Abraham Lincoln and the American Experiment in Self-Government revisits the most pressing question of the republic's past and present: Can a nation founded on the principles of liberty and equality sustain itself through crisis? Leveraging an interdisciplinary group of senior and emerging scholars, this book offers a sweeping re-examination of Lincoln's political thought and statesmanship. Through probing analyses of his rhetoric, constitutionalism, moral philosophy, and wartime leadership, the collection reveals Lincoln's enduring insights into how free societies can preserve themselves. Together, these essays illuminate how Lincoln's example can guide Americans seeking to sustain self-government in the twenty-first century.

This book explores the central role of art and design in shaping risk perceptions and behaviours. Guidance, warnings, and protocols of risk management shape how possible futures are imagined and governed. How is this imperative to manage risk transforming contemporary visual language? Are its rhetorics of danger, reassurance, and rationality convincing us that we are prepared-and at what cost? Through the analysis of artworks, warnings, pre-enactments, and data visualisations, the book examines the aesthetic dimension of risk as a diagnostic framework for articulating, narrating, and living with uncertainty. Bringing visual culture into dialogue with risk studies, it reimagines fairer, engaging, and trustworthy ways of communicating and preparing for risk.

This book addresses an urgent need to rethink the future of human settlement in the context of significant economic, social and environmental changes, arguing that we must look beyond our current paradigm of 'sustainability' to envision a continuously evolving framework for human settlements.

The book tackles the role of the service economy in human settlement evolution, filling a major gap in the literature. While service-driven business models are already regularly evaluated and utilized, the social challenges of the service economy - and its positive impacts in exacerbating economic and environmental crises - are poorly understood from the point of view of human settlement evolution. The chapters in this book, based on a new theoretical approach centered around post-industrial and post-anthropocentric perspectives, highlight the need for the innovative design and development of human settlements. The book proposes a framework of six strategies for evolving human settlements that integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions and explains the logic of the evolutionary path. A set of case studies illustrates practical applications of post-industrial settlements building through the prism of a suggested innovative holistic approach.

With its innovative approach and blend of theory and real-world considerations, this book will be a highly valuable read for an interdisciplinary audience of scholars from economics, business, sociology, urban planning, geography, sustainability studies and more.

This book offers a groundbreaking analysis of the ancient Ever-Normal Granary system, illuminating its significance in both historical and modern economic discourse. This work systematically explores the theories and practices of buffer stocks within the contexts of Chinese and Western economic histories, creating a dialogue between ancient wisdom and contemporary challenges.

What sets this book apart is its innovative framework, which evolves the concept of Ever-Normal Granary into a dynamic model of "Maintaining Balance through the Mean," culminating in the formulation of the "Ever Normal Law." This theoretical advancement highlights the "Spirit of the Middle Way" intrinsic to Chinese economic thought, revealing the unique insights that shape China's economic strategies.

Designed for scholars, researchers, and students in history, economics, and agricultural policy, as well as policymakers and those interested in food security, this book strikes a balance between academic rigor and accessibility.

Using legal analysis methods, this book investigates the impact of "big data," "data" and "information" on human society as well as the potential risks. In the context of competition issues, it analyzes relevant legal systems' paths to perfection. Further, it discusses the intellectual property system as a problem-solving tool.

The book reflects the interpretation of, attitudes to and possible treatment of non-traditional intellectual property objects such as "big data," "data" and "information" in Chinese intellectual property law research. At the same time, it describes the attitude of the Chinese legal system to "information openness" and demonstrates the practical aspects of including "big data" in the intellectual property protection system.

Offering definitions of "big data," "data" and "information" in Chinese legal studies, this book is a valuable resource for legal researchers and information technology industry practitioners. It also enables readers to gain an understanding of the Chinese intellectual property system's attitude to modern information technology objects and of Chinese law. Lastly, it raises awareness of "information monopoly" and offers possible ways to analyze and solve problems.

This edited volume presents a comprehensive exploration of Mongolia's political transformation, foreign policy, and governance in the 21st century, capturing the country's remarkable journey from a socialist regime to a vibrant democracy. While analysing the evolution of Mongolia's political institutions, governance structures, and international strategies, it not only highlights institutional reforms, political pluralism, and governance challenges, but also examines the country's strategic positioning between Russia and China and its "Third Neighbour" policy that helps strengthen Mongolia's diplomatic balancing act in maintaining sovereignty, attracting investment, and managing regional pressures in an increasingly multipolar world. The book also focuses on economic management, resource dependency, environmental sustainability, and climate risks. By combining historical depth with contemporary analysis, this book provides an insightful case study of how small, resource-rich democracies sustain political resilience and strategic autonomy amid global transformations. It serves as an essential resource for scholars, policymakers, and readers interested in governance, comparative politics, foreign policy, and the evolving dynamics of Asian democracies in a geopolitically charged environment.

This book offers the first comprehensive study of Sarat Chandra Das (1849-1917), the Bengali explorer and scholar whose journeys to Tibet and scholarly contributions transformed the religious and intellectual landscape of colonial Bengal. Tracing Das's expeditions, his recovery of Sanskrit Buddhist texts, and the founding of the Buddhist Text Society of India, the book reveals how Tibet was reimagined as a sacred geography-central to the revival of Buddhism and the construction of new nationalist histories in early twentieth-century Bengal. By centering the theme of native agency and highlighting Das's collaborations with Tibetan and Sikkimese interlocutors, the book challenges dominant narratives of colonial knowledge-making. It shows how Buddhism, textual and visual discourses, and trans-Himalayan networks were mobilized in service of both historical recovery and regional self-fashioning of Bengal's past. Rich in historical detail and interpretive insight, the book significantly contributes to Buddhist studies, Tibetology, and South Asian intellectual history.

This book explores the synergy between artificial intelligence and medtech, offering a roadmap toward achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. These technologies are part of a wave of innovation transforming how we learn, work, communicate, and live, from self-driving cars to AI-designed drugs and quantum computing. Yet most advances remain concentrated in high-income countries, leaving many low-income nations struggling to keep up.

I examine the social, political, and economic factors limiting development, highlight successful strategies, and explore AI and biotechnologies. Through case studies, the book shows how these tools can improve healthcare access, promote sustainable agriculture, and tackle other global challenges while considering ethical implications. By focusing on solutions accessible to low-income countries, it offers insights for innovators in middle- and high-income nations launching ventures with limited resources.

Future trends rely on interdisciplinary approaches integrating economy, sociology, and technology, recognizing that climate change, new health challenges, demographic shifts, and technologies are reshaping societies worldwide. Developing and advanced economies are deeply interconnected, making this broader perspective essential.

This book will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students of international development and public health, as well as those working in development, humanitarian initiatives, or innovation-focused startups and companies targeting low-resource environments.

This book offers an in-depth and penetrating exploration of cybercrimes committed against one of the most vulnerable groups in society-children-within the hidden environment of the dark web. Approaching the subject through an interdisciplinary and analytical lens, the volume investigates how anonymity technologies, encrypted communication channels, cryptocurrencies, and concealed online platforms enable and sustain child sexual exploitation in digital spaces.

Acting as a guide through the hidden layers of the dark web, the book examines the tactics, strategies, and evolving methods used by cybercriminals to target children. It provides detailed analysis of secret forums, underground networks, and AI-enabled tools, including deepfake technologies and automated content generation, that have reshaped the nature and scale of these crimes. Moving beyond surface-level discussions, the book offers a deeper understanding of offender behavior, psychological drivers, and operational methodologies underpinning cyber-enabled child exploitation.

Grounded in real-world case studies and investigative experiences, the volume bridges the gap between academic analysis and practical application. These cases provide concrete insights into victim experiences, offender techniques, and the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies, reinforcing the urgency of effective prevention, detection, and response mechanisms.

Balancing critical analysis with forward-looking solutions, the book equips readers with the knowledge needed to identify threats and protect children in the digital age. It empowers parents, guardians, educators, policymakers, and practitioners with actionable insights, policy-relevant recommendations, and technological perspectives to strengthen digital defenses. By emphasizing international cooperation, public-private partnerships, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the book positions itself not only as a rigorous academic contribution, but also as a practical resource and a call to collective action toward creating a safer online environment for children.

This book demonstrates how digital empowerment of education for older adults is a timely and globally significant subject. Achieving inclusive, high-quality, and balanced development of elderly education is particularly urgent in China, a nation currently experiencing an unprecedented "gray tide." The topic is important to the enhancement of well-being of older adults, so that every senior citizen can enjoy the right to education in a community for lifelong learning to achieve educational equity. It will help older adults to cross the digital divide so that no group would be left behind. Therefore, the study of the digital empowerment of education for older adults is of national and international significance.

Based on literature on Empowerment and Instructional Design, this book project proposes a theoretical framework of the digital empowerment of education for older adults for empirical investigation and validation. A sample of elderly learners from Guangdong University for the Elderly were selected to participate in in-depth interviews designed to understand the learning needs of elderly learners as an online learning community. Challenges of the digital empowerment of education for older adults are examined. Based on the research findings, a theoretical model of digital empowerment of education for older adults is constructed. National contexts of the Chinese case studies are illuminated along with international implications for lesson-drawing in related policy making and professional practice.

This book offers a groundbreaking moral analysis of the metaphysical empire-a concept that captures the lingering cultural and intellectual dominance of colonialism in postcolonial Africa. Drawing on African philosophy and ethics, Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere examines how colonial legacies continue to shape identity, culture, and thought, often in ways that are morally problematic. Rather than viewing the metaphysical empire solely through political or metaphysical lenses, Abumere approaches it as a moral phenomenon, evaluating whether it is ethically acceptable, reprehensible, or neutral. Through a nuanced exploration of African cultural identity, colonialism's enduring legacy, and the contested meanings of decolonization, the book challenges readers to reconsider the moral dimensions of cultural interaction and appropriation. It engages with both critics and defenders of the metaphysical empire, ultimately asking whether decolonization is a moral obligation or an unnecessary pursuit. This timely and thought-provoking work contributes to African philosophy, postcolonial theory, and decolonization studies, offering fresh insights into the ethics of empire and cultural transformation.

This work traces the contours, shape, and development of Webster's Trinitarian theology and subsequently enliven debates in contemporary systematic theology. Rempel deftly takes us from Webster's engagement with Eberhard Juengel and Karl Barth to his later concerns with Trinity, economy and Christian Distinction.

This journey allows Rempel to identify Webster's contributions to contemporary systematic theology with a retrieval of divine perfection as well as a reframing of the doctrines of revelation and election. This work also highlights how Webster's work interacts with and diverges from other major theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas and Robert Jenson. This, ultimately, leaves a work that brings Webster's theology to bear on several debated issues in contemporary systematic theology.

This book examines how political discourse on immigration is constructed across Italian social media, focusing on the ways "otherness" is reshaped within digital platforms. Drawing on Social-Media Critical Discourse Studies, it introduces the concept of alternative otherness to explain how migrants are symbolically repositioned in a polarized and mediatized communicative environment. The book is structured in three main parts. The first reconstructs and connects key socio-technical processes that shape the conditions under which political discourse on immigration emerges. The second part outlines the theoretical and methodological framework, grounded in the critical tradition of Critical Discourse Studies and its extension to social media environments. The third part presents four empirical case studies examining emblematic episodes related to immigration in the Italian context between 2017 and 2025, showing how political actors construct and circulate recurring discursive patterns that progressively shift attention away from migrants themselves toward new forms of antagonism.

In today's post-Roe world, U.S. maternal mortality is on the rise and laws regarding contraception, involuntary sterilization, access to reproductive health services, and criminalization of people who are gestating are changing by the minute.

Using a reproductive justice framework, Understanding Reproduction in Social Contexts walks students through the social landscape around reproduction through the life course. Chapters by cutting-edge reproductive scholars, practitioners, and advocates address the social control of fertility and pregnancy, the promises and perils of assisted reproductive technologies, experiences of pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, and birth, and how individuals make sense of and respond to the cultural, social, and political forces that condition their reproductive lives. The book takes an intersectional approach and considers how gender, sexuality, fatness, disability, class, race, and immigration status impact both an individual's health and the healthcare they receive. The inclusion of timely topics such as increased legal limitations on abortion, transpeople and reproduction, and new developments in assisted reproduction and family formation, speaks to the current generation of students.

An essential text for undergraduate and graduate courses on families, gender, public health, reproduction, and sexuality.

This monograph is a comprehensive meta-review and empirically grounded exploration of the economic value of sport in Germany. In a policy environment increasingly driven by demands for evidence-based decision-making, the work responds to the growing need to quantify and substantiate the contributions of the sport sector to the economy and society. Using a rich body of data, including sport satellite accounts, national statistics, sport development reports, and academic studies, this work builds on and extends previous research by systematically integrating diverse thematic and methodological perspectives, updating empirical findings, and expanding existing discussions on the economic and societal value of sport. It offers a coherent and multidimensional framework that not only takes a closer look at the tangible effects of the sport sector, such as contributions to GDP, infrastructure investments, consumption effects, labor market effects, and fiscal revenues, but also examines intangible effects such as health, education, volunteering, and social cohesion.

Each chapter applies a consistent analytical format, including a functional framing of sport's role, a synthesis of empirical findings, a discussion of methodological approaches, and an identification of current research gaps. By linking empirical evidence with theoretical frameworks, methodological considerations, and policy debates, the work offers concrete implications for students and scholars of sport economics, sport management, public economics, and policy studies, as well as for decision-makers in government, sport organizations, and the private sector.

"A sharp and timely scholarly work, this book offers a fresh perspective on the power of economic diplomacy in an era of turbulence, while providing practical lessons for Vietnam on its path toward proactive and sustainable international integration."

-Mr. Thang Le, Vietnam's Ministry of Finance

"This book makes a timely contribution to understanding how developing countries, particularly Vietnam, can build adaptive, evidence-based, and future-oriented economic diplomacy strategies in the post-pandemic world. It will serve as a valuable reference for scholars, diplomats, and policymakers seeking to strengthen resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly unpredictable global environment."

-Prof. Dieu Tien Bui, Leader of the AI & Sustainability Lab, University of South-Eastern Norway

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of economic diplomacy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, offering strategic insights for Vietnam's economic recovery and long-term development. Through comparative case studies of developing and developed economies in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, the book examines how countries employed economic diplomacy to manage crisis responses and adapt to the "new normal" period. The book assesses key initiatives, achievements, and limitations in economic diplomacy, with particular attention to vaccine, green, digital, and technology diplomacy, while identifying the underlying factors shaping these outcomes. By integrating theory with empirical evidence, the book proposes policy recommendations for Vietnam to strengthen international economic cooperation, attract foreign direct investment, and expand export markets amid heightened global uncertainty. The book serves as a valuable reference for policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and students of economic diplomacy and international political economy.

Business is at a sustainability crossroads. There is pressure from some shareholders and elected politicians to dial back on environmental and social issues, sustainability being "too woke" and a constraint on economic growth. However, there are competing pressures that mean that these same issues are now increasingly material to the bottom line; businesses ignore them at their peril as they threaten the true longer-term value of the company.

This book sets out the case for the "Sustainability of Sustainability". There is compelling evidence from underlying trends in finance, trade and technology that shows that there is a sustainability bedrock, beyond which it cannot be pushed back. That bedrock is not too deep, and so a course correction is coming. Businesses should be investing now in core sustainability to be ready for the new, more durable sustainability to come.

Morrison argues that while sustainability is already perceived by many as an orthodoxy, it has yet to secure the legitimacy and trust required to deliver real and lasting change.

The book is for anyone who is curious about why. when and how sustainability will re-emerge and how best to prepare for its homecoming. There is a big opportunity: we will lose a lot of the fluff, green-washing, and noise and build a stronger and more meaningful version of sustainability as we do. The book helps any business manager, policy-maker or community leader find their sustainability bedrock and to build upon solid foundations.

In an era of mounting global crises-from climate change and inequality to debt, migration, and artificial intelligence-the role of multilateralism has never been more urgent. United Nations Facing Global Economic Disorder: Assessing 20 Policy Proposals brings together twenty international experts to critically examine how the United Nations addresses today's most pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. Clear, rigorous, and accessible, each chapter explores a major global issue, evaluates the UN's proposed solutions, and dissects what works-and what doesn't-in the search for a fairer and more effective multilateral system. Essential reading for students, researchers, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of global governance.

Designed for students, professors, researchers, and professionals in Organizational and Work Psychology, HR, and People Management, this textbook bridges the persistent gap between academic research and real-world practice through the lens of Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt). Grounded in scientific rigor and contextual sensitivity, the book guides readers through the six essential steps of evidence-based practice-asking, acquiring, appraising, aggregating, applying, and assessing-transforming complex organizational challenges into structured, data-informed decisions.

Connecting theory and practice is a relevant and urgent demand to be met in the various learning spaces that prepare professionals to work in the field. Rather than offering abstract theory alone, this book presents 17 rich teaching cases drawn from public, private, and nonprofit contexts, including universities, hospitals, startups, NGOs, and industrial organizations - hypothetical, real or adapted from reality -, which allow readers to understand how, in practice, they can act in relation to various themes and phenomena in the field of organizational and work psychology. What sets this work apart is its strong emphasis on organizational diagnosis as the foundation of responsible intervention.

Readers are introduced to validated instruments, quantitative and qualitative methods, and mixed approaches that expand technical expertise while reinforcing ethical and critical thinking. The cases function as "learning laboratories," encouraging readers to adapt insights to their own contexts rather than replicate ready-made solutions. By integrating theory, assessment, and action, this book empowers professionals to make transparent, well-informed decisions that are both scientifically grounded and socially responsible. For anyone committed to elevating people management through evidence and reflection, this book is an indispensable resource.

The original manuscript of this book was written in Brazilian Portuguese and translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

This book offers a pioneering, interdisciplinary analysis of gender-based violence in Eastern Europe from the early modern period to the present. Through case studies of various Eastern European countries, the volume examines how empire, war, nationalism, socialism, and post-socialist transformation shaped legal, medical, and state responses to violence against women. It reveals how women's suffering was repeatedly silenced, normalized, or politicized, particularly in times of conflict and authoritarian rule. Challenging Western-centric perspectives, the book positions Eastern Europe as a vital site for understanding the historical roots of contemporary debates on gender, justice, and memory.

This book compiles papers originally presented at a conference held in Hong Kong in August 2025. The publication commemorates the centenary, in 2026, of the appointment of six Chinese bishops in Rome-a landmark event that ushered in a new era in the history of the Catholic Church in China. The 1926 consecration of these bishops marked a transformative shift toward indigenization, elevating Chinese clergy to positions of significant authority and influence for the first time since the consecration of Luo Wenzao in the seventeenth century. This milestone not only demonstrated the Church's commitment to fostering local leadership but also challenged the longstanding dominance of Western ecclesiastical structures.
In marking this centenary, the book invites reflection on broader themes of localization, cultural adaptation, and identity within global Catholicism. Contributors from diverse academic disciplines and perspectives examine the evolving roles, responsibilities, and challenges faced by Chinese cardinals and bishops over the past century. Their research delves into how these Church leaders have navigated the complex intersections of faith, culture, and national identity, particularly during periods of social and political upheaval. Collectively, these studies shed light on the dynamic evolution and enduring significance of the Catholic Church in modern Chinese society.

This proceedings volume provides in-depth research in the fields of quality innovation, sustainability, and operations management. It features contributions from the 6th International Conference on Quality Innovation and Sustainability (ICQIS) that explore how institutions, industries, and communities are navigating the complex challenges of digital transformation, sustainable development, and organizational excellence. The volume offers a rich blend of theoretical perspectives, empirical studies, and practical applications that highlight how quality frameworks, innovative methodologies, and sustainability principles can drive meaningful transformation across sectors. Featuring?real business?cases on quality and sustainability, this book is useful for researchers, scholars,?students?and academics interested in quality management, supply chain management, circular?economy?and sustainability.?

Technological and scientific innovation does not simply emerge; it is designed. From organizational systems and data infrastructures to platforms, policies, and everyday tools, design choices shape how power operates, whose knowledge counts, and who benefits from innovation. Technology, Management, and Design for Social Justice brings together global scholars and practitioners to critically examine how design, management, and technological systems reproduce inequality, and how they can be intentionally reimagined to advance equity, dignity, and planetary wellbeing.

Moving beyond views of technology as neutral or inevitable, this volume positions design as a moral and political practice embedded in institutions and governance. Through conceptual frameworks and global case studies spanning algorithmic management, climate-oriented innovation, indigenous digital infrastructures, youth innovation ecosystems, and welfare technologies, the chapters show how justice is designed into (or out of) sociotechnical systems.

Written for scholars, advanced students, and practitioners across management, design studies, science and technology studies, and social justice, this book offers critical tools for rethinking how innovation is shaped, and for whom.