In ancient China (2000-221 b.c.) elaborate bronze vessels were used for rituals involving cooking, drinking, and serving food. This fascinating book not only examines the cultural practices surrounding these objects in their original context, but it...

Foreign policy, for leftists, used to be relatively simple. They were for the breakdown of capitalism and its replacement with a centrally planned economy. They were for workers against moneyed interests and for colonized peoples against imperial (We...

Challenging the long-held assumption that American values – be they Christian or secular – are based on "Judeo-Christian" norms, this provocative study compares ancient Christian discourses on marriage and sexuality with contemporary ones, maintainin...

The work of London-based artist Mona Hatoum (b. 1952) addresses the growing unease of an ever-expanding world that is as technologically networked as it is fractured by war and exile. Best known for sculptures that transform domestic objects such as...

The rising star author of The Physics of Wall Street explores why "nothing" may hold the key to the next era of theoretical physics James Owen Weatherall's previous book, "The Physics of Wall Street", was a New York Times best-seller and named one of...

Of all the figures in the Bible, David arguably stands out as the most perplexing and enigmatic. He was many things: a warrior who subdued Goliath and the Philistines; a king who united a nation; a poet who created beautiful, sensitive verse; a loyal...

This unique guide for literate travelers in the American Southwest tells the story of fifteen iconic sites across Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, and southern Colorado through the eyes of the explorers, missionaries, and travelers who were the fi...

With tremendous speed, the Islamic State has moved from the margins to the center of life in the Middle East. Despite recent setbacks, its ability to conquer and retain huge swaths of territory has demonstrated its skillful tactical maneuvering, ambi...

Tracing the history of cottages ornes (ornamental cottages), this copiously illustrated volume offers an engaging survey of an often-overlooked architectural genre. An invention of mid-18th-century England, these cottages were designed to facilitate...

Founded in 1975, the Robbrecht en Daem architectural firm has built an extensive and impressive portfolio – architecture and infrastructure projects, interiors and landscapes – in Belgium and across Europe. What links the diverse projects designed by...