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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Otto de Kat, 1946 geboren, studierte niederländische Literatur an der Universität Leiden. 1986 gründete er mit Uitgeverij Balans seinen eigenen Verlag; seither lebt er als Verleger und Autor in Amsterdam. Sein Roman Sehnsucht nach Kapstadt war nominiert für den größten belgischen Literaturpreis für Niederländisch schreibende Autoren, De Golden Owl 2005, und wurde ausgezeichnet mit dem niederländischen Halewijn-Literaturpreis.
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Microbial technology plays an integral role in the biotechnology, bioengineering, biomedicine/biopharmaceuticals and agriculture sector. This book provides a detailed compendium of the methods, biotechnological routes, and processes used to investigate different aspects of microbial resources and applications. It covers the fundamental and applied aspects of microorganisms in the health, industry, agriculture and environmental sectors, reviewing subjects as varied and topical as pest control, health and industrial developments and animal feed.
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The demands of producing high quality, pathogen-free food rely increasingly on natural sources of antimicrobials to inhibit food spoilage organisms, foodborne pathogens and toxins. Discovery and development of new antimicrobials from natural sources for a wide range of applications requires that knowledge of traditional sources for food antimicrobials is combined with the latest technologies in identification, characterization and application. This book explores some novel, natural sources of antimicrobials as well as the latest developments in using well-known antimicrobials in food. Covering antimicrobials derived from microbial sources (bacteriophages, bacteria, algae, fungi), animal-derived products (milk proteins, chitosan, reduction of biogenic amines), plants and plant-products (essential oils, phytochemicals, bioactive compounds), this book includes the development and use of natural antimicrobials for processed and fresh food products. New and emerging technologies concerning antimicrobials are also discussed.
Ten Minutes to Six challenges accepted notions of wartime loyalty through the transformation of one man from loyal servant of the British Empire to rebel spy. Kumar Nair is dismissed from a British para-military unit for refusing to disperse unarmed women agitating for India’s independence from colonial rule. He moves to Singapore just before the outbreak of the war after the Great Depression destroys his fledgling business. After the fall of Singapore, he joins a secret espionage school set up by Japanese Intelligence and the rebel Indian National Army in Penang, Malaya. When several cadets trained at the school are betrayed by a double agent, and captured by the British, Kumar is sent on a rescue mission with conflicting instructions. The Japanese want Kumar to continue the espionage mission with surviving agents. Indian leaders, not trusting Japanese intentions, ask Kumar to save as many agents as possible and hunker down until the end of the war. Will Kumar succeed in his desperate quest to cross wartime borders, rescue his fellow trainees, and return to his young wife in Malabar? Ten Minutes to Six is a tale of three interwoven journeys: Kumar’s physical journey through a rich visual arc from Malabar paddies through the Anglo-Chinese mosaic of Singapore, pagoda-strewn Rangoon, and the jungles of Burma; the transformation of an impetuous man to a thoughtful soul in the midst of shifting boundaries between friend and foe; and the backdrop of India’s tumultuous march to independence.
Assessment and Problem-Based Learning in the Law Curriculum addresses one of the big questions in legal education: how to adapt curriculum and assessment design for the skills development and employability agenda. The book explores the practical challenges faced by law schools in adapting to the evolving landscape of legal education, particularly in light of the introduction of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination. Drawing from rigorous independent research as well as scholarly literature, the book highlights the integration of vocational pedagogies such as authentic assessment and problem-based learning as particular areas of focus. Through a thorough examination of these areas, Balan provides practical insights, strategies and recommendations for improving legal education and preparing graduates for successful legal careers. By addressing the challenges of integrating vocational pedagogies, he provides a comprehensive guide for legal educators, administrators and policymakers seeking to improve legal education.
Two features characterize the entire body of Aijaz Ahmad’s work, which offers us a way to read the history of the present. First, his evident wide reading about the history and sociology of the world, which allows him to provide the necessary global context for his study and for our new times that remain tied to the contradictions of a longer history. Second, his grip on Marxism, a living Marxism, a Marxism that has absorbed both the streams of Western Marxism and of national liberation Marxism. Vijay Prashad writes that it is impossible for him to think without thinking alongside the work of Aijaz Ahmad. In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, he draws out Ahmad, separating and interweaving strands of his thought, and in the process inviting us, the readers, to take a look at the method that drives his analysis. In the process, we learn to think through the present, better.
The book explores the fascinating world of pig farming within the unique context of this vibrant nation. From the historical roots of pig farming to the intricacies of breed selection, reproductive management, nutrition, and disease control, this book aims to be a comprehensive guide for pig farmers, enthusiasts, and agricultural professionals alike. The comprehensive guide on pig production and management, provides a valuable resource for farmers, researchers, students, and anyone interested in the field of pig farming. The book bridges the gap between theory and practical applications, offering practical insights, scientific information, and best practices that can be implemented on pig farms.
The book is written in easy to understand language, in short paragraphs and is fully supported by adequate examples. The book consists of 11 chapters.
It is a thriller novel that revolves around mythology, science, religion and terrorism. The story-line takes the readers all the way back to ancient times in 244 B.C., where Emperor Ashoka the Great discovers a dark secret of the great Mahabharata. The secret is so dangerous that it could cause massive destruction to mankind if falls into wrong hands. For 2300 years the secret remained hidden to save the world from untold horror. Hence, to save the secret, Ashoka forms a group of people called 'Nine’ and gave them oath to protect the secret even on price of their lives. Suddenly the story comes to the present, where a retired nuclear scientist, Vikram Singh is murdered in a mysterious way. Before his strange death, Vikram has sent few e-mails with cryptic clues to his nephew, Vijay. These clues further lead Vijay and his friends to unlock the secret in his uncle’s message. Throughout the story, Vijay along with his friends is racing against time while solving the mystery behind his uncle’s death and the message Vikram left before his demise. The readers will find out various fictional and mysterious things about the epic Mahabharata while going through the series of adventures in the book. Combining past and present, the book will intrigue all fiction lovers who are also keen to read about ancient India.
The present book is an attempt to give an understanding of the basic concepts and practical approach of the Cytology and Genetics. It covers all the spheres regarding cytology and genetics like information on microscope, cell division, Mendelian principle of heredity, linkage and their detection, gene mapping through recombination, multiple alleles, gene interaction and probability. The practical outlined in this manual will benefit the students and teachers of Biological and Agricultural Sciences.
Washington Bullets is written in the best traditions of Marxist journalism and history-writing. It is a book of fluent and readable stories, full of detail about US imperialism, but never letting the minutiae obscure the larger political point. It is a book that could easily have been a song of despair – a lament of lost causes; it is, after all, a roll call of butchers and assassins; of plots against people’s movements and governments; of the assassinations of socialists, Marxists, communists all over the Third World by the country where liberty is a statue. Despite all this, Washington Bullets is a book about possibilities, about hope, about genuine heroes. One such is Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso – also assassinated – who said: ‘You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future. It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.’ Washington Bullets is a book infused with this madness, the madness that dares to invent the future.
'Like the brilliant sun, the October Revolution shone over all five continents, awakening millions of oppressed and exploited people around the world. There has never existed such a revolution of such significance and scale in the history of humanity.' – Hồ Chí Minh From Cuba to Vietnam, from China to South Africa, the October Revolution remains as an inspiration. After all, that Revolution proved that the working class and the peasantry could not only overthrow an autocratic government but that it could form its own government, in its image. It proved decisively that the working class and the peasantry could be allied. It proved as well the necessity of a vanguard party that was open to spontaneous currents of unrest, but which could guide a revolution to completion. This book explains the power of the October Revolution for the Third World. It is not a comprehensive study, but a small book with a large hope – that a new generation will come to see the importance of this revolution for the working class and peasantry in that part of the world that suffered under the heel of colonial domination.
This book in its 20 chapters elaborates the latest scientific knowledge and technological achievements for development of potato in sub-tropics and also suggests the future strategies for likely adoption. It is our sincere belief that it would act as a compendium of potato research in the country and similar regions and researchers, students and other stakeholders will benefit from the compiled information in a big way.
Climate is a vital factor that influences land use, crop quality, its productivity as well as all the other of agricultural systems. The significant impact of climate change is visible on human societies and natural ecosystems around the world. This impact will be more severe on agriculture if global warming continues. As per estimates of IPCC (2014), the agriculture, forestry and other land use contributes 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions need to be reduced to avoid the serious impact of climate change using mitigation measures and adaptation strategies. Currently, unreliable and seasonal variations in weather have emerged as a serious challenge for sustainability influencing vegetation, biodiversity, livestock, soil, water, and other natural resources. In the last decade, more occurrence of extreme weather events affected farming community directly in their agricultural growth. The matter is of great concern to country like India, which require more produce from rainfed fields and shrinking crop land. To understand the problems occurring due to climate change, concerted efforts are required for mitigation and adaptation to reduce the vulnerability of rainfed agriculture and making it resilient. Agricultural output as well as the livelihood of people who depend on it, are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and it is important that we assess adaptation mechanisms to reduce these vulnerabilities. These practices should play a vital role to reduce GHG emissions by improving efficiency of farm inputs and others like agroforestry interventions for green agricultural technologies. Similarly, adoption of conservation agriculture, suitable cultivars, changing sowing dates, irrigation scheduling, and recycling waste water and solid waste in agriculture are some of the options for developing climate resilient agriculture. The book has been divided into major heads as: Climate Change and Indian Agriculture, Climate Change Management Strategies in Agriculture, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Indian Agriculture, New Technologies in relation to Climate Change and with contribution from major research institutes, universities by eminent scientists, faculty members the book will fit into the needs of all concerns.
Charles s’est fracturé le bras en tombant d’une balançoire. Avec ses instruments médicaux magiques, Félix va accompagner Charles à l’hôpital. Boubou et sa troupe vont immobiliser le bras de Charles dans un plâtre. Lis cette histoire pour connaître les secrets de la guérison des os cassés.
Europe once ruled the world, but nowadays Chinese President Xi Jinping sees the continent as a conquest. He has been buying influence for years and is trying to break up the European Union. Russia feels threatened and President Putin is conducting covert operations to disrupt NATO. Both think that a strong Europe stands in the way of their global ambitions. President Trump, meanwhile, made it easy for the Russians and Chinese by turning away from his closest allies and launching an attack on European institutions. With the continent under siege from all sides, political leaders are grappling with an answer. The corona crisis has added to the challenge even further. In addition to a geopolitical, financial and political crisis, now there is a health crisis to deal with, while Brexit and climate change have still not been resolved. Is Europe strong enough to face all these challenges? Will we remain a main player in the world or will we become the playground of the world powers? A lot is at stake for European citizens, because the latter means less prosperity and more insecurity. The Battle of Europe is a plea to face reality and make new choices, written by one of the greatest geopolitical thinkers of our time.
Buddhism has been very popular in the West for many years. The Buddha can be found in interiors and gardens, words like "Mindfulness" and "Zen" are well established and meditation courses come in countless varieties, from intensive retreat weekends to "Buddhism light" in wellness centres. What do modern Westerners - who so often consider themselves "non-religious" - actually look for in Buddhism? One thing is certain: the ideas we have about it are more often incorrect than they are correct. Buddhism is not the anti-stress religion that the West likes to make it out to be. Although the Buddha is often depicted with a subtle smile, he was certainly not a cheerful person. Paul van der Velde returns to the source and takes the reader in search of the essence of Buddhism, the many legends, the countless schools, the different visions that have emerged over time. He finds the multi-coloured teachings and its excesses. Husbands and wives equal? No way! Peaceful and non-violent? Certainly not! In the footsteps of the Buddha is a fascinating quest through a world that Van der Velde has been studying for a lifetime, and which always leads to new discoveries. It is enlightening and deep, enriching and very accessible.
Is humour necessary for great leadership? What is the connection between humour and creativity? When does humour go too far? Are men funnier than women? Is humour healthy, and why are happy people more likely to die? Humour is the lubricant in our social life, an essential form of creative intelligence. But why? In a cheerful and surprising way, Madelijn Strick connects insights from psychology and neuroscience with contemporary social issues in order to answer that question in her book Humour is one of the four pillars of the universe. Her quest for the sense of humour takes the reader past laughing apes, charismatic world leaders, modern political revolutions, the best advertising campaigns, the best teachers, the dating market and endlessly happy marriages. We find out why Monty Python was so good, how Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus got on with each other, and what the best joke in the world is. And Strick shows how you, as a leader, manager, educator, activist, product designer, teacher, copywriter or marriage partner, can use these insights to be a more effective and, above all, a more fun person.
