What is the place of quality in contemporary capitalism? How is a product as ordinary as a bag of tea valued for its quality? In her innovative study, Sarah Besky addresses these questions by going inside an Indian auction house where experts taste and value mass-market black tea, one of the world’s most recognized commodities. Pairing rich historical data with ethnographic res...(展开全部)

A critical examination of economics’s past and future, and how it needs to change, by one of the most eminent political economists of our time The dominant view in economics is that money and government should play only a minor role in economic life. Economic outcomes, it is claimed, are best left to the “invisible hand” of the market. Yet these claims remain staunchly unsettl...(展开全部)

A renowned anthropologist explores the history and meaning of eating in America. Addressing issues ranging from the global phenomenon of Coca-Cola to the diets of American slaves, Sidney Mintz shows how our choices about food are shaped by a vast and increasingly complex global economy. He demonstrates that our food choices have enormous and often surprising significance.

For thousands of years, thinkers and scientists have tried to understand what the brain does. Yet, despite the astonishing discoveries of science, we still have only the vaguest idea of how the brain works. In The Idea of the Brain, scientist and historian Matthew Cobb traces how our conception of the brain has evolved over the centuries. Although it might seem to be a story of...(展开全部)

A powerful examination of what we think we know about the brain and why — despite technological advances — the workings of our most essential organ remain a mystery. For thousands of years, thinkers and scientists have tried to understand what the brain does. Yet, despite the astonishing discoveries of science, we still have only the vaguest idea of how the brain works. In The ...(展开全部)

如果讲“吃”，中国人的烹饪技术是世界一流的，但对于“吃”的意义的了解则知之甚少。而通过这本书的出版，能过使人们透过“吃”这种饮食行为，来更多地了解“吃”的文化与历史内涵。 这是一本很有品味的关于“吃”的学术专著。作者以人类学学者的视角对人类饮食进行多维思考，透过饮食行为，详谈文化与历史，这在大陆的出版物中尚属首例。不仅如此，书中所提供的知识点更让人耳目一新。看似简单且平凡的 “吃”却是这样的不平凡，它的发展历程竟有这许多的鲜活内容。这本书的内容不仅使人们重新认识了“吃”，更使人明了“吃”的意义。从而加深对“吃”与文化历史的结合有了更为清楚的认同。 开阔的思路、历史的深度与对未来的前瞻，对起步不久的中国饮食文化研究具有很好的启迪和推动作用。作为一部学术著作，此书的行文区生动、形象、深入浅出，有一定的可读性和科普意义，无论是平头百姓还是政府官...(展开全部)

【作者简介】 [奥]瓦尔特·沙伊德尔（Walter Scheidel），生于奥地利，目前在斯坦福大学教授古代历史，主要研究领域是古代历史和经济史、前现代历史人口学，以及世界史比较和跨学科研究方法。 【译者简介】 祁长保，毕业于国际关系学院，曾从事医药贸易工作。译有《黑斯巴达克斯：海地国父杜桑·卢维杜尔传》《苍白的骑士：西班牙流感如何改变了世界》。

Though they may speak different languages, kids from all over the world come together to enjoy the shared pastime of tea in this delicious book for young readers. When five-year-old Luli joins her new English as a Second Language class, the playroom is quiet. Luli can’t speak English, neither can anyone else. That’s when she has a brilliant idea to host a tea party and bring th...(展开全部)

The era of the printed book is at a crossroad. E-readers are flooding the market, books are available to read on cell phones, and companies such as Google, Amazon, and Apple are competing to command near monopolistic positions as sellers and dispensers of digital information. Already, more books have been scanned and digitized than were housed in the great library in Alexandria...(展开全部)

The invention of writing was one of the most important technological, cultural, and sociological breakthroughs in human history. With the printed book, information and ideas could disseminate more widely and effectively than ever before—and in some cases, affect and redirect the sway of history. Today, nearly one million books are published each year. But is the era of the book...(展开全部)