How do we make sense of God's love among the urban poor, and among the rest of us who are hungry for good news in the hard and sometimes forgotten... places of our own lives? Rocke and Van Dyke invite us to discover for ourselves the unexpected nature of grace among those who have been labeled the least, last and lost-and their inextricable link to the forgotten and disturbing stories in the Bible. Graphic but never gratuitous, Rocke and Van Dyke are lyrical, poetic, irreverent, and playful. They are as rigorous in their study of applied theology as they are accessible in their storytelling. The authors share their own discovery of that which has been "hidden since the foundations of the earth," and they do it by standing with those who have stood alone, finding joy in being counted among the transgressors. They offer a new kind of orthodoxy that is as old as the gospel itself. Far from a dogmatic theology, the burden of this book is uncommonly light, but it is not without its demands. If you are up for a life-changing adventure, then get ready to "assume the risks." "In this challenging book, graceful writing meets grace-full theology. The wounds of the world cry out in poetry and poignancy; the call to care crushes complacency; places below rise to expose suffering and healing in the depths; darkness shines upon light, transforming Word and world in reading, hearing and doing." Phyllis Trible, Author of Texts of Terror "This is a beautiful book and a true book, proving again that they are the same thing! You will get to the essentials quickly here, and in a way that will change you both painlessly and painfully." Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. Author and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation

Long considered the finest collection of Louisiana folktales and customs, this book chronicles the stories and legends that have emerged from the bayou... country.

The Geography of Nowhere traces America's evolution from a nation of Main Streets and coherent communities to a land where every place is like no place... in particular, where the cities are dead zones and the countryside is a wasteland of cartoon architecture and parking lots. In elegant and often hilarious prose, Kunstler depicts our nation's evolution from the Pilgrim settlements to the modern auto suburb in all its ghastliness. The Geography of Nowhere tallies up the huge economic, social, and spiritual costs that America is paying for its car-crazed lifestyle. It is also a wake-up call for citizens to reinvent the places where we live and work, to build communities that are once again worthy of our affection. Kunstler proposes that by reviving civic art and civic life, we will rediscover public virtue and a new vision of the common good. "The future will require us to build better places," Kunstler says, "or the future will belong to other people in other societies."

This work looks at how contemporary global economic policies are made: by which institutions, under what ideologies, and how they are enforced. The... author reveals the central roles played by organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank in supervising the livelihoods of over 2.5 billion people. He shows that neoliberal economic policy is enforced by a few thousand unelected and unaccountable experts in the North and has failed to deliver tolerable living conditions for the poor. The conclusion makes a positive contribution by exploring policy alternatives that point the way forward.

From its introduction by Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu to the epilogue by the Dalai Lama, Geography of Religion encourages new understanding of the... world's great religions and of their evolution from ancient roots to vital roles in modern life. With a text as fascinating as it is authoritative; vivid photographs that evoke the reverence, rituals, and rewards of each spiritual tradition; and a rich variety of essays, sidebars, and maps, this magnificent book charts the many paths that guide us to God. Chapters on each of the 5 major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—explore the landscapes and cultures where they took hold and flourished. Eminent scholars share the faiths they live and study, revealing their sacred scriptures and rites. Every page offers new insights into religious history and doctrine, along with stunning images of believers at prayer, the holy places they cherish, and their houses of worship—from soaring cathedrals and magnificent mosques to humble shrines infused with a blessed simplicity. Fittingly, each chapter closes with a photo-essay on pilgrims and their devotional journeys—a wonderful visual reminder that no matter which faith we may embrace, we are all fellow travelers in our search for the truth. "The 200 photographs demonstrating the diversity of architecture, people, and terrain, are stunning in their beauty and simplicity." —Publishers Weekly

This book is a study of the multi-faceted aspects of the physical and human geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. An introductory book, it is designed for... those readers with little or no knowledge of geography to a variety of contemporary ideas, theories, and concepts in African geography, and their applicability to “real world” situations. Using extensive maps, photographs, and illustrations, this book covers such topics as the physical-environmental, socio-cultural, and developmental aspects of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the region's prospects for global integration. For anyone interested in African geography and its socio-political climate.

  The physical and human geography of Sub-Saharan Africa are explored with a systematic, thematic approach in this multi-faceted reference. Designed to... expose readers to a variety of contemporary ideas, theories, and concepts in African geography—and their applicability in “real world” situations—each chapter is written by an expert in the field. Key definitions and basic geographic principles are specified in each chapter, providing a more comprehensive view of the themes presented. Completely revised, this edition examines recent developments and data that are important to understanding the geography of the region. Introduction; Understanding Africa in a Global Context; The Physical Environment; Human-Environmental Impacts: Forest Degradation and Desertification; Historical Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Constraints; Political Landscape of Sub-Saharan Africa: From Instability to Democratization?; Culture, Conflict, and Change in Sub-Saharan Africa; Population Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa; Geography and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa; Transport, Communication, and Information Technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Digital Bridges Over Spatial Divides; Urban Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa; Geography, Gender, and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa; Medical Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa; Agricultural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa; Spatial Organization and Distribution of Economic Activity: Industry, and Entrepreneurshipin Africa; Looking Ahead: Prospects for Africa in a New Global Economy. A useful reference for anyone interested in learning more about current issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

In Mechanisms, Matthew Kirschenbaum examines new media and electronic writing against the textual and technological primitives that govern writing,... inscription, and textual transmission in all media: erasure, variability, repeatability, and survivability. Mechanisms is the first book in its field to devote significant attention to storage--the hard drive in particular--arguing that understanding the affordances of storage devices is essential to understanding new media. Drawing a distinction between "forensic materiality" and "formal materiality," Kirschenbaum uses applied computer forensics techniques in his study of new media works. Just as the humanities discipline of textual studies examines books as physical objects and traces different variants of texts, computer forensics encourage us to perceive new media in terms of specific versions, platforms, systems, and devices. Kirschenbaum demonstrates these techniques in media-specific readings of three landmark works of new media and electronic literature, all from the formative era of personal computing: the interactive fiction game Mystery House, Michael Joyce's Afternoon: A Story, and William Gibson's electronic poem "Agrippa."

From the author of the award-winning novels Crossing The River and Scissors, Paper, Rock comes a powerful book about the transformative power of love.... Fenton Johnson recounts the history of "how I feel in love how I came to be with someone else, how he came to death and how I helped." Johnson interweaves two stories: his own upbringing as the youngest of a Kentucky whiskey maker's nine children, and that of his lover LarD Rose, the only child of German Jews. survivors of the Holocaust.

This text is designed for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism program courses in the geography of travel and tourism. It gives a basic geographic overview... of the world and each major geographic region, providing insights about the geographic character of specific regions to show how it establishes a setting for tourism. All regions or countries have a brief overview of the cultural, physical, and tourism characteristics of the region or country. The cultural characteristics are in the form of cultural capsules pertaining to the people and some tips as to personal actions that are acceptable and others to be avoided. Following the analysis of the geographic character the text discusses the tourist attractions in each of the regions, focusing on the geographic features that are important for creating a desire to visit that region. The authors highlight the most significant attractions, which combine with the geographic facts of the region to form the uniqueness of the area for visitors. In some cases there are differences of opinions concerning which are the major attractions, but those presented in the text provide an overview of the character of each specific tourist destination region. Tourists themselves also create geography. An area with few tourists is different in character from an area with large numbers of visitors. The origin of tourists also affects the environment; as for example visitors from Great Britain create a different environment than those from France because of their differing expectations and resultant services.

The 15th Edition of H.J. deBlij and Peter Muller's Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts has been expanded and enhanced upon previous editions. This... carefully crafted text by one of the most traveled, knowledgeable and authoritative geography authors, H.J. deBlij provides a comprehensive understanding about the world with a long history of on authoritative content, outstanding cartography, currency, and comprehensive coverage, in a technology-rich package. A new online World Regional Geography program is one of many new strong and effective technologies included.New Organization! Chapters are now divided into A/B sections. Within each chapter, Part A, Defining the Realm, examines developments that unfold across the entire realm or major parts of it. In Part B, Regions of the Realm, the authors explore the regions within the realms to view developments at a finer resolution and examine the role of individual states and national cultures.New and updated content incorporated into the narrative of every chapter. Chapters 8A and 8B (South Asia), for example, now discusses recent developments in the cultural and religious conflict between Pakistan and India, as well as a more detailed discussion of economic growth and effects of globalization in South Asia.New “Voice From the Region” feature, in every chapter. Each essay showcases the local perspective of an individual who resides in the realm.Many new photographs and field notes, taken by co-author Jan Nijman while doing fieldwork.New BBC videos, which can be used as lecture-launchers in class