{"title":"AA VV","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-passenger-thailand-paperback","title":"The Passenger: Thailand - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFully-illustrated, The Passenger collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIN THIS VOLUME: \u003ci\u003eBuddhism, the State, and Superpowers\u003c\/i\u003e by Pitchaya Sudbanthad - \u003ci\u003eThe Country of Spirits\u003c\/i\u003e by Emma Larkin - \u003ci\u003eMonarchy Under Attack\u003c\/i\u003e by Claudio Sopranzetti - plus: soft power and the working class, the heart of rural Thailand and the separatism of the southern peninsula, the success of Boy Love, the palm oil scandal, and much more...  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThailand's recent history has been marked by political turbulence, with palace coups, intrigue, attempted revolution, restoration, and democratic elections. In this complex democracy, the working class, progressives, and young urban professionals push for reforms, often clashing with landowners and business elites. While Thailand is perceived as permissive and tolerant, it hides a conservative core. Yet, one of its main cultural exports is Boy Love stories, romantic tales featuring male protagonists, whose success epitomises a cultural revolution that is boosting the country's entertainment industry and soft power. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBehind Thailand's glittering image, exemplified by Bangkok--the world's most visited city in 2023--lie rural regions like Isaan, far from typical tourist paths. These areas reflect the country's diverse and complex identity and reveal that, despite government efforts to impose cultural uniformity, Thailand's true strength still lies in its ability to embrace diversity and syncretism. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51376712745183,"sku":"9781787705777","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/n3AymhbLIy9781787705777.webp?v=1789221761"},{"product_id":"the-passenger-california-paperback","title":"The Passenger: California - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFully-illustrated, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Passenger\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIN THIS VOLUME: \u003cem\u003eGrowing Uncertainty in the Central Valley\u003c\/em\u003e by Anna Wiener -\u003cem\u003e How Does It Feel to Be a Solution? \u003c\/em\u003eby Vanessa Hua - \u003cem\u003eThe Burning of Paradise \u003c\/em\u003eby Mark Arax - plus: direct democracy and unsustainable development, the rise of the 'land back' movement, the cultural renaissance of Los Angeles in defiance of rampant gentrification, and much more...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalifornia has stood for more than a century as the brightest symbol of the American dream. In recent years, however, the country's mainstream media has been declaring with increasing frequency--and thinly veiled schadenfreude--the \"end of California as we know it.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe pessimists point to rising inequality, racial tensions, and the impact of climate change as evidence that the Californian dream has been shattered. Between extreme heat, months-long droughts, devastating wildfires, and rising sea levels, looking at California is like watching the trailer for what awaits the world if we don't act to reduce global warming. Faced with these pressures, more and more Californians are leaving the state, leading to an unprecedented decline in population that could change the cultural and political balance of power in the country at large. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat said, demographic decline and climate disasters don't tell the whole story of one of the most dynamic and diverse states in the Union--one that continues to drive technological and political innovation and define the evolution of work, food, entertainment, and social relations. This volume offers a fascinating picture of California in all its complexity and contradictions; an attempt to understand the laboratory where much of the world's future continues to be written.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51376716579039,"sku":"9781787704299","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/3OX7drRdfr9781787704299.webp?v=1789221770"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/aa-vv.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}