Product Description: From the founding of the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE to the present, the Chinese have been preoccupied with the concept of order (zhi). This cultural preoccupation has found expression not only in China's highly refined bureaucratic institutions and methods of social and economic organization but also in Chinese philosophy, religious and secular ritual, and a number of comprehensive systems for classifying every form of human achievement, as well as all natural and supernatural phenomena...read more

Product Description: The I Ching originated in China as a divination manual more than three thousand years ago. In 136 BCE the emperor declared it a Confucian classic, and in the centuries that followed, this work had a profound influence on the philosophy, religion, art, literature, politics, science, technology, and medicine of various cultures throughout East Asia...read more

In this thought-provoking new book, career U.S. State Department negotiator Richard J. Smith offers readers unprecedented access to the details about some of the most complex and politically charged international agreements of the late and immediate post Cold War era. During his nine years as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Smith led U.S. negotiations on many significant international agreements. In Negotiating Environment and Science, Smith presents first-hand, in-depth accounts of eight of the most high-profile negotiations in which he was directly involved. The negotiations Smith covers are wide-ranging and include the London agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the international space station agreement, the U.S.-Soviet (eventually, U.S.-Russian) agreement on scientific cooperation, the U.S.-Canada acid rain agreement, the negotiations in Sofia, Bulgaria that established a first link between human rights and the environment, and a contentious confrontation with Japan over driftnet fishing. Smith chronicles the development of these negotiations, the challenges that emerged (as much within the U.S. delegations as with the foreign partners), and the strategies that led to substantive treaties. Smith infuses his narrative with unique historical insight as well as astute observations that can guide U.S. strategies toward productive international agreements in the future. His book also highlights the shift in diplomatic focus over the past 25 years from arms control and other security-related agreements to international and trans-boundary agreements that address global environmental threats and promote cooperative approaches in science and technology. Written for an audience with a general interest in environmental issues as well as international relations, Negotiating Environment and Science will also be an important resource for historians, political scientists, and students in international law and diplomacy.

Product Description: Different Worlds of Discourse explores the late Qing reform era (c. 1895–1912) from three interrelated and comparatively neglected perspectives: the construction of gender roles, the development of literary genres, and the emergence of new forms of print media.

A key component of the overall quality of a pharmaceutical is control of impurities, as their presence, even in small amounts, may affect drug safety and efficacy. The identification and quantification of impurities to acceptable standards presents a significant challenge to the analytical chemist. Analytical science is developing rapidly and provides increasing opportunity to identify the structure, and therefore the origin and safety implications of these impurities, and the challenges of their measurement drives the development of modern quantitative methods. Written for both practicing and student analytical chemists, Analysis of Drug Impurities provides a detailed overview of the challenges and the techniques available to permit accurate identification and quantification of drug impurities.

Product Description: For nearly two thousand years the Chinese emperor, ruler of "All under heaven", demanded the obedience not only of his subjects in China but also of tributary peoples throughout the known world. This work explores the history of Chinese map-making, giving special emphasis to the political, military, and administrative uses of maps, the images of foreign "barbarians" seen in maps and encyclopaedias, and the role of these materials in the maintenance of China's image of itself as the Middle Kingdom...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Offers an in-depth explanation of what the Internet is, how to access it, and how to use it effectively, along with technical and practical tips and examples

Product Description: The Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)—a crucial bridge between “traditional” and “modern” China—was a period remarkable for its expansiveness and cultural sophistication. In this extensively revised and expanded edition of his highly regarded book, Richard J...read more

Product Description: Providing an analysis of Chinese divination as a means of organizing and interpreting "reality", Richard Smith examines a wide variety of mantic techniques - from the use of the hallowed "Yjing" to such popular practices as siting (geomancy), astrology, numerology, physiognomy, the analysis of written characters, meteorological divination, the use of mediums (including spirit-writing), and dream interpretation...read more

Product Description: Ten essays explore the boundaries between the metaphysical and human action in the philosophies of Chinese thinkers of the 17th to the 20th centuries. Some focus on individuals or groups, while others discuss broad patterns of thought and behavior; some consider only the elite culture or only popul...read more

Product Description: Despite efforts by Chinese governments to suppress their popularity, and the influence of Western ideas and science, almanacs have been one of the most widely distributed and read publications in Chinese societies all over the world...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)