Books published by Columbia University Press

From the triumphs of nationalism and political and cultural independence to the continuing problems of internal strife and poverty, postcolonial nations have grappled with a range of political, intellectual, and economic issues. This comprehensive volume introduces the major events, figures, and movements that have shaped the postcolonial history of the Anglophone world. With entries from more than fifty leading scholars arranged alphabetically by topic, the Companion brings together the postcolonial histories of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Canada. Each entry provides a summary of a historical event or topic and suggestions for further readings. The volume also includes substantive essays on historiography and women's histories. By outlining the cultural, social, and political contexts of postcolonialism as well as examining elements of colonial history, the Companion illuminates complex contemporary debates about globalization, AIDS prevention, immigration, race, politics, economics, culture, and language.

Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) was a controversial social and cultural theorist known for his trenchant analyses of media and technological communication. Belonging to the generation of French thinkers that included Gilles Deleuze, Jean-François Lyotard, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Lacan, Baudrillard has at times been vilified by his detractors, but the influence of his work on critical thought and pop culture is impossible to deny (many might recognize his name from The Matrix movies, which claimed to be based on the French theorist's ideas). Steve Redhead takes a fresh look at Baudrillard in relation to the intellectual and political climates in which he wrote. Baudrillard sought to produce a theory of modernity, but the modern world of the 1950s was radically different from the reality of the early twenty-first century. Beginning with Baudrillard's initial publications in the 1960s and concluding with his writings on 9/11 and Abu Ghraib, Redhead guides the reader through Baudrillard's difficult texts and unorthodox views on current issues. He also proposes an original theory of Baudrillard's relation to postmodernism, presenting the theorist's work as "non-postmodernist," after Bruno Latour's concept of "non-modernity." Each section of the Reader includes an extract from one of Baudrillard's writings, prefaced by a short bibliographical introduction that places the piece in context and puts the debate surrounding the theorist into sharp perspective. The conflict over Baudrillard's legacy stems largely from the fact that a comprehensive selection of his writings has yet to be translated and collected into one volume. The Jean Baudrillard Reader provides an expansive and much-needed portrait of the critic's resonant work.

Min W. Jung offers a new understanding of the neural basis of innovation in terms of humans¿ exceptional capacity for imagination and high-level abstraction.

The Best American Magazine Writing 2023 will feature a selection of articles honored by this year¿s National Magazine Awards for Print and Digital Media.

This book brings together an ensemble of leading theorists and younger voices to explore new dimensions of Seyla Benhabib¿s thought across critical theory, feminism, and democratic theory, foregrounding the intricate relationship between critique and universality.

This book brings together an ensemble of leading theorists and younger voices to explore new dimensions of Seyla Benhabib¿s thought across critical theory, feminism, and democratic theory, foregrounding the intricate relationship between critique and universality.