Politics at Continuum

MLA Report: Disappearing Jobs in the Humanities

With the hope that the social sciences are faring better than humanities...

You might be interested in this report from the Modern Language Association about jobs in academia and tenure track for graduates in the humanities.

The report opens with the line, "The job picture in the humanities is going from bad to worse." You can read it in its entirety online at http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/17/mla 

APSA Conferences

The American Political Science Association website lists many conferences, seminars, and programs related to political science. All such events are listed by month, and can be found at http://www.apsanet.org/conferences.cfm

From Foreign Policy: The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2009 - By Joshua Keating

From Foreign Policy (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/30/the_top_10_stories_you_missed_in_2009#)

Sometimes it's the page A14 stories -- the ones that never see the light of cable news or take a second life in the blogosphere -- that tell you the most about what happened during any given year. From a naval alliance that could shift the military balance of power on two continents to a troubling security gap in the U.S. passport system to a brand-new way to circle the globe, these are the stories that never got the attention they deserved in 2009 but could dominate the conversation in 2010.

via www.foreignpolicy.com

Slavoj Žižek: 20 Years of Collapse

Today's New York Times features an op-ed by Slavov Žižek about the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You can read the essay by clicking on the link or cutting and pasting it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/opinion/09zizek.html?_r=2&ref=opinion

If you are interested in Žižek's works, you may want to check his selected writings published by Continuum in two volumes, The Universal Exception and Interrogating the Real.

Frankfurt Book Fair

Continuum is attending the Frankfurt Book Fair from October 14 to October 18. The Fair is a great meeting place for publishing professionals, including publishers, agents, booksellers, and authors. Publishers showcase their titles and look for foreign rights deal.

For more information about this annual fair, visit their website at http://www.book-fair.com/en/fbf/.

 

The 10 craziest things ever said During a UN Speech

"Were Kennedy not a millionaire, illiterate, and ignorant, then he would obviously understand that you cannot revolt against the peasants.'' -- Fidel Castro

Following the UN's recent General Assembly, Foreign Policy has culled the 10 craziest things said in a UN speech over the last sixty years. You can read them all by clickling on the link to their site at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/09/24/the_top_10_craziest_things_ever_said_during_a_un_speech

Fact Sheet on U.S. Missile Defense Policy from the White House

 A "Phased, Adaptive Approach" for Missile Defense in Europe -- Read the White House fact sheet on the topic at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/FACT-SHEET-US-Missile-Defense-Policy-A-Phased-Adaptive-Approach-for-Missile-Defense-in-Europe/

Chicago Manual of Style

We generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition for well, style, as well as references. If you do not have a copy, you can benefit from a 30-day free online trial by visiting their website at

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Five Myths About Healthcare Around The World

In this Washington Post article (8/23), T.R. Reid looks at misconceptions regarding healthcare systems. You can read the article by clicking on the link http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html

Twitter and the promotion of Democracy

If you are interested in the role of Twitter in promoting democracy, you may want to read this article from Foreign Policy. Written by Evgeny Morozov, Think Again: Twitter looks at whether it is an effective tool to spread democracy.

You can access the article at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/06/think_again_twitter

UNDP Arab Human Development Report

The UNDP just released its 5th report on Arab Human Development, which is authored by scholars from Arab countries. You can access this report at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MWAI-7U78JZ?OpenDocument

Failed States Index 2009

Foreign Policy has just released its fifth Failed States Index that you can access on their website at
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/the_2009_failed_states_index

Ranking over the past three years:

2007
1) Sudan
2) Iraq
3) Somalia

2008
1) Somalia
2) Sudan
3) Zimbabwe

2009
1) Somalia
2) Zimbabwe
3) Sudan

Document Center

The University of Michigan offers primary sources documents relating to the governments of Middle East and North African countries. To access this site, go to http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/forme.html

Elections in Iran

Tomorrow, Iranians will vote to elect their president. This year also happens to be the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

The BBC has a full web page about the elections, which can be accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2009/iran/default.stm

Also, the Council on Foreign Relations offers background information on presidential power in Iran, to be found at http://www.cfr.org/publication/19593/

 

Copyright Questions

©opyright issues can be pretty thorny. From whether you should ask to permission, to what constitute plagiarism and fair use,  it often seems a legal mine field.

You may find some useful answers by visiting the US Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov/ and clicking on the Frequently Asked Questions option.

And of course, you can always contact your editor if you have any questions as you write your manuscript.

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR
mantoine@continuum-books.com

From The Economist: Nuclear Weapons

The Economist posted this graph showing who has the most nuclear weapons in the world. For the full article, visit their website  http://www.economist.com. (From: The Economist Website; 5/19/09)

 

UN Record of Diplomatic Conferences

You may find this an interesting link: http://untreaty.un.org/cod/diplomaticconferences/index.html

This United Nations site gives access to the official records of several diplomatic conferences led by the UN to negotiate treaties, such as the Conference on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties, 1977-1978 or the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, 1998.

 

Happy Birthday NATO!

Nato is celebrating its 60th anniversary this week. Over the last two decades, the alliance has grown from 16 to 26 member countries. Its mission and administration have changed greatly.

Watch out for these upcoming books on NATO by Continuum:

Permanent Alliance? NATO and the Transatlantic Bargain from Truman to Obama by Stanley Sloan

NATO and Terrorism: Organizational Transformation and Mission Expansion by James Peterson

For more information, you can visit the NATO website  by clicking here.

Also, you may want to read this article from Spiegel Online International on whether NATO is the reluctant Globocop at http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,616547,00.html

The End of the Global War on Terror?

The Washington Post reported today that the Pentagon is discontinuing the use of the phrase "global war on terror," in favor of "Overseas Contingency Operation."
You can read the full article by clicking here.

Continuum is expanding its line of books on terrorism and security studies, for example:

The British War on Terror
by Steve Hewitt 

For information, click here.

 Invitation to Terror    

by Frank Furedi   

For information, click here.

      

Freedom of Information Act

The CIA has released its 2008 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) annual report, which can be accessed online at http://www.foia.cia.gov/txt/annual_report_2008.pdf

If you would like more information on how the  FOIA works and how to use it, you can visit the Federal Open Government site at http://www.rcfp.org/fogg/index.php?i=pt1

Also, I am looking to publish more in intelligence studies -- don't hesitate to send a query if you have a project idea.

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR
mantoine@continuum-books.com