Algebraic Geometry has been at the center of much of mathematics for hundreds of years. It is not an easy field to break into, despite its humble beginnings in the study of circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas. This text consists of a series of exercises, plus some background information and explanations, starting with conics and ending with sheaves and cohomology. The first chapter on conics is appropriate for first-year college students (and many high school students). Chapter 2 leads the reader to an understanding of the basics of cubic curves, while Chapter 3 introduces higher degree curves. Both chapters are appropriate for people who have taken multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Chapters 4 and 5 introduce geometric objects of higher dimension than curves. Abstract algebra now plays a critical role, making a first course in abstract algebra necessary from this point on. The last chapter is on sheaves and cohomology, providing a hint of current work in algebraic geometry.

Beginning with the inauguration of the Eric Canal and ending with the outbreak of the Civil War, the port of New York was turned into the gateway to the United States. Already the financial capital of America, the city now became an international economic and cultural center as well. In this magnificent book, eminent authorities discuss the proliferation of the visual arts that occurred during this period.

Эта книга – результат целенаправленного осмысления опыта создания и внедрения системы оценки и развития персонала – Аssessment Center, признанного на сегодняшний день наиболее валидным и надежным методом. Читатель узнает историю возникновения и развития Аssessment Center, познакомится с основными понятиями, рассмотрит примеры теоретических конструктов. Кроме того, в издании представлен опыт разработки и внедрения метода Аssessment Center в российской компании, а также даны подробные практические материалы для проведения Аssessment Center, которые могут быть использованы как в представленном виде, так и адаптированы под новый Аssessment Center. Книга предназначена российским руководителям, интересующимся возможностями применения в своей компании наиболее современных и надежных методов оценки персонала.

Borderland tells the story of Ukraine. A thousand years ago it was the center of the first great Slav civilization, Kievan Rus. In 1240, the Mongols invaded from the east, and for the next seven centureies, Ukraine was split between warring neighbors: Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, Austrians, and Tatars. Again and again, borderland turned into battlefield: during the Cossack risings of the seventeenth century, Russia’s wars with Sweden in the eighteenth, the Civil War of 1918–1920, and under Nazi occupation. Ukraine finally won independence in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Bigger than France and a populous as Britain, it has the potential to become one of the most powerful states in Europe.In this finely written and penetrating book, Anna Reid combines research and her own experiences to chart Ukraine’s tragic past. Talking to peasants and politicians, rabbis and racketeers, dissidents and paramilitaries, survivors of Stalin’s famine and of Nazi labor camps, she reveals the layers of myth and propaganda that wrap this divided land. From the Polish churches of Lviv to the coal mines of the Russian-speaking Donbass, from the Galician shtetlech to the Tatar shantytowns of Crimea, the book explores Ukraine’s struggle to build itself a national identity, and identity that faces up to a bloody past, and embraces all the peoples within its borders.

Circles of Resistance: Jewish, Leftist, and Youth Dissidence in Nazi Germany analyzes resistance networks of young German Jews and other young dissidents during the Nazi dictatorship. Young German-Jewish radicals created an intellectually and politically vibrant subculture in Berlin, the geographical focus of this study. The youths analyzed here were reacting not only to Nazi oppression: they were also driven to develop new modes of action and politics by their estrangement not only from German society, but also from the traditional left parties and their post-1933 underground organizations, and even from large segments of Berlin's Jewish community, where radical activism was often regarded as counter-productive and needlessly provocative. At the center of this study are the Herbert Baum groups, led by members of Germany's Communist Party (KPD). While the Baum groups were the largest, they were but one of several resistance operations that were situated partially within the milieu created by Communists, Socialists, Trotskyists, and radical Jewish youths. Based on archival research in Germany, Paris, Amsterdam, and Jerusalem, and interviews with veterans of the anti-Nazi resistance, Circles of Resistance analyzes the overlap of these diverse social and political dimensions among dissident circles and offers a reconsideration of traditional thinking on leftist and Jewish resistance and youth subcultures of the Third Reich. Circles of Resistance will be useful for undergraduate as well as graduate courses on Jewish history, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, as well as courses devoted to the history of European socialism.

From 1990 to 1993 I directed civil rights policy for the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness, and during that time I witnessed the beginning of what would become a national backlash against homeless people. San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos had made extensive efforts to address what appeared at first to be a short-term problem made worse by the economic slowdown of the early 1980s and then exacerbated by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which damaged a significant amount of the city’s low-cost housing. Within a few years, however, the problem had become worse, with homeless people encamped throughout the city, undermining the usability of parks, sidewalks, and other public spaces. The mayor’s response was to begin to target homeless people in certain high-visibility areas of the city such as Golden Gate Park, the Civic Center, and Union Square. Through aggressive ticketing by police and outreach efforts by social workers, he attempted to restore order to those parts of the city. His efforts, however, were unsuccessful, as he lacked both the housing and services to move people off the streets and the willingness to fully engage the police in a program of harassment, intimidation, and arrests. By 1992, public frustration with Agnos’s failure to “solve” homelessness through either progressive or regressive means resulted in his ouster. He was replaced by the city’s police chief, Frank Jordan, who campaigned on a platform of removing the homeless and restoring order through aggressive policing. In 1993 he initiated the “Matrix” program, which gave the police new authority and political backing for a concerted crackdown on public homelessness. Encampments were removed from public parks and plazas; thousands of tickets were issued for minor legal violations; and hundreds of homeless people were sent to jail. Despite these aggressive efforts to restore order, the number of people without a place to live continued to increase and public order remained impaired, with the problem often being shifted from the central city to outlying neighborhoods. Although Jordan’s backlash brought limited relief to a handful of targeted areas, it also engendered misery, anger, and hopelessness in thousands of homeless people.

African Americans' historical roots are encapsulated in the lyrics, melodies, and rhythms of their music. In the 18th and 19th centuries, African slaves, longing for emancipation, expressed their hopes and dreams through spirituals. Inspired by African civilization and culture, as well as religion, art, literature, and social issues, this influential, joyous, tragic, uplifting, challenging, and enduring music evolved into many diverse genres, including jazz, blues, rock and roll, soul, swing, and hip hop. Providing a lyrical history of our nation, this groundbreaking encyclopedia, the first of its kind, showcases all facets of African American music including folk, religious, concert and popular styles. Over 500 in-depth entries by more than 100 scholars on a vast range of topics such as genres, styles, individuals, groups, and collectives as well as historical topics such as music of the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and numerous others. Offering balanced representation of key individuals, groups, and ensembles associated with diverse religious beliefs, political affiliations, and other perspectives not usually approached, this indispensable reference illuminates the profound role that African American music has played in American cultural history. Editors Price, Kernodle, and Maxile provide balanced representation of various individuals, groups and ensembles associated with diverse religious beliefs, political affiliations, and perspectives. Also highlighted are the major record labels, institutions of higher learning, and various cultural venues that have had a tremendous impact on the development and preservation of African American music. Among the featured: Motown Records, Black Swan Records, Fisk University, Gospel Music Workshop of America, The Cotton Club, Center for Black Music Research, and more. With a broad scope, substantial entries, current coverage, and special attention to historical, political, and social contexts, this encyclopedia is designed specifically for high school and undergraduate students. Academic and public libraries will treasure this resource as an incomparable guide to our nation's African American heritage.

In publishing the Encyclopedia of Islam I am indebted to a great many people. Creating an encyclopedia on any topic is necessarily a group project, requiring the shared knowledge, insights,perspectives, skills, and experiences of many. The task is made even more challenging when it i nvolves religion, which encompasses so many different subjects—ranging from the historical, social, political, and cultural to the spiritual, philosophical, and doctrinal. Moreover, the global nature of Islam and the sometimes intense differences that have arisen among Muslims and between Muslims and non-Muslims during the nearly 1400 years of its history pose additional challenges when seeking to realize the ideals of comprehensiveness, factual accuracy, and fairness. In order to meet the challenges facing this undertaking, I have made a particular effort to draw upon the wide-ranging and deep scholarly talents of the faculty, postgraduate, and graduate students of the University of California, Santa Barbara, especially those specializing in Islamic and Middle East studies. My editorial assistants, John Iskander (now at the U.S. Department of State) and Michelle Zimney, helped me launch the project and assisted with editing early drafts of many of the contributed articles. Among the more than 40 contributors, I am especially grateful to Garay Menicucci (University of California, Santa Barbara), Nuha N. N. Khoury (University of California, Santa Barbara), Kathleen M. O’Connor(University of South Florida), Amir Hussain (Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles), Jon Armajani (College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in Minnesota), Firoozeh Papan-Matin (University of Washington), Mark Soileau (Albion College), Anna Bigelow (North Carolina State University, Megan Adamson Sijapati (Gettysburg College), Aysha Hidayatullah (Emory University), Caleb Elfenbein (University of California, Santa Barbara), Linda G. Jones (Spanish National Research Council in Barcelona), Patrick O’Donnell (Santa Barbara City College), Nancy L. Stockdale (University of North Texas), Stephen Cory (ClevelandState University), Shauna Huffaker (University of Windsor), Heather N. Keaney (American University in Cairo), and Reza Aslan (University of California, Riverside). These individuals wrote a number of articles for the volume, offering fresh perspectives obtained from their recent research in their respective fields of expertise. Among other colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who have provided support and inspiration are R. Stephen Humphreys, the holder of the King Abd Al-Aziz ibn Saud Chair of Islamic Studies; Mark Juergensmeyer, director acknowledgments K K xx Encyclopedia of Islam of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies; Scott Marcus, associate professor of ethnomusicology; Kathleen Moore, associate professor of law and society; Nancy Gallagher, professor of history; and Professors Dwight Reynolds, W. Clark Roof, Catherine Albanese, and Richard Hecht in religious studies. My approach to this project was also guided by the humanism and spirit of public service exemplified by our late colleague Walter Capps and his wife, Lois. Over the years, Richard C. Martin, Fredrick M. Denny, Richard Eaton, Azim Nanji, Barbara Metcalf, William Shepherd, Steve Wasserstrom, Bruce B. Lawrence, Gordon Newby, Jane D. McAuliffe, Zayn Kassam, Tazim Kassam, and scholars and teachers at other colleges and universities, too many to mention by name, have also provided invaluable inspiration, directly orindirectly. My deep gratitude also goes to Kendall Busse, Ph .D. student in religious studies, who provided skilled editorial support and helpful feedback along the way, and to several undergraduate research assistants: Maria Reifel Saltzberg, Hassan R. Elhaj, and Hassan Naveed. Their work was funded by the Freshman Seminar Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Through the years, my undergraduate students haveconsistently affirmed my belief that education is an ongo ing process with mutual benefits that extend well beyond the classroom. Funding provided by Fulbright-Hayes Group Projects grants presented me with opportunities to accompany two groups of California K-12 teachers and administrators to Egypt in 2003 and 2004. I benefited greatly fromour workshop sessions, travel experiences, and the conversations we shar ed in Egypt, which enriched my understanding of the K-12 curriculum and the challenges our teachers face in instructing young people about unfamiliar religions, civilizations, and languages. I am especially obliged to Karen Arter, Frank Stewart, and Paul and Ruth Ficken for their encouragement and interest in this publication. I am also grateful for the hospitality and warmth extended to me by several cultural, interfaith, and religious organizations, including the Turkish-American Pacifica Institute of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the Interfaith Initiative of Santa Barbara County, the University Religious Center in Isla Vista, and the community of St. Mark’s Parish Catholic Church in Isla Vista. At Facts On File, I owe a great debt to Claudia Schaab and J. Gordon Melton for valuable advice and infinite patience in bringing the publicaion to completion. Gordon graciously shared photographs of mosques taken during his travels around the world. Publishing this book would not have been possible without the support of a wide circle of family and friends extending from the United States to Colombia (the land of my birth), Egypt, and India. These include Shafik and Gilane, Galal and Negwa, Amr and Janet, Mahmoud and Suhair,Saidand Soraya, Mehran and Nahid, Zaveeni, and Viji and Sujata. Above all, I am indebted to my wif e, Magda, to whom this book is dedicated, for her unwavering love and encouragementin good times and bad, and to our sons Andrés and Federico as they begin to follow their own pa ths in the world.

Th ere are many people that I would like to acknowledge. Th is book was made possible with the generous support of a number of institutions — and more specifi cally the individuals that work in them: Judy Janec, Director of Library and Archives Holocaust Center of Northern California; Tina Minh, at the USC Shoah Foundation Institute; and Edyta Chowaniec, chief audio-visual archivist at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Th ere are a couple of fi lmmakers that have been quite generous with me sharing their work, and providing me with supporting material. Elida Schogt generously (and very promptly) supplied me with reviews of her trilogy of fi lms — Silent Song (2001), The Walnut Tree (2000), and Zyklon Portrait (1999). Abraham Ravett — who made Everything’s For You (1989), and The March (1999) — was also very generous. Nina Koocher kindly provided me with a DVD of her 2007 fi lm How Much to Remember: One Family’s Conversation with History. Likewise, some of my fellow researchers have been quite generous as well. I would like to especially thank Joshua Hirsch. I would also like to thank Griselda Pollock and Max Silverman for inviting me to their seminar series, “Concentrationary Imaginaries: The Politics of Representation,” at the University of Leeds. Th is presentation was instrumental in developing the ideas found in exploitation and horror chapters in this book. Griselda, you continue to be an inspiration to me, and I only hope to be as productive and engaged as you are. I would also like to thank Francesco Ventrella for organizing my trip, and even helping to spring me from detention, aft er being detained by British Customs Agents at Gatwick. A number of my colleagues have also been instrumental in shaping the book — Julian Hoxter, Randy Rutsky, Tarek Elhaik, and Bill Nichols. Julian was especially helpful in bouncing ideas off of. I am deeply indebted to Chi-Hui Yang who read an early version of the book and helped to shape it. To my family: I thank you for your patience. Ariel, Daddy can come out to play now. “And now, let the wild rumpus start!”

This book is an outcome of the research project entitled, ‘The emerging international constitutional order: the implications of hierarchy in nternational law for the coherence and legitimacy of international decision-making’. The project was embedded in the Amsterdam Center for International Law, University of Amsterdam, under the leadership of Erika deWet, and funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. From the outset of this book, we greatly benefited from the involvement of our Amsterdam colleague Yvonne Donders and the PhD researchers on the project: Lisa Clarke, Stephan Hollenberg, and Louwrens Kiestra. Their suggestions, criticism, team spirit, sense of humour, support, patience, and occasional impatience made our daily research routine a truly enjoyable experience. We also received invaluable comments from other Amsterdam colleagues: Catherine Brölmann, Jean d'Aspremont, Christina Eckes, Pieter Jan Kuijper, and André Nollkaemper. We are thankful to Brechtje Vossenberg for her research assistance, Belinda Macmahon for proofreading and editing the manuscript, and Carly Vidmar for being our informal consultant in linguistics. We are also indebted with the anonymous reviewers of the Oxford University Press for constructive criticism and very helpful suggestions. The book further benefited from workshops organized in the framework of the COST Action No IS0602, sponsored by the European Science Foundation. We are especially thankful to Aristoteles Constantinides for his thoughtful insights during these meetings. Our lives would have been miserable without the administrative support of Eric Breuker, Martine van Trigt, and José Visser. It is a coincidence that twothirds of our administrative aides also had their own research interests in one of the potentially hierarchically superior norms of international law. Lastly, we would like to thank the contributors to this book for being a truly pleasant group to work with; for reading and commenting on one nother's draft chapters; for being open for discussion and suggestions; and for respecting the rather strict deadlines.

Once on the margins of European empires, notably those of France, England and Spain, then a focus of international rivalries and wars during the 18th century, Canada is now a nation that is front and center in the world's affairs. Canada's emergence as a modern industrial nation and a key player in the resource, commodities, and financial institutions that make up today's world shows many aspects of what ex-colonial powers have gone through_except that compromise and reform rather than revolution and revolt have been the cardinal historical features. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Canada greatly expands on the first edition through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions, as well as on significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. This book is an essential guide to the history of Canada.