This is the first time that the literary works of contemporary Afro-Brazilian women have been compiled presenting a comprehensive vision of what it means to be both black and female in Brazil. Though the canon of Brazilian literature is rich in Afro-Brazilian female characters, until recently it has included only a handful of Afro-Brazilian women writers, sprinkled across the centuries. The    More >

Development scholars, policymakers, and practitioners have begun sorting through the hype of microfinance to identify where and how top-down loans might fit into broader development efforts. To many, the answer involves shifting focus to another financial service: savings. Serving as a strong and perhaps more effective tool than microcredit, microsavings is quickly becoming a lauded    More >

Despite the labyrinthine bureaucracies, frustrating inefficiencies, and disorienting complexities of the "development business," many individuals and groups find their way through and contribute to positive change. How do they do it? What ethical and practical dilemmas do they face, and what strategies do they find most effective for overcoming them? Sarah Parkinson draws on the    More >

Because of, and at times in spite of, the distinct quality of Portuguese colonial policy, an original and vibrant lusophone literature exists today in Africa. Burness introduces the too-little- known work of Angola’s Luandino Viera, Agostinho Neto, Geraldo Bessa Victor, and Mario Antonio, Cape Verde’s Baltasar Lopes, and Mozambique’s Luis Bernardo Honwana.    More >

In First Amendment, First Principles, attorney John F. Wirenius explores challenges to freedom of speech and examines the evolution of how the First Amendment has come to the meaning it bears today. In his bold rethinking of the concept of freedom of speech, Wirenius writes a thorough, scholarly discussion of the body of law surrounding free speech and a passionate defense of his convictions    More >

Whether editing speeches and appearing on the campaign trail, presiding over White House renovations and social events, championing important causes, or functioning as the president's most trusted adviser, first ladies have made significant contributions to the heads-of-state's careers and to the nation. Yet, the accomplishments of those who have acted as the power behind the presidency    More >

When African countries embarked on the first round of structural adjustments in the 1980s and 1990s, there was little opportunity to first determine what programs would work where—instead, governments reluctantly implemented policies that were imposed by international financial institutions and based on theoretical models. The ensuing process was eventful—and the results    More >

Florida 2000 offers a clear, but also nuanced, account of the legal and constitutional issues surrounding the disputed presidential election. Combining original sources with analyses, Mark Whitman traces the major developments in the Bush-Gore struggle. Section introductions and commentaries synthesize the often complex material, while editor's notes provide context for each selection. The    More >

The first book in a trilogy that continues with Mother Spring and Birth at Dawn, this naturalistic allegory is about two Arabic-speaking police officers who set out in the Atlas Mountains in search of a revolutionary. Once in this mysterious region, the officers, with their postcolonial, Westernized manners, are challenged by the ferociously suspicious and independent-minded Berber    More >

These translations of 45 Wolof folktales are remarkable for the way they capture the poignancy, humor, and meaning of their original, oral form. Organized according to their thematic patterns, the stories reveal much about the Wolof people’s relationship with their environment, their beliefs about causality, and their social values, morality, and customs. Including a general introduction and    More >