Juergensmeyer’s book is something of a Gandhian tour de force—a careful analysis and series of applications of Gandhi’s concept of satyagraha to everyday situations of conflict. A crisply written and cogently argued little manual, this book explores the practical implications of satyagraha (truth force). It is a manual of instruction in the best sense: a popular reassessment of Gandhian c…
This book is an official publication providing an overview of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). It includes information on the history, political system, economic development, culture, and social life of North Korea in the 1980s. Published by Korea Pictorial in Pyongyang, the book is designed to introduce the DPRK to the international community through textual descriptions and i…
This work presents the ideological principles, policies, and strategic viewpoints of Kim Jong Il regarding the building and strengthening of the socialist cause in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Published in 1999 by the Foreign Languages Publishing House in Pyongyang, the book outlines the theoretical foundations of socialism, the role of leadership, and the tasks necessary to ens…
This volume presents a collection of classic short stories by Lu Xun (Lu Hsun), one of the most influential writers in modern Chinese literature. Written during the early 20th century, Lu Xun’s stories explore the social hardships, moral struggles, and cultural transformations experienced by the Chinese people during a period of national upheaval. Through incisive satire, vivid characterizati…
Mandelbaum analyzes the caste system, the role of kinship networks, and the relationships between and within jatis (caste groups). He shows that the Indian social system, though very old and seemingly rigid, actually possesses powerful psychological and cultural dynamics particularly in family structure and the sense of belonging among its members.
"Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis?" "The story of that transformation is told here by Lee Kuan Yew. Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism, the devastation of the Second World War, and general poverty and disorder following the withdr…
G. R. Madan's Changing Patterns of Indian Villages is a profound sociological and demographic study of the transformation of rural society in India during the post-independence period through the mid-20th century. Madan explores how old social structures—such as caste, rural family structure, and agrarian relations—evolved and adapted under the pressures of modernization, land reform, and l…
V. S. Naipaul's India: A Wounded Civilization is both a personal reflection and a trenchant analysis of India, written after his visit to the country in 1975 during the Emergency. Naipaul examines India's complex history, religion, and social structure, arguing that centuries of foreign rule have left deep psychological and cultural scars. He depicts a nation grappling with poverty, disillusion…
Of course, they will tell you about the sun and the golden beaches fringed with foam, the refreshing and fragrant breeze known locally as the “alizé,” and the coves filled with birds and flowers, where adventurers and poets alike can find their sweet spot. What they don't tell you is that there is above all plenty of sunshine in the hearts of the women and men of this country, which is s…
Only one Western writer has ever been able to capture fully the spirit of the delightful inhabitants of Burma. Whether describing the childbirth rates, the function of the astrologers in Burmese society, or the Buddhist precepts by which the good Burman lives, "Shway Yoe" ―the pseudonym of Sir J. George Scott, K.C.I.E., a British civil servant who spent more than thirty years in Burma―fills…