Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism or The Edge of Disaster

Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism

Author: Richard H Robbins

Robbins Back Cover Copy

 

Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism

Fourth Edition

 

By: Richard H. Robbins

 

 

Basic Approach:

 

This award-winning text explores one of the most successful cultures and society the world has ever seen–capitalism.  From capitalism's European roots more than 500 years ago to the present, this text examines the problems caused by its expansion, inequality, environmental destruction, and social unrest.

 

Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism provides the reader with the anthropological, economic, and historical framework to understand the origins of global problems, why globalization and the global expansion of the culture of capitalism has generated protest and resistance, and the steps necessary to solve global problems.  Up-to-date information throughout the text helps students maintain a current view of the rapidity of global change.  

 

New to This Edition:

• New Section! on the informal economy and one of its major components, the global drug trade.  
• New Section! on the war in Iraq and concomitant issues such as media spin, the free trade agenda, and the role of energy in the global economy. 
• New Material! on the role of spin and the media, particularly as it relates to climate change. 
• Extended Discussion! of the role of money in economic growth.
• Additional Material! on the role of holidays to stimulate consumption. 

 

What the reviewers are saying…

 

“The book is unique in its area.” —James Bearden / SUNY Geneseo

 

“I find the style extremely engaging and the material presented to be extremely interesting. This is the only book I’ve ever used that has prompted students to repeatedly comment on how much they’re learning.” —Thomas B. Stevenson / Ohio University

 

“I continue to believe that it is important to expose freshmen students to many of the points and topics raised by Robbins in his textbook. Thank God there is a good text like this that I can use for this course!” —Vaughn M. Bryant / Texas A&M University

 

 

 

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** Anthropology Experience ad **

Booknews

A text for a college course on global problems, focusing on those that students will have been exposed to from mass media. Incorporates the study of the biases that privileged students usually bring to the subject without realizing it, biases that would be strongly reinforced by the media coverage. Illustrated with exceptionally high quality black-and-white photographs. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Table of Contents:

Pt. I	The consumer, the laborer, the capitalist, and the nation-state in the society of perpetual growth : introduction	1
Ch. 1	Constructing the consumer	13
Ch. 2	The laborer in the culture of capitalism	39
Ch. 3	The rise of the merchant, industrialist, and capital controller	65
Ch. 4	The nation-state in the culture of capitalism	108
Pt. II	The global impact of the culture of capitalism : introduction	137
Ch. 5	The problem of population growth	145
Ch. 6	Hunger, poverty, and economic development	175
Ch. 7	Environment and consumption	206
Ch. 8	Disease	233
Ch. 9	Indigenous groups and ethnic conflict	262
Pt. III	Resistance and rebellion : introduction	293
Ch. 10	Peasant protest, rebellion, and resistance	301
Ch. 11	Antisystemic protest	329
Ch. 12	Religion and antisystemic protest	355
Ch. 14	Constructing the citizen-activist	383

Books about: War on the Middle Class or With Their Eyes

The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation

Author: Stephen Flynn

Why do we remain unprepared for the next terrorist attack or natural disaster?
Where are we most vulnerable?
How have we allowed our government to be so negligent?
Who will keep you and your family safe?
Is America living on borrowed time?
How can we become a more resilient nation? Americans are in denial when it comes to facing up to how vulnerable our nation is to disaster, be it terrorist attack or act of God. We have learned little from the cataclysms of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. When it comes to catastrophe, America is living on borrowed time–and squandering it. In this new book, leading security expert Stephen Flynn issues a call to action, demanding that we wake up and prepare immediately for a safer future.

The truth is acts of terror cannot always be prevented, and nature continues to show its fury in frighteningly unpredictable ways. Resiliency, argues Flynn, must now become our national motto. With chilling frankness and clarity, Flynn paints an all too real scenario of the threats we face within our own borders. A terrorist attack on a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor could kill thousands and leave millions more of New Englanders without power or heat. The destruction of a ship with a cargo of oil in Long Beach, California, could bring the West Coast economy to its knees and endanger the surrounding population. But even these all-too-plausible terrorist scenarios pale in comparison to the potential destruction wrought by a major earthquake or hurricane.

Our growing exposure to man-made and natural perils is largely rooted in our own negligence, as we take for granted the infrastructure handed down to us byearlier generations. Once the envy of the world, this infrastructure is now crumbling. After decades of neglect, our public health system leaves us at the mercy of microbes that could kill millions in the next flu pandemic. Flash flooding could wipe out a fifty-year-old dam north of Phoenix, placing thousands of homes and lives at risk. The next San Francisco earthquake could destroy century-old levees, contaminating the freshwater supply that most of California relies on for survival.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The Edge of Disaster tells us what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society. We can–and, Flynn argues, we must–construct a more resilient nation. With the wounds of recent national tragedies still unhealed, the time to act is now.

Flynn argues that by tackling head-on, eyes open the perils that lie before us, we can remain true to our most important and endearing national trait: our sense of optimism about the future and our conviction that we can change it for the better for ourselves–and our children.

“Steve Flynn offers the answer not only to protecting America from terrorist attacks and natural disaster but also to revitalizing our democracy. This book is a must-read for all members of Congress, 2008 presidential candidates, and ordinary citizens who want to build a better and safer future.”
–Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University Advance praise for The Edge of Disaster

“Steve Flynn has done it again. Like America the Vulnerable before it, The Edge of Disaster is the must-read book for every American, elected official, and presidential candidate who is committed to ensuring that our nation continue to thrive in perilous times.”
–Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia “Since 9/11, protecting our nation against a terrorist attack has consumed policy makers in Washington. What Stephen Flynn points out in The Edge of Disaster is that much of this effort has been directed overseas, often at the expense of our homeland and its much more likely areas of vulnerability. Laying out a series of potential disasters both manmade and natural, Flynn calls for a greater emphasis on preparedness and the ability of communities and the nation to recover. Painting an often frustrating and infuriating picture of missed opportunities, The Edge of Disaster is a call to action. The time to act is now. We can only hope that policy makers are listening.”
–Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and
former administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (2001-03) “Steve Flynn’s book makes the very persuasive argument that national security preparedness is linked to natural disaster preparedness. By investing significantly in our critical infrastructure, in citizen preparedness, and most importantly in leadership, we can be better prepared for all hazards. A great book that I highly recommend.”
–James Lee Witt, former director, Federal Emergency Management Agency “Steve Flynn has become a relentless contributor to the dialogue on prioritizing the work of the post-9/11 security environment. The Edge of Disaster calls into question the neglect of domestic preparedness in favor of the Department of Defense-driven offensive in the global war on terrorism. The book offers provocative challenges to both our elected and our private-sector leaders, and both should read it thoroughly.”
–Admiral James M. Loy, former commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, and former deputy secretary of homeland security

The Washington Post - John McQuaid

Flynn brings considerable experience to the issue, from a stint as a Coast Guard officer to his current perch at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he studies homeland security issues. His argument is straightforward and sensible: We need to build "resiliency" into the systems that make modern American life possible -- transportation, communications, trade, basic infrastructure and government agencies. Our leaders lecture us that future disasters are inevitable, and they're right. So we'd better start figuring out how to take a punch. By intelligently marshaling our resources before catastrophes occur, we can cushion almost any blow.

Library Journal

Avian flu. Earthquake. Exploding chemical plants. Homeland security expert Flynn reports on a lot of bad things that could happen post-9/11. With a four-city tour. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.