Böcker utgivna av Reaktion Books

New in the Critical Lives series, this is the first new biography of Walter Benjamin in more than a decade.

Provides a persuasive account of the forces, conflicts and debates that have underpinned the emergence of something we effortlessly refer to as the 'modern interior'. This title focuses on the realities as well as concepts of the modern interior, whether in the hands of professional decorators and designers, or in those of its amateur inhabitants.

As well as much-needed electricity, dams generate extremes of emotion. Traditionally, dams have facilitated hydraulic civilizations such as those in the Nile Valley, China and Mesopotamia, and, in the twentieth century, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Yet with the proliferation of dams there are now more than 40,000 large dams worldwide opposition and support can be measured in equal proportion. Their outstanding design and construction, often in inhospitable conditions, is representative of the skills of their engineers, yet others do not see such beauty in the taming' of rivers. In 1998 the continuing controversy led to the forming of the World Commission on Dams to seek a meeting of minds. "e;Dam"e;, a new addition to Reaktion's "e;Objekt"e; series, traces the development of dams from the Industrial Revolution to the present day through a number of themes both successes and failures including the extension of the design teams forming an alliance between engineering, architecture, landscape architecture and ecology. A profusely illustrated exploration of a previously neglected subject, this book is neither a polemic against dams nor a defence of their proliferation.It offers a fresh and much-needed account of their design, construction and function, which will appeal to general readers and those interested in environmental policy, history and civil engineering.

A natural and cultural history of the cow, a creature that has had a relationship with humanity since 9,000 bc

Can film capture what our eyes can't see? There are many examples historical and contemporary of photographs of spirits or ghosts. These images have been derided as hoaxes or, at the other extreme, held up as irrefutable proof of the otherworld. This title examines these blurred images of phantoms, psychical emanations and religious apparitions.

Simon gives us a new biography of the iconic, iconoclastic fashion designer Coco Chanel. Drawing upon rich archival sources, Coco Chanel provides a lively, clear-eyed account of the life and work of a woman whose influence transcends the world of fashion.

An exploration of Gothic's contemporary face, from the excesses of the Chapman brothers to fashions for piercing, tattooing and body modification, and from the postmodern freak shows of Joel-Peter Witkin's photography to David Lynch's films

Film and music belong together; classics like Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927) and Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (1967) are renowned for their brilliant soundtracks. But what exactly is film music? This title traces the history of music in film and discusses central theoretical questions concerning its narrative and psychological functions.

A comprehensive study of the cinema of Turkey. It deals with Turkish quest for a modern identity in a world where borders, attitudes and people themselves are shifting and relocating.

A close account of the famous 'Nordic' or 'Scandinavian' model of politics and policy, which emphasizes consensus and compromise over the opposition and fault-finding found in most Western political systems.

A timely history of Korea, a country divided until recently by the last active 'cold war' frontier, yet whose common historical and cultural links remain strong

An informative and lively account of 'retro', the fashion for re-using styles, fashions, looks and sounds of the past

Redolent of everything sensual and hedonistic, chocolate is synonymous with our idea of indulgence. It is adored around the world and has been since the Spanish first encountered cocoa beans in South America in the sixteenth century. This title explores the origins and growth of this almost universal obsession.

From the colourful abstraction of the Rietveld chair to the dry wit of the 'milkbottle lamp' by design cooperative Droog, modern design in the Netherlands has always been a hotbed of experimentation. This book takes a look not just at designs made in the Netherlands, but behind the works created throughout the twentieth century and beyond.

The picture that usually comes to mind when we think of Greek architecture is one of classical temples and ancient sites. This book takes a look at the Greece of reality rather than of the imagination the buildings constructed since the establishment of the modern Greek state.

A concise, readable account of the life and work of Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the greatest and most original philosophers of the twentieth century

Explores the contested history of art and nationalism in the tumultuous last decades of British rule in India. With a fascinating array of art works, this book throws much light on a previously neglected strand of modern art and introduces the work of artists who are little known in Europe or America.

Over the years the popularity of Japanese food in the West has increased immeasurably. This book explores the origins of Japanese cuisine as we know it today, investigating the transformations and developments food culture in Japan has undergone since the late nineteenth century.

Although Paul Delvaux (born 1897) is an artist of international standing, his work is relatively little known in the Anglo-Saxon world. This book places Delvaux's work in the tradition of European figurative painting, as well as in the context of twentieth-century Surrealism, exploring the relationship between them.

Includes essays on design that cover Modernism's fortunes in Germany, Italy, Sweden, Britain, Spain, Belgium and the USA.

A timely comparative analysis of cities in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, and in particular the rapid process of expansion and modernization they are currently experiencing.

In contemporary society, the cult of celebrity is inescapable. Anyone can be turned into a celebrity, and anything can be made into a celebrity event. This title brings together celebrated figures from the arts, sports, politics and other public spheres, from O J Simpson and Marilyn Monroe to Hitler and David Bowie.

Romania occupies a unique position on the map of Eastern Europe. It is a country that presents many paradoxes. This book examines this land's development from the Middle Ages to modern times, delineating its culture, history, language, politics and ethnic identity.

Written on the Body surveys the history of the tattoo in Europe and North America from Antiquity to the present. While the subject of tattooing has previously been approached from the viewpoints of anthropology, sociology and cultural studies, this book sets the practice into a historical perspective.

Mining in World History deals with the history of mining and smelting from the Renaissance to the present day, drawing out, in an engaging and fast-paced fashion, the interplay of personalities, politics and technology which have together shaped the metallurgical industries over the last 500 years.

Packed with incident and anecdote Cairo: City of Sand describes the city's given circumstances and people's attitudes of response. Apart from a brisk historical overview, this book focuses on the present moment of one of the world's most illustrious and irreducible cities.

Explores the intriguing and manifold uses of animal imagery in modern and contemporary art.

From Victor Frankenstein to Dr. Moreau to Doc Brown in Back to the Future, the scientist has been a puzzling, fascinating, and threatening presence in popular culture. From films we have learned that scientists are either evil maniacal geniuses or bumbling saviors of society. Mad, Bad and Dangerous? puts this dichotomy to the test, offering a wholly engaging yet not uncritical history of the cinematic portrayal of scientists. Christopher Frayling traces the genealogy of the scientist in film, showing how the scientist has often embodied the predominant anxieties of a particular historical moment. The fear of nuclear holocaust in the 1950s gave rise to a rash of radioactive-mutant horror movies, while the possible dangers of cloning and biotechnology in the 1990s manifested themselves in Jurassic Park. During these eras, the scientist's actions have been viewed through a lens of fascination and fear. In the past few decades, with increased public awareness of environmental issues and of the impact of technology on nature, the scientist has been transformed once again--into a villainous agent of money-hungry corporate powers. Mad, Bad and Dangerous? also examines biographical depictions of actual scientists, illuminating how they are often portrayed as social misfits willing to sacrifice everything to the interests of science. Drawing on such classic and familiar films as Frankenstein, Metropolis, and The Wizard of Oz, Frayling brings social and film history together to paint a much larger picture of the evolving value of science and technology to society. A fascinating study of American culture and film, Mad, Bad and Dangerous? resurrects the scientists of late night movies and drive-in theaters and gives them new life as cultural talismans.

Famed for its breathtaking isolation, Easter Island was a verdant South-Sea idyll when a small canoeful of Polynesians arrived in c AD 700. Centuries later the island's statues were famous throughout the world. This book presents a comprehensive history of Easter Island, its people and their extraordinary story.

The Mughal empire (1526 1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure; it was in fact the mightiest Islamic empire in the history of India. This book describes the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals, their system of rule, and their gradual collapse, finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1857.