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Author: John P. Mason
Publisher: New Acdemia+ORM
ISBN: 195583511X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 318
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Book Description
A social anthropologist recounts his time living and working in the Middle East. In Left-Handed in the Islamic World, the author, a social anthropologist, shares stories of Arabs he met and lived with, covering a period from 1968 to 2012. Lawrence of Arabia serves as an inspiration for the journey. Throughout the book the author calls upon a significant amount of history to give a background and to contextualize the stories. The stories describe the social lives of Arabs in a variety of places, those living in an oasis village, others in a mid-sized city, and yet others in a major metropolis. Some of the places are conflict or post-conflict zones. One is in a state of war. The countries include Libya and Egypt for longer periods and many other Arab countries for shorter visits. In most of the stories, the Arabs are Muslims, though in some they are Christians. The book presents Islam in its many shapes and different contexts. At its “best,” Islam will be seen as lived by Libyan Desert oasis villagers in creating a harmonious, well-lived life. In other cases, Islam will be glimpsed in ways not so favorable, especially in the treatment of non-Muslim Arabs living in Islamic societies. The author touches on a few theories as to why conflict is endemic to the Middle East. But none of these theories accounts fully for the recent emergence of the egregious behavior of such self-acclaimed groups as the Islamic State or ISIS, who pervert the religion to achieve their renewed Caliphate prophesies. Being left-handed in a right-handed Islamic World was for the author a metaphor for some of the complexities of living in that World as a development anthropologist, and also when developing programs as an international development consultant for firms tied to USAID and the World Bank. Stories of success and folly of such programs in the Middle East are instructive for development practitioners. The larger context raises questions about the Middle East and its perennial involvement in conflict, including the Arab-Israeli situation and the place of ISIS and al-Quaeda. “Dr. Mason’s book is just plain fun to read. It is interesting, amusing, and informative, without being annoyingly dense, complicated or tedious. It is written in a voice that is human and recognizable, candid and friendly, rather than technical and scientific. It is refreshingly accessible to a broad audience, while being equally interesting for the academic, anthropologist or students of social science, international development, or Middle Eastern studies. The book has just the right mix of personal story, situational context, cultural and historical description to paint a realistic and holistic picture of life in seemingly exotic lands, made more familiar through this narrative. It does a good job of humanizing people who may well be very different from the reader.” —Adam Koons, PhD, Applied Anthropologist, Overseas Humanitarian Assistance
Author: John P. Mason
Publisher: New Acdemia+ORM
ISBN: 195583511X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Get Book Here
Book Description
A social anthropologist recounts his time living and working in the Middle East. In Left-Handed in the Islamic World, the author, a social anthropologist, shares stories of Arabs he met and lived with, covering a period from 1968 to 2012. Lawrence of Arabia serves as an inspiration for the journey. Throughout the book the author calls upon a significant amount of history to give a background and to contextualize the stories. The stories describe the social lives of Arabs in a variety of places, those living in an oasis village, others in a mid-sized city, and yet others in a major metropolis. Some of the places are conflict or post-conflict zones. One is in a state of war. The countries include Libya and Egypt for longer periods and many other Arab countries for shorter visits. In most of the stories, the Arabs are Muslims, though in some they are Christians. The book presents Islam in its many shapes and different contexts. At its “best,” Islam will be seen as lived by Libyan Desert oasis villagers in creating a harmonious, well-lived life. In other cases, Islam will be glimpsed in ways not so favorable, especially in the treatment of non-Muslim Arabs living in Islamic societies. The author touches on a few theories as to why conflict is endemic to the Middle East. But none of these theories accounts fully for the recent emergence of the egregious behavior of such self-acclaimed groups as the Islamic State or ISIS, who pervert the religion to achieve their renewed Caliphate prophesies. Being left-handed in a right-handed Islamic World was for the author a metaphor for some of the complexities of living in that World as a development anthropologist, and also when developing programs as an international development consultant for firms tied to USAID and the World Bank. Stories of success and folly of such programs in the Middle East are instructive for development practitioners. The larger context raises questions about the Middle East and its perennial involvement in conflict, including the Arab-Israeli situation and the place of ISIS and al-Quaeda. “Dr. Mason’s book is just plain fun to read. It is interesting, amusing, and informative, without being annoyingly dense, complicated or tedious. It is written in a voice that is human and recognizable, candid and friendly, rather than technical and scientific. It is refreshingly accessible to a broad audience, while being equally interesting for the academic, anthropologist or students of social science, international development, or Middle Eastern studies. The book has just the right mix of personal story, situational context, cultural and historical description to paint a realistic and holistic picture of life in seemingly exotic lands, made more familiar through this narrative. It does a good job of humanizing people who may well be very different from the reader.” —Adam Koons, PhD, Applied Anthropologist, Overseas Humanitarian Assistance
Author: John P. Mason
Publisher: Nap/Vellum
ISBN: 9780998147710
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 286
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Book Description
This is the memoir of an American anthropologist living in the Arab world with his family. His stories derive from across a number of different societies and time frames, and bring into play the larger Middle East context from 1968 to 2012.
Author: Rik Smits
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1861899742
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306
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Book Description
Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama have both signed bills into law with their left hands. And being left-handed certainly did not hold back the artistic achievements of Michelangelo or Raphael. And the dexterous guitar playing of Jimmi Hendrix may only have been aided by his southpaw tendencies. Left-handedness, in fact, would appear to be no big deal. Yet throughout history, it has been associated with clumsiness and generally dubious personality traits like untrustworthiness and insincerity. Even the Latin word for left, sinister, has ominous connotations. In The Puzzle of Left-handedness, Rik Smits uncovers why history has been so unkind to our lefthanded forebears. He carefully puts together the pieces of the puzzle, presenting an array of historical anecdotes, strange superstitions, and weird wives’ tales. Smits explains how left-handedness continues to be associated with maladies of all kinds, including mental retardation, alcoholism, asthma, hay fever, cancer, diabetes, insomnia, depression, and criminality. Even in the enlightened twenty-first century, left-handedness still meets with opposition—including from one prominent psychologist who equates it with infantile negativism, similar to a toddler’s refusal to eat what’s on his plate, and another who claims that left-handed people have average lifespans that are nine years shorter than those who favor the right hand. As Smits reminds us, such speculation is backed by little factual evidence, and the arguments presented by proponents of right-handedness tend to be humorously absurd. The Puzzle of Left-handedness is an enlightening, engaging, and entertaining odyssey through the puzzles and paradoxes, theories and myths, of left-handed lore. Chock full of facts and fiction, it’s a book to be read with both hands.
Author: Francis Robinson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521669931
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 356
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Book Description
Islamic peoples account for one fifth of the world's population and yet there is widespread misunderstanding in the West of what Islam really is. Francis Robinson and his team set out to address this, revealing the complex and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture. As well as taking on the issues uppermost in everyone's minds, such as the role of religious and political fundamentalism, they demonstrate the importance of commerce; literacy and learning; Islamic art; the effects of immigration, exodus, and conquest; and the roots of current crises in the Middle East, Bosnia, and the Gulf. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the interaction between Islam and the West, from the first Latin translations of the Quran to the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. This elegant book deliberately sets out to dismantle the Western impression of Islam as a monolithic world and replace it with a balanced view, from current issues of fundamentalism to its dynamic culture and art. Francis Robinson is the editor of two outstanding reference works: Atlas of the Islamic World Since 1500 (Cambridge, 1982) and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India (1989).
![Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World [2 volumes] [2 volumes] PDF](https://books.google.com/books/content/images/frontcover/Y6fOEAAAQBAJ?fife=w80-h100)
Author: Alexander Mikaberidze
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1598843370
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1143
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Book Description
A reference work that thoroughly documents the extensive military history of the Islamic world between the 7th century and the present day. Military-political conflict—and the resulting factionalism, shifts in leadership, and divergent belief systems—has been a constant and crucial part of the Islamic world. In order to fully grasp the cultural, social, or political aspects of Islam in the modern world, it is necessary to comprehend the rich tapestry of Islamic history from pre-Islamic times to the present, much of which involved armed conflict. Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia provides hundreds of entries on wars, revolutions, sieges, institutions, leaders, armies, weapons, and other aspects of wars and military life, enabling readers to understand the complex role conflict has played in Islamic life throughout history and see how Islamic warfare has evolved over the centuries. This reference work covers not only the traditional Middle Eastern regions and countries but also provides relevant historical information regarding Islam in North Africa, Central Asia, Southeastern Asia, and Oceania.
Author: S. Coren
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080867219
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 595
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Book Description
Left-handedness has been shown to be a possible marker for various psychological and physical abnormalities. This book presents evidence by a number of researchers who evaluate whether there are indeed differences between left- and right-handers which extend into the broader psychological and physiological realms.Several chapters show that left-handedness is found in unexpectedly high proportions in populations that suffer from various immune deficiency diseases, in alcoholics, dyslexics, mental retardates, psychopaths and other clinical groups. The book indicates why left-handedness should be a marker for such conditions. The genetic and environmental pressures on handedness are explored. A model for pathological left-handedness is presented, along with some interesting data which suggests that left-handedness may be associated with reduced life-span. Finally, several chapters discuss the implications of handedness patterns in non-clinical populations.
Author: Amyn Sajoo
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857711555
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 346
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Book Description
What is the extraordinary text that is the Quran - and how does it relate to the life and times of the Prophet Muhammad? How did a legacy so richly varied in faith, law and civilization emerge from the message of the Revelation that came to be called 'Islam' (or submission to God's will)? This immaculately researched yet thoroughly accessible book offers a journey into the full range of experience - past and present, secular and sacred - of the diverse people and cultures of the Muslim world. Threads of continuity and change are woven through each chapter to make a coherent narrative covering a broad variety of themes and topics. Poets, cities and the architecture of mosques are as much a part of the exploration as multiple aspects of scripture, the status of women in the faith, and the emergence of a 'digital community' of believers. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, understanding what Islam is about and what Muslims believe is a vital concern across all frontiers. "A Companion to the Muslim World" is an attractive venture by distinguished scholars to contribute toward this urgent process of comprehension.
Author: Kai Hafez
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9789004116511
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272
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Book Description
The anthology is an introduction to political cultures in the Islamic world and into relations between the West and Islam. It details its analysis in country studies on Algeria, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Bosnia, Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Central Asia and Pakistan.
Author: I. C. McManus
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674016132
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 436
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Book Description
McManus considers evidence from anthropology, particle physics, the history of medicine, and the notebooks of Leonardo to answer questions like: Why are most people right-handed? Why does European writing go from left to right, while Arabic and Hebrew go from right to left? And how do we know that Jack the Ripper was left-handed?
Author: Jieun Kiaer
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1003859747
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 159
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Book Description
The Language of Asian Gestures explores Asian gestures as a non-verbal language within the context of films and dramas. This book provides a cross-cultural Asian perspective on a range of important common gestures and their meanings, covering a range of Asian regions including Korea, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Pakistan. While most studies focus on text-based communication, gestures find themselves overshadowed by text and speech. Asian gestures, too, often reside in the shadow of Eurocentric viewpoints. This book will shift this dynamic and amplify the voices that have typically been marginalised within 20th-century Eurocentric discussions. The book will be informative for students and researchers interested in Asian languages, cultures, film studies, and pragmatics. It bridges the gap between words and gestures, unveiling a world of concealed meanings and enriching our understanding of diverse forms of expression.
