Steven A. Epstein Knihy

Argues that strategies to achieve diversity in medical research mask deeper problems, ones that might require a different approach and different solutions.

"Since the 1970s, health professionals, researchers, governments, advocacy groups, and commercial interests have invested in the pursuit of something called 'sexual health'. Programs were launched, organizations founded, initiatives funded, products sold-and yet, no book before this one asks: What does it mean to be sexually healthy? When did people conceive of a form of health called sexual health? And how did it become the gateway to addressing a host of social harms and the reimagining of private desires and public dreams? Offering an entryway into the distinctive worlds of sexual health, this book traverses the distance from the research and treatment domains where sexual health is assessed, measured, and improved to the "sex expos" that invite attendees to "leave their inhibitions at the door and explore today's top intimacy products" and beyond. Sexual health encompasses wildly disparate agendas and speaks to innumerable concerns-from sexual dysfunction to sexual violence, from HIV prevention to reproductive freedom, to the practicalities of sexual contact during a global pandemic. Rather than a thing apart, sexual health is intertwined with nearly every conceivable topical debate-and more of them every day. Through his wide-ranging exploration, Steven Epstein provides the critical tools needed to bring into focus the different faces of sexual health and parse the debates that swirl around it"--

Presents a selection of Lao folktales that have entertained the Lao people for generations. This book features the legendary trickster Xieng Mieng, a quick- witted toad that terrifies tigers, a turtle that flies, a cadre of snails that race a rabbit, and a mynah bird that speaks five languages. It reflects a Buddhist culture in a Marxist state.

The book explores the transformation of Genoa from an obscure port to a thriving republic between 958 and 1528. It interweaves political, economic, social, and cultural threads to provide a comprehensive history, highlighting significant themes such as religion, the Crusades, and Genoa's interactions with the Muslim world. Epstein also emphasizes the lives of both the elite and ordinary citizens, capturing the diverse experiences of the Genoese people during their most dynamic centuries, while offering new insights into the city's development and its Mediterranean context.

Exploring key themes in European social and economic history, this book covers the transformative period from around 1000 to the 1490s. It delves into the factors that spurred growth and the emergence of global exchange, providing insights into the societal changes and economic developments that shaped Europe during this pivotal era.