Category: BOOK REVIEW

Mussolini’s Concentration Camps for Civilians: An insight into the nature of Fascist Racism.

 

 

This book has reconstructed how and why the complex system of concentration camps for civilian internees,  was established in Fascist Italy: this exercise gave a unique insight and showed that Mussolini and Hitler adopted the idea of establishing concentration camps not because one wanted to copy the other, but because they wanted the camps for different purposes.

Continue reading The reconstruction of the Camps for civilian internees

After a hugely successful career and a wonderful life Agatha Christie the Queen’s crime died peacefully on 12 January 1976.Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, England. Her father, Frederick, was an outgoing American with an independent income. Her mother, Clara, was rather shy; Agatha resembled her greatly in personality. There were two other children – Madge and Monty, both older than Agatha.When Agatha was eleven her father died and she became even closer to her mother. Without Frederick, Clara became restless and began to travel, at times taking Agatha with her; these early trips began Agatha’s lifelong love of travel.

Continue reading 37 years ago died Agatha Christie

Can you imagine a single day with no stress at the office?

On National Stress Awareness Day, Wednesday November 2nd, the author and creator of this annual event in 1998, Carole Spiers, past Chair of the International Stress Management Association, will be on a mission to identify who has the most stressful job in London.

Is it:

• City workers or professionals?

• Secretaries or office staff?

• Taxi or bus drivers?

• Retail Assistants?

• TV or radio presenters?

“The shocking fact is”, says Carole, “that workplace stress causes more absenteeism than any other factor and costs business in London, billions of pounds each year”. [Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development].

In Carole’s new book, “Show Stress Who’s Boss!”, she uncovers the truth that demolishes the myths about stress and reveals how to create a workforce that is happy and inspired.

“How often do you find yourself complaining, ‘I’m stressed-out!’ However, there are simple strategies to beat stress – it’s not rocket science! We shouldn’t just accept

that it goes with the job” says Carole. “Employers need to know that all it takes for a happier workforce and increased productivity, is a no-nonsense approach to tackling the causes of stress.” 

To help you discover the most stressful times of your day, Carole offers a simple Stress Test card together with her new book ‘Show Stress Who’s Boss! “Once you are aware of your stress levels, then you will be better equipped to find a solution”, she says.

On National Stress Awareness Day, Wednesday 2nd November, Carole is planning to go out into the streets of London with a supply of Stress Test cards to offer people the chance to find out how stressed they really are. “I can show you how to do that in 10 seconds!”, says Carole, “and then give you the tools to do the job!

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About Carole Spiers MIHPE MISMA

In 1998, Carole Spiers, former chair of the International Stress Management Association, established National Stress Awareness Day on their behalf.

Her credibility is rooted in twenty years success as CEO of a leading stress management consultancy, working with equal success both in the UK and the Gulf. She is a leading authority on corporate stress, a BBC Guest-Broadcaster and author of anew book, ‘Show Stress Who’s Boss!’ that carries a foreword by Professor Cary Cooper, CBE.

An international Motivational Speaker, and a weekly columnist for Gulf News, Carole is regularly called upon by the media for comment.

Fast-paced adventure-biography focuses on revolutionary views of 19th-century scientist who sought to save mankind from itself

Lee Alan Dugatkin highlights the incredible life and adventures of Prince Peter Kropotkin — a marvelous life that mixed science and politics — in “The Prince of Evolution: Peter Kropotkin’s Adventures in Science and Politics”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (MMD Newswire) – – “The Prince of Evolution: Peter Kropotkin’s Adventures in Science and Politics” (ISBN 1461180171) by Lee Alan Dugatkin introduces readers to Russian prince Peter Kropotkin, who became one of the first international celebrities. Kropotkin was a scientist who was expelled from most respectable countries of the day and was chased around the globe for his research and views that seriously conflicted with late 19th and early 20th century ideas in science and politics.

“In this lavishly written book, Lee Dugatkin resurrects the story of Prince Kropotkin, whose life and studies profoundly questioned Victorian science and society. Kropotkin showed that animals and humans self-organize into cooperative structures without God or government. Almost without realizing it, Kropotkin discovered the biological foundation for human liberty.” –Paul Zak, Ph.D., Director, Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University. Author of the forthcoming book “The Moral Molecule” (2012, Dutton Press)

Kropotkin was a well-respected scientist, but his international fame stemmed, in large part, from his role as a pivotal player in the birth of anarchism. When he took his views to the United States, thousands followed him around, eager to hear his ideas. Whether he was speaking to crowds or writing while in prison, Kropotkin covered a staggering number of topics – all woven around the common thread of his scientific law of mutual aid.

“Kropotkin’s journey to fame was complex,” Dugatkin says. “From time spent in prison to journeys through Siberia and banishment from Western countries, he saw and experienced it all. He went from being the Czar’s personal favorite to a convicted felon with the Russian secret police on his trail.”

Despite the target on his back, Kropotkin continually followed his goal of understanding cooperation in nature and, therefore, promoting it within mankind. Dugatkin claims Kropotkin was the first to argue that understanding cooperation in animals might shed light on cooperation in humans, possibly saving mankind from destroying itself.

“I am a biologist and historian of science who has been studying the evolution of cooperation for 25 years. Kropotkin’s story is one of the most amazing stories I have ever come across,” Dugatkin says. “I want others to see how science and scientists can be professional and adventurous at the same time, and perhaps most importantly, how understanding evolution can make us better people.”

“The Price of Evolution: Peter Kropotkin’s Adventures in Science and Politics” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

About the Author
Lee Alan Dugatkin is an evolutionary biologist and a professor at the University of Louisville. His previous books include “Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose: Natural History in Early America,” “The Altruism Equation” and “Cheating Monkeys and Citizen Bees.” His works have been covered by dozens of newspapers and magazines around the world including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He has spoken about his works at over 75 universities worldwide including Harvard, Princeton, Oxford University, The University of Copenhagen and

Located on Italy’s sun-drenched southeast coast, the unique and rustic interiors of Puglia’s ancient Masserie buildings speak of a historic past and are inspiring to all those who love rustic living. Surrounded by verdant vineyards and groves of ancient olive trees, the Masserie of Puglia—fortified domestic farmhouses dating back from the Middle Ages—embody a rich cultural past largely unexplored by the tourists and villa-seekers of Tuscany.

Once serving as farmhouses and way stations for those travelling along the Via Appia, these buildings have been renovated to serve as private residences or boutique hotels, with their beautifully preserved interiors thoughtfully adapted and turned into a cool serenity. With striking photography by Masseriasrk Roskams, the book offers a previously unseen look into these spaces. Simultaneously austere and luxurious, the simple yet spacious rooms retain their original charm, including stone kitchen fireplaces, churchlike arched hallways, and magnificent marble floors.

The Masseria San Domenico located in Savelletri in for many the Queen of all Masserie. The building goes back to the 15th century, when it was used by the Knights of Malta as a watch-tower. Today the tower is part of a 5 star deluxe resort whose charm recalls the history of the region, a land where the Eastern and the Mediterranean cultures have mixed well together. The rustic reds, golden yellows, and cornflower blues of classic Italy’s sun-drenched coast are mesmerising when set against the dazzlingly white backdrops of medieval stucco and stone. Richly contextualized with original essays by architect and scholar Diane Lewis, MASSERIA is a must for interior lovers or anyone with an appreciation for Puglia.

The author and photographer Mark Roskams is a New York-based photographer who specializes in architecture and interior design. His work has been featured in such publications as Elle Décor, Vogue and French and Italian editions of Architectural Digest. Architect Diane Lewis is a Fellow of The American Academy in Rome and Professor of Architecture at Cooper Union NY.

A recipient of the Rome Prize in Architecture, she recently edited the book Inside-Out: Architecture New York City. Masseria:

The Italian Stone Country Houses of Puglia Photography by Mark Roskams, Text by Diana Lewis Rizzoli New York

Do  you have ever thought adopting a word? To take care of her and to do grow ?

Now you can. There is a project of crowdsourcing born inside the Staff Web of the APT Services Tourism Emilia Romagna. The idea is to grow more the project involving in the translations and of the voices wikipedia related to Spanish and in English region .

By “saving a word” you choose to take care of it, becoming somehow the “foster parent” of the related Wikipedia entry. In practical terms, you are expected to:

• ·check the quality of the existing entry;
• ·improving it with text, pictures, links or other materials

Once the process is completed, the entry is “grown up” and it is accordingly returned to the community with richer and improved information.
The goal and meaning of the project lies in this very simple formula. Save a Word is indeed about taking care of the things and places around us, collecting and sharing trastable information about them.

 

FAQ

Who is entitled to take part into the project? Participating into “Save a word” is open to everyone- citizens, tourists, Municipalities, Tourism Boards, Associations- and everyone is welcome!

For what reasons have you rolled out the project? Promoting tourism and culture in and about Emilia Romagna is the our institutional mission. And we strongly believe that checking and improving the Wikipedia entries about the Region is by no means part of it.

Does Emilia Romagna Tourism earn anything from the project? In monetary/financial terms we do not earn anything from “Save a Word”. On the other hand, the cultural gainings are potentially immense. Through the rolling out of the project, indeed, we hope to help improving the Wikipedia entries about culture, geography, food, notable women and men, tourism in Emilia Romagna.

Do I earn anything from the project? In monetary/financial terms you do not earn anything: those who decide to take part into “Save a Word” do it on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, you might find it rewarding to put your wiki-knowledge to work and help improving the digital commons for the rest of the community.

How many entries am I entitled to save? You can “save” as many words as you want. However, since taking care of an entry is by no means similar to taking care of a baby, and thus requires time and attention, we suggest that you start by saving a single entry.

I entered the project and “adopted” a word. What am I supposed to do now? All you’re expected to do now is checking the existing version of the word on Wikipedia. Then it is up to your choice what to do to improve the entry and how to do it.

What kind of materials am I allowed to insert into the entry? Provided that you do not trespass the boundaries set by the existing copyright laws and by Wikipedia rules [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents/Policies_and_guidelines] you can basically do anything to improve an entry: adding/editing portions of text, adding pictures or videos, inserting hyperlinks.

Is there a deadline for the completion of the saving operations? There’s no formal deadline. However, we strongly encourage participants to work out their entries once they have adopted them, and return them to the community ASAP

The entry I have decided to save is already well curated. What am I supposed to do? No problem: by checking a given word and assessing that it is rich in, say, information and references you are already taking care of it and contributing. At the same time, consider that no Wikipedia entry is ever complete: there is always a picture, a link or a reference that is not there yet, and that may thus bring a further improvement.

What if I realize that I do not have time enough for properly taking care of the “foster child”? No problem. Just drop us an email at emiliaromagnatourism [at] gmail [dot] com and we will insert back the word into the registry of the project.

I would like to save a specific word, but I can’t find it into the registry Well, if there’s an entry you’d be happy to save, and you can’t find it into the registry, just contact us via email and we will help you

What is the function of the SAW Google Map? The map allows people to get a visual overview of the project, checking which entries have been taken already, and which on the other hand are still available.

Once I save a given entry, will it be mine forever? Nope. Wikimedia entries belong to no one but the community, and anyone can step in at any time and edit them. Thus, once a given word is “grown up” it becomes available again for further improvements by other people.

The London Book Fair has been the occasion to celebrate all the Italian writers living in London. Bookseller Ornella Tarantola, manager of the well-known Italian Bookshop in Cecil Court, organized an “aperitivo” to welcome publishers and these authors.

The window of this charming shop had on display the books of these writers who came to meet their readers, to sign copies of their books and to sip a glass of Prosecco in the quiet Cecil Court. The evening started with Ms Ornella reading a message from Luca Bianchini, a well-known writer in Italy who sent his greetings for the shop, that he thinks more a house than a shop for the warmth and kindness of Ornella and her staff.

It has been possible to talk to Marco Niada author of “Il Tempo Breve”, exchange few words with the always very smart Bamboo Hirst whose book “Vado a Shanghai per comprarmi un cappello” has been translated in several languages, to nod to Stefano Tura, journalist and author of “Delitti per le feste”.

Italian Bookshop

During this spring evening Ms Ornella has been the perfect mistress of the house engaging with all the guests attending this event. Other authors present were Massimo Fenati with his “Il Libro d’Amore di Gus & Waldo” a book full of humour, Simonetta Agnello Hornby with her “La Monaca”, Caterina Soffici, author of “Ma le Donne no” recently presented at the Italian Bookshop, and also Enrico Franceschini with his “Londra Babilonia”, Matteo Bernardo Bagnoli author of “Bologna permettendo” and Paolo Nelli with the amusing “Mio marito Francesca”. Among all these authors our editor ( Filippo Baglini) of the magazine ItaloEuropeo was present with his “Passi nel Silenzio”, a collection of poems published in Braille as well.

Italian Bookshop

As usual Ornella Tarantola and her worthy team with Renata, Katiuscia and Matteo has organized a splendid event where Italian culture as been the real star of the evening.