out the richness and profundity of an oft-neglected approach to understanding human agency, one that foregrounds action as itself an exercise of reason. Essays on ethics, mind, action, and political philosophy explore the history, substance, and implications of this idea, cutting across while also revealing the unity underlying various parts of philosophy that are typically treated separately.” – Eric Marcus, Auburn University

The so-called Mamluk sultans who ruled Egypt and Syria between the late thirteenth and early sixteenth centuries AD have often been portrayed as lacking in legitimacy due to their background as slave soldiers. Sultanic biographies written by chancery officials in the early period of the sultanate have been read as part of an effort of these sultans to legitimise their position on the throne. This book reconsiders the main corpus of six such biographies written by the historians Ibn ʿAbd al-Ẓāhir (d. 1293) and his nephew Shāfiʿ ibn ʿAlī (d. 1330) and argues that these were in fact far more complex texts. An understanding of their discourses of legitimisation needs to be embedded within a broader understanding of the multi-directional discourses operating across the texts. The study proposes to interpret these texts as "spectacles", in which authors emplotted the reign of a sultan in thoroughly literary and rhetorical fashion, making especially extensive use of textual forms prevalent in the chancery. In doing so the authors reimagined the format of the biography as a performative vehicle for displaying their literary credentials and helping them negotiate positions in the chancery and the wider courtly orbit.