Choosing a Project of Life

Life is at the same time fate and freedom, and that freedom “is being free inside of a given fate. Fate gives us an inexorable repertory of determinate possibilities, that is, it gives us different destinies. We accept fate and within it we choose one destiny.” In this tied down fate we must therefore be active, decide and create a “project of life”—thus not be like those who live a conventional life of customs and given structures who prefer an unconcerned and imperturbable life because they are afraid of the duty of choosing a project.                                                        

José Ortega y Gasset 

The Spatial Humanities: GIS and the Future of Humanities Scholarship.

"Space -- whether it be the space of the choreographer's dance floor, the artist's canvas, or the religious shrine -- has always been important to humanist scholarship. But in recent years a virtual explosion of new data, tools, and concepts has revolutionized our ability to examine the relationships, patterns, and contexts that emerge when the human world is examined through a spatial lens. This book brings these ideas into focus for the first time, presenting a cornucopia of ideas, examples, methods, and suggestions for further reading that will be invaluable to anyone seeking to adopt a spatial approach to humanist scholarship, or to understand why it has attracted so much recent attention." -- Michael F. Goodchild, University of California, Santa Barbara.

The New Brazil

"The New Brazil" tells the story of that nation's evolution from a remote Portuguese colony into a regional leader, a respected spokesman for the developing world, and an increasingly important partner for the United States and the European Union. For much of the twentieth century, Brazil seemed mired in perpetual economic crisis. Today prudent fiscal and monetary policies have yielded high levels of foreign direct investment and an investment-grade rating for its debt. Brazil is also emerging as an energy powerhouse, and policymakers are increasingly confronting the challenge of reducing poverty among tens of millions of people. In this engaging book, Riordan Roett traces the long road Brazil has traveled to reach its present status and discusses the many challenges it has overcome and those that lie ahead. Roett, a veteran scholar and writer on Brazil, discusses the country's development as a colony, empire, and finally a republic; the making of modern Brazil, beginning with the rise to power of Getulio Vargas in 1930; the advent of military government in 1964; the return to civilian rule two decades later; and the pivotal presidencies of Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. As Brazil prepares to elect a new president in October 2010, much remains to be done to consolidate and expand the country's global role. Nonetheless, as an important player on the world stage, Brazil is here to stay.

About the Author

Riordan Roett is the Sarita and Don Johnston Professor of Political Science and director of Western Hemisphere Studies and the Latin American Studies program at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University.

Brazil on the Rise

A RICH AND REVEALING PORTRAIT OF A COUNTRY ON THE CUTTING EDGE
An alluring land famous for samba, soccer, supermodels, and stunning tropical beaches, Brazil was described as “paradise on earth” by its first Portuguese explorers. Its annual Carnival is known the world over for its Dionysian revelry, and its Amazon rainforest is  considered  one of the planet’s most precious resources. Yet nature’s gifts have not always spelled national prosperity: two decades ago Brazil had a crippling debt and was emerging from a military dictatorship that censored journalists and oppressed dissenters. Today Brazil is not only the world’s eighth largest economy with a vibrant democracy; it has achieved energy independence, and its discovery of the largest oil field thus far this century should soon make it a major energy exporter. With its successful bid as host for the 2016 Olympics and the soccer World Cup in 2014, Brazil is at last ready to take its place on the global stage. What led to the transformation?
In this rich and textured account, New York Times reporter Larry Rohter gives us the definitive look at the country’s amazing rebirth. As the paper’s bureau chief in Rio, Rohter had a front-row seat for many of the dramatic changes that have unfolded in Brazil in recent years. Through interviews with every important political, business, cultural, and religious leader on the scene, Rohter delivers a sharp and fresh account of the country’s rapid and radical changes, uncovering:

• As Brazil continues its meteoric rise, this is an authoritative guide to understanding a country that will be a major player on the world stage in the years ahead.