Voice and Agency

Download Voice and Agency PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464803595
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Voice and Agency by : Jeni Klugman

Download or read book Voice and Agency written by Jeni Klugman and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-09-29 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The 2012 report recognized that expanding women's agency - their ability to make decisions and take advantage of opportunities is key to improving their lives as well as the world. This report represents a major advance in global knowledge on this critical front. The vast data and thousands of surveys distilled in this report cast important light on the nature of constraints women and girls continue to face globally. This report identifies promising opportunities and entry points for lasting transformation, such as interventions that reach across sectors and include life-skills training, sexual and reproductive health education, conditional cash transfers, and mentoring. It finds that addressing what the World Health Organization has identified as an epidemic of violence against women means sharply scaling up engagement with men and boys. The report also underlines the vital role information and communication technologies can play in amplifying women's voices, expanding their economic and learning opportunities, and broadening their views and aspirations. The World Bank Group's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity demand no less than the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys, around the world." -- Publisher's description.

The Vulnerable Empowered Woman

Download The Vulnerable Empowered Woman PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
ISBN 13 : 0813554020
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (135 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Vulnerable Empowered Woman by : Tasha N. Dubriwny

Download or read book The Vulnerable Empowered Woman written by Tasha N. Dubriwny and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2012-11-14 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The feminist women’s health movement of the 1960s and 1970s is credited with creating significant changes in the healthcare industry and bringing women’s health issues to public attention. Decades later, women’s health issues are more visible than ever before, but that visibility is made possible by a process of depoliticization The Vulnerable Empowered Woman assesses the state of women’s healthcare today by analyzing popular media representations—television, print newspapers, websites, advertisements, blogs, and memoirs—in order to understand the ways in which breast cancer, postpartum depression, and cervical cancer are discussed in American public life. From narratives about prophylactic mastectomies to young girls receiving a vaccine for sexually transmitted disease, the representations of women’s health today form a single restrictive identity: the vulnerable empowered woman. This identity defuses feminist notions of collective empowerment and social change by drawing from both postfeminist and neoliberal ideologies. The woman is vulnerable because of her very femininity and is empowered not to change the world, but to choose from among a limited set of medical treatments. The media’s depiction of the vulnerable empowered woman’s relationship with biomedicine promotes traditional gender roles and affirms women’s unquestioning reliance on medical science for empowerment. The book concludes with a call to repoliticize women’s health through narratives that can help us imagine women—and their relationship to medicine—differently.

Technology and Women's Empowerment

Download Technology and Women's Empowerment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 9781003045946
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (459 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Technology and Women's Empowerment by : Ewa Lechman

Download or read book Technology and Women's Empowerment written by Ewa Lechman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-08 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The near-ubiquitous spread of ICT offers unprecedented opportunities for social and economic agents, reshapes social and economic structures and drives the emergence of socioeconomic networks. This book contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge, offering the reader broad evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women's economic and social empowerment and hence have an impact on overall welfare creation. More specifically, it concentrates on demonstrating how ICT may become "empowering technologies" through their implementation. The book is designed to provide deep insight into the theoretical and empirical evidence on ICT as a significant driver of women`s social and economic development. Special focus is given to examining the following broad topics: channels of ICT impact on women's development; the role of ICT in enhancing women's active participation in formal labor markets; examples of how ICT encourages education, skills development, institutions development et alia, and thus contributes to women's social and economic empowerment, as well as case-based evidence on ICT's role in fostering women's equality. The primary audience for the book will be scholars and academic professionals from a wide variety of disciplines but mainly those who are concerned with addressing the issues of economic development and growth, social development, the role of technology progress in the context of broadly defined socioeconomic progress. Chapters 1 and 3 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

African Women and ICTs

Download African Women and ICTs PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : IDRC
ISBN 13 : 1848131925
Total Pages : 234 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (481 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis African Women and ICTs by : Ineke Buskens

Download or read book African Women and ICTs written by Ineke Buskens and published by IDRC. This book was released on 2009-04 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the outcome of an extensive research project, this book features chapters based on original primary field research undertaken by academics & activists who have investigated situations within their own communities & countries.

A Woman's Guide to Claiming Space

Download A Woman's Guide to Claiming Space PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1523092750
Total Pages : 342 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (23 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Woman's Guide to Claiming Space by : Eliza VanCort

Download or read book A Woman's Guide to Claiming Space written by Eliza VanCort and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. This book was released on 2023-02-21 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For too long, women have been told to confine themselves-physically, socially, and emotionally. Eliza VanCort says now is the time for women to stand tall, raise their voices, and claim their space. Women fight the pressure to make themselves small in private, professional, and public spaces. VanCort, a teacher, consultant, and speaker, provides the necessary tools for women to rewrite the rules and create the stories of their choosing safely and without apology. VanCort identifies the five key behaviors of all Space-Claiming Queens: use your voice and posture to project confidence and power, end self-sabotage, forge connections, neutralize unsafe spaces, and unite across differences. Through personal narrative, research, and actionable strategies, VanCort provides how-tos on combating challenges, such as antimentors and microaggressions, and gives advice for building up your old girls club, asking for what you're worth, and owning your space without apology. Bold, fun, and enlightening, this book is birthed from VanCort's incredible story. Having a mother with schizophrenia forced VanCort to learn to be small and invisible at an early age, and suffering a traumatic brain injury as an adult required her to rethink communication from the ground up. Drawing on these experiences, and those of real women everywhere, VanCort empowers women to claim space for themselves and for their sisters with courage, empathy, and conviction because when we rise together, we rise so much higher.

Information and Communication Technologies for Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment

Download Information and Communication Technologies for Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 0821381342
Total Pages : 99 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (213 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Information and Communication Technologies for Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment by : Samia Melhem

Download or read book Information and Communication Technologies for Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment written by Samia Melhem and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2009-10-02 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews how women in the developing world access and use information and communication technology (ICT). It examines the discourse and controversies surrounding the digital gender divide, including links to poverty and illiteracy. Major themes concerning women and ICTs are explored, such as women in the ICT workforce, how girls and women relate differently to ICT, and opportunities and barriers for women in science and technology in general. Current research relating to gender and ICT is often country-specific and is more prevalent in developed countries than in developing countries. This paper suggests where additional research is needed on barriers to women s entry and access to ICT. The overall objective of this paper is to influence policy dialogue around women and ICT for development by raising awareness of the digital gender divide. Economic opportunity for women in ICT will not be realized until policies address gender considerations and ensure that ICT investment contributes to more sustainable and equitable development.

Women, Power, and Ethnicity

Download Women, Power, and Ethnicity PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317957024
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (179 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women, Power, and Ethnicity by : Patricia S.E. Darlington

Download or read book Women, Power, and Ethnicity written by Patricia S.E. Darlington and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Powerful women aren't just men walking around in dresses! As women continue to assume positions of social leadership in increasing numbers, the dynamics of the social construction of power need to be examined. Have women adopted traditionally male patterns of behavior in an effort to gain and maintain power in business, industry, politics, academics, etc.? And if not, what kind of power are women practicing? The authors of Women, Power, and Ethnicity: Working Toward Reciprocal Empowerment endeavored to find out by conducting a research study on how women from various racial and ethnic backgrounds compare and contrast the attributes associated with existing power paradigms (traditional, empowerment, personal authority) with an alternate model of power--reciprocal empowerment. Reciprocal empowerment is a discursive and behavioral style of interaction grounded in reciprocity initiated by people who feel a sense of personal authority. Reciprocal empowerment enables people with mutual self-interests to rise above obstacles based on social and political structures and to use personal authority to discuss and act on issues openly and honestly in order to effect change. Using a qualitative methodology, Women, Power, and Ethnicity includes the results of surveys and interviews with women from seven different ethnic groups in the United States to determine if the concept or reciprocal empowerment resonates with them. The answer: Yes! Women, Power, and Ethnicity is organized by surveys and interview findings on women from seven cultural groups living in the United States (African, Asian, Caribbean, European, Latin, Middle Eastern, Native American). Each chapter includes: analyses of ethnographic findings, surveys, and interviews concise historical information effects of immigration, where applicable tables and diagrams direct quotes and much more! Women, Power, and Ethnicity examines women's attitudes toward power in several social forums--home, job, religion, politics, and society in general. The book is an essential resource for teachers and students of communication studies, women studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, and social sciences.

The Handbook of Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights

Download The Handbook of Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119800714
Total Pages : 437 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (198 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Handbook of Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights by : Margaret Gallagher

Download or read book The Handbook of Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights written by Margaret Gallagher and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2023-10-09 with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A timely feminist intervention on gender, communication, and women’s human rights The Handbook on Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights engages contemporary debates on women’s rights, democracy, and neoliberalism through the lens of feminist communication scholarship. The first major collection of its kind published in the COVID-19 era, this unique volume frames a wide range of issues relevant to the gender and communication agenda within a human rights framework. An international panel of feminist academics and activists examines how media, information, and communication systems contribute to enabling, ignoring, questioning, or denying women's human and communication rights. Divided into four parts, the Handbook covers governance and policy, systems and institutions, advocacy and activism, and content, rights, and freedoms. Throughout the text, the contributors demonstrate the need for strong feminist critiques of exclusionary power structures, highlight new opportunities and challenges in promoting change, illustrate both the risks and rewards associated with digital communication, and much more. Offers a state-of-the-art exploration of the intersection between gender, communication, and women's rights Addresses both core and emerging topics in feminist media scholarship and research Discusses the vital role of communication systems and processes in women's struggles to claim and exercise their rights Analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated structures of inequality and intensified the spread of disinformation Explores feminist-based concepts and approaches that could enrich communication policy at all levels Part of the Global Handbooks in Media and Communication Research series, TheHandbook of Gender, Communication, and Women's Human Rights is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in media studies, communication studies, cultural studies, journalism, feminist studies, gender studies, global studies, and human rights programs at institutions around the world. It is also an invaluable resource for academics, researchers, policymakers, and civil society and human rights activists.

Cinderella Or Cyberella?

Download Cinderella Or Cyberella? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Kumarian Press
ISBN 13 : 1565492196
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (654 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Cinderella Or Cyberella? by : Nancy J. Hafkin

Download or read book Cinderella Or Cyberella? written by Nancy J. Hafkin and published by Kumarian Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cinderella or Cyberella: what is the future for women in the knowledge society? Cyberella is fluent in the uses of technology, comfortable using and designing computer technology, and working in virtual spaces. Cinderella works in the basement of the knowledge society with little opportunity to reap its benefits. Promoting women’s empowerment through ICTs is one of the critical development challenges of the 21st century. Nancy Hafkin and Sophia Huyer, acknowledged as leading scholars on gender and information technology, have assembled a stellar group of authors for this collection. Each essay in the collection depicts ways in ICTs provide opportunities for women to improve their incomes, gain awareness of their rights, and improve their own and their families’ well-being. Illustrative case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America, show the global possibilities for women’s empowerment through ICTs. Other Contributors: Sonia N. Jorge, Shafika Isaacs, Shoba Arun, Richard Heeks, Sharon Morgan, Maria Garrido, Raul Roman, and Vikas Nath.

Women's Empowerment for a Sustainable Future

Download Women's Empowerment for a Sustainable Future PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3031259246
Total Pages : 754 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (312 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women's Empowerment for a Sustainable Future by : Claude-Hélène Mayer

Download or read book Women's Empowerment for a Sustainable Future written by Claude-Hélène Mayer and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-07-08 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume focuses on women’s empowerment for a sustainable future. It takes cultural and transcultural and positive psychology perspectives into consideration and explores the topic of women’s empowerment from diverse stances, across social strata, cultural divides as well as economic and political divisions. It addresses the critique of the overly Western focus of positive psychology on this topic by adopting a transnational and transcultural lens, and by taking non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) samples into in-depth consideration. The chapters therefore focus on women from diverse socio-cultural, political, socio-economic backgrounds and discuss their ways of empowering others and being empowered. They also discuss related positive psychology constructs, such as: coping, resilience, transformation, growth, leadership, creativity, identity development, sustainable action, as well as positive socio-economic, political and eco-sustainable thought and action. The volume as a whole looks at women's leadership as a factor of empowerment. A further fundamental assumption is that women’s empowerment is needed to create a sustainable future at micro-, meso- and macro levels, which presumes safety, peace, ecological considerations, and compassionate leadership.

Seeking Equity for Women in Journalism and Mass Communication Education

Download Seeking Equity for Women in Journalism and Mass Communication Education PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1135624003
Total Pages : 483 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (356 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Seeking Equity for Women in Journalism and Mass Communication Education by : Ramona R. Rush

Download or read book Seeking Equity for Women in Journalism and Mass Communication Education written by Ramona R. Rush and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2013-04-03 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume concentrates on the study and efforts of women and minority men to gain respect and parity in journalism and mass communication, and focuses on trends over the past three decades. Contributions to the volume provide a history of the equity efforts and offer updates on equity in the academy and in the professions. Theoretical and international perspectives on equity are also included, as are the concerns about equity from the new generations now coming into the profession. This anthology serves as a benchmark of women's current status in journalism and mass communication and provides a call to action for the future. As such, it is required reading for all concerned with establishing equity throughout the discipline.

Radio Activism

Download Radio Activism PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000415023
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (4 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Radio Activism by : Annette Rimmer

Download or read book Radio Activism written by Annette Rimmer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-07-27 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book draws on the narratives of women participants in community radio, using intersectionality, feminist, critical psychological and community development frameworks to explore how this highly symbolic, creative dimension of activism can unmute marginalised women and enrich corporate media. Over a period of four years, twelve female radio project volunteers offer their experiences which they analyse, together as part of the RRG (Radio Research Group), alongside a conceptual and contextual framework to produce insights on the gendered nature of silence, voice and empowerment, and the wider potential of radio activism. Employing literature from a variety of fields, from bell hooks to Stuart Hall, the book foregrounds evidence from the majority world to argue the empowerment potential of community radio and the barriers to radio participation. Through this analysis community radio emerges as a site of development, from which diverse identities transpire through laughter, dialogue, raised consciousness and solidarity, but it also exposes the conflicts of empowerment by recognising inherent tensions in womanhood and in communities. Centering on the global, hegemonic challenge of empowering women, and relevant across multiple disciplines and professions, this is fascinating reading for academics, students and professionals in psychology, gender studies, media studies, development and related areas.

A Quick Guide to Gender Mainstreaming in Information and Communications

Download A Quick Guide to Gender Mainstreaming in Information and Communications PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Commonwealth Secretariat
ISBN 13 : 9780850926033
Total Pages : 54 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (26 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Quick Guide to Gender Mainstreaming in Information and Communications by : Joan Ross Frankson

Download or read book A Quick Guide to Gender Mainstreaming in Information and Communications written by Joan Ross Frankson and published by Commonwealth Secretariat. This book was released on 2001 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gender mainstreaming is the current international approach to promoting equality between women and men.It is based on the recognition that gender inequality operates at all levels and in all sectors of society, and thus needs to be addressed in the mainstream. It aims to ensure that women and men benefit equitably from all that society has to offer, and are equally empowered to affect its governance and decisions.The Gender Management System (GMS) is a holistic and system-wide approach to gender mainstreaming developed by the Commonwealth, for the use of governments in partnership with other stakeholders including civil society and the private sector. The GMS is a comprehensive network of structures, mechanisms and processes to enable governments and other organisations to contribute to gender equality through all policy-making, planning and activities.This Quick Guide has been produced to assist governments and other stakeholders using gender-sensitive indicators in the context of gender mainstreaming. It is an abridged version of the GMS publication Using Gender-Sensitive Indicators: A Reference Manual for Governments and Other Stakeholders.

Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment

Download Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : IGI Global
ISBN 13 : 1799828212
Total Pages : 610 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (998 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment by : Kuruvilla, Moly

Download or read book Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment written by Kuruvilla, Moly and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2020-06-12 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Globally, women are facing social, economic, and cultural barriers impeding their autonomy and agency. Accelerated women empowerment programs often fail to attain their targets as envisaged by the policymakers due to a variety of reasons, with the most prominent being the deep-rooted cultural norms ingrained within society. In the era of globalization, empowerment of women demands new approaches and strategies that encourage the mainstreaming of gender equality as a societal norm. The Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment is a critical scholarly publication that examines global gender issues and new strategies for the promotion of women empowerment and gender mainstreaming in various spheres of women’s lives, including education and ICT, economic participation, health and sexuality, mental health, aging, law and judiciary, leadership, and decision making. It provides a comprehensive coverage of all major gender issues with novel ideas on gender mainstreaming being contributed by men and women authors from multidisciplinary backgrounds. Gender perspective and intersectional approach in the discourses make this handbook a unique contribution to the scholarship of social sciences and humanities. The book provides new theoretical inputs and practical directions to academicians, sociologists, social workers, psychologists, managers, lawyers, policy makers, and government officials in their efforts at gender mainstreaming. With a wide range of conceptual richness, this handbook is an excellent reference guide to students and researchers in programs pertaining to gender/women's studies, cultural studies, economics, sociology, social work, medicine, law, and management.

The Dragonfly Effect

Download The Dragonfly Effect PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470614153
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (76 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Dragonfly Effect by : Jennifer Aaker

Download or read book The Dragonfly Effect written by Jennifer Aaker and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proven strategies for harnessing the power of social media to drive social change Many books teach the mechanics of using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to compete in business. But no book addresses how to harness the incredible power of social media to make a difference. The Dragonfly Effect shows you how to tap social media and consumer psychological insights to achieve a single, concrete goal. Named for the only insect that is able to move in any direction when its four wings are working in concert, this book Reveals the four "wings" of the Dragonfly Effect-and how they work together to produce colossal results Features original case studies of global organizations like the Gap, Starbucks, Kiva, Nike, eBay, Facebook; and start-ups like Groupon and COOKPAD, showing how they achieve social good and customer loyalty Leverage the power of design thinking and psychological research with practical strategies Reveals how everyday people achieve unprecedented results-whether finding an almost impossible bone marrow match for a friend, raising millions for cancer research, or electing the current president of the United States The Dragonfly Effect shows that you don't need money or power to inspire seismic change.

An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach

Download An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Earthscan
ISBN 13 : 1849770026
Total Pages : 377 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (497 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach by : Severine Deneulin

Download or read book An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach written by Severine Deneulin and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2009 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the publication of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sens flagship book "Development as Freedom," development has been redefined in terms of human capability and opportunity. This approach has come to underpin the United Nations Development Programs influential Human Development Reports, and has had considerable significance in both academic and policy circles.

ÒWomen Empowerment and ModernityÓ

Download ÒWomen Empowerment and ModernityÓ PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 1365136337
Total Pages : 151 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (651 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis ÒWomen Empowerment and ModernityÓ by : Dr. Ravi S. Dalawai

Download or read book ÒWomen Empowerment and ModernityÓ written by Dr. Ravi S. Dalawai and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: