Amy Clarke

Sport biographies and autobiographies are popular among the general public and a prominent feature of the sport sections of Australian bookshops and libraries. This chapter reflects on the popularity of this genre, and particularly on the overarching messages that are communicated through the variety of, and display methods for, these books in such spaces. Drawing upon our professional experience, academic discourse on library management and book publishing, and data taken from an informal survey of bookshops and libraries in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia), we consider how, why, and what the composition of sport shelves represent in terms of sport within society today. The continued obfuscation of women athletes is noted, as are some of the broader commercial and institutional pressures that impact the ways in which bookshops and libraries operate. We conclude this chapter by contemplating the agency that book consumers might exercise over bookshelves, particularly via social media hashtags such as #sportshelfie.

With the uprise of mobile devices, the infra­structural needs of the telecommunication industry have exploded, and since the 1980s, cell towers have started to fill the planet. The scenery changed dramatically when an antenna was transformed into an artificial pine tree for the first time in 1992. Since then, this kind of camouflage has evolved into a global phenom­enon that raises fundamental questions about the relationship between humans and nature. The images from the series Second Nature focus on cell tower trees that became part of the Southern California landscape. The series depicts these artefacts of the digital age as, in Amy Clarke's words, a »societal preference for ›fake‹ aesthetics over ›ugly‹ reality«. [Book Synopsis]

Architecture has always been found in a space between its economic and cultural values. Yet these values are often seen as compromised by, or contingent upon, forces outside the discipline: property prices, real estate markets, and the vicissitudes of local and global economies. The intersections of cultural and economic values are especially conspicuous in architectural heritage, where conflicts between them are most publicly and passionately contested. This book examines the different sites and occasions where such values are bestowed, exchanged, and can create friction through a collection of essays that tackle concrete cases, both historical and contemporary. [Book Synopsis]

How are cultural identities, values and traditions challenged, appropriated and negotiated? What does 'being secure' mean? Is 'soft power' merely a continuation of imperialism? The Handbook of Cultural Security heightens our awareness of the interplay between 'culture' and 'society' in the age of globalization, and explores the emerging concept of cultural security. With chapters from leading experts providing case studies from across the world this timely and unique Handbook examines the relationship between society, culture, and security in a globalizing world. Providing a diverse examination of the topic, the contributors emphasize the role of 'non traditional' security and seek to define what 'being secure' means across a broad number of contexts. Chapters cover topics ranging from the politics of radical Islam, the global spread of gated communities, and cultures of security and surveillance to discussions of the concept of soft power; the forms it takes, and the impacts of 'exporting' culture. This Handbook provides a platform for future debate in both academic and policy fields, and as such will be of interest for both students of public and social policy, international relations, and politics, as well as those engaged in shaping policy in these areas. [Book Synopsis]