Andrew Selth has been watching Myanmar for 50 years. During this time, he has published 10 books and more than 400 other works about the country. In 2020, he released a collection of almost 100 articles that had been posted on the Lowy Institute’s Interpreter website. This second anthology brings together another 72 articles, written for a range of outlets between 2007 and 2023. This period saw the installation of a “disciplined democracy” under Aung San Suu Kyi, the 2021 military coup, and the country’s descent into a bitter civil war. Many of the articles in the book deal with international relations and security issues, but there are also works on Myanmar’s history, politics and culture, as well as some personal reminiscences. Together, they make a unique contribution from an Old Myanmar Hand with wide ranging interests and insights.

The United Wa State Army (UWSA) is a nonstate armed group that administers an autonomous zone in the difficult-to-reach Wa Hills of eastern Myanmar. As China expands its geopolitical interests across Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Wa have come to play a pivotal role in Beijing's efforts to extend its influence in Myanmar. In a book relevant to current debates about geopolitics in Asia, the illicit drug trade, Myanmar's decades-long civil wars, and ongoing efforts to negotiate a settlement, Bertil Lintner, the only foreign journalist to visit the Wa areas when they were controlled by the Communist Party of Burma, traces the history of the Wa Hills and the struggles of its people, providing a rare look at the UWSA.

The triumph of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy at the 2015 election was supposed to mark the consolidation of a reformist trajectory for Myanmar society. What has followed has not proved so straightforward. This book takes stock of the mutations, continuities and fractures at the heart of today’s political and economic transformations. We ask: What has changed under a democratically elected government? Where are the obstacles to reform? And is there scope to foster a more prosperous and inclusive Myanmar? With the peace process faltering, over 1 million people displaced by recent violence, and ongoing army dominance in key areas of decision-making, the chapters in this volume identify areas of possible reform within the constraints of Myanmar’s hybrid civil–military governance arrangements. This latest volume in the Myanmar Update Series from the Australian National University continues a long tradition of intense, critical engagement with political, economic and social questions in one of Southeast Asia’s most complicated countries. At a time of great uncertainty and anxiety, the 13 chapters of Myanmar Transformed? offer new and alternative ways to understand Myanmar and its people.

You might be familiar with the Serenity Prayer. But are you familiar with the Anti-serenity Prayer? Perhaps you can recite the Apostle’s Creed. But can you recite the Five Points of Calvinism? You probably know Psalm 23. But do you know about Shakespeare’s odd connections to Psalm 46? Maybe you’ve memorized the names of the twelve apostles. But what about the nine orders of angels? Perhaps you even know how many animals Moses brought with him on the ark. (Trick question! None!) But do you know how Noah illuminated the ark? (With floodlights!) A Christian Miscellany is the perfect companion to those who like piously showing off (boasting in the Lord!) and to those looking for some wit and wisdom to quote during the awkward silences between the blessing and the meal. Packed with fascinating lists, amusing anecdotes, inspiring poetry, and more, this little book will fit right into in any quirky Christian’s library—although coffee tables, nightstands, glove compartments, and toilet tank topper baskets will make fine places for it too.

‘Philosophy has to be deductive, poetry romantic, plays and fiction humorous, and politics intriguing if they are to catch my attention,’ writes Kaushik Basu. All these interests are on display in An Economist’s Miscellany, which brings together an eclectic collection of writings on the world of academe, politics, policy, travel, and more. This book offers unique glimpses of the author’s engagement with the world: his opinions on contemporary policies and economic issues; his exploration of different parts of the world; and his reflections on people, ideas, and books that have influenced him. An Economist’s Miscellany also puts on display his literary forays—translations of two hilarious Bengali short stories and a four-act play on academe, love, and cultural misunderstandings. This second and much-expanded edition of the book features a new set of essays that reflects the author’s dual perspective of the world: one from the groves of academe and one from the olicymaker’s perch. In the world of policymaking, he was not just an observer but an active participant, and many of the new essays dwell on ideas gathered from this hands-on engagement.

Perfect gift for book lovers, writers and your book club Book lovers rejoice! In this love letter to all things bookish, Jane Mount brings literary people, places, and things to life through her signature and vibrant illustrations. Readers of Jane Mount's Bibliophile will delight in: Touring the world's most beautiful bookstores Testing their knowledge of the written word with quizzes Finding their next great read in lovingly curated stacks of books Sampling the most famous fictional meals Peeking inside the workspaces of their favorite authors A source of endless inspiration, literary facts and recommendations: Bibliophile is pure bookish joy and sure to enchant book clubbers, English majors, poetry devotees, aspiring writers, and any and all who identify as book lovers. If you have read or own: I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life; The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, and Civilization; or How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines; then you will want to read and own Jane Mount's Bibliophile.

Introducing a compendium of weird, wacky and wonderful facts that are essential for every boy to know.

A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 'This is the first physical manifestation of a much-loved online magazine that is a monument to Fox's obsessions. One for the bedside table.' - FINANCIAL TIMES 'This book is the product of a ludicrously obsessive and greedy mind - it is therefore an utter joy.' - JAY RAYNER 'Your consummate culinary guide' - THE GUARDIAN 'A vital work from a keen mind full to brimming with wonderful thoughts and ideas.' - JEREMY LEE 'The most original, entertaining and downright fascinating book.' - DAVE BROOM 'Exercise caution before you buy this book. In fact, be careful about even flipping it open. You think Instagram is addictive? Ha. This book is as essential and educational as it is delightful and weird, and I need someone to come rescue me immediately because I cannot seem to put the damn thing down.' - JEFF GORDINIER, FOOD & DRINKS EDITOR, ESQUIRE MAGAZINE 'Going beyond the usual food fixations, the book is presented in a fresh, visually inventive style that will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in food.' - DARINA ALLEN, IRISH EXAMINER gannet noun 1. a large seabird with mainly white plumage, which catches fish by plunging into the water. 2. British informal, a greedy person. The Gannet's Gastronomic Miscellany goes beyond the usual food fixations. Presented in a fresh, visually inventive style, it will appeal to anyone with a passing interest in food - which, in this gastronomy-obsessed age, is pretty much all of us. In this compendious hotpot of a book you'll find a guide to creating a hit food profile on Instagram, a cross-section of a tiffin box, an explainer on craft beer, the origin story of Chicken Marengo, a list of millennia-old products that are still edible today (should you be brave enough to try Irish bog butter or Ancient Egyptian honey) and many more delightful nuggets of information.

Do you know . . . . . . how to milk a cow? . . . the symptoms of a venomous spider's bite? . . . where to find the fastest rollercoasters? You won't find such an eclectic collection of fascinating facts anywhere else. Whether you want to know how to beat an alligator in a fight, ways to speak in secret code, which insects are edible, or what the heck scolionophobia means, this is the book for readers both young and old.

Packed full of fascinating facts that will astound and amaze, this irreverent but intelligent guide to the weird, wild and wonderful explores the bizarre truth about history, the animal kingdom, plants, planets and people.