"Rojek’s argument is a psychological one, although his message is political: global events build on people’s needs to feel empowered and jointly engaged in the pursuit of a higher purpose; they allow a break from daily routines, provide an illusion of intimacy and social membership, and create a sense of self-validation and personal gratification. In short, participation in such events makes us feel good. At the same time, the real effect of global events seems to be the maintenance of global inequality and social injustice, as well as huge profits for the organizations involved in planning, commercializing and securing these happenings. In sketching out this palliative function of global events from the perspective of people’s needs on the one hand, and unveiling their puppet masters backstage on the other, Rojek’s book presents a compelling account of the role of organized events in modern society." - Organization Studies Events dominate our screens, our lives, and increasingly global geopolitics. Analysis of events and their management has remained rooted in leisure and management studies - until now. This break-through book provides an introduction to event management, while also situating events in questions of power and social control. Rojek powerfully argues that events are essential elements in corporate-state partnerships of ′invisible government′ that have revived the romance of charity as to form illusory communities, while cloaking power imbalances and social inequalities. Events are moving politics from the old idea of ′the personal is political′ to the new, more seductive notion that ′representation is resistance′. Wielding rich case studies from the World Cup and the Olympics to Live Aid, Burning Man and Mardi Gras, Rojek presents a dazzlingly original account of communication power, social ordering and control. It is essential reading in media & communication studies and across the social sciences.

The existence of rapid and even catastrophic turnovers within the Phanerozoic ecosystems has been discussed controversially for more than 170 years. Since 1980 this discussion has become even more intensive after the hypothesis of Alvarez, explaining the end-Cretaceous mass extinction as the result of a huge asteroid impact on the Earth. This theory stimulated several thousand papers and is still controversial. The international research programme on "Global Biological Events in Earth History" attempts to bring the discussion back to the facts by using multidisciplinary investigations of the major Phanerozoic events. The results of an international group of experts are presented giving a wealth of information and a thorough discussion of the causes of the various global events.

Media events have been described as broadcasts that involve an engaged audience viewing the same event simultaneously; though this definition is still relevant, the way media outlets interact with and react to their audiences has greatly changed. This is in part due to the emergence of social media platforms which allow a participatory audience, something that genre-specific television channels now rely on. Because these genre-specific, 24-hour channels seek to hook viewers with hyperbolic presentation and the illusion of large media events, the original definition must be adapted. Global Perspectives on Media Events in Contemporary Society seeks to re-define the role of the media in relaying information about current events within a modern context. Determining what constitutes as and the proper presentation of a media event is of great importance given the ubiquity of media consumption. This book approaches the topic from historical, ceremonial, and globally cultural perspectives while addressing news, sports, and other significant current events. It is a vital resource for students and teachers of communication, media, and journalism, professionals in the media industry, policy makers, and sociologists.

“A tour de force on the evolution of jihadism. . . . essential reading.” ―Mehran Kamrava, author of Inside the Arab State Most violent jihadi movements in the twentieth century focused on removing corrupt, repressive secular regimes throughout the Muslim world. But following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a new form of jihadism emerged—global jihad—turning to the international arena as the primary locus of ideology and action. With this book, Glenn E. Robinson develops a compelling and provocative argument about this violent political movement's evolution. Global Jihad tells the story of four distinct jihadi waves, each with its own program for achieving a global end: whether a Jihadi International to liberate Muslim lands from foreign occupation; al-Qa’ida’s call to drive the United States out of the Muslim world; ISIS using “jihadi cool” to recruit followers; or leaderless efforts of stochastic terror to “keep the dream alive.” Robinson connects the rise of global jihad to other “movements of rage” such as the Nazi Brownshirts, White supremacists, Khmer Rouge, and Boko Haram. Ultimately, he shows that while global jihad has posed a low strategic threat, it has instigated an outsized reaction from the United States and other Western nations. “[A] remarkably comprehensive account.” —Foreign Affairs

"Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History is a six-volume set featuring more than 830 entries covering key global historical events from a regional perspective. Covering ancient civilizations to the present, important events in history are explored with an emphasis on their significance to overall world history. Volumes are chronologically arranged by region: Africa, Asia and Oceania, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East, and North America"--

This book focuses upon the legacies sought by cities that host major sports events. It analyses how governments, the IOC and others define and measure ‘legacy’. It also focuses upon the challenges and opportunities facing future host cities of mega-events and questions what the global shift in geographical location of mega-events means for sports development and the business of sport and what are the attractions for cities seeking to harness the hosting of a mega-event, and whether there may be longer term consequences for the bidding and hosting major sporting events.

Tipping Points as evidenced in global events are, in many ways, influenced by media. This just released, ground-breaking book GLOBAL EVENTS: TIPPING POINTS by Dr Philip Gordon, Ph.D, details three case studies which were selected on the basis of common Tipping Point Attributes. Each involved media contagiousness and stickiness during their development and each arrived at a "dramatic moment in time," which could be characterized by the phenomenon of Tipping Points. Recent GLOBAL EVENTS: TIPPING POINTS Case Studies: The 2008 Presidential Campaign of Barack Obama was chosen to examine a narrower scope and timeframe for the application of the analysis. The International Financial Crisis of 2007-2010, involves a broader data study period to identify trends and more complex issues. And the Climate Change study is included for consideration as the research and analysis revealed critical relationships between media impact and global events. As the issue of Climate Change is still evolving, Dr Gordon provides a Global Events: Tipping Point Theory methodology for analyzing and predicting our planets' most pressing global issue. Dr Philip Gordon, Ph.D was awarded his doctorate (with high honors) from the Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Strategiques (CEDS) Paris, France and graduated with his masters while on a full fellowship from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. He currently lives in Burgundy, France with his wife and two sons. Review Comments: "The genius of the formulation of GLOBAL EVENTS: TIPPING POINTS is that it takes explicit account of the role of social media and the internet at facilitating bifurcations and promoting dynamical instability. In effect, we have trimmed a few feet of tail off the kite. As a reader, I was informed and educated as to the factors which conspire to influence stability / instability in complex social systems. ...the book does a good job of making sense of past bifurcations and dynamical instabilities, namely political instability, our perception of global climate change, and international economic crises ... my compliments on a truly insightful Global Events: Tipping Points." - Prof. Dr. (med.) Peter S. Geissler, A.B., B.S., M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D. (Yale) M.A., M.Eng., M.S., Ph.D., M.S., M.D., M.Phil.(Cantab) "The application of the tipping point theory to media and global events, particularly, Global Events: Tipping Points...the financial crisis and climate change), is a fascinating one." - Dr. Serge Besanger, PhD Expert, International Monetary Fund ..".very interesting application (of the Tipping Point Theory)...potential opportunity for predicting other global events, i.e.: Egyptian crisis and perhaps, even terrorism activities." - Dr. Adam AJLANI, PhD Professor, Sciences Politic and Political Consultant, France TV1 ..".a mass undertaking (very motivated) of how (we) as a society can become aware of future global events, particularly Climate Change. Excellent!" - Dr. Derek EL ZEIN, PhD Professor, Avocat, Expert: Communications "A truly fascinating book that (teaches) a whole new way of thinking about major events and how the media can influence them. Being a political junkie I was heavily into the media coverage of the 2008 Obama election and the global financial meltdown both via TV and the blogosphere. I now find myself looking for the tipping points and stickiness factors as other key events unfold. Usually, I have trouble reading theoretical books but this one was an easy read and if you want supporting data then the references are there. This could become a solid reference for those in the media who truly want to understand what they are reporting. Highly recommended and I look forward to Dr. Gordon's ongoing analysis of (future) events." - Dr. Ralph Moorhouse, PhD Political junkie, Expert: natural polymers for industries

Set against a backdrop of concerns about the potential break-up or radical change to the global world order, this volume sets out to investigate the use of sports mega-events by a number of emerging states. Sports mega-events, it is argued, can be understood as a key component in states’ ‘soft power’ strategies, that is, their attempts to showcase their nations on the international stage, increase their power relative to others via non-coercive means and to increase trade and tourism. Many studies on soft power simply cite the concept’s founder (Joseph Nye) and make little attempt at unpicking the mechanisms behind its creation. This volume does this by shining a light on emerging economies and by putting forward a soft power ‘ideal type’ to aid researchers in understanding the strategies employed by states in advancing their interests.

one-of-a-kind introduction to the theory and application of modeling and simulation techniques in the realm of international studies Modeling and Simulation for Analyzing Global Events provides an orientation to the theory and application of modeling and simulation techniques in social science disciplines. This book guides readers in developing quantitative and numeric representations of real-world events based on qualitative analysis. With an emphasis on gathering and mapping empirical data, the authors detail the steps needed for accurately analyzing global events and outline the selection and construction of the best model for understanding the event¿s data. Providing a theoretical foundation while also illustrating modern examples, the book contains three parts: Advancing Global Studies—introduces the what, when, and why of modeling and simulation and also explores its brief history, various uses, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of modeling and simulation in problem solving. In addition, the differences in qualitative and quantitative research methods, mapping data, and conducting model validation are also discussed. Modeling Paradigms—examines various methods of modeling including system dynamics, agent-based modeling, social network modeling, and game theory. This section also explores the theory and construction of these modeling paradigms, the fundamentals for their application, and various contexts for their use. Modeling Global Events—applies the modeling paradigms to four real-world events that are representative of several fundamental areas of social science studies: internal commotion within an anarchic state, a multi-layered study of the Solidarity movement in Poland, uni-lateral military intervention, and the issue of compellence and deterrence during a national security crisis. Modeling and Simulation for Analyzing Global Events is an excellent book for statistics, engineering, computer science, economics, and social sciences courses on modeling and simulation at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an insightful reference for professionals who would like to develop modeling and simulation skills for analyzing and communicating human behavior observed in real-world events and complex global case studies.

Pedagogy of Global Events explores a relatively new phenomenon of cultural events—concerts, media experiences, and film series—designed to bring attention to global problems and spark action. This case-based analysis addresses a range of events to consider questions about what it means to educate the wider public about significant global challenges, the meaning and limits of these efforts, and how media refracts these experiences. The analyses are informed by data collected from organizers of special events, participants in attendance, those viewing online or after-the-fact through media representations, as well as through a careful analysis of web artifacts created by and in response to the events. By offering rare empirical analyses of global events, this book is valuable reading for organizers and attendees alike.