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 The Inner Enemies of Democracy By Tzvetan Todorov 2014 | 200 Pages | ISBN: 0745685749 | PDF | 1 MB The political history of the twentieth century can be viewed as the history of democracy's struggle against its external enemies: fascism and communism. This struggle ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Some people think that democracy now faces new enemies: Islamic fundamentalism, religious extremism and international terrorismand that this is the struggle that will define our times. Todorov disagrees: the biggest threat to democracy today is democracy itself. Its enemies are within: what the ancient Greeks called 'hubris'.Todorov argues that certain democratic values have been distorted and pushed to an extreme that serves the interests of dominant states and powerful individuals. In the name of 'democracy' and 'human rights', the United States and some European countries have embarked on a crusade to enlighten some foreign populations through the use of force. Yet this mission to 'help' others has led to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, to large-scale destruction and loss of life and to a moral crisis of growing proportions. The defence of freedom, if unlimited, can lead to the tyranny of individuals.Drawing on recent history as well as his own experience of growing up in a totalitarian regime, Todorov returns to examples borrowed from the Western canon: from a dispute between Augustine and Pelagius to the fierce debates among Enlightenment thinkersto explore the origin of these perversions of democracy. He argues compellingly that the real democratic ideal is to be found in the delicate, ever-changing balance between competing principles, popular sovereignty, freedom and progress. When one of these elements breaks free and turns into an over-riding principle, it becomes dangerous: populism, ultra-liberalism and messianism, the inner enemies of democracy.  The History of Maxillofacial Surgery: An Evidence-Based Journey English | 2022 | ISBN: 3030895629 | 447 Pages | PDF | 17 MB The multi-authored, multi-institutional, and multi-specialty-based text is designed as a valuable resource for surgeons working on the maxillofacial region. Meant to be a clinically based history of the past, the present, and the future of the field, this is a one-of-a-kind text that will cater to a variety of professions: from oral & maxillofacial surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, otolaryngologists - head and neck surgeons, cosmetic surgeons and the general dental practitioner.  The Eco-Conscious Travel Guide: 30 European Rail Adventures to Inspire Your Next Trip by Georgina Wilson-Powell English | March 17th, 2022 | ISBN: 000842425X | 208 pages | True EPUB | 393.44 MB Whether you have a long weekend or a fortnight to spare, there are plenty of no-fly European adventures to discover.  The Decline of the Congress System: Metternich, Italy and European Diplomacy by Miroslav Šedivý 2018 | ISBN: 1784538523, 0755602250 | English | 368 pages | EPUB | 9 MB Following the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the 'Congress System' became the primary instrument of diplomacy in Europe. So central was the Austrian Chancellor Metternich to the political-legal Congress System that the period has often been referred to as the 'Age of Metternich'. In this book, Mirolsav Šedivý analyses Metternich's policy towards the pre-united Italian states from 1830 to 1848. With an emphasis on geopolitics and international law and drawing attention to the unsettled role of the Italian states within European diplomacy in the period, this book explains why the Italian peninsula never developed into the stable region that Metternich hoped to establish at the heart of the Congress System. Owing to the self-interested policies of some European Powers as well as the larger of the Italian states Metternich proved unable to bring about 'the transformation of European politics' in Italy. Using a thorough analysis of the role that Italy played in the Congress System and based on extensive research in eighteen European archives, this book explains why it was in Italy that the first war broke out after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, an event representing the first brutal blow to the Congress System.  The Dark Side of the Moon: The Making of the Pink Floyd Masterpiece By John Harris 2005 | 192 Pages | ISBN: 0306813424 | PDF | 4 MB Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) is one of the most beloved albums of all time. A sonically stunning exploration into dark themes of madness, death, anxiety, and alienation, it has sold a staggering 30 million copies worldwide, and continues to sell 250,000 copies a year. Besides being perhaps the most fully realized and elegant concept album ever recorded, The Dark Side of the Moon was also one of the most technically advanced LPs of its day. It has aged remarkably well and still sounds as contemporary and cutting edge as it did on the day it was released. A perfect blend of studio wizardry and fearless innovation, The Dark Side of the Moon is illuminated by John Harris's exploration of the band's fractured history, his narrative skill, and his deft exploration of the album's legacy, such as its massive influence on bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Drawing on original, new interviews with every member of the band-bassist and chief songwriter Roger Waters, guitarist Dave Gilmour, keyboardist Rick Wright, and drummer Nick Mason-The Dark Side of the Moon is a must-have for the millions of devoted fans who desire to know more about one of the most timeless, compelling, commercially successful, and mysterious albums ever made.  Peter Schwieger, "The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China: A Political History of the Tibetan Institution of Reincarnation" English | ISBN: 0231168527 | 2015 | 352 pages | PDF | 3 MB A major new work in modern Tibetan history, this book follows the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism's trülku (reincarnation) tradition from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, along with the Emperor of China's efforts to control its development. By illuminating the political aspects of the trülku institution, Schwieger shapes a broader history of the relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China, as well as a richer understanding of the Qing Dynasty as an Inner Asian empire, the modern fate of the Mongols, and current Sino-Tibetan relations.  The Compleat Conductor By Gunther Schuller 1998 | 592 Pages | ISBN: 0195126610 | PDF | 14 MB A world-renowned conductor and composer who has lead most of the major orchestras in North America and Europe, a talented musician who has played under the batons of such luminaries as Toscanini and Walter, and an esteemed arranger, scholar, author, and educator, Gunther Schuller is without doubt a major figure in the music world. Now, in The Compleat Conductor, Schuller has penned a highly provocative critique of modern conducting, one that is certain to stir controversy. Indeed, in these pages he castigates many of this century's most venerated conductors for using the podium to indulge their own interpretive idiosyncrasies rather than devote themselves to reproducing the composer's stated and often painstakingly detailed intentions. Contrary to the average concert-goer's notion (all too often shared by the musicians as well) that conducting is an easily learned skill, Schuller argues here that conducting is "the most demanding, musically all embracing, and complex" task in the field of music performance. Conducting demands profound musical sense, agonizing hours of study, and unbending integrity. Most important, a conductor's overriding concern must be to present a composer's work faithfully and accurately, scrupulously following the score including especially dynamics and tempo markings with utmost respect and care. Alas, Schuller finds, rare is the conductor who faithfully adheres to a composer's wishes. To document this, Schuller painstakingly compares hundreds of performances and recordings with the original scores of eight major compositions: Beethoven's fifth and seventh symphonies, Schumann's second (last movement only), Brahms's first and fourth, Tchaikovsky's sixth, Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel" and Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe, Second Suite." Illustrating his points with numerous musical examples, Schuller reveals exactly where conductors have done well and where they have mangled the composer's work. As he does so, he also illuminates the interpretive styles of many of our most celebrated conductors, offering pithy observations that range from blistering criticism of Leonard Bernstein ("one of the world's most histrionic and exhibitionist conductors") to effusive praise of Carlos Kleiber (who "is so unique, so remarkable, so outstanding that one can only describe him as a phenomenon"). Along the way, he debunks many of the music world's most enduring myths (such as the notion that most of Beethoven's metronome markings were "wrong" or "unplayable," or that Schumann was a poor orchestrator) and takes on the "cultish clan" of period instrument performers, observing that many of their claims are "totally spurious and chimeric." In his epilogue, Schuller sets forth clear guidelines for conductors that he believes will help steer them away from self indulgence towards the correct realization of great art. Courageous, eloquent, and brilliantly insightful, The Compleat Conductor throws down the gauntlet to conductors worldwide. It is a controversial book that the music world will be debating for many years to come.  The Clinician in the Psychiatric Diagnostic Process English | 2022 | ISBN: 303090430X | 238 Pages | PDF | 3 MB The vast majority of mental health clinicians and researchers rely on diagnostic systems based on operational criteria. However, in their everyday practice, many clinicians also pay attention to their own feelings or intuitions about the patient. For an even greater number of clinicians, this process may occur inadvertently. Scholars from various fields are increasingly stressing the importance of complementing the emphasis on operational criteria with thoughtful attention to the subjective and intersubjective elements involved in a thorough psychopathological evaluation.  The Chemistry of Molecular Imaging By Nicholas Long, Wing-Tak Wong 2014 | 408 Pages | ISBN: 1118093275 | PDF | 14 MB Molecular imaging is primarily about the chemistry of novel biological probes, yet the vast majority of practitioners are not chemists or biochemists. This is the first book, written from a chemist's point of view, to address the nature of the chemical interaction between probe and environment to help elucidate biochemical detail instead of bulk anatomy. * Covers all of the fundamentals of modern imaging methodologies, including their techniques and application within medicine and industry * Focuses primarily on the chemistry of probes and imaging agents, and chemical methodology for labelling and bioconjugation * First book to investigate the chemistry of molecular imaging * Aimed at students as well as researchers involved in the area of molecular imaging  Winfried Siemerling, "The Black Atlantic Reconsidered: Black Canadian Writing, Cultural History, and the Presence of the Past" English | ISBN: 0773545077 | 2015 | 560 pages | PDF | 7 MB Winner of the Gabrielle Roy Prize, Association for Canadian and Quebec Literatures (2015). |
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