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  How We Think - Digital Media and...

  N. Katherine Hayles

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  “How do we think?” N. Katherine Hayles poses this question at the beginning of this bracing exploration of the idea that we think through, with, and alongside media. As the age of print passes and new technologies appear every day, this proposition has become far more complicated, particularly for the traditionally print-based disciplines in the humanities and qualitative social sciences. With a rift growing between digital scholarship and its print-based counterpart, Hayles argues for contemporary technogenesis—the belief that humans and technics are coevolving—and advocates for what she calls comparative media studies, a new approach to locating digital work within print traditions and vice versa.Hayles examines the evolution of the field from the traditional humanities and how the digital humanities are changing academic scholarship, research, teaching, and publication. She goes on to depict the neurological consequences of working in digital media, where skimming and scanning, or “hyper reading,” and analysis through machine algorithms are forms of reading as valid as close reading once was. Hayles contends that we must recognize all three types of reading and understand the limitations and possibilities of each. In addition to illustrating what a comparative media perspective entails, Hayles explores the technogenesis spiral in its full complexity. She considers the effects of early databases such as telegraph code books and confronts our changing perceptions of time and space in the digital age, illustrating this through three innovative digital productions—Steve Tomasula’s electronic novel, TOC; Steven Hall’s The Raw Shark Texts; and Mark Z. Danielewski’s Only Revolutions. Deepening our understanding of the extraordinary transformative powers digital technologies have placed in the hands of humanists, How We Think presents a cogent rationale for tackling the challenges facing the humanities today.

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  Feudalism - The Structure of...

  Harris Ropes

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  Feudalism emerged in Western Europe as a response to the collapse of centralized authority following the fall of the Roman Empire. As Roman institutions crumbled in the 5th century, Europe descended into a period of instability and fragmentation. Without the protection and infrastructure once provided by Rome, people turned to local leaders for safety and organization. These leaders—often wealthy landowners or military figures—became the foundation of a new social and political structure that emphasized land ownership, loyalty, and mutual obligation. 
  The early roots of feudal practices can be traced to the relationships that formed during this chaotic period. In the absence of a strong central government, powerful individuals began offering protection to those around them in exchange for service or labor. Over time, this informal system developed into a structured hierarchy, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Lords granted land, known as fiefs, to their vassals, who in return pledged loyalty and military support. This mutual dependency became the backbone of medieval society and formalized the relationships that had organically formed during the earlier periods of uncertainty. 
  Localized power became the defining feature of feudal Europe. With no single empire to unify the continent, authority became decentralized. Kings often ruled in name only, while real control rested in the hands of regional lords and nobles. These lords governed their own territories, enforced laws, and maintained private armies. In turn, they depended on the support of lesser vassals and knights, who managed smaller portions of land and fulfilled military duties. This layered structure ensured that each level of society relied on those above and below, creating a rigid yet stable social order.

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  Disposable Domestics - Immigrant...

  Grace Chan

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  The book that “has helped to make transnational analyses of reproductive labor central to our understanding of race and gender in the twenty-first century” (Angela Y. Davis, author of Freedom Is a Constant Struggle). Illegal. Unamerican. Disposable. In a nation with an unprecedented history of immigration, the prevailing image of those who cross our borders in search of equal opportunity is that of a drain. Grace Chang’s vital account of immigrant women—who work as nannies, domestic workers, janitors, nursing aides, and homecare workers—proves just the opposite: the women who perform our least desirable jobs are the most crucial to our economy and society. Disposable Domestics highlights the unrewarded work immigrant women perform as caregivers, cleaners, and servers and shows how these women are actively resisting the exploitation they face.“As timely and relevant now as it was when it was first written . . . reveals a long history of collusion between the U.S. government, the IMF and World Bank, corporations, and private employers to create and maintain a super-exploited, low-wage, female labor force of caregivers and cleaners.” —Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Hammer and Hoe“Grace Chang’s nuanced analysis of our immigration policy and the devastating consequences of global capitalism captures the experiences of poor immigrant women of color. Disposable Domestics reveals how these women, servicing the economy as domestics, nannies, maids, and janitors, are vilified by politicians and the media.” —Mary Romero, author of The Maid’s Daughter“Refusing to segregate people, places, or processes, Disposable Domestics reorganizes our capacity to think powerfully about the world in which the struggle for social justice is too often imperiled by certain kinds of partiality.” —Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author of Change Everything

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  Male elementary school teacher

  PBS NewsHour

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  Men are a rarity in early education, a fact of which second grade teacher Harold Johnson has taken full advantage: In a job traditionally held by women, Johnson’s gender has been an asset. Economics correspondent Paul Soloman talks to him about why he became an elementary school teacher despite the cultural stigma.

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  The Manipulation Defense -...

  John D. Kody

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  Embark on a transformative journey with "The Manipulation Defense: Strategies to Arm and Defend Yourself Against People Who Try to Manipulate You," your ultimate guide to recognizing, resisting, and reclaiming control from manipulative influences in every corner of your life. 
  Delve into the nuanced dynamics of intimate relationships, uncovering the covert tactics used to erode your autonomy and learning the art of resilience against these subtle invasions. Navigate the treacherous waters of social and digital media, where manipulation often hides behind a veneer of connection, equipping yourself with critical discernment skills to separate genuine interactions from deceptive facades. 
  Dissect the insidious influence of advertising, exploring how manipulators skillfully play on your emotions and desires to shape your decisions and opinions. Penetrate the smoke and mirrors of political manipulation, gaining the insight needed to see through strategic narratives and resist the sway of hidden persuaders. 
  Yet, this book doesn't stop at exposure. It delves into the harrowing transformation of manipulation into emotional abuse, providing a lifeline of understanding, expert analysis, and real-life stories of resilience and empowerment. It guides you through a journey of healing and recovery, helping you to rebuild trust, establish firm boundaries, and cultivate a robust support network to shield against future manipulation. 
  But introspection is key. Reflect on your own behaviors and tendencies, ensuring you not only shield yourself from manipulation but also remain vigilant against unconsciously adopting manipulative habits. This book is your beacon, illuminating the path through the murky waters of manipulation and leading you towards authentic connections and a life of integrity.

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  Last of the Lancasters

  Martin W. Bowman

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  'The Lancasters looked like enormous deadly black birds going off into the night; somehow they looked different when they came back. The planes carried from this field 117,000 pounds of high explosives and the crews flew all night to drop the load as ordered. Now the trains would not run between France and Italy for a while, not on those bombed tracks anyhow. Here are the men who did it, with mussed hair and weary faces, dirty sweaters under their flying suits, sleep-bright eyes, making humble comradely little jokes and eating their saved-up chocolate bars'  Martha GellhornThis riveting and highly intriguing collection of pilot and civilian reminiscences works to commemorate the spirit of the almighty Lancaster bomber. Each chapter is dedicated to a unique individual or group of individuals who took part in its history in some capacity. Be they pilot, civilian, or journalist, each played their own part and their accounts offer a host of fascinating insights. Episodes featured include the battle for Munich and the Nuremburg and Berlin Raids. Stories of PoWs downed in their Lancasters and captured in enemy territory also feature, communicating a real sense of peril experienced behind enemy lines. Two sections of fascinating black and white photographs supplement and complete this trawl through the history of the Lancaster bomber and the men and women who witnessed its glory days.

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