John Cort explores the narratives by which the Jains have explained the presence of icons of Jinas (their enlightened and liberated teachers) that are worshiped and venerated in the hundreds of thousands of Jain temples throughout India. Most of these narratives portray icons favorably, and so justify their existence; but there are also...

Art and architecture lovers, ecotourists, history buffs, gourmands, wine aficionados, culture scholars, outdoor sports fanatics—Spain truly has something for everyone. Its good weather and many varied attractions make it ideal for year-round vacationing. Spain is the home of diverse cultures and traditions. From the stoic independence of...

The utilisation of renewable energies is not at all new; in the history of mankind renewable energies have for a long time been the primary possibility of generating energy. This only changed with industrial revolution when lignite and hard coal became increasingly more important. Later on, also crude oil gained importance. Offering the...

Although the fundamentals of the subject have not altered since the publication of the last edition there have been significant changes in the development and application of air conditioning. Among these are concerns about indoor air quality, revision of outside design data and the expression of cooling loads arising from solar radiation through...

This Handbook explores the history of mathematics under a series of themes which raise new questions about what mathematics has been and what it has meant to practice it. It addresses questions of who creates mathematics, who uses it, and how. A broader understanding of mathematical practitioners naturally leads to a new appreciation of what...

All over the world, democratic reforms have brought power to the people, but under conditions where the people have little opportunity to think about the power that they exercise. In this book, James Fishkin combines a new theory of democracy with actual practice and shows how an idea that harks back to ancient Athens can be used to revive...

Considering its importance, the history of fetal health and mortality remains a neglected area. Medical historians have tended to focus on maternal mortality and professional conflicts between midwives rather than on the unborn, while among the social scientists demographers and epidemiologists have until recently devoted most of their...

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Cholera is a frightening disease. Victims are wracked by stomach cramps and suffer intense diarrhoea. Death can come within hours.

Though now seeming a distant memory in Europe, which suffered several epidemics in the 19th century before John Snow identified the link with water, cholera is still a serious threat in many parts...

The Reformation was a seismic event in European history, one which left an indelible mark on the modern world. In this Very Short Introduction, Peter Marshall illuminates the causes and consequences of this pivotal movement in western Christianity. The Reformation began as an argument about what Christians needed to do to be saved, but...

This book introduces recent advances in building simulation and outlines its historic development. Two important topics are described: uncertainty in simulation and coupled simulations, which are both closely linked to attempts to improve control and accuracy. This is followed by coverage of wind simulations and predictions, and then by an...