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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Readings in Urban Theory

Readings in Urban Theory Review


Updated with a majority of new readings, the Third Edition of Readings in Urban Theory expands its focus to present the most recent developments in urban and regional theories and policies in a globalized world.
  • Around 75% of the readings included are new for the third edition
  • Unifies readings by an orientation toward political economy and normative themes of social justice
  • Expands the focus on international planning, including globalization and theories of development
  • Addresses the full range of core urban theory so as to remain the primary text in courses
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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Brazil's Lula: The Most Popular Politician on Earth

Brazil's Lula: The Most Popular Politician on Earth Review


Raised in a shack in the Brazilian northeast by a single mother, Lula da Silva rose from a working-class background to become a union leader, organizer of Brazil's Workers' Party, and in time, the most popular president of Brazil. In admiration, Barack Obama called Lula "the most popular politician on Earth"-perhaps a fitting title for the man who finished eight years as Brazil's president with popularity ratings above 80%. As president, he rose above ideology to build his country's self-esteem with a growing economy and relief from poverty. This is the first full biography of a democratic leader whose remarkable success will be an inspiration for decades to come. Spanning his childhood, his years in the labor movement, his four campaigns for the presidency, his two presidential terms and the election of his successor, Dilma Rousseff, this volume focuses on Lula as a personality and explores his impact on Brazilian society. Elected on an ill-defined platform of "change," Lula's inaugural address promised that hope had conquered fear and that it was time for Brazil to blaze a new path. However, he understood that what most Brazilians really wanted was relief from stressful and demanding changes. Drawing strength from his mother's courage, optimism, and religious faith, Lula forged a new leadership style contrasting sharply with that of populist Latin American leaders who aggravate social class and international conflicts. Lula offers a model of leadership for an age when democratic revolutions sweep the globe and presidents-for-life are thrown out of office in disgrace. Despite his overwhelming popularity, Lula refused to allow his supporters to advocate amending the Brazilian constitution to allow him a third term as president. His biography is essential reading for anyone concerned with building democratic order in a developing society. Read more...


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Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Expediency of Culture: Uses of Culture in the Global Era (Post-Contemporary Interventions)

The Expediency of Culture: Uses of Culture in the Global Era (Post-Contemporary Interventions) Review


The Expediency of Culture is a pioneering theorization of the changing role of culture in an increasingly globalized world. George Yúdice explores critically how groups ranging from indigenous activists to nation-states to nongovernmental organizations have all come to see culture as a valuable resource to be invested in, contested, and used for varied sociopolitical and economic ends. Through a dazzling series of illustrative studies, Yúdice challenges the Gramscian notion of cultural struggle for hegemony and instead develops an understanding of culture where cultural agency at every level is negotiated within globalized contexts dominated by the active management and administration of culture. He describes a world where “high” culture (such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain) is a mode of urban development, rituals and everyday aesthetic practices are mobilized to promote tourism and the heritage industries, and mass culture industries comprise significant portions of a number of countries’ gross national products.

Yúdice contends that a new international division of cultural labor has emerged, combining local difference with transnational administration and investment. This does not mean that today’s increasingly transnational culture—exemplified by the entertainment industries and the so-called global civil society of nongovernmental organizations—is necessarily homogenized. He demonstrates that national and regional differences are still functional, shaping the meaning of phenomena from pop songs to antiracist activism. Yúdice considers a range of sites where identity politics and cultural agency are negotiated in the face of powerful transnational forces. He analyzes appropriations of American funk music as well as a citizen action initiative in Rio de Janeiro to show how global notions such as cultural difference are deployed within specific social fields. He provides a political and cultural economy of a vast and increasingly influential art event— insite a triennial festival extending from San Diego to Tijuana. He also reflects on the city of Miami as one of a number of transnational “cultural corridors” and on the uses of culture in an unstable world where censorship and terrorist acts interrupt the usual channels of capitalist and artistic flows.

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Friday, January 18, 2013

The Fate of the Forest: Developers, Destroyers, and Defenders of the Amazon, Updated Edition

The Fate of the Forest: Developers, Destroyers, and Defenders of the Amazon, Updated Edition Review


The Amazon rain forest covers more than five million square kilometers, amid the territories of nine different nations. It represents over half of the planet’s remaining rain forest. Is it truly in peril? What steps are necessary to save it? To understand the future of Amazonia, one must know how its history was forged: in the eras of large pre-Columbian populations, in the gold rush of conquistadors, in centuries of slavery, in the schemes of Brazil’s military dictators in the 1960s and 1970s, and in new globalized economies where Brazilian soy and beef now dominate, while the market in carbon credits raises the value of standing forest.

Susanna Hecht and Alexander Cockburn show in compelling detail the panorama of destruction as it unfolded, and also reveal the extraordinary turnaround that is now taking place, thanks to both the social movements, and the emergence of new environmental markets. Exploring the role of human hands in destroying—and saving—this vast forested region, The Fate of the Forest pivots on the murder of Chico Mendes, the legendary labor and environmental organizer assassinated after successful confrontations with big ranchers. A multifaceted portrait of Eden under siege, complete with a new preface and afterword by the authors, this book demonstrates that those who would hold a mirror up to nature must first learn the lessons offered by some of their own people.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

ATLAS DA HISTORIA DO MUNDO

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Friday, January 11, 2013

South American Handbook, 87th: Longest running English language travel guide, The South American Handbook (Footprint - Handbooks)

South American Handbook, 87th: Longest running English language travel guide, The South American Handbook (Footprint - Handbooks) Review


The longest-running English language travel guide has once again been fully revised and updated by expert author Ben Box, providing the most up-to-date guide for discovering this incredible continent. Unparalleled coverage of the entire region with in-depth listings on where to eat, sleep and drink, as well as all the adventure sports, activities, arts, historic sites and culture this diverse and beautiful region offers. Whether it’s the blissful beaches of Columbia or getting off the beaten track on some wild treks you’re after this book has it all. This guide is the first thing to pack for any traveler who wants to step off the ‘Gringo Trail’ and really discover South America.

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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Culture Shock! Brazil: A Guide to Customs & Etiquette

Culture Shock! Brazil: A Guide to Customs & Etiquette Review


Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler. "Culture Shock!" at your Door guides equip you for daily life in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. And "Culture Shock!" Success Secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure.

Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each book is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.

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Saturday, January 5, 2013

Lösung der Wohnraumfrage von unten? Wohnungsmarkt der Megacity Sao Paulo (German Edition)

Lösung der Wohnraumfrage von unten? Wohnungsmarkt der Megacity Sao Paulo (German Edition) Review


Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Analyse des Wohnungsmarktes von Sao Paulo (Brasilien) mit besonderem Schwerpunkt auf der Bedeutung illegaler Siedlungsformen.Die Metropolregion Sao Paulo ist mit etwa 19 Millionen Einwohnern weltweit die fünftgrößte Metropolregion (UN Bericht, Urban agglomeration, 2007).In Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass die urbane Bevölkerung, besonders in Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländern, stetig wächst, ist es für die Stadtplanung von großer Bedeutung sich der daraus resultierenden Probleme (Wohnungsnot, Infrastrukturmängel, Umweltfragen, zunehmende Polarisierung und räumliche Segregation von Arm und Reich) anzunehmen. DAVIS´s Schilderungen über die Städte der Zukunft untermauern diese Notwendigkeit: „[...] die Städte der Zukunft (werden) nicht aus Glas und- Stahlkonstruktionen bestehen, [...], sondern eher aus grobem Backstein, Stroh, recyceltem Plastik, Zementblöcken und Abfallholz." (Davis, 2007: 23). Diese Problematik lässt sich am Beispiel der Stadtentwicklung Sao Paulos gut nachvollziehen. „Slums" „Elendsviertel", „Favelas", „Marginalsiedlungen"- so vielfältig die Begriffe und Definitionen für Siedlungen der ärmeren Bevölkerung in der Literatur sind, so vielfältig sind die Gesichter dieser Siedlungen in der Realität. Oft folgt man als Planer dem Impuls, diese meist informellen Siedlungen per se als „schlecht" zu bewerten, man assoziiert sie mit menschenunwürdigen Lebensbedingungen. In dieser Arbeit soll der Versuch gemacht werden diese Siedlungen aus einer anderen Sicht als Teil der Stadt zu betrachten, der bestimmte Funktionen erfüllt und für viele Menschen eine große Bedeutung hat. Read more...


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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy Review


Slavery is illegal throughout the world, yet more than twenty-seven million people are still trapped in one of history's oldest social institutions. Kevin Bales's disturbing story of slavery today reaches from brick kilns in Pakistan and brothels in Thailand to the offices of multinational corporations. His investigation of conditions in Mauritania, Brazil, Thailand, Pakistan, and India reveals the tragic emergence of a "new slavery," one intricately linked to the global economy. The new slaves are not a long-term investment as was true with older forms of slavery, explains Bales. Instead, they are cheap, require little care, and are disposable.
Three interrelated factors have helped create the new slavery. The enormous population explosion over the past three decades has flooded the world's labor markets with millions of impoverished, desperate people. The revolution of economic globalization and modernized agriculture has dispossessed poor farmers, making them and their families ready targets for enslavement. And rapid economic change in developing countries has bred corruption and violence, destroying social rules that might once have protected the most vulnerable individuals.
Bales's vivid case studies present actual slaves, slaveholders, and public officials in well-drawn historical, geographical, and cultural contexts. He observes the complex economic relationships of modern slavery and is aware that liberation is a bitter victory for a child prostitute or a bondaged miner if the result is starvation.
Bales offers suggestions for combating the new slavery and provides examples of very positive results from organizations such as Anti-Slavery International, the Pastoral Land Commission in Brazil, and the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan. He also calls for researchers to follow the flow of raw materials and products from slave to marketplace in order to effectively target campaigns of "naming and shaming" corporations linked to slavery. Disposable People is the first book to point the way to abolishing slavery in today's global economy.
All of the author's royalties from this book go to fund anti-slavery projects around the world.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Death Without Weeping: The Violence of Everyday Life in Brazil (Centennial Book)

Death Without Weeping: The Violence of Everyday Life in Brazil (Centennial Book) Review


When lives are dominated by hunger, what becomes of love? When assaulted by daily acts of violence and untimely death, what happens to trust? Set in the lands of Northeast Brazil, this is an account of the everyday experience of scarcity, sickness and death that centres on the lives of the women and children of a hillside "favela". Bringing her readers to the impoverished slopes above the modern plantation town of Bom Jesus de Mata, where she has worked on and off for 25 years, the author follows three generations of shantytown women as they struggle to survive through hard work, cunning and triage. It is a story of class relations told at the most basic level of bodies, emotions, desires and needs. Most disturbing - and controversial - is her finding that mother love, as conventionally understood, is something of a bourgeois myth, a luxury for those who can reasonably expect, as these women cannot, that their infants will live. The author also wrote "Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics: Mental Illness in Rural Ireland". Read more...


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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Leftist Governments in Latin America: Successes and Shortcomings

Leftist Governments in Latin America: Successes and Shortcomings Review


Can Latin America's "new left" stimulate economic development, enhance social equity, and deepen democracy in spite of the economic and political constraints it faces? This is the first book to systematically examine the policies and performance of the left-wing governments that have risen to power in Latin America during the last decade. Featuring thorough studies of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela by renowned experts, the volume argues that moderate leftist governments have attained greater, more sustainable success than their more radical, contestatory counterparts. Moderate governments in Brazil and Chile have generated solid economic growth, reduced poverty and inequality, and created innovative and fiscally sound social programs, while respecting the fundamental principles of market economics and liberal democracy. By contrast, more radical governments, exemplified by Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, have expanded state intervention and popular participation and attained some short-term economic and social successes, but they have provoked severe conflict, undermined democracy, and failed to ensure the economic and institutional sustainability of their policy projects. Read more...


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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Portuguese For Dummies

Portuguese For Dummies Review


Quick! What’s the most widely spoken language in South America? That’s right, Portuguese! And what’s the fastest, easiest, most enjoyable way to learn Portuguese? Portuguese for Dummies, of course! This fun, friendly guide helps you start speaking Brazilian Portuguese immediately! Whether you're a student, a traveler, or you work in business or government, you'll love its practical lessons, cultural facts, and handy references — including a Portuguese-English mini-dictionary, lists of vital verbs, and more! You’ll discover how to:
  • Have everyday conversations in Portuguese
  • Make sense of Portuguese grammar
  • Use idioms and popular expressions
  • Improve your pronunciation
  • Get a handle on verb conjugations
  • Get around in Portuguese-speaking countries

Portuguese for Dummies comes complete with a CD loaded with real-life “Talkin’ the Talk” dialogues that help you understand and pronounce this lovely, lyrical language. With this easy, low-pressure approach you’ll be jabbering away in Portuguese in no time.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. Read more...


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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Barcelona y Sao Paulo cara a cara (Spanish Edition)

Barcelona y Sao Paulo cara a cara (Spanish Edition) Review


Este libro presenta los principales resultados del seminario que con el mismo nombre se realizó en la Universidad de Barcelona entre los miembros de los equipos de investigación en Geograf'a urbana de las universidades de Sao Paulo y Barcelona. Read more...


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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Rough Guide First-Time Latin America (Rough Guide to First-Time Latin America)

The Rough Guide First-Time Latin America (Rough Guide to First-Time Latin America) Review


"The Rough Guide First-Time Latin America" tells you everything you need to know before you go to Latin America, from visas and vaccinations to budgets and packing. It will help you plan the best possible trip, with advice on when to go and what not to miss, and how to avoid trouble on the road. You'll find insightful information on what tickets to buy, where to stay, what to eat and how to stay healthy and save money in Latin America. "The Rough Guide First-Time Latin America" includes insightful overviews of each Latin American country highlighting the best places to visit with country-specific websites, clear maps, suggested reading and budget information. Be inspired by the full-colour 'things not to miss' section whilst useful contact details will help you plan your route. All kinds of advice and anecdotes from travellers who've been there and done it will make travelling stress-free. "The Rough Guide First-Time Latin America" has everything you need to get your journey underway. Read more...


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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Guia Visual: Folha de São Paulo: Paris

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Friday, December 14, 2012

Guia Visual: Folha de São Paulo: Roma

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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Guia Visual: Folha de São Paulo: Portugal, Madeira e Açores

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Throes of Democracy: Brazil since 1989 (Global History of the Present)

The Throes of Democracy: Brazil since 1989 (Global History of the Present) Review


In the 1980s, Brazil emerged from two decades of military dictatorship and embarked on an experiment in full democracy for the first time in the nation's history. Since then, Brazilians have sought to live up to the ideals of this experiment while negotiating dramatic economic and cultural transformations.

In The Throes of Democracy, Bryan McCann gives a panoramic view of this process, exploring the relationships between the rise of the political left, the escalation of urban violence, the agribusiness boom and the spread of pentecostal evangelization. Brazil remains a land marked by deep inequality, but in the last two decades the structure of that inequality has changed substantially.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators, and Creatives

Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators, and Creatives Review


Now published in paperback, Sketchbooks provides a revealing glimpse into the inner workings and private inspiration of creatives from the worlds of advertising, design, graphic design, fashion design, art, street art, and illustration. The material is complemented by interviews in which artists explain how they use their sketchbooks and how they relate to finished works. These, along with the sketchbooks themselves, give readers a direct and unmediated insight into the process of research and creation. Read more...


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Friday, November 30, 2012

VHS MATINEE - UMA SESSAO MUITO LOUCA

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