The No Nonsense Guide To Islam

Looking beyond the common perceptions and polemical debates.

A highly accessible history of terrorism looking at core examples from the Middle East, instances of state terrorism and terrorist fringes of political movements. Covers the theories justifying and guiding terrorist acts and the battle of images that accompanies them, including: the proliferation of terrorist activities over recent years and international hotspots, the war on terror', terrorist acts carried out by states and the constraints on democracy and political and civil liberties that so often characterise the response to terrorism.'

A look behind the catch-all term world music' aiming to explore the reasons for the contemporary interest in world music, who its audience is and why it has become such a popular genre. Through chapters on the many different genres that make up this multi-faceted area, the case for music as a powerful harmonising tool is aptly put forward.'

The power and influence of the mass media grows daily, crucially affecting the way all of us see and understand each other. The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media introduces readers to the political economy of the major mediafilm, television, radio, recording, publishing and the Internet. Peter Steven looks at the ever greater concentration of ownership and at the convergence of technologies and media functions. At the same time, he emphasizes the diversity of local media production and media around the world. The media is more than the economics of ownership and the technology of production, he stresses; it is also audiences, in all their annoying and wonderful diversity.

Water sustains life: without it, humans cannot survive for more than a few days. And yet this precious fluid is becoming increasingly politicized as the debates about control and ownership of water itself, and of the many organizations which govern its use, gain force. Maggie Black explores the many roles water plays in human life and, as the defense of water rights looks set to become an explosive issue, provides a clear overview on the vital issues of distribution, technology, irrigation, land use and commodification.

An exploration of all aspects of "development" that shows it should be more social than political.

From coffee farms in Peru and cocoa production in Ghana to jeans manufacture in China and the Banana War of Guatemala and the Caribbean, this fully revised No-Nonsense Guide tells the human story behind the products we consume. Examining the contest between 'free' and 'fair' trade around the world, David Ransom argues that the key question is not whether trade should be regulated or deregulated, but whether it is to be the master or servant of the people.