Pink Gold

A rich, long-term ethnography of women seafood traders in Mexico. The "shrimp ladies," locally known as changueras in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, sell seafood in open-air markets, forming an extralegal but key part of the economy built around this "pink gold.” Over time, they struggled to evolve from marginalized peddlers to local icons depicted in popular culture, even as they continue to work at an open-air street market. Pink Gold documents the shrimp traders' resilience and resourcefulness, from their early conflicts with the city, state, and federal authorities and forming a union, to carving out a physical space for a seafood market, and even engaging in conflicts with the Mexican military. Drawing from her two decades of fieldwork, María L. Cruz-Torres explores the inspiring narrative of this overlooked group of women involving grassroots politics, trans-border and familial networking, debt and informal economic practices, personal sacrifices, and simple courage. She argues that, amid intense economic competition, their success relies on group solidarity that creates interlocking networks of mutual trust, or confianza, that in turn enable them to cross social and political boundaries that would typically be closed to them. Ultimately, Pink Gold offers fresh insights into issues of gender and labor, urban public space, the street economy, commodities, and globalization.

In Saskatchewan, politics and potash are continuously, inextricably intertwined. The province is the largest single producer of potash on earth, accounting for about a quarter of the world's total production. The industry has played a significant role in the provincial economy for over 40 years and continues to contribute to Saskatchewan's growth. Recoverable reserves of potash are well over 100 billion tons. With global markets currently in upheaval, Potash explores the interface between politics and the industry, the question of returns to the people of the province, and considers new developments that portend changes to the existing state of affairs. Written by an insider who helped nationalize the industry in the 1970s, John Burton expertly integrates behind-the-scenes accounts of the major players, archival material, and interview sources to produce a book that "cuts through the bull" and adds to our understanding of the world's greatest fertilizer.

The tragic national epic of Polish history began in these late 18th-century wars. Under Poland's Saxon monarchy, Russia and Prussia constantly meddled in the affairs of the Kingdom. In 1768 a civil war broke out between pro-Russian 'Commonwealth' Poles and 'Confederate' patriots who opposed foreign intervention; Russia intervened directly, and the First Partition followed in 1772. Guerrilla resistance continued, and anti-Russian political moves were snuffed out by a second Russian invasion in 1792. Following a Second Partition between Russia and Prussia in 1793, Poland's national hero Thaddeus Kosciusko led a national uprising against the invaders in April 1794. After remarkable victories against the odds at Raclawice and Warsaw, the patriots were finally defeated by the combined armies of Prussia and Russia at Maciejowice. This led to the Third Partition of 1795, between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, and Poland ceased to exist as a political nation. Featuring specially commissioned full-color illustrations, this is the epic story of Poland's doomed struggle to remain independent in the face of aggression from its neighbours in the late 18th century.

Kaolin, a rare white clay used for porcelain and cosmetics, is mined heavily in central Georgia. This book traces the often contensious relationship between the mining industry and the landowners who have signed away their mineral rights.