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Books in Social sciences

The Social Sciences collection forms a definitive resource for those entering, researching, or teaching in any of the many disciplines making up this interdisciplinary area of study. Written by experts and researchers from both Academic and Commercial domains, titles offer global scope and perspectives.

Key subject areas include: Library and Information Science; Transportation; Urban Studies; Geography, Planning, and Development; Security; Emergency Management.

  • Technological Inclusion and Climate Innovation

    Comparative Pathways for Just and Equitable Transitions Across Global Societies
    • 1st Edition
    • August 1, 2026
    • Samuel Chukwujindu Nwokolo + 3 more
    • English
    Technological Inclusion and Climate Innovation: Comparative Pathways for Just and Equitable Transitions Across Global Societies offers a groundbreaking, equity-focused roadmap that redefines climate innovation by integrating sociotechnical inclusion, institutional foresight, and comparative global metrics. Sections cover global disparities in climate exposure and technological capacity, social equity, governance, cultural interfaces, national strategies, geopolitics, smart cities, circular economies, digital climate governance, innovation ecosystems, climate education, and future scenarios. Novel indices such as the Inclusion-Readiness Nexus (IRN), Innovation Gradient Index (IGI), and Synergistic Transition Potential (STP) are introduced to assess and compare climate-tech inclusion.The work also presents strategic foresight models and policy roadmaps for equitable climate technology deployment aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. It is invaluable to interdisciplinary scholars, policymakers, strategists, and practitioners engaged in sustainability, technology, governance, and equity. It benefits environmental scientists, political scientists, urban planners, STS scholars, digital sociologists, global governance experts, climate policy researchers, innovation economists, and professionals in public-private partnerships, climate-tech startups, and multilateral organizations.
  • Introduction to International Disaster Management

    • 5th Edition
    • August 1, 2026
    • Damon P. Coppola
    • English
    Introduction to International Disaster Management, Fifth Edition, offers an unbiased, global perspective for students and practitioners alike. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the disaster management profession, covering the varied sources of risk and vulnerability, the systems that exist to manage hazard risk, and the many different stakeholders involved, from individuals to global organizations. This text also serves as a reference on scores of disaster management topics, including various technological and intentional hazards, on international disaster management structures and systems, on global humanitarian spending and support, and much more. Taking a real-world approach with considerable illustration through case studies and recent and historical disaster events, this book prepares students interested in joining the disaster management community to understand the work they will be doing. In addition, it assists those who already work with the disaster management community by helping them better navigate this complex environment.Fully updated throughout, the new edition includes revised workflows and communications, coverage of emerging global hazards and recent disaster events, and revised sections on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, and emerging technologies for disaster risk reduction and resilience. Special emphasis is placed throughout on environmental justice, social justice, gender, and equality in global disaster management approaches. Recent disasters addressed across in-depth case studies include the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Tonga Eruption, regional heatwaves, the Beirut Port Explosion, the 2021 Haiti Earthquake, Typhoon Rai, the 2021 Surfside Condo Collapse, the 2022 South Asia Floods, and notable earthquakes. Another Voice - Expert Input boxes, along with extended exhibits, key word definitions, and chapter summaries enhance understanding, along with updated ancillary materials for students and instructors alike.
  • Digital Transformation in Retail Supply Chain Management for Logistics 5.0

    • 1st Edition
    • July 1, 2026
    • Adnan Ahmed Sheikh + 3 more
    • English
    Digital Transformation in Retail Supply Chain Management for Logistics 5.0 explains how these technologies are reshaping retail supply chain management. The book elucidates on the digital tools and strategies organizations can employ to optimize their retail supply chain management, minimize costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve sustainability objectives through industry 5.0-enabled technologies. It innovatively blends the details of recent advancements across retail supply chains and supply chain-related digital transformations. Its cutting-edge perspective makes it an invaluable asset for industry professionals, policymakers, business owners, managers, researchers, practitioners, academicians, instructors, and students in retail, logistics supply chain management, digital business, and innovation.The book explores the nuances of the Supply Network 5.0, discussing the synergy between humans and machines, especially in the context of robotic process automation systems and artificial intelligence tools in the “new normal” of retail supply chain management. In addition, it specifically addresses textile products, FMCG, online products, construction, food and beverages, the shoe industry, SMEs, and other manufacturing sectors. Other sections delves into the often-overlooked environmental sustainability ramifications of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
  • GenAI in Higher Education

    Ethical Frontiers, Challenge and Sustainable Pathways
    • 1st Edition
    • July 1, 2026
    • Upasana Gitanjali Singh
    • English
    GenAI in Higher Education: Ethical Frontiers, Challenge and Sustainable Pathways fills a critical gap in discussing generative AI’s ethical impact on higher education. With AI adoption accelerating, the book provides a resource that offers clear, actionable guidance on implementing AI responsibly, focusing on academic integrity, fairness, and governance. It helps to ensure that AI is a tool for inclusive, transparent, and sustainable learning.
  • International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics

    • 3rd Edition
    • Volume 14
    • June 24, 2026
    • Hilary Nesi + 1 more
    • English
    Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 14 Volume Set is the most authoritative, comprehensive and international reference work of its kind. Ground-breaking in its sheer scope – the 2nd edition had almost 3,000 chapters – no other linguistics reference work matches it for sheer broadness of coverage. Over the years it has been a much-loved and invaluable resource for researchers, academics, students and professionals in linguistics, anthropology, education, psychology, language acquisition and pathology, cognitive science, sociology and media/cultural studies. Led by a brand new and outstanding international editorial team, the 3rd edition will be thoroughly modernized to address the considerable growth and development in this field since the previous edition published in 2005. Existing chapters will be revised and updated, obsolete material removed and approximately 300 brand-new chapters will be commissioned to cover newer areas of research such as machine learning and natural language processing. Significant multimedia such as high-quality figures, audio files (highlighting differences in accent and dialects within languages) will be available to complement the text content, and chapters will follow a consistent chapter template in order to provide a logical reading experience for the user. The end-result will be an outstanding and market-leading reference work: modern, fully up to date, easy to navigate via its electronic platform, and logistically and consistently structured. Once again it will be the perfect resource for the modern-day language scholar.
  • Handbook of the Economics of Climate Change

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • June 1, 2026
    • English
    Handbook of the Economics of Climate Change, Volume Two provides readers from a broad range of backgrounds – including students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners – with a central reference for core elements the economics of climate change. Topics in this new release include Mitigation Costs, Climate Change, Climate Policy, and Development, Climate Change, Climate Policy, and Trade, Climate Change, Climate Policy, and Financial Markets, Industrial Climate Policy, Technology, and Innovation, Climate, Health, and Human Behavior, Critical Perspectives on Climate Economics, and Future Directions for Climate Economics.
  • School Security

    How to Build and Strengthen a School Security Program
    • 3rd Edition
    • June 1, 2026
    • Paul Timm
    • English
    School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program, Third Edition emphasizes a proactive rather than reactive approach to school security. Through a holistic approach, rather than focusing on a particular threat or event, readers are introduced to basic loss prevention and safety concepts. The book covers fundamental CPTED concepts and addresses bullying, teen suicide, harassment, and dating violence. This updated new edition includes new information throughout on topics such as new legislative requirements, technological advancements such as AI, communications and access control, and even a parent’s guide to school safety.The book discusses how to positively influence student behavior, lead staff training programs, and write sound security policies. It presents complex security concepts in straightforward language that resonates with educational stakeholders who may not have security backgrounds. It recognizes the financial constraints facing most educational institutions and prioritizes cost-effective solutions. Tiered implementation strategies allow schools to enhance security incrementally within available resources. It also emphasizes integrating security measures into school culture, balancing robust security with maintaining an open, welcoming educational environment—a critical concern overlooked in more technically-oriented security literature.
  • Models and Measures for Sustainable City Logistics

    Behavioral Choice Processes
    • 1st Edition
    • June 1, 2026
    • Francesco Russo + 1 more
    • English
    Models and Measures for Sustainable City: Behavioral Choice Processes Logistics offers a thorough understanding of urban freight movements, focusing on behavioral aspects of consumers. It outlines the role of modelling the behavioral aspects of people determining urban freight movements, mapping the behavior of the end consumer and the retailer which generates freight movements in an urban context. It provides new methods of urban freight transport simulation, taking into account the challenges of sustainable development goals, and uses the most recent approaches in modelling for city logistics scenario design and planning. It also outlines the relationships between measures and main components (expressed by indicators) of sustainable development.This book guides readers in implementing the most effective city logistics measures and actions, addressing the choice of a set of measures and the definition of planning scenarios. Readers are introduced to simulation methods for estimating impacts and system performance, which can be used for comparing the future scenario outcomes according to the set of target indicators defined by Agenda 2030. The book first specifies end consumer behaviors in purchasing processes, analyzing the individual phases of the purchase. The retailer’s behaviors are then specified, and after specifying the patterns of the decision makers, the quantities of goods that constitute the references for the choices of the decision makers are analyzed. Finally, the book presents the problems whose solution makes it possible to identify the vehicles of the various types and then the flows on the network. The overall structure of the model system and the specification of each single model are then given. Some models calibrated in different real cases are presented, highlighting their applicability to other contexts. Finally, implementable measures are presented and the relationships between measures and main components (expressed by indicators) of sustainable development are examined.Transport technicians, post-graduate students, and academics alike will find this a valuable resource for understanding how to incorporate user behavior into transport planning and logistics modeling, ultimately helping them to optimize processes and promote sustainability.
  • Uneven Urban and Regional Growth

    Global Urbanization, Regional Economies and Local Dynamics
    • 1st Edition
    • June 1, 2026
    • Luca Salvati
    • English
    Uneven Urban and Regional Growth: Global Urbanization, Regional Economies and Local Dynamics examines the links between economic growth, metropolitan development, and environmental sustainability in advanced economies. Focusing on urban areas as hubs of innovation and social change, the book explores how social and environmental factors intersect with economic processes. It advocates for new governance strategies that promote sustainable growth through inclusive policies and integrated urban tools. Drawing on regional economics, it offers a comparative analysis of settlement patterns and spatial planning, emphasizing multilevel governance to address social inequalities and contemporary urban challenges effectively.Structur... in three sections, the book begins with a global-to-regional perspective on urbanization and economic dynamics, featuring analyses of uneven economic growth, urban-rural dynamics, and urbanization trends supported by global statistics and case studies from the United States, Iran, and Italy. The second section delves into socio-demographic drivers of urbanization at the regional and district levels, including population dynamics, family patterns, migration, and environmental health indicators in Mediterranean contexts. The final section focuses on local planning and territorial factors influencing urbanization, addressing topics such as landscape quality, labor markets, sustainable regional development, port infrastructure economics, and gendered urban spaces. Richly illustrated with photographs, graphs, maps, and case studies, the book integrates interdisciplinary perspectives from applied economics, geography, sociology, demography, planning, and socio-environmental sciences.This volume is an essential resource for scholars, researchers, and advanced students in academia seeking an interdisciplinary understanding of urban complexity. It also serves practitioners and stakeholders including planners, architects, urban policymakers, environmental scientists, agronomists, ecologists, and local development experts. By combining academic rigor with practical insights, the book equips its audience with innovative frameworks and comparative analyses to address the multifaceted challenges of sustainable urban and regional growth in today’s dynamic world.
  • Integrating Activity-Based Models with Mobile Phone Data

    Advances in Traffic Modeling and Multi-Agent Simulation
    • 1st Edition
    • May 1, 2026
    • Fei Yang + 2 more
    • English
    Integrating Activity-Based Models with Mobile Phone Data: Advances in Traffic Modeling and Multi-Agent Simulation analyzes the path from the observation to prediction using traffic big data. The book explores the refined identification method of individual travel chains in the diversified and complex urban travel environment, reconstructing the structure and algorithms of Activity-based Models or ABM based on the characteristics identified by mobile phone signaling data. Final sections develop an activity decision-making and microscopic behavior simulation platform. Users will find this to be a resource that supports urban and regional traffic management optimization and traffic planning using traffic big data.