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Asian Godfathers: Money and Power in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia
Hong Kong and Southeast Asia are home to five hundred million people, yet their economies are dominated by only fifty families whose interests range from banking to real estate, shipping to sugar, gambling to lumber. At their peak, eight of the world’s two dozen richest men were Southeast Asian, but their names would not be familiar to most regular readers of The Wall Street Journal. A complex mythology surrounds these billionaires, but in Asian Godfathers, Joe Studwell finds that the facts are even more remarkable than the myths. Studwell has spent fifteen years as a reporter in the region, and he marshals his unprecedented sources to paint intimate and revealing portraits of the men who control Southeast Asia. Studwell also provides us with a rich and deep understanding of the broader historic, economic, and political influences that have shaped Southeast Asia over the past 150 years. Asian Godfathers is a riveting and illuminating book that lifts the curtain on a world of staggering secrecy and hypocrisy, and reveals—for the first time—who the leaders of one of the planet’s most important and tumultuous markets really are, why they got to the top, and how they keep themselves there. .
Price: $10.20
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The China Dream: The Quest for the Last Great Untapped Market on Earth
In The China Dream, acclaimed business journalist Joe Studwell takes to task the predictions that China will become an economic juggernaut on the world stage in the twenty-first century -- and instead foresees an economic crisis. He argues that since the days of Marco Polo, Western nations have seen the vast population of the Middle Kingdom as a fantastic opportunity for expanding trade, investing time and resources again and again in the hope to develop it, only to see, century after century, its economy crash and their dreams turn to dust. Studwell traces the most recent developments in China from Deng Xiaoping's "liberalization" of its market in the 1980s through the opening of its economy to foreign investment in the 1990s. In his rigorous analysis of the Chinese economy, government, and culture, Studwell also shows the roadblocks to the continuation of the country's unprecedented expansion and why its economy will fail once more -- but this time, harder than ever before, and with potentially catastrophic results. Provocative, flawlessly researched, and endlessly engaging, The China Dream is a book that will have the business and political worlds talking about what's really going on in China -- and what we can do to prepare for the coming crisis. "The much-needed antidote to the delusions ... about the riches to be made from investing and selling in China. Brimming with ... statistics." -- The Washington Post " An entertaining, if cautionary, tale of Western business woes in China, stretching back seven hundred years." -- Peter Wonacott, The Wall Street Journal "[A] detailed account ... An excellent examination of the political and economic history of China, fascinating and mostly unknown to Westerners." -- Booklist (starred review) .
Price: $4.80
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The Christmas Carol Reader (Haworth Popular Culture) (Haworth Popular Culture)
Like that Biblical, astronomical star of Bethlehem, The Christmas Carol Reader guides readers on their quest for information about Christmas songs. Studwell gathers a composite picture of the world's most important and famous carols and includes an ample selection of lesser-known Christmas songs. All of the carols are presented in their historical and cultural contexts which adds to readers'understanding and appreciation of the songs. As the only book that covers this elusive topic, The Christmas Carol Reader informs and entertains readers on over 200 songs of all types (sacred and secular), of all periods (Middle Ages through the 20th century), and from a number of countries and cultures. Because many of the songs in The Christmas Carol Reader fit into more than one distinct category, Studwell wisely divides the songs into two major groups--those that reflect Christmas as a Holy Day and those that celebrate Christmas as a Holiday. Here is just a sample of the breadth of coverage of songs: Sacred: From Heaven Above to Earth I Come; O Come, O Come Emmanuel; Angels From the Realms of Glory; As With Gladness Men of Old; O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël); Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne Secular: Happy Holiday; A Holly Jolly Christmas; God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen; Silver Bells; Here Comes Santa Claus; I'll Be Home for Christmas Medieval: Puer Natus in Bethlehem (A Boy Is Born in Bethlehem); Coventry Carol; I Sing of a Maiden; La marche des rois (The March of the Kings); In Dulci Jubilo 1500--1700's: Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; I Saw Three Ships; Carol of the Bagpipers 1800's: Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful); O Little Town of Bethlehem; What Child Is This?; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; Stille Nacht, Heiliege Nacht (Silent Night) Spirituals: Go Tell It on the Mountain; I Wonder as I Wander; Mary Had a Baby; Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow Little Known: O Bethlehem!; The Sleep of the Infant Jesus; Song of the Nuns of Chester Countries and Cultures: O Tannenbaum; Lulajze Jezuniu (Polish Lullaby); Fum, Fum, Fum; Carol of the Bells; Patapan; El rorro (The Babe) As readers learn about the history and nature of the Christmas carol in general and the specific history of individual religious and secular carols, they will learn some history and nature of the holiday season which can bring more enjoyment into their celebrations for years to come. On long winter nights, The Christmas Carol Reader can be read continuously as a series of fact-based commentaries on Christmas music. For shorter periods in between holiday activities, readers can peruse one of the topical sections or select, with the aid of the title index, an individual essay of interest. As a library reference, this book can provide facts for research on Christmas songs or just provide an entertaining education for curious library patrons..
Price: $27.37
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Minor Ballet Composers: Biographical Sketches of Sixty-Six Underappreciated Yet Significant Contributors to the Body of Western Ballet Music
While most music lovers are familiar with the famous scores of Tchaikovsky, Delibes, and Stravinsky, many other lesser-known composers also wrote for the ballet. Several of these composers wrote almost exclusively for the ballet--and all enriched the world of dance. Minor Ballet Composers presents biographical sketches of 66 underappreciated ballet composers of the 19th and 20th centuries from around the world, along with selected stories from the ballets they helped create. While the composers’contributions to ballet music are emphasized, all aspects of their lives and works are touched upon. Plot summaries and excerpts from reviews of many of the ballets are also provided. Other topics of interest you?ll find covered in Minor Ballet Composers include: - Les Six: Darius Milhaud, Louis Durey, Georges Auric, Arthur Honegger, Francis Poulenc, and Germaine Tailleferre--and their relationship with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau
- how politics, revolutions, and wars have affected composers and their works
- who studied with whom; who collaborated with whom
- schools, movements, and musical renaissance
- the importance of opera to ballet music
- the relationship between film scores and ballet music
- which books, plays, stories, and folk tales certain ballets are based upon
- where many of these ballets premieredMinor Ballet Composers emphasizes the importance of second-tier composers and their influence on the rich tradition of music written for the dance (though in some cases the music was appropriated for the ballet from other original designs). The gathering of these composers in a single volume in appreciation of their ballet music, with a glossary of choreographers and an index of ballet titles, makes this book a useful volume for ballet aficionados, music librarians, musicians, and others interested in dance and dance music.
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Price: $94.99
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College Fight Songs: An Annotated Anthology
Go, team, go! Rah, rah, rah! Boomalacka, boomalacka! Sis-boom-bah! Get your pennants and varsity colors and head for the stadium because College Fight Songs will make you an expert on the musical history of university athletic themes and anthems before the second-half kickoff. Here, in one anthology, you?ll find a unique collection of musical and historical information that hasn?t been compiled and updated since the days of Knute Rockne and the Galloping Ghost. This smart and spirited collection will give you plenty to rise and shout about, bringing together the complete lyrics, brief historical annotations, and musical scores for the songs of over 100 of the country?s most recognized colleges and universities.If you?re a researcher, librarian, musical enthusiast, band leader, musical historian, old-timer from way back when, or a young underclassmen interested in preserving a few cherished notes of your school?s history, College Fight Songs is the book for you. You?ll find plenty of hard-to-find facts about the songs and the people who inspired them, and you?ll get specific information in these areas: - complete musical scores of college fight songs
- full lyrics of college fight songs
- basic historical background concerning the songs and their institutions
- information regarding the song creators and the college nicknamesSo, swing on the Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech, rally around the bonfire and give a holler for the Buckeyes, the Wildcats, the Sooners, the Boilermakers, and the Tigers! The Gipper, the Bear, and Johnny U await you in this fabulous compendium of nostalgia and musical scores. Even after a few pages, College Fight Songs will have you hailing your alma mater and jumping in the car to head for the hop.
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Price: $44.95
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State Songs of the United States: An Annotated Anthology
State Songs of the United States: An Annotated Anthology is essential for musicians, historians, or librarians interested in the words, lyrics, and historical background of the songs that symbolize our individual states. This easy-to-use reference includes many famous state songs that were written by such well-known songwriters and musicians as Stephen Foster, Andy Razaf, Lucky Roberts, Hoagy Carmichael, Al Piantadosi, and Guy Miller. Full of information on the official and unofficial songs of the 50 states, State Songs of the United States includes: - historical annotations for 69 official and unofficial state songs, including ”Yankee Doodle,” ”Georgia on My Mind,” and the ”Tennessee Waltz”
- lyrics and music for 48 of the songs listed, such as ”Yellow Rose of Texas” and ”Home on the Range”
- more than one official song for 46 of the states, including Arkansas, California, Indiana, New Hampshire, and MontanaAs part of the historical background, State Songs of the United States informs you as to when a song was written, who wrote it, and what musician composed the music for it. The only anthology of American song presented from an academic point of view, this reference also covers when and why official songs became adopted by their respective states. After reading this anthology, you will discover how the lyrics of our state songs reflect the period in which they were written and why many lyrics have been changed since, for reasons such as racial or gender prejudice. State Songs of the United States offers you a unique look at music, America’s past, and the pride of our 50 states.
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Price: $69.35
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