Thando Vilakazi, Sumayya Goga, and Simon Roberts, editors

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! What does it take for local entrepreneurs to effectively compete in South Africa? What factors affect entry and participation in sectors where established firms have existed for years? And with what impact?  Addressing these questions, Opening the South African Economy highlights the challenges posed by concentration, inequality, and exclusion across the  More >

Carlos M. Vilas

Shortly after the Sandinista victory of July 1979, the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua gained enormous international notoriety because of violent conflicts between the new government and the people of the Coast region. Today, asserts Carlos Vilas, it may be the region of Nicaragua in which the peace process has advanced furthest. Exploring the origins of Nicaragua's internal conflicts, Vilas  More >

William J. Vizzard

In the aftermath of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has become one of the most controversial of government agencies.  Yet, despite the headlines and congressional hearings, little has been written about the history and organizational culture of the bureau.  William Vizzard draws both on his 27 years of insider experience as a special agent and  More >

Thomas J. Volgy and Alison Bailin

Although it has been more than a decade since the Cold War global structure collapsed, neither scholars nor policymakers have clearly identified its replacement. What is the new world order, ask Thomas Volgy and Alison Bailin; and in the midst of declining state strength, who sustains it? They find their answers in the system collectively constructed by the major powers. The authors consider both  More >

Frank N. von Hippel

Frank N. von Hippel shares his remarkable journey as a key figure in the history of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, illuminating the far-reaching consequences of nuclear accidents and the devastating impact of "limited" nuclear war. Speaking out about the dangers of nuclear power, leading the opposition against nuclear breeder reactors, meeting with Soviet leaders and colleagues  More >

Ludwig Ritter von Höhnel; Ronald E. Coons and Pascal James Imperato, editors; J. Winthrop Aldrich, consulting editor

Ludwig Ritter von Höhnel lived a fascinating life—he was an Austrian subject who achieved distinction as an African explorer, a naval officer, and a courtier. The turbulent years preceding the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918 are revived through Höhnel's vibrant memoir. An explorer of East Africa in the era of Livingstone and Stanley, Höhnel mapped vast  More >

Peter VonDoepp

That judicial institutions are important for emerging democracies leaves little room for debate. But to what extent do judiciaries in these new democracies maintain their autonomy? And what accounts for varying levels of autonomy across states? Drawing on the cases of Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia—and offering a novel analytical framework—Peter VonDoepp illuminates why power holders  More >

Thembisa Waetjen, editor

From over-the-counter cough syrups and prescribed painkillers to heroin and fentanyl bought on the street, the misuse of opioids has ignited widespread debates about drug policy reform. In this book, the contributors draw on a range of disciplinary perspectives to focus on these issues in South Africa. Experts in medicine, pharmacology, and the social sciences and humanities, together with  More >

David Wagner with Jennifer Barton Gilman

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! Whose fault is homelessness? Thirty years ago the problem exploded as a national crisis, drawing the attention of activists, the media, and policymakers at all levels—yet the homeless population endures to this day, and arguably has grown. David Wagner offers a major reconsideration of homelessness in the US, casting a critical eye on how we as a society  More >

Michele Wakin

For many decades and for many reasons, people who are homeless have chosen to live in camps or other makeshift settings, even when shelters are available. Is this an act of resistance? Of self-preservation? Or are they simply too addicted, too mentally ill, or too criminal to adapt to the rules and regulations of shelter life? To address these questions, Michele Wakin explores the evolution of  More >