Latest Book Research Articles

With and against Max Weber: A Conversation with Wendy Brown on Politics and Scholarship in Nihilistic Times

The following discussion with philosopher and political theorist Wendy Brown revisits some of the arguments of her latest book, Nihilistic Times, in the light of her larger diagnosis presented in Undoing the Demos and In the Ruins of Neoliberalism. Thinking with and against Max Weber, Wendy Brown guides us through and to ways of doing politics and conducting scholarship capable of informing world-making practices that face up to the challenges of a nihilistic world. Picking up on some topics from a previous interview, the larger questions guiding those of this interview were how to redo the demos and how to remake our world democratically. We would like to thank Wendy Brown for the generous contribution of her time.

Magic, Idleness and Comedy: Late Agamben’s Marxist Reaction to Neoliberal Political Theology

ABSTRACT This article deals with Giorgio Agamben's late work, arguing that Agamben’s trans secular critique of capitalist political theology is incepted from the historical conditions of late neoliberalism – with its focus on the personal “self” as its anchor. It suggests that to understand Agamben’s trans secular reaction to late neoliberalism we need historicized his thought. As historicized, it can reveal the dialectical limits of neoliberalism. To do so, the article reads late Agamben texts next to contemporary Marxist thinkers Alenka Zupančič and her theory of comedy, Todd McGowan and his analysis of Capitalism and desire and Sianne Ngai and her conceptualization of zaniness as the aesthetic representation of neoliberal precariousness. Moving on, the article focuses on Agamben’s late book Pulcinella. It argues that the book not only expresses the limits of neoliberalism but also uncovers hope and promises for comic theological renewal beyond neoliberalism and its cult of the self.

Von … bis, from… to: The Arc of Anthony Vidler's Architecture

Abstract Architectural historians often manifest a strong design impulse in their writing. This essay traces the theoretical arc traversing Anthony Vidler's individual essays and book projects as the parabolic imprint of his historiographic design. Based on unpublished manuscripts of the architectural historian's preliminary book outlines, drafts, and reading notes on authors such as Émile Zola, Sigmund Freud, and Georges Bataille, the article follows the route from Vidler's early research on utopia, Claude Nicholas Ledoux, and ideas of the French Enlightenment to his later books on “the architectural uncanny” and modern spatial psychopathologies in “warped space,” foregrounding the continuity of Vidler's “historical project” from the Enlightenment to the histories of twentieth-century architectural modernism. The article closes with an overview of Vidler's two latest book projects (currently unpublished), “Architecture After the Rain,” an autobiographically driven reevaluation of architectural modernism in Britain after World War II, and “Second Best Utopia,” a compilation of essays on “Utopics” from Plato to Fredric Jameson that argues for the abiding relevance of utopian ideas in the present.

Espionage and The Harming of Innocents

AbstractIn her latest book Spying Through a Glass Darkly: The Ethics of Espionage and Counter-Intelligence, Cécile Fabre suggests that the deception of third parties during an infiltration operation can be justified as a foreseen but unintended side effect. In this essay, I criticize this view. Such deception, I argue, is better justified paternalistically as a means of preventing third parties from becoming wrongful threats. In the second part of the article, I show that Fabre ignores an important moral complication in deception operations where agents intentionally allow others to be harmed as a means of protecting a secret. I argue that intentionally allowing harm to others as a means is a particularly problematic mode of agency which must be addressed in a normative account of espionage.

Prevalence of Late Antenatal Booking and its Complications at Hayatabad Medical Complex

Background: Timely initiation of prenatal care is pivotal for maternal and fetal health, facilitating the early detection and management of potential pregnancy-related complications. Despite the known benefits, late antenatal booking remains a significant challenge, potentially leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study investigates the prevalence of late antenatal booking and its associated complications, contributing to a broader understanding of its determinants and impacts. Objective: To explore the prevalence of late antenatal booking among pregnant women attending Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, and to identify the associated complications and factors contributing to late booking. Methods: This descriptive research study was conducted from August 2021 to July 2023, involving 1920 pregnant women aged 18 years and above, receiving antenatal care at the Gynaecology & Obstetric Department of Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Participants were selected through systematic sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires covering demographic information, medical history, timing of antenatal care initiation, reasons for late booking, and awareness of potential complications. Late antenatal booking was defined as the initiation of care beyond 24 weeks of gestation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, employing descriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests, or Fisher's exact tests, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The study found a late antenatal booking prevalence of 16.67%. Preterm birth occurred in 26% of cases with late booking, and low birth weight was observed in 15.9% of infants born to these women. The highest rate of late booking was among women aged 36+ (25%) and those with higher education (22.1%). Major barriers to timely antenatal care included a lack of awareness (42.5%), financial constraints (31.2%), and fear of healthcare facilities (20.9%). Conditions such as maternal anemia and hypertension were more prevalent among women with late bookings, at rates of 12.5% for hypertension and significant incidences of placental abruption and intrauterine death. Conclusion: Late antenatal booking is associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcomes, highlighting the need for targeted public health campaigns and healthcare system improvements to promote early and regular antenatal care access. Addressing educational, economic, and perceptual barriers is essential for improving prenatal care utilization.

Kekurangan Manusia Dalam Pandangan Alquran

This article was written with the aim of studying human weaknesses according to the Koran. The rules used are literary rules based on thematic interpretation (maudu'i), namely collecting verses from the Koran that talk about the same topic, then discussing them systematically. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with a library research approach. Sources of research and information in this research are the latest books, magazines and journals. The results of this research show that there is an impact of human deficiencies in the view of the Al-Qur'an which focuses on physical, intellectual, heart and lust.
  
  

Religion and economic prosperity: help or hindrance?

In the contemporary description of the impact of religiosity on social life, the dominant view is one dating back to Max Weber (+1920) on the importance of the Protestant ethic, which, while emphasizing the value of work, at the same time favors prosperity, seeing it as a sign of God's blessing. Based on these assumptions, some seem to suggest that Protestants earn more because their religiosity translates directly into increased profits in their professional work. Contemporary Polish economic philosophers Marcin Gorazda and Tomasz Kwarcinski seem to argue with this thesis in their latest book "Between Prosperity and Happiness." (Cracow 2020). In my paper, I will refer to a brief outline of the biblical context of the question of the propriety of wealth, the reasons for the New Testament warnings against the dangers of wealth, in order to refer to research highlighting the relationship between religiosity and economic success (for example, recent American research on the impact of religion on family firms). Thus, the thesis of Protestantism's favorability toward wealth (compared to Catholicism) must take into account other still other factors such as demographic or sociological.

St. Petersburg through Venetian Eyes: An Episode in Late Eighteenth-Century Book Illustration

This article analyzes a print that was published in Venice in 1797 as the opening image to a biography of Catherine II. Certainly prepared during the empress’s life, the publication appeared just months after her death in a watershed year for Europe which saw the fall of the Republic of Venice. The print imagines the moment that Peter the Great founded the new city of St. Petersburg over ninety years earlier. Through an exploration of the carefully constructed messages in the print, this paper examines the legacy of the image of Peter in Western Europe against which Catherine was understood. It considers the imagery of St. Petersburg in relation to Venice: the capitals of two empires, one in its ascendency and one at the point of collapse.

Smart Library Applications in Oman using iBeacon Technology: A Case Study

Academic universities, like other institutions, are experiencing some challenges related to the increasing progress in information and communications technology that the world is witnessing, which has had a clear impact on changing the nature and work of libraries and information centers. Smartphones are one of the most important and popular modern communications devices among users. Recently, it has witnessed increasing use of smartphone in various areas of life due to their connectivity to the Internet and the fact that their prices are affordable for everyone. With that consequences it became necessary to exploit this technology in the field of libraries to invest in exchanging information, providing various library services, and keeping up to date with the technological developments. Among a list of cutting edge technologies iBeacon is one of the modern technologies that has experienced an expansion in use on different scales recently including public library. Therefore, this study aimed to apply this iBeacon technology in the library of the University of Nizwa. Since the technology is new in Arab libraries, linking it to a smartphone application to help the users to have easy access to the location of the books on the shelves, as well as informing the user of new arrival /information that make them interested about the library. In addition to receiving notifications of upcoming activities offered by the library and the latest books that have arrived. Further, it will also reduce the burden on the employee by answering the user’s frequent questions on different library services. It will in fact, ensure the better services to the users and help the employee at the same time. Overall, this is will be an easy going path-way to achieve the required satisfaction with the library and its services from the end users and library authority. After extensive research and evaluation; in this paper; a number of suggestions has presented, such as the importance of the institution’s support for the library to adopt various modern technologies to facilitate its services and increase its efficiency through iBeacon.

Resizing Sykes: Ian O’Donnell in conversation with David Skarbek

Ian O’Donnell's latest book, Prison Life: Pain, Resistance, and Purpose, is published by New York University Press. It was welcomed by a review symposium in The Prison Journal as ‘an important new book … a catalyst for energizing sociology of punishment scholarship’ written by ‘the indisputable elder of Irish criminology’ (Gido et al., 2023: 160). Contributors to the symposium described ‘a tour de force’ (Kimmett Edgar) and ‘an impressive contribution’ (Ashley Rubin) that is ‘elegantly written and sophisticated’ (Cormac Behan) and ‘raises critical questions about penal variations in legitimacy, order, and the experience of punishment’ (Bethany Schmidt). It was hailed as ‘a fine book that illuminates essential relational dimensions of human dignity … an outstanding work from a mature and sensitive scholar who understands the complexities and rewards of writing about prisons’ (Derek Jeffreys) and ‘a gem in contemporary penological literature’ (Gorazd Mesko). The editors of Incarceration decided to mark the publication of Prison Life by commissioning a dialogue between its author and David Skarbek, a professor at Brown University who has written extensively about prison governance.

“Hydrogen Technologies”

“Hydrogen Technologies” is the latest book from the Fraunhofer-Forschungsfokus (Fraunhofer-Research focus) series published by Springer. The book has been translated into English from German and its German title is “Wasserstofftechnologien”. This translation effort follows the pattern of two of the other three books in the series: “Biological Transformation” (“Biologische Transformation”) (1) and “Digital Transformation” (“Digitalisierung”) (2).

21 perspectieven om Nederland te bekijken

The latest book by Piotr Oczko, Pocztówka z Mokum. 21 opowieści o Holandii (Postcard from Mokum, 21 stories about Holland) is a very intriguing and very personal view of the Netherlands. This view, presented in 21 essays, shows a wealth of cultural layers in the past and in modern society: from art and poetry of the Golden Age, through architecture to homosexuality. In his book, Oczko also presents his personal view of the Polish society A.D. 2021, and expresses his ‘discomfort’ about it (to use the words of Marieke Lucas Rijneveld). Oczko’s Pocztówka... is not an ‘everyday’ book. Still, it is definitely worth reading.

Environmentality of Immersive Projection

How does an artwork express an “environmentality?” Can we redefine immersion, in critical terms, as a form of environmental projection? In taking up such questions from my latest book, Atmospheres of Projection: Environmentality in Art and Screen Media, my text addresses the relation between projection and environmentality in the visual arts in order to question immersivity. Confronted with the phenomenon of environmentalization, we need to re-imagine the ecology of representation. Positing ecology as an environmental relation, I will consider its artistic imagination both historically and theoretically. I propose that we revisit the environmentality of media archaeology to understand how this impulse is furthered in current moving-image projections in the art gallery that call themselves immersive. I will especially address environmentality as it relates to movement and scale, questioning the relation between immersion and magnification. I will advance my argument by presenting the large-scale moving-image installations of the Danish-born, New York artist Jesper Just. Does magnification always, only imply spectatorial immersion? Other forms of experience arise when confronting an ecology of scale in art. What else happens when we scale? Can immersion be understood, more critically, as a form of environmental absorption? In recasting immersion in environmental terms, I propose that we consider absorption as empathic projection with space. In shifting from the human subject’s own immersive identification to this critically aware, enveloping field of empathic projection with the non-human, we can discard the prevalent human-centric position that pervades most immersive discourses. A different ecology of immersivity rises to the surface by relating the empathic “projective imagination” to “atmospheric thinking.”

Tragiczni realiści. Środowisko „Buntu Młodych” i „Polityki” w monografii Macieja Zakrzewskiego „Rewolucja konserwatywna – przypadek polski. Myśl polityczna środowiska »Buntu Młodych« i »Polityki« 1931–1939, Kraków 2021, ss. 626

Maciej Zakrzewski’s latest book on the political thought of the “Bunt Młodych” (“Young Rebellion”) and “Polityka” (“Politics”) circles is an important event in the Polish historiography of recent history. It concerns an ideological group, putting forward bold and original concepts of the political system, as well as those concerning foreign and minority policy. Zakrzewski presents all these issues in a competent and at the same time thought-provoking manner.

Extended Review of Political Choreographies, Decolonial Theories, Trans Bodies

This article offers a comprehensive review of Political Choreographies, Decolonial Theo-ries, Trans Bodies, the latest book, a volume edited by Marina Gržinić and Jovita Pristovšek in intensive collaboration with Nomusa Makhubu and Tjaša Kancler, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in 2023. This volume takes as its starting point the body as a structural signifier, which is conceptualized in seven chapters. Each of them addresses the question of movement, politics, revolt, action, etc., in a variety of ways to de-link ourselves (especially us Whites) from colonial modernity as the organizing principle not only of capitalism but of a whole range of processes that emanate from modernity, i.e., forms of domination and oppression such as racism, sexism, Eurocentrism, and environmental destruction. What makes this book special, however, is not only the positions presented but also the way in which they are presented. Each conversation begins with a carefully selected starting point, linked to the interlocutor’s* work and accompanied by a rich citation system of references and additional information. This opens up the formation of epistemic counter-narratives that confront the violent history of capitalism and form possibilities for yet unidentified bodies, movements, politics, and political action as future potentialities.

God and Gaia: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet

GOD AND GAIA: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet by Michael S. Northcott. New York: Routledge, 2023. 271 pages. Paperback; $40.00. ISBN: 9780367627744. *Biodiversity loss, water pollution, and declining soil health are major indicators of the ecological crisis facing our planet today. Science can be consulted to address these issues; however, as Michael Northcott argues in his latest book, God and Gaia: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet, unless science resists its scientism it will only exacerbate the current ecological crisis. *Northcott, an ordained Anglican priest and Professor Emeritus of Ethics at the University of Edinburgh, has written extensively on environmental issues.1 In God and Gaia, Northcott explores the Gaia theory of James Lovelock--that "the Earth and her creatures are active agents in the generation of conditions which make the Earth habitable for Life" (p. 2)--from a religious ethics perspective. In effect, "God" in the book title does not indicate that the author will be taking a specifically Christian angle on the Gaia theory, but rather taking something more akin to a comparative religions approach. The book is a collection of previously published papers along with new material curated into eight chapters, each with its own abstract and notes section. This arrangement, along with chapter subheadings, aids the reader in following along with Northcott's exploration of the Gaia theory. Northcott draws from a variety of published sources, along with his diverse experiences in Borneo, to get his main points across regarding the dangers of scientism in contrast to the restorative powers of Gaia. *Scientism, the condition in which only knowledge gained from observations is considered true, is an ideology that has created, according to Northcott, a "bifurcation between nature and culture." Northcott provides a history of scientism describing how, following the European enlightenment, anything that was not measurable tended to be viewed with suspicion by many in the West. He elaborates that scientific reductionism led to a top-down approach where the "rights of corporate agents trump the rights of people and species to stable and safe habitats" (p. 157). Northcott uses the example of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to demonstrate the full potential of scientism and its globalist and technocratic top-down control. Here, Northcott's one-sided argument regarding the benefits of ivermectin, the ineffectiveness of vaccines, the dangers of lockdowns, and the evils of the United Nations may distract readers from his intent of describing top-down control. *In contrast to scientism and its top-down control, Northcott recommends a Gaian approach to addressing the ecological crisis. While God and Gaia is not an introductory textbook, it does provide a thorough overview of the theory and its history. With an understanding of the Gaia theory in place, Northcott focuses on connections between Gaia and Hindu, Taoist, and Christian religious traditions. For Northcott, the Gaia theory can be interpreted as a rediscovery of beliefs held by earlier faith traditions. With great respect, he demonstrates how the Vedic Trinity and the Tao have parallels with Gaia theory's emphasis on the agency of all organisms. Northcott then eloquently demonstrates that medieval Christianity also emphasized the sense of agency in all organisms. Northcott, drawing on philosophers such as Seyyed Hossein Nasr, explains that most western Christians are unaware of the sacred cosmology of their tradition and its emphasis on the agency of being. For the betterment of the planet, Northcott urges religious traditions "to make more prominent in their liturgies the symbiotic relations between humans and other animals which for most of human history has been central to their mutual flourishing" (p. 261). *Overall, God and Gaia does an excellent job of contrasting the current approach of scientism versus the moral and spiritual Gaian philosophy to address the ecological crisis. Northcott is calling for a revival of core aspects of human traditions which modern secular science and philosophy have diminished. This Gaian revival recognizes the agency of all of Earth's systems. Although the Gaian revival and its earth-centered philosophy deviates from a distinctly Christian approach to creation care, readers should find some comfort in this revival as it shows that we are not alone in our efforts to restore the ecological integrity of the Earth. *Note *1See Michael S. Northcott, The Environment and Christian Ethics (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996); ------, A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming (London, UK: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2007); and ------, A Political Theology of Climate Change (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013). *Reviewed by Bruce Friesen-Pankratz, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Natural and Social Science Department, Providence University College, Otterburne, MB R0A 1G0.

Interview with Dr. Michele Meek on Her Recent Book Consent Culture and Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies

In this interview with Dr. Michele Meek on her latest book, Consent Culture and Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies, the author and subject start by exploring a common theme in Dr. Meek’s work: consent. Dr. Meek explains her inspiration for the book and the driving forces behind the subject matter. They discuss the intricacies of consent in media, specifically youth-centric media, and how filmmakers can offer youth more agency in regard to their depiction in film. Finally, they discuss Dr. Meek’s latest short film, Bay Creek Tennis Camp, and how the process for creating this film incorporates many of the recommendations she offers to other filmmakers.

An Overview of Ashwagola: Plantago Ovata

Abstract: The main aim of the study was to review different aspects of Ashwagola- Plantago ovata together with its morphology, pharmacological and therapeutic attributes. Ashwagola commonly known as Isabgol belongs to Plantaginaceae family. It is a native of Persia and has not been described in any of the Nighantus. Latest books like Ayurveda vijnana, Shaligrama nighantu and Siddha bheshaja manimala have delineated it. Due to western lifestyle, constipation is seen to be a major concern in majority of the individuals and Isabgol known for its bulk forming laxative action can be used in a daily regime for effective management of the same. Further it is having gunakarmas like madhura, kashaya rasa, madhura vipaka, sheeta virya, guru, snigdha, picchila guna, ishat vatakrit kaphapittahrut, trushnadahahara, graahi, balya, jwaraghna, mutrala, adhmanahara karma and can be used for the management of raktaatisara, raktapitta, trushna, daha etc. Although numerous studies regarding Ashwagola are available, there still lies a scope for the evaluation and analysis of this topic.

Substantiating Denial of Intellectual Property Protection for Immoral Works and Inventions: A Review of the Latest Book by Ned Snow

Substantiating Denial of Intellectual Property Protection for Immoral Works and Inventions: A Review of the Latest Book by Ned Snow

Teaching Entrepreneurship to Postgraduates

​Teaching, Entrepreneurship and Postgraduate, separately and collectively embrace very broad areas, so based only on the title of Colin Jones’ latest book, exactly what you are going to get with this monograph is anyone’s guess. Jones’ focus is on the one hand very narrow and specific (mature post-graduate students studying a business school entrepreneurship programme) while simultaneously he espouses his generic teaching philosophy for guiding students in ‘World 2.0’.