Balans is an independent publisher of quality non-fiction in the areas of history, politics, economy, biography, science, nature writing, memoirs, current affairs, religion and psychology. With our dedicated team, we publish approximately 40 new titles per year.
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Our children’s book series »Kids in BALANCE« is specifically designed to support children in difficult moments.
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Reviewing peace and reconciliation, secular pilgrimages, and international perspectives on sacred journeys, this book offers the reader an opportunity to encounter multiple voices and viewpoints on one of the most ancient practices of humankind. With an estimated third of all international travellers now undertaking journeys anticipating an aspect of transformation (the hallmark of pilgrimage), this book includes both spiritual and non-spiritual voyages, such as journeys of self-therapy, mindfulness and personal growth. It also: - Provides a multidisciplinary perspective, covering themes such as gender, human rights, equality, the environment, peace, history, literature, and politics - Reflects the rich diversity and multiple meanings of pilgrimage through an international writer team spanning four continents- Includes case studies of pilgrimage in action from around the world
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Obesity is one of the most relevant public health concerns today and it is now evident that body weight control is achieved through highly integrated physiological interactions like nutrient selection as well as being influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, energy balance regulation is a complex process aimed at maintaining constant energy stores. Presenting a detailed and comprehensive account of the roles of specific peptides in energy balance, food intake control and co-morbidities, this review provides a better understanding of the patho-physiology of energy balance and obesity.
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Die Frage nach der Modernität Goethes stellt sich für Friedrich Dieckmann nicht – wer Goethe als "Dichterfürsten" vermeintlich rühmt, hat ihn genauso wenig verstanden wie einer, der ihn, in der Nachfolge Ludwig Börnes, als "Fürstenknecht" schmäht. Auch der Klassiker Goethe ist ein Klischee; es sind die Häutungen, die Verwandlungen dieses Autors, die, über die Einschnitte seiner und unserer Zeit hinweg, Gestalt und Werk lebendig machen - man muß nur zu lesen wissen. Hierbei zu helfen ist das Anliegen der zehn Essays, die Dieckmann zum Werk Goethes vorlegt. Der zeitliche Rahmen dieser Essays wird abgesteckt durch den Urfaust, das bestürzend kühne Jugendwerk, das seine Überlieferung der Sorgfalt eines Hoffräuleins verdankt, und den zweiten Teil der Fausttragödie, das große Alterswerk, das Goethe erst nach seinem Tod der Öffentlichkeit übergeben wissen wollte. Dazwischen geht es unter anderem darum, wie schwer sich der Napoleon-Bewunderer Goethe tat, den einschneidenden politischen Wandlungen von 1813/14 standzuhalten, und wie er sie, wenig glücklich, dramatisch verarbeitete, um sich danach in einen Orient der Poesie, den West-östlichen Divan, zu retten. Und in erfrischend unkonventionellen Gedichtinterpretationen zeigt sich die "geglückte Balance" zwischen Liebe und Beruf, Politik und Poesie, die Goethes Lebenshaltung prägt; sie kann heute wie damals ein Anhalt sein.
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How much CO₂ is emitted by one serving of spaghetti bolognese? About 1.5 kilograms! This example shows what the meat industry and food logistics mean for the eco-balance of our food. But is it enough to switch to meat-free and dairy-free alternatives or local specialities? Dr. Malte Rubach takes a closer look and reviews our food regime and its impact on our climate. We live in a society influenced by technology and the rising consumption of resources. Rubach argues for a sensible attitude to food and shows what we can still eat with a clear conscience.
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n 1715 Leibniz wrote to his friend the Princess of Wales to warn her of the dangers Newton's philosophy posed for natural religion. Seizing this chance of initiating an exchange between the two greatest minds in Europe, the princess showed his letter to the eminent Newtonian scientist and natural theologian, Samuel Clarke. From his reply developed an exchange of papers which was published in 1717. The correspondence was immediately seen as a crucial discussion of the significance of the new science, and it became one of the most widely read philosophical works of its time.In this edition, an introduction outlines the historical background, and there is a valuable survey of the subsequent discussions of the problem of space and time in the philosophy of science. Significant references to the controversy in Leibniz's other correspondence have also been collected, and the relevant passages from Newton's Principia and Opticks are appended. In 1715 Leibniz wrote to his friend the Princess of Wales to warn her of the dangers Newton's philosophy posed for natural religion. Seizing this chance of initiating an exchange between two of the greatest minds in Europe, the princess showed his letter to the eminent Newtonian scientist and natural theologian, Samuel Clarke. From his reply developed an exchange of papers which was published in 1717. The correspondence was immediately seen as a crucial discussion of the significance of the new science, and it became one of the most widely read philosophical works of its time. Kant developed his theory of space and time from the problems at issue, and the post-Newtonian physics of the twentieth century has brought a revival of interest in Leibniz's objections: some of the problems are still not finally resolved. In this edition an introduction outlines the historical background, and there is a valuable survey of the subsequent discussions of the problem of space and time in the philosophy of science. Significant references to the controversy in Leibniz's other correspondence have also been collected, and the relevant passages from Newton's "Principia" and "Opticks" are appended. ;
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How can we move forward beyond the anger and outrage to heal and transform, in practical ways, the vast crisis of relations between women and men, and among people of all genders? This book addresses that question. Over the past 30 years, the Gender Equity and Reconciliation International (GERI) project has convened over 300 intensive workshops and trainings in 12 countries, for more than 7,000 people on 6 continents. These groups have engaged in a deep process of unraveling the systemic knots of gender conflicts and developed practical skills for transforming gender relations from the inside out. Another 22,000 people have been introduced to the GERI process in conferences and trainings. Inspired by the principles of Truth and Reconciliation developed by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, the GERI project has a longstanding record. This book is full of inspiring stories that document how the methodology of deep truth-telling and collective alchemy dissolves root causes of gender conflict, through skillfully facilitated, heart-centered transformational experiences, which are followed up with ongoing peer support. With contributions from 12 distinguished world leaders in this field, and special inserts from such notable persons as Stanislav Grof, MD, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, and Peter Rutter, MD, this book is an invaluable resource for laypersons and professionals, educators and religious leaders who are thoughtfully addressing the gender-based conflicts and needs of young and old in their own homes, therapy practices, organizations and congregations across the globe. Will Keepin, Ph.D. and Rev. Cynthia Brix, Ph.D., are co-founders of Gender Equity & Reconciliation, International.
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Objects of affection recovers the emotional attraction of the medieval book through an engagement with a fifteenth-century literary collection known as Oxford, Bodleian Library Manuscript Ashmole 61. Exploring how the inhabitants of the book's pages - human and nonhuman, tangible and intangible - collaborate with its readers then and now, this book addresses the manuscript's material appeal in the ways it binds itself to different cultural, historical and material environments. In doing so it traces the affective literacy training that the manuscript provided its late-medieval English household, whose diverse inhabitants are incorporated into the ecology of the book itself as it fashions spiritually generous and socially mindful household members.
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On the basis of continuing the main content of the original book, the revised version of "Everyone Talks about the Core Literacy of Fine Arts" has made the following changes: First, it adds "the fifth part: New Language about the Core literacy of fine arts", which is divided into "the first part: Everyone talks about the new language" and "the next part: Doctor's micro talk". The courseware taught by Yin Shaochun, Hu Zhifan, Zhou Fengfu, Wang Dagen, LAN Gang and other experts in the fine Arts group of the Ministry of Education in important academic seminars has been added. The second is to sort out the main literature of "core literacy" and "core literacy of fine arts", including periodical literature, newspaper literature and monographs literature (including translated works), which is conducive to master's and doctor's researchers and front-line teachers who are interested in in-depth exploration of the core literacy of fine arts, according to their own research and writing needs, to refer to it according to the steed. The third is to add a bookmark in the form, with the editor's message "core quality, Da Dao Yan". In addition, with the addition of Rongmedia technology, besides the interview recording, video resources are also added: wonderful teaching clips of first-class teachers such as Wei Ruijiang, Xu Jun and Tang Xiao, and wonderful lecture video clips of Yin Shaochun.
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Jürgen Becker wurde 1932 in Köln geboren und verbrachte dort seine Kindheit. Während der Kriegs- und Nachkriegsjahre, zwischen 1939 und 1947, lebte er in Erfurt. Nach Aufenthalten in Osterwieck/Harz und Waldbröl kam er 1950 nach Köln zurück. 1953 Abitur. Nach kurzem, abgebrochenem Studium begann er seine Existenz als freier Schriftsteller; seinen Lebensunterhalt bestritt er jahrelang mit wechselnden Tätigkeiten, als Arbeiter und Angestellter, als Werbeassistent und Journalist. Er arbeitete für den WDR und in den Verlagen Rowohlt und Suhrkamp. Zwanzig Jahre lang, bis 1993, leitete er die Hörspielredaktion des Deutschlandfunks. Große Aufmerksamkeit fand Jürgen Becker mit seinem ersten Prosabuch Felder (1964); die beiden folgenden Bücher Ränder (1968) und Umgebungen (1970) festigten seinen Ruf als Verfasser experimenteller Literatur. Zugleich wirkte er mit seinen ersten Hörspielen (Bilder, Häuser, Hausfreunde) am Entstehen des "Neuen Hörspiels" mit. In seinem 1971 veröffentlichten Fotobuch Eine Zeit ohne Wörter verschmolz er seine literarische Arbeit mit dem visuellen Medium. Die künstlerischen Grenzüberschreitungen der Avantgarde hatte er 1965 bereits mit dem Band Happenings dokumentiert, einer Gemeinschaftspublikation mit dem Happening-Künstler Wolf Vostell. In den Siebziger und achtziger Jahren konzentrierte sich Jürgen Becker auf die Lyrik. Die in dieser Zeit entstandenen Gedichtbücher - darunter Das Ende der Landschaftsmalerei (1974), Odenthals Küste (1986), Das Gedicht der wiedervereinigten Landschaft (1988) - plazierte die Kritik in die obersten Ränge der zeitgenössischen Poesie. Gleichzeitig schrieb Jürgen Becker weiterhin Hörspiele und die beiden Prosabücher Erzählen bis Ostende (1980) und Die Türe zum Meer (1983). Dazu korrespondierte er weiterhin mit dem visuellen Medium: Fenster und Stimmen (1982), Frauen mit dem Rücken zum Betrachter (1989), Korrespondenzen mit Landschaft (1996) entstanden nach Collagen seiner Frau, der Malerin Rango Bohne, Geräumtes Gelände (1995) nach Bildern seines Sohnes, des Fotografen Boris Becker. Wende und Wiedervereinigung wirkten entscheidend auf das Schreiben Jürgen Beckers ein. Die Wiederentdeckung der Orte und Landschaften zwischen Elbe und Oder, Rügen und Thüringer Wald motivierten seine Gedichtbände Foxtrott im Erfurter Stadion (1993) und Journal der Wiederholungen (1999), die Erzählung Der fehlende Rest (1997) und vor allem den im Sommer 1999 erschienenen Roman Aus der Geschichte der Trennungen. Mit den Vorbereitungen dazu begann er während eines Stipendiums im Künstlerhaus Schloß Wiepersdorf. Es ist Jürgen Beckers erster Roman; eine bewegende, persönliche Geschichte, die zugleich von den Widersprüchen der deutschen Erfahrungen erzählt. Jürgen Beckers Werk wurde mit zahlreichen Preisen ausgezeichnet, u.a. erhielt er den Preis der Gruppe 47, den Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der schönen Künste, das Stipendium der Villa Massimo, den Bremer Literaturpreis, den Heinrich-Böll-Preis. Jürgen Becker ist Mitglied der Akademie der Künste in Berlin-Brandenburg, der Deutschen Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, der Mainzer Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, sowie des PEN-Clubs. 2001 erhält er für seinen Roman Aus der Geschichte der Trennungen den Uwe-Johnson-Preis, der von der Mecklenburgischen Literaturgesellschaft vergeben wird. 2006 wird er für sein Prosa-Werk, insbesondere den Journalroman Schnee in den Ardennen, mit dem Hermann-Lenz-Preis ausgezeichnet, 2009 erhält er den Schiller-Ring. 2014 wird Jürgen Becker als »maßgebliche Stimme der zeitgenössischen Poesie« mit dem Georg-Büchner-Preis geehrt.
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Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have become serious threats to agricultural productivity in Africa. Soils cannot supply the quantities of nutrients required and yield levels decline rapidly once cropping commences. This book addresses these issues and includes papers from an international symposium held at Cotonou, Benin, October 9-12, 2000, organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria and the Department of Land Management of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. In five main parts it marks the end of a first phase of collaborative research on "Balanced Nutrient Management Systems for the Moist Savanna and Humid Forest Zones of Africa" and concludes with recommendations, providing essential reading for crop and soil scientists.
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This study overturns twentieth-century thinking about pasticcio opera. This radical way of creating opera formed a counterweight, even a relief, to the trenchant masculinity of literate culture in the seventeenth century. It undermined the narrowing of nationalism in the eighteenth century, and was an act of gross sacrilege against the cult of Romantic genius in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, it found itself on the wrong side of copyright law. However, in the twenty-first century it is enjoying a tentative revival. This book redefines pasticcio as a method rather than a genre of opera and aligns it with other art forms which also created their works from pre-existing parts, including sculpture. A pasticcio opera is created from pre-existing music and text, thus flying in face of insistence on originality and creation by a solo genius.
