There is an increasing tendency to give countries, especially developing countries and most particularly newly independent ones, “report cards” showing how well they’ve been doing and even to indicate their respective positions. Under these conditions, Kyrgyzstan might receive something like “needs improvement” or come in—more or less—in the second-to-bottom quarter. Shortly after it became independent in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan was regarded as one of the more promising new states. But when the lessons it was obliged to learn were poorly digested (or perhaps the lessons themselves were poorly thought out), it gradually slipped and lost favor. More recently, however, this small country with a mixed population and limited natural resources has been making headway for many reasons: its political system and democracy, civil society, human rights, economic development, equality, and cooperation with the international community. It is much easier to understand Kyrgyzstan’s indifferent performance as an independent state with some insight into the previous decades and even centuries. The country began as a collection of tribes, and was then poorly absorbed and assimilated into the Russian Empire. Even before becoming an independent state, Kyrgyzstan was more or less rejected by its Soviet masters, classified as a semi-independent “republic.” Not many scholars have studied it, including its own, and not many have written about it; the country has for the most part been lumped together with the Russian and Soviet Empires, and even today normally appears just as part of the Central Asian Republics. So this Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan is particularly welcome because it makes up for previous omissions and fills a gap by providing basic information in a readily usable format. The dictionary contains the standard entries on significant people, places, and events; organizations and institutions; ethnic and political groups; and salient aspects of the economy, society, and culture. Both the chronology and introduction are unusually helpful in providing an overview of the country’s often halting progress, and the bibliography supplies references in English and other languages.

Mozambique is one of Africa’s larger countries and also has the potential to become one of its more important countries. It possesses many natural resources and has an active population that could again develop agriculture and commerce and then create an industrial base. It is located along the coast and provides a natural outlet for several landlocked neighbors. It is also strategically placed next to South Africa, the regional powerhouse. Regrettably, over the first decade of independence, it did not take advantage of those assets, partly because of a destructive civil war and partly because of its ideological orientation. Now that the war is over and it has reverted to a market economy, Mozambique should be able to make better progress. When the first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Mozambique appeared, I pointed out that Mozambique was one of the least-known African states. Little has happened to change that situation. Thus, there are few enough sources of information even today, which is particularly deplorable now that a fresh start is being made. Fortunately, this second edition can fill more of the gaps and bring the story up-to-date. This is done through an extension of the chronology, which recounts the more significant events, and an expanded dictionary section, which contains new and updated entries on persons, places, events, and institutions of note as well as crucial aspects of the economy, society, and culture. The bibliography has also been revised, with more new titles, many of them in English, but also in Portuguese. This second edition builds on the first, and the lead author is still Mario Azevedo, who wrote the first edition. Dr. Azevedo, who was born in Mozambique, is presently chair of the African-American and African Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has written extensively on Africa, much of this on Mozambique, including a book on Mozambique refugees. This time he is joined by Tomé Mbuia João, also a Mozambican by origin, who works as a broadcaster in Portuguese at the Voice of America, and Emmanuel Nnadozie, who is professor of economics at Truman State University. Together they have produced a very helpful and insightful work on a country that deserves to be better known.

An encyclopedic dictionary, with extensive bibliographies, designed for teachers and students of Roman Law in the classroom, for students of legal history who have little or no knowledge of Latin, and for readers of juristic or literary Latin works in translations that may not be reliable when legal terms or problems are involved.

Although it has actually been around since the early days of filmmaking, science fiction cinema is a contemporary and futuristic genre. It deals with events that usually take place at a far-off time and often faroff place; thus it appeals to the human desire to understand and perhaps predict the future. It also helps to explain science and technology and where they could be leading us. Science fiction cinema tackles prickly problems, often in a context that make them more real than reality— problems such as environmental degradation; overpopulation and pressure on space and goods; friction between the sexes, races, and nations; and the coming and substantially greater difficulties in dealing with rogue computers, robots, clones, and possibly even aliens (if we can believe what we see in the movies). Although science fiction cinema is often termed escapism, it is also an attempt to come to terms with a rapidly changing world. Consider the words of the great science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke: “We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality. . . . It’s a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can’t think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality.” This Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema is an excellent guide to the field. The chronology illustrates how long the movies have been around and charts some of the major advances—and films—over the years. The introduction then provides an overview, reminding us that science fiction cinema is hardly monolithic; rather, it consists of different genres, produced in an increasing range of countries, and using varying techniques. The bulk of the information, as usual, appears in the dictionary, with entries on directors, actors, and films. Other entries deal with topics such as monsters, alien invasions, utopia, and dystopia, as well as production sites (half a dozen countries), technical aspects, and new technologies (computer-generated imagery). The bibliography provides resources for further information. It was written by M. Keith Booker, who is the James E. and Ellen Wadley Roper Professor of English at the University of Arkansas. He is also the director of the university’s Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Therefore, Dr. Booker does not simply deal with science fiction in the abstract; he shows how films and their writers, directors, actors, and genres fit into a historical context and relate to us in the present. He has also written dozens of books on literature and popular culture—more broadly and more specifically, half a dozen books on science fiction, with two recent publications dealing with science fiction cinema: Alternative Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture and The Science Fiction Handbook. This volume, therefore, presents a wealth of experience and knowledge for a variety of audiences.

Słownik skierowany jest nie tylko dla uczniów, ale też do szerszego grona osób, które są zainteresowane pochodzeniem i historią wyrazów. Celem publikacji jest ukazanie podstawowego zasobu słownictwa współczesnej polszczyzny, w tym również niektórych form potocznych.

In an industry that involves the skills, expertise, and labor of a wide-range of professionals and workers, good communications become crucial, and a common vocabulary is key to successful projects. Many of the terms used in landscape architecture, land planning, environmental planning, and landscape construction are unavailable, or so new, or industry-specific that they can’t be found in conventional dictionaries. This unique resource delivers definitions as well as how-to information via details and photos, going above and beyond the scope of a typical professional dictionary. With straightforward definitions and clear illustrations on each page, everyone from architects, designers, and contractors through grounds maintenance workers will benefit from this important resource. In addition, an appendix with labeled construction details will illustrate not just what a term means, but also how it’s applied in the profession.

Данный словарь содержит расшифровку более 16 тысяч аббревиатур и различного рода сокращений, которые относятся к областям телекоммуникаций, спутниковой связи, морской связи, радиолокации и военной связи, авионики, электроники, компьютерной техники, сети Интернет, радио и телевизионного вещания, волоконно-оптической связи, информационных технологий, дистанционного зондирования, сотовой связи, специлизированной мобильной связи, радиолюбительской связи и др. Особое внимание обращено на сокращения, используемые в документации ITU (International Telecommunications Union - Международный союз электросвязи), IMO (International Maritime Organization - Международная морская организация), IMSO (International Maritime Satellite Organization - Международная организация морской спутниковой связи) и APSCC (Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council - Cовет по спутниковой связи Азиатско-Тихоокеанского региона). Словарь также содержит аббревиатуры и сокращения, часто используемые в журналах по телекоммуникациям, в контрактах и финансовых документах.

The understanding of design in general and the structure of scientific research in design inevitably leads to discussions of the central categories for design. Constructive debate and struggles for acceptance fuel such a process—a process that, as a sign of fruitful further refinement, can never be completely finished. It is well known that such a development, especially in design, cannot be addressed without obstacles and indeed dissent. Even within a single cultural or linguistic realm, the positions are supposedly irreconcilable. Any undertaking that attempts to create understanding across cultural and linguistic borders is that much more ambitious.

T. 4 : E-H. - 347 p.