As the U.S. and China compete for mastery of the Gulf, an American diplomat risks betraying his country, and a Saudi woman risks her life in a land ruled and divided by harsh Islamic law.

Life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no party ... or so we thought. In Saudi Arabia Undercover, expat Harper Walsh busts this myth with true stories of homemade alcohol, pill popping, parties staffed by pretty Ethiopian girls in expat gated compounds, smuggled bacon sandwiches and frequent trips over the border into Bahrain for booze and sex. With few opportunities for Saudi men to interact with women – beyond flirtatious eye contact with burqa-clad supermarket checkout girls and the unceasing sexual abuse of Filipina maids – the use of gay dating apps is rife. In this hilarious piece of gonzo journalism, Walsh and his merry band of expat misfits walk readers down the male-dominated streets of Saudi Arabia, where a Friday night’s entertainment might include a visit to McDonald’s followed by a public decapitation at Chop Chop Square, and on much-deserved R&R breaks to Bahrain, Bangkok and Cairo, where a glass of cold beer does not invite 100 lashes, imprisonment and certain deportation.

Now in its second edition, the Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming is the definitive, go-to resource for anyone interested in the diverse and expanding video game industry. This three-volume encyclopedia covers all things video games, including the games themselves, the companies that make them, and the people who play them. Written by scholars who are exceptionally knowledgeable in the field of video game studies, it notes genres, institutions, important concepts, theoretical concerns, and more and is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of video games of its kind, covering video games throughout all periods of their existence and geographically around the world. This is the second edition of Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming, originally published in 2012. All of the entries have been revised to accommodate changes in the industry, and an additional volume has been added to address the recent developments, advances, and changes that have occurred in this ever-evolving field. This set is a vital resource for scholars and video game aficionados alike.

Examining the social and political significance of football in Cameroon, author Bea Vidacs's anthropological study goes beyond sports. Encompassing the period between 1994 and 2006, the work throws light upon changes in Cameroonians' political attitudes and interpretations of politics and of football as the revolutionary fervor of the early 1990s waned over time and increasingly turned into political disillusionment. Taking the ethos of sport as an ethnographic starting point she addresses such issues as politics, power, powerlessness, identity construction on a local, national and international scale, as well as the meaning of the postcolonial experience both on an individual and national level. Rich in ethnographic detail and command of relevant literature, the study demonstrates how, and with what consequences, Cameroonian football impinges upon and is influenced by local, national and global socio-cultural, economic and political realities.

With hundreds of books dedicated to conventional sports and activities, this encyclopedia on the weirdest and wackiest games offers a fresh and entertaining read for any audience. Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing focuses on what many would consider abnormal activities from across the globe. Spanning subjects that include individual games, team sports, games for men and women, and contests involving animal competitors, there is something for every reader. Whether researching a particular country or region's traditions or wanting an interesting read for pleasure, this book offers an array of uses and benefits. Though the book focuses on games and sporting activities, the examination of these topics gives readers insight into unfamiliar places and peoples through their recreation—an essential part of the human experience that occurs in all cultures. Such activities are not only embedded in everyday life but also indelibly interconnected with social customs, war, politics, commerce, education, and national identity, making the whimsical topic of the book an appealing gateway to insightful, highly relevant information.

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup captures the global imagination like no other sporting spectacle. With a cumulative television audience of several billion people tuning in to the 2014 World Cup, and an estimated 700 million watching the finals—including more than 25 million in the United States alone—the World Cup is the world’s most-watched sporting event. The Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available on the history of this incomparable event. An introductory narrative explains the origins and historical progression of the World Cup, while a chronology traces the development of the World Cup since it was first held in 1930. Hundreds of entries cover the players and coaches who have participated in the World Cup and made the most memorable contributions to the event’s history. Additional entries include officials, stadiums, overviews of each major country’s performances, and more. A separate section provides detailed entries for each World Cup finals tournament. Appendixes contain details on every participant in World Cup history, as well as top performers, officials, and World Cup records. Including an indispensable bibliography on the key World Cup texts, Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup is an essential reference for soccer fans, players, and researchers alike.

Armies of Arabia is the first book to comprehensively analyze the armed forces of the Gulf monarchies. Zoltan Barany explains the conspicuous ineffectiveness of Gulf militaries with a combination of political-structural and sociocultural factors. Following a brief exposition on their historical evolution, he explores the region's six armies of the region comparatively, through the lenses of military politics, sociology, economics, and diplomacy. The book'sthemes come together in the last chapter that critically evaluates the Saudi and Emirati armed forces' record in the on-going war in Yemen.

In order to properly plan, design, and operate groundwater resources projects, it is necessary to measure - over time or distance - pertinent groundwater variables such as drawdown and discharge in the field. Applied Hydrogeology for Scientists and Engineers shows how to assess and interpret these data by subsurface geological setup and processing. The book helps readers estimate relevant groundwater parameters such as storativity, transmissivity, and leakage coefficient. The text addresses many interrelated disciplines such as geology, hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering, petroleum geology, and water engineering. Traditional and current models for application are presented. One of the unique features of the book is the inclusion of new and previously unpublished ideas, concepts, techniques, approaches, and procedures developed by the author. Among these are hydrogeophysical concepts, slope matching techniques, volumetric approach solution for complicated groundwater flows, non-Darcian flow law applications, aquifer sample functions, dimensionless-type straight line methods, non-linear flow-type curves, discharge calculations from early time-drawdown data, storage coefficient estimation procedure for quasi-steady state flow, and much more. The pitfalls in aquifer test analysis are also detailed. Fractured medium flow adds yet another dimension to the book. Each method is supplemented by actual field data applications from worldwide case studies. Applied Hydrogeology for Scientists and Engineers covers the topics of groundwater reservoirs, the evaluation of aquifer parameters, aquifer and flow properties, flow properties and bore hole tests, aquifer tests in porous and fractured media, well hydraulics, groundwater flow and aquifer tests, and field measurements and their interpretations. This new reference also works well as a post-graduate textbook on the subject. Applied Hydrogeology for Scientists and Engineers expands the reader's knowledge by providing valuable information not found in any other publication.