In this fascinating historical detective story, Gavin Menzies shares the remarkable account of his discoveries and the incontrovertible evidence supporting them.

The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 offers another stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence that traces the roots of the European Renaissance to Chinese exploration in the fifteenth century. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.

The continuing impact of 9/11 and the subsequent anti-terrorism campaign have perceptively influenced U.S. security strategy and bilateral relationships with key Asian countries. While the United States has been “the” regional power since the end of World War II, there is some uncertainty about the relevance of that power at a time when Asian nations are attempting to foster greater regional cooperation and forge a stronger regional identity.
Given the political, economic, and security interests of the United States in the region, it is essential that both Americans and Asians contribute to solving problems and addressing challenges of mutual concern — from stability on the Korean peninsula, conflict in Afghanistan, and the global war on terror to energy security, environmental degradation, and trade.

In its efforts to control the use of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and other illegal drugs, the United States spends about $35 billion per year in public funds. Almost half a million dealers and users are under incarceration. In this book, David Boyum and Peter Reuter provide an assessment of how well this massive investment of tax dollars and government authority is working. Boyum and Reuter show that America's drug problem is mainly a legacy of the epidemics of heroin, cocaine, and crack use during the 1970s and 1980s, which left us with aging cohorts of criminally active and increasingly sick users. Newer drugs, such as Ecstasy and methamphetamine, perennially threaten to become comparable problems, but so far have not. Using a market framework, the book discusses the nature and effectiveness of efforts to tackle the nation's drug problems. Drug policy has become increasingly punitive, with the number of drug offenders in jail and prison growing tenfold between 1980 and 2003. Nevertheless, there is strikingly little evidence that tougher law enforcement can materially reduce drug use. By contrast, drug treatment services remain in short supply, even though research indicates that treatment expenditures easily pay for themselves in terms of reduced crime and improved productivity. Boyum and Reuter conclude that America's drug policy should be reoriented in several ways to be more effective…

This case study is the result of an evaluation of a DG ECHO supported project implemented by Mercy Corps and the Nepal Red Cross Society, the Kailali District Chapter under the DIPECHO Fourth Action Plan for South Asia, Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives. It was conducted by an independent researcher and consultant, Dhruba Raj Gautam, with contributions from a graduate student at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Sudarshan Khanal. Support for the case study was provided by Mercy Corps’ disaster risk reduction team, while funding for the case study was provided by DG ECHO.

Over the last two decades, increasing concerns on health risks related to diets have had significant impacts on food consumption patterns in the United States and Europe. This book presents the results of several studies of the impacts of health information on food consumption behavior, drawing comparisons among various socio-economic groups, and many different countries.

Many minerals are essential for maintaining the health and productivity of animals. Indeed, most minerals have very well-defined nutritional and biochemical roles that are considered to be essential. But minerals can also adversely affect animals when amounts in their diet or in the water they consume become excessive. Even at dietary levels that are apparently safe for animals, some minerals accumulate in their tissues at concentrations that raise concerns about the possible effects of their consumption as food. The prevention of mineral toxicities, therefore, is a fundamental part of animal nutrition and management. Updating the 1980 edition of Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals, this new book makes important recommendations on the toxic and tolerable levels of minerals for a variety of animal species. Preventing adverse effects of minerals on the health of animals requires the application of appropriate nutritional and toxicological principles to set limits on mineral exposure to animals. To address this need, a committee of experts in nutrition, toxicology, and veterinary medicine, thoroughly reviewed the scientific literature to identify the essential qualities of dietary minerals, analyse the effects of animals to toxic exposures, and examine how animals living in different environmental conditions metabolise minerals and tolerate toxins. This book will be essential to food industry professionals, pet and other animal food manufacturers, and animal nutritionists.

This book reveals the significance and depth of the First Romanesque period in a comprehensive physical, religious, and cultural context.