This book develops the concept of Asian Commons as a conceptual and methodological tool to engage with Asia, both in its incredible heterogeneity and its important historical resonance. The contributions in this edited volume engage in a rethinking of Asia in an inclusive and collective manner without privileging any region/nation. The Asia that emerges from the world of policy-making and academic discourse is composed of regional blocks: South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia are identified more for expediency than as imagined communities. In looking at Asia beyond these units, examining new and forgotten networks, the book foregrounds the lived experiences-and cultural productions emanating from these experiences-making visible the alternative pathways that nurture the notion of Asian Commons. The desire to create an Asian Commons comes from a collective history of anti-colonial struggles and shared vision for social and economic justice. As a working concept, Asian Commons is informed by the historical resources accumulated through Asia's varied but connected experience with decolonization. Mindful of the trap of exclusionary nationalism and false internationalism which flattens the differences between/within nations and peoples, Asian Commons would allow intellectual and political innovation that embraces both the heterogeneities and commonalities of Asia. In its re-examination of the current state of decoloniality, this book discusses alternative visions of Asian Commons. It is a key text for academics and students specialising in Asian cultural studies, with a particular emphasis on postcolonial perspectives, and for researchers focused on Asian history and contemporary issues, seeking a deeper understanding of the region's interconnectedness.

This book explores Maurice Merleau-Ponty's provocative claim that "the unconscious is feeling itself," reframing the unconscious as a fundamentally relational phenomenon rather than a private repository of repressed content. Drawing on clinical insights from Francoise Dolto, Pierre Marty, Didier Anzieu, and Rene Kaes, Stefan Kristensen bridges psychoanalysis and phenomenology to show how bodily manifestations of unconscious processes shape selfhood and social bonds. The book traces the development of the self through speech and body, examines psychosomatic illnesses as symbolic interactions, and investigates the unconscious dynamics of power relations within groups. By articulating the interplay between corporeality, relationality, and symbolic structures, Kristensen offers a groundbreaking perspective on the unconscious as an intercorporeal linking force essential to the integrity of the self. This work will appeal to psychoanalysts, philosophers, and scholars of clinical psychology seeking to understand the political and ontological dimensions of unconscious life.

An authoritative introduction to strategy-its enduring essentials, its inherent challenges, and the ways it will change in the twenty-first century

We live in a world in which America's previous dominance has disappeared, violent states seek to remake the global order, and war itself has taken new forms. The Strategist is the definitive guide to the use of military means to achieve political ends. In this incisive book, Eliot Cohen addresses the deceptively straightforward questions at the heart of strategy, the reasons why strategists often choose badly, and the ways in which strategy, inevitably imperfect, can be improved.

Who is the enemy? What are our means? What is the sequence in which we should act? Why do we believe we will succeed? These are some of the seemingly elementary questions all strategists must answer, and success or failure rests on choices that may also seem simple, such as selecting campaigns and deciding when to launch a war and when to stop it. Yet devising effective strategy, while achievable, is extremely difficult. Cohen draws on illuminating examples from history as well as his own experience as a strategic adviser to government to explain why. He demonstrates how to mitigate these limitations through habits of thought and qualities of character that enable a strategist to make the best possible decisions under conditions of profound uncertainty.

We wish to be done with war, but unfortunately war is not done with us. At a time of radical change in geopolitics and military technology, The Strategist sheds light on the perils before us, and ways to cope with them.

This book tackles a critical question. Why has the world struggled so much to coordinate policy to address climate change, despite political and scientific consensus? Despite landmark agreements and expanding knowledge, emissions have fallen unevenly and progress has repeatedly stalled or reversed.

Democracy or Carbon Oligarchy? explains that failure by focusing on domestic politics: how institutions distribute power, how interest groups exploit "access points," and why countries with similar wealth and technology diverge. Moving beyond arguments about mere political will, it situates energy and climate outcomes within the institutional architectures of industrialized oil super-producers: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Shum advances a neopluralist theory of climate politics, arguing that policy is shaped by the strategic capture of institutional venues by carbon-intensive interests. He shows how separation of powers, federalism, party systems, and electoral rules configure opportunities for a de facto carbon oligarchy. By mapping where binding decisions are made and who can reach them, the book offers a generalizable framework for diagnosing blockages, explaining cross-national variation, and identifying leverage points for sustaining ambitious climate policy over time.

The Last Purge explores the political ramifications of what is now known as the Cotton Affair, the largest and final purge in the post-Stalin Soviet Union. A significant yet underexamined episode of Uzbekistan's contemporary history, the Cotton Affair was a drawn-out judicial and political imbroglio that grew out of falsified cotton production data and corruption. Under cotton king Sharaf Rashidov, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan, the country more than doubled its production of cotton, the nation's principal cash crop. When the USSR's tenth five-year plan demanded an annual production of six million tons of raw cotton, however, production became a matter of political survival for the Uzbek ruling elite. To cope, they began hiding inefficiencies through bribes and falsifying cotton production data. Moscow's eventual crackdown in the 1980s implicated 58,000 officials - 20,000 of whom faced criminal prosecution - and overwhelmed Uzbekistan's institutions.

Cucciolla sets the Cotton Affair at the center of Uzbekistan's transition from Soviet republic to independent state. Through the use of untapped Russian and Uzbek sources, he traces how the Cotton Affair became a sensitive identity issue of revenge and resistance against former rulers that served to legitimize the new Uzbek president's regime and define his relations with local power networks. In recovering the often sordid details of this critical event in the USSR's political history, Cucciolla offers fresh insights into the contradictions as well as consequences of perestroika and the disintegration of the Soviet Union from the perspective of its periphery.

A Call to Action Part 1: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Systems, Institutions and Policy Levers confronts one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary organizational life: how to sustain and strengthen DEI commitments amid intensifying political, cultural, and institutional resistance. Rather than retreating from this moment, the contributors to this volume respond with clarity, evidence, and resolve.

Drawing on cutting edge research across management, public policy, organizational behavior, and social justice scholarship, the chapters speak directly to researchers, leaders, policymakers, and institutional stakeholders. Each contribution identifies a critical priority for advancing DEI through structural, systemic, and policy based interventions. Together, they illuminate the wide-ranging levers-legal, economic, cultural, technological, and organizational-that shape whether DEI efforts falter, stagnate, or meaningfully transform workplaces and communities.

The book's breadth reflects the complexity of the current landscape. Topics span parent supportive policy design, science censorship, disability inclusion, sexual harassment prevention, workforce reintegration, reproductive benefits, entrepreneurial ecosystems, anti discrimination legislation, and the emotional and institutional work that sustains inequity. Authors examine the backlash against DEI, dismantle persistent myths, and offer bold strategies for resilience, refinement, and renewed purpose. Across these chapters, a shared message emerges: DEI is not a passing trend but a foundational requirement for organizational effectiveness, societal well being, and long term success.

Together with A Call to Action Part 2: Transforming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Norms, Leadership Practices, and Mindset, the two volumes offer a comprehensive roadmap for scholars and practitioners committed to defending, reimagining, and advancing DEI in an era of profound challenge and possibility.

This comprehensive graduate-level textbook, now in its second edition, offers an unparalleled exploration of the complex world of facilities and workplace management. As crucial counterparts to real estate management, these disciplines require a multidimensional approach, which this book delivers in spades. Through a combination of cutting-edge research and practical insights from around the globe, readers will gain a deep understanding of corporate real estate, asset management, property management, and facility management, all within the context of digital transformation, sustainability, and process optimization.

With real-world examples and case studies, this second edition of the book is an invaluable resource for students and lecturers in real estate and facility management. The authors cover the latest trends in workplace management, including the use of smart technologies like AI to optimize facility services and change management strategies for implementing new processes and ESG reporting. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned professional, this textbook offers a rich blend of theory and practice that will enhance your knowledge and skills.

This book examines how various methods of digital communication have entered the domain of EU Civil Procedure, with a primary focus on the service of documents, electronic submissions, the taking of evidence, and videoconferencing. It offers a comprehensive overview of legal issues surrounding the use of digital technology in the aforementioned areas and draws insight from the national legal doctrines of 15 EU Member States and select candidate countries. On the one hand, the research employs the comparative legal method to draw conclusions on commonalities and differences, as well as prospects for future approximation of laws. On the other hand, the book addresses open issues at the EU (supranational) level. The research is rooted in the observation that a paradigm shift from traditional to digital means of communication between courts and other judicial partakers is currently taking place. This shift is manifested through a variety of technologies and affects a wide legal landscape. The EU is heralding the incorporation of these developments in its latest legislation on cross-border disputes. The research deals with analyzing both existing (digital and traditional) and prospective means of communication in national and cross-border disputes. The book identifies problems in the national and EU legal frameworks and provide potential solutions for tackling these problems in the current or assess prospects for future developments.

This edited volume explores the evolution of public sector reforms in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999. Marked by decades of inefficiency, corruption, and underperformance, Nigeria's public sector has long required structural transformation. It critically examines the reform initiatives that emerged under President Obasanjo's administration and beyond, offering a comprehensive review of the strategies, outcomes, and lingering challenges across multiple administrations. With an emphasis on democratic governance and developmental state-building, the book contributors explore reform efforts in civil service restructuring, digital governance, anti-corruption, education, agriculture, pensions, security, housing, and power sector transformation. This volume also assesses policy tools like the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-025 (FCSSIP25), and the role of innovation in service delivery. Special attention is given to sector-specific case studies and the use of empirical and econometric approaches to evaluate reform impacts.

It includes comparative perspectives from Ghana, South Africa, and Cote d'Ivoire. This volume not only enhances the sparse academic literature on Nigeria's public sector reforms but also provides practical insights for policymakers, scholars, and reform practitioners.

By situating Nigerian reforms within the broader context of democratic consolidation and governance reforms in Africa, this work underscores the public sector's pivotal role in delivering services, implementing policy, mobilizing revenue, and strengthening intergovernmental coordination. It will benefit scholars, students, policymakers, and development partners engaged in African governance, public administration, and institutional reforms.

University research represents a $2 trillion untapped goldmine that most executives are missing. Generative AI is revolutionizing this landscape-leading universities report 40-60% efficiency gains in technology scouting and evaluation through AI integration. This book guides leaders, managers, and practitioners on how they can leverage AI-powered scouting and strategic university alliances to access breakthrough technologies. It synthesizes decades of pioneering research and practical experience in technology transfer and provides a data-driven blueprint for executives that combines analytical rigor with proven methodologies for successful university-industry collaborations. The authors provide actionable strategies for identifying, evaluating, and commercializing breakthrough academic discoveries that can redefine the industries and secure companies' competitive future. From leveraging AI-powered scouting to navigating complex IP landscapes and capitalizing on global talent pipelines, this book equips managers, leaders and executives with insights to transform academic potential into quantifiable market value.

The exegetical and theoretical investigation of the important and essential conceptions in the Zhuangzi is key to understanding Zhuangzi's views. This edited volume brings together twelve papers that advance the ongoing scholarly study of the Zhuangzi through exegetical investigation and philosophical engagement with twenty-first-century debates in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, moral psychology, philosophy of language, and political philosophy.

The book is divided into two parts. The first presents novel interpretations of several most important and essential conceptions in the Zhuangzi, including dao ?, hua ?, yan ?, zhi ?, and ren ?. The second engages the Zhuangzi with contemporary debates, addressing issues concerning evocative indirect communication, forgetting, fictionalist interpretation, narrative theory, relativism, responsive agency, and political quietism, among others.

This volume makes a substantial contribution to Chinese philosophy, Zhuangzi scholarship, and comparative philosophy, while offering original insights into debates across multiple areas of contemporary philosophy.

How the geopolitical behavior of states is closely related to the nature of their political systems

Today's world is characterized by an unstable coexistence of empires, nation-states, and democracies. In this book, Gerard Roland examines these three fundamentally different institutional systems and considers whether the international behavior of nations is influenced by the nature of their political regimes. He explains that until the nineteenth century, international relations were driven by rivalries among competing empires; as empires started to disintegrate, they were replaced by nation-states, some of which became democracies. The nation-state project supported by today's extreme right promotes ethnic homogeneity within a country's borders, while democracies are based on universal values of citizenship. Interactions between countries with such essentially different political systems, Roland shows, are seldom harmonious and likely to evolve into cultural clashes and military conflict.

Drawing on his expertise in political and comparative economics, Roland analyzes why and how countries' geopolitical behavior-their actions and attitudes regarding war, peace, expansionism, and trade-is closely linked to their political systems. In the long run, he argues, the ethnically homogenous nation-state is doomed because of the strong economic inefficiencies entailed by economic nationalism and the lack of openness to immigration, trade, and foreign direct investment. A better path for the future of the international order, Roland suggests, would be a world of small democracies building supranational institutions on the basis of commonly accepted rules.

This book situates the transformation in the world of work and employment relations in Central Asia within broader and uneven processes of labour precarisation in the global political economy during the past decades. Contributions show how a region that has largely remained marginal to the discipline of political economy can inform the theorisation of labour precarity and its gender-differentiated dynamics in rural, urban, and migrant contexts in and beyond the post-socialist world. The chapter authors illustrate this through different case studies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, using data gathered from several rounds of fieldwork up to 2025.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Rethinking Labour, Gender, and Precarity in Central Asia is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This edited volume explores the prospects for entrepreneurship and digital transformation across the Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf (Red Sea) economies. Through in-depth scholarly discussions, it highlights the significance of these twin forces in shaping economic and social development within a region that occupies a critical position in global trade and international interdependence.

Chapter contributions to this volume investigate diverse themes relevant to digital and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the PGAG (Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf) region. Topics include: consumer adoption of contactless payments; government initiatives supporting digital readiness; the role of emerging technologies in entrepreneurship education; challenges in digital entrepreneurship; comparative analyses of artificial intelligence practices; the impact of digital transformation on youth entrepreneurship; bibliometric insights into digital sports marketing; and sociological analyses of social exploitation and agency.

Together, these chapters offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of how entrepreneurship and digital transformation can advance regional development, economic resilience, and global partnership. As such it will be of particular interest to students and scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, development economics, Middle Eastern politics, and political economy, as well as practitioners and policymakers interested in strengthening entrepreneurial systems, advancing economic diversification, and promoting social inclusion in an era of rapid technological change.

How corporations have increasingly embraced the sharing of knowledge as a competitive strategy

Innovation is more important than ever, yet breakthroughs are becoming harder to achieve. Modern technologies, from artificial intelligence and 5G networks to biotech, are so complex that they require collaboration across companies, industries, and countries. Increasingly, firms are discovering that sharing knowledge can be more powerful, and more profitable, than guarding it. In Rethinking Innovation, distinguished economists Josh Lerner and Jean Tirole examine ways that corporations have embraced the sharing of knowledge as a competitive strategy. Open-source software, for example, has seen multibillion-dollar public offerings and shifting business strategies, producing high-profile disputes over what openness actually entails. Across high-tech industries, new forms of knowledge-sharing are transforming how companies develop and exploit new technologies.

Lerner and Tirole explore three key organizational structures that make this collaboration possible: patent pools, which bundle essential patents and make them available to firms seeking to license them; standard-setting organizations, where companies agree on common technical templates and commit to making related patents available on fair terms; and open-source communities, in which users share innovations freely with others. Drawing on decades of pioneering research, Lerner and Tirole explain how these institutions emerged, how they work in practice, and how they can both promote innovation and create new challenges for competition and policy. Combining economic insight with vivid case studies-from early efforts to coordinate aircraft patents to contemporary battles over artificial intelligence and global technology standards-Rethinking Innovation reveals how firms collaborate to develop and commercialize complex technologies. Clear and accessible throughout, this book offers a guide to the forces reshaping modern innovation for managers, policymakers, and scholars.

A Call to Action Part 2: Transforming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Norms, Leadership Practices, and Mindset turns the spotlight from systems and policy levers to the human, cultural, and relational forces that determine whether DEI efforts thrive, stall, or collapse. In an era marked by backlash, polarization, and rapid organizational change, this volume brings together leading scholars to examine how leaders, teams, and institutions can cultivate the mindsets and practices needed to sustain meaningful progress.

Across its chapters, contributors explore the psychological, interpersonal, and cultural dynamics that shape DEI work on the ground. Authors offer evidence based insights on allyship, identity based safety, stereotype awareness, inclusive leadership, and the role of dialogue in bridging divides. They also confront emerging issues-from generational stereotypes to the implications of generative AI-while highlighting the strengths, creativity, and resilience that diversity brings to organizations.

This book speaks directly to researchers, educators, and organizational leaders seeking to navigate resistance with clarity and courage. It argues that transforming DEI requires more than policy; it demands intentional norms, reflective leadership, and a mindset oriented toward accountability, authenticity, and collective responsibility.

Together with A Call to Action Part 1: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Systems, Institutions, and Policy Levers, the two volumes offer a comprehensive roadmap for scholars and practitioners committed to defending, reimagining, and advancing DEI in an era of profound challenge and possibility. In a moment of heightened scrutiny and challenge, A Call to Action Part 2 provides the insight and resolve needed to lead with purpose and create workplaces where all people can thrive.

This book explores how leaders can master the paradox between autonomy and alignment to foster sustainable innovation. It introduces the InnoLEAD model, emphasizing the relational dynamics between leaders and teams as they navigate strategic, structural, and cultural challenges. Combining theory with practice, the text offers actionable tools, reflection exercises, and real-world case studies to strengthen existing capabilities while creating space for creativity and organizational learning. Updated with the latest research and examples, this pragmatic work is an essential resource for innovation managers, leadership professionals, and students seeking to understand and implement innovation-oriented leadership in rapidly changing environments.

In a digital world saturated with synthetic media and AI-shaped narratives, the quest for trustworthy public information has never been more urgent. Governing Public Information in the Age of AI explores how blockchain can strengthen the integrity of online communication at a moment when traditional platforms struggle to keep pace with algorithmic manipulation.

Based on extensive field research, developer insights and real-world use cases, the book traces how distributed ledgers, tokenized incentives and decentralized identity tools can help verify content, track provenance and support more authentic exchanges across social networks. It unpacks both the promise and the limits of these systems, offering a clear look into emerging models that seek to counter deepfakes, misinformation and automated persuasion.

Engaging and timely, the book will appeal to policymakers and scholars searching for practical ways to rebuild public confidence in information environments facing unprecedented disruption.

This book explores the multifaceted challenges and innovations shaping sustainable industrial development in sectors such as automotive, naval, pharmaceutical, agrifood, furniture, and steel work. Presenting 17 select papers presented at the contributions presented at the 5th International Conference on Quality, Innovation, and Sustainability (ICQIS) in Lisbon, Portugal, this book provides research and case studies in collaborative manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and 5.0, machine learning application, energy management, logistic optimization, and sustainable product-service systems. Collectively, the enclosed chapters provide practical insights into the implementation of sustainability-driven strategies driving change in manufacturing, technology, and quality systems. It is a valuable resource for researchers, academics, students, business leaders, and policymakers seeking to understand and advance sustainable innovation across industries.

An incisive account of how equality transformed from an abstract ideal into a concrete social and political vision, thanks to seventeenth-century English dissidents like the Levellers and the political philosophers they inspired.

Today, political theorists and philosophers treat as axiomatic the claim that all persons are equal. Dig deeper, however, and what we mean by equality-and what it demands from us, politically and otherwise-is far from obvious. Does it mean that we are all the same, and so the same standards should apply indifferently to everyone? Or does it mean that we are all different in ways similarly deserving of respect? These questions, and many more, reflect the profound ambiguities and contradictions that have riddled the history of the idea of equality.

First Among Equals examines a radical turning point in that history. Since antiquity, influential legal and philosophical traditions have held that all humans are fundamentally equal. Yet these claims proved surprisingly at home in a world defined by social hierarchy, political exclusion, and enslavement. In seventeenth-century England, the meaning-and practical circumstances-of equality began to change. Political philosopher Teresa Bejan traces this transformation, revealing how equality finally became a concrete and actionable political ideal.

Crucially, Bejan shows that influential early modern theorists of equality-chief among them Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and the early feminist Mary Astell-were responding to the increasingly radical visions proffered by contemporary social movements like the Levellers, Diggers, and Quakers. Inspired by the Leveller leader John Lilburne, these movements insisted that equality must be a basis on which ordinary men and women could demand to stand shoulder to shoulder with elites. These early modern activists and philosophers can still enchant us today, Bejan argues, while also helping us to restore the power of equality as a political ideal.

This book offers a multidisciplinary exploration of a major paradigm shift in the automotive industry: the transition from traditional system integration to dynamic ecosystem collaboration. It draws on scientific research from LocosLab GmbH and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, alongside practical insights from Deloitte's Global Automotive Practice. The book examines how automotive companies increasingly cooperate within innovation and transaction ecosystems. It explores the technical architecture of these ecosystems, including customer applications, middleware, and backend systems. Key topics include the evolution of software-defined vehicle innovation ecosystems, challenges in homologation, opportunities for business development, and the changing role of traditional OEMs. It presents the global status quo of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) ecosystems and explores their future coexistence with private car ownership, again highlighting the strategic implications for OEMs.

The book aims to provide inspiration, appeal to both academics and practitioners, and encourage collaboration between different disciplines.

This book is among the first to map out China's strategic narratives in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Recognizing that the Chinese actors involved with and influencing Chinese foreign policy has continued to grow under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the authors shed light on the nuances and variations of distinctive sources of China's foreign policy with regard to the current war in Ukraine. They empirically analyse the nuances and variations of Chinese sources of foreign policy and illuminate China's possible course of action and role in response to current and future international security crises. In particular, the book seeks to answer the following questions: What strategic narratives have China's official sources of foreign policy disseminated concerning the war in Ukraine? What do Chinese MFA, media and think tank strategic narratives reveal about China's view of, identity in relation to and potential solutions for the conflict in Ukraine? To what extent are these narratives consistent and or competitive? The research argues that China's strategic narratives project different views, values and solutions to the current war, thereby reflecting the lack of a top-down masterplan on security issues and conflicts. In turn, China's contradictory strategic narratives provide evidence that China's foreign and security policy is a work in progress, raising the necessity to acknowledge some degree of uncertainty with respect to China's future intentions.

This book brings together a collection of essays dedicated to the memory of John L. Heilbron (1934-2023), one of the foremost historians of science of his generation. Originally conceived as a Festschrift to mark his 90th birthday, it became a memorial volume following his passing. The contributors - former students, colleagues, and collaborators - reflect the breadth of Heilbron's scholarship, from the Scientific Revolution to modern physics, from Lamarck and Darwin to contemporary science writing. The essays exemplify his approach to the history of science: technically informed, contextually grounded, and attentive to language and method. Together, these studies trace the enduring influence of Heilbron's work on the practice of historiography itself. They illustrate how his legacy continues to shape new research agendas, connecting detailed historical inquiry with broader questions about knowledge, culture, and scientific understanding. This volume is both a tribute and a continuation of his intellectual project.

This book goes beyond the conventional understanding of social stratification in India. It provides a comprehensive overview of the problem of caste and subcaste discrimination, including different forms, and its impact on Dalits. It challenges the status quo and offers a vision for a more just and equitable India. It describes disparities in the economic status by discussing the empirical evidence from the field. The chapters discuss sociocultural, economic and healthcare access to marginalized social groups. It also illustrates through lived experiences and narratives how a hierarchical grouping of sub-castes is based on their perceived occupational purity. The book offers ways to address the stated challenges to achieve the goal of an inclusive society. It reflects the policy reforms that may play a role in bridging the gap within Dalits while also bridging the gap between Dalits and other sections of society. The book interests scholars and activists in understanding the complexities of social stratification, social exclusion and inclusion, vulnerability and subjectivity, marginalized sections of society and their impact on people's lives.

In an era where digital media profoundly shapes our perceptions, values, and identities, Digital Dialogues offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate relationships between media, culture, and society in the Arab region. This book delves into the multifaceted roles of new media platforms, examining how they influence public opinion, cultural representation, and social dynamics.

Bringing together contributions from leading scholars and practitioners, the book provides a rich tapestry of research and case studies that highlight the opportunities and challenges presented by digital media. It offers a nuanced understanding of how media practices are reshaping cultural narratives and influencing societal change in the Arab world.

Digital Dialogues is essential reading for students, researchers, and professionals interested in media studies, cultural studies, and communication, as well as anyone seeking to understand the transformative power of digital media in contemporary society.

The 'Technological Innovation and Sustainability for Business Competitive Advantage' series emphasises the scientific exploration of business challenges faced by organisations while offering practical solutions. By contributing to the development and enhancement of business theories and practices and by promoting scientific research in technological innovation and sustainability the volumes facilitate meaningful dialogues among academics, practitioners and individuals. Furthermore, they provide valuable recommendations for institutional improvement.

A playful and irreverent argument for-and practical guide to-writing in a rich and extraordinary style

When it comes to literary style, the commonplace wisdom of composition classrooms, newsrooms, and editorial offices has long been that less is more. Students are taught that the best prose is that which eschews ornamentation and rhetorical flourish. But what if sometimes more is more? In Praise of Purple Prose playfully and cheekily contests a century worth of convention that rejects the baroque and byzantine as "purple prose," making the case that fun and joy in language can be as important as concision and comprehension. Part style guide and part manifesto, the book rewrites the rules on writing.

Ed Simon encourages writers to embrace the extraordinary, to call upon the classical rhetorical devices, and to relish in the richness of description and the erudition of allusion. He demonstrates that serpentine syntax, eccentric diction, and idiosyncratic punctuation, when used judiciously, can express the complexity of experience, bring out the pleasures of language, and help readers develop a unique voice in a world where AI threatens to make everyone sound alike. To illustrate its arguments, the book features examples of extraordinary prose from dozens of writers, including John Donne, Virginia Woolf, Joan Didion, Salman Rushdie, Marilynne Robison, and Zadie Smith.

Playful and provocative, In Praise of Purple Prose will leave readers with a new appreciation for fancy prose and inspire writers to draw on all of the liveliest and most powerful resources of English in their work.

A compelling account of the role of asset managers in driving consolidation across the American economy, offering a bold call to revive and reinforce US antitrust and antimonopoly policy.

Recent decades have witnessed the rise of both finance and monopoly power in the United States. Although seemingly unrelated, these developments are in fact intimately linked. As Andrew McLean makes clear, asset managers-especially private equity houses and large index investors-are key contributors to the decline of competition in the American economy.

Antitrust and the Age of Asset Management explores two primary ways in which asset managers drive consolidation. First, there is the private equity practice of strategically acquiring numerous companies in a single industry. Such "roll-up" acquisitions are responsible for consolidation across many sectors, from local newspapers to ski resorts, and have been particularly prominent in healthcare, harming patients, workers, and the medical system at large. Second, a subtler form of consolidation is created by "horizontal shareholding," in which asset managers hold shares in multiple companies operating in the same market. This phenomenon has grown alongside the increasing popularity of index funds from providers such as BlackRock, Fidelity, State Street, and Vanguard, and is associated with anticompetitive effects in a range of industries, from airlines to agriculture.

McLean proposes several ambitious reforms to contest finance-led consolidation, including banning acquisitions that would give a private equity house control of more than 30 percent of a market and imposing a maximum cap on the amount of equity capital that an asset manager may manage. Highlighting the close ties between monopoly and finance, Antitrust and the Age of Asset Management is a timely addition to debates about market power and the dangers of an excessively large and influential financial sector.