San Antonio College Library

From the Publisher: In places such as Iraq or Lebanon, moving a few feet on either side of a territorial boundary can be a matter of life or death, dramatically highlighting the connections between geography and politics. This Very Short Introduction illuminates the concept of geopolitics, revealing how a country's location and size as well as its sovereignty and resources all affect how its people understand and interact with the wider world. Using...

Mainstream historical accounts of the development of capitalism describe a process which is fundamentally European - a system that was born in the mills and factories of England or under the guillotines of the French Revolution. In this groundbreaking book, a very different story is told. How the West Came to Rule offers a unique interdisciplinary and international historical account of the origins of capitalism. It argues that contrary to the dominant...

The insights, discoveries, and theories of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the past look back at critical pivots in history and then look forward at the evolving global scene.

"Spy satellites orbiting the moon. Space metals worth more than most countries' GDP. People on Mars within the next ten years. This isn't science fiction--it's reality. Humans are venturing up and out, and we're taking our competitive spirit with us. Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much the mountains, rivers, and seas have impacted civilizations around the world. It's no coincidence that Russia, China, and the USA are leading...

"Iran feels isolated and different from other countries. It is a nation or a people that wish to claim allegiance both to the ancient heritage of Persia and to its identity as a Shiite state in the midst of a hostile Arab and Sunni environment. Iranians are also more open to the outside world than any other Muslim people: a large part of its population is westernized or aspires to the 'Western way of life.' They are proud of their rich culture and...

Editors Gal Luft and Anne Korin enlist 20 leading experts to provide an overview of the world's energy system and the vulnerabilities that underlay growing concern over energy security. The book hosts a debate about resource conflicts and control, covering issues such as terrorism, maritime security, the role of multinationals and non-state actors in energy security, pathways to energy security through diversification of sources, and development of...

"In Midnight's Descendants, John Keay presents the first general history of present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and its peoples. The book examines the complex web of affiliations--of kinship, locality, language, tribe, clan, profession, and caste--that shape relations among the countries in the region. Keay argues that correlating and contrasting the fortunes of all the constituent nations since the 1947 partition affords...