Collections of scenes and texts designated variously as the "Book of the Earth," "Creation of the Solar Disc," and "Book of Aker" were inscribed on the walls of royal sarcophagus chambers throughout Egypt's Ramessid period (Dynasties 19-20). This material illustrated discrete episodes from the nocturnal voyage of the sun god, which functioned as a model for the resurrection of the deceased king. These earliest "Books of the Earth" employed mostly ad hoc arrangements of scenes, united by shared elements of iconography, an overarching, bipartite symmetry of composition, and their frequent...

Waste pickers in Dhaka make their living by selling recyclable items collected from dumped waste. Most are children living on the streets or in slums where they have little access to infrastructure, a low status in society and an uncertain future. This book is based on a period of fieldwork in Dhaka which explored their livelihoods using the DFID Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA). It presents much of the livelihood information gathered, and discusses the effectiveness of the SLA in this urban context. The book also raises a number of methodological issues relating to research with mostly...

It is generally accepted that excreta disposal is given less priority in emergencies than other humanitarian interventions such as health care, food and water supply. This is despite the fact that many of the most common diseases occuring in emergency situations are caused by inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygeine practice. Many aid agencies are aware of these facts and wish to give greater emphasis to excreta disposal. In the past, however, they have often been hampered by a lack of experience and resources to support their field staff. This manual is designed for use by...

Do we use obscure or fashionable words to impress our colleagues or win research proposals? Are many of our actions against poverty simple, direct and wrong? Provocations for Development is an entertaining and unsettling collection of writings that questions concepts, conventions and practices in development. It is made up of short and accessible writings by Robert Chambers reflecting on the evolution of concepts like participation and of organizations like the World Bank. Besides provocations, there is mischief, verse and serious fun. The book irreverently examines vocabularies of...

A Reader of Classical Arabic Literature is one of a very small group of resources in English for the teaching of intermediate and advanced level classical Arabic. Based on his lecture notes, the late Seeger Bonebakker designed a superb teaching text, which he then asked his UCLA colleague, Michael Fishbein, to help him annotate and augment. The result is a truly valuable reader, one used widely in the United States and Europe, featuring judicious and instructive selections from such works as Ibn al-Qifti's Inbah al-ruwat, al-Tanukhi's al-Faraj ba'd al-shidda, and al-Dhahabi's Siyar a'lam...

This handbook treats the different types of shields used by soldiers in the Neo-Assyrian army and their opponents. Written, visual, and material sources are analyzed to illustrate practical aspects of defensive weaponry in the ancient Near East in the first millennium B.C. The origins, use, evolution, and manufacture of shields are considered in presenting a typology that is essential reading for enthusiasts and scholars alike.

Cada vez mas, los profesionales y los donantes que responden a los desastres estan reconociendo la necesidad de proporcionar apoyo rapido y personalizado para los medios de vida, empresas y economias afectadas tras el paso de una crisis. Esto se hace frecuentemente en paralelo con los esfuerzos de emergencia para suplir las necesidades humanas basicas de alojamiento, agua, alimentacion y servicios de salud. En el pasado, la asistencia para la recuperacion economica habia sido vista como una actividad que debia realizarse en etapas posteriores. Sin embargo, la experiencia en respuesta a...