This path-breaking book examines the lives of five topless dancers in the economically devastated "rust belt" of upstate New York. With insight and empathy, Susan Dewey shows how these women negotiate their lives as parents, employees, and family members while working in a profession widely regarded as incompatible with motherhood and fidelity. Neither disparaging nor romanticizing her subjects, Dewey investigates the complicated dynamic of performance, resilience, economic need, and emotional vulnerability that comprises the life of a stripper. An accessibly written text that uses academic theories and methods to make sense of feminized labor, Neon Wasteland shows that sex work is part of the learned process by which some women come to believe that their self-esteem, material worth, and possibilities for life improvement are invested in their bodies.

In a world ravaged by environmental neglect, Jax, a resourceful scavenger, embarks on a desperate quest to find the Kaminari Battery – a legendary power source rumored to exist in the mythical city of Shinka no Miyako. Accompanied by Kai, a scholar yearning for knowledge, they venture into the Forbidden Forest, a realm guarded by vengeful spirits. There, they discover a hidden entrance leading them to a breathtaking metropolis unlike anything they've ever seen. Shinka no Miyako, the City of Harmony, stands as a testament to a bygone era where technology and nature coexisted in perfect balance. However, their arrival awakens a malevolent entity, a manifestation of discord that seeks to exploit the city's forgotten power for its own destructive ends. Guided by the wisdom of ancient guardians – the kami – Jax and Kai must prove themselves worthy by facing the Trials of Harmony. These trials test their understanding of flow, growth, and cooperation, forcing them to confront not just their physical limitations, but also the deep-seated imbalance within their own world. As they delve deeper into the city, they uncover the secrets of the Chamber of Resonance, a repository of forgotten knowledge that holds the key to saving both Neo-Tokyo and Shinka no Miyako. Witnessing the consequences of both unchecked technology and the neglect of nature, Jax and Kai must choose their path. Will they succumb to the allure of absolute power, or can they forge a new way forward, one built on harmony and a deep respect for the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world? This is a story of adventure, self-discovery, and the importance of ecological balance. It explores themes of environmental responsibility, the power of cooperation, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Join Jax and Kai on their thrilling quest as they unlock the secrets of a lost civilization and fight to restore harmony to a world teetering on the brink of destruction.

COULD YOU BETRAY EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT TO PREVENT A WAR? The Blind Spot exists in defiance of Scala City’s dystopian big brother regime. It occupies a small sector in the city, and those who live there believe in the right to privacy. Scala City believe if you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide. But the Blind Spot have hackers that could bring the larger city to its knees. This is why it’s never spilled over into all-out war. Until now ... A terrorist attack on Scala City’s main plaza has tipped the delicate balance. There is only one person who can halt the conflict before it begins ... Marcie Hugo, daughter of the Blind Spot’s leader, and the district’s best kept secret. Cybernetically enhanced, she’s faster, stronger, and smarter than most. But more importantly, she’s invisible. Protected and hidden away by her father for the majority of her life, she’s in the unique position to move between the Blind Spot and Scala City unnoticed. With the best hacker in the city on her side, and while the rest of the Blind Spot prepares for a bloody war, Marcie gets to work ... To avoid total annihilation, she will have to betray everyone she loves, starting with her father ... And even then, her chances of success are slim ... Join Marcie in a race against time as she turns over every neon-lit inch of Scala City and The Blind Spot in a quest to discover who’s trying to destroy her home and why. And even if she is successful, with the number of ties she’s severed, how much of a life will she have left to return to? Neon Horizon Books 1 - 3 are the first books in a series of fast-paced cyberpunk thrillers. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest street drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future. This box set includes: The Blind Spot - Neon Horizon Book One. Prime City - Neon Horizon Book Two. Bounty Hunter - Neon Horizon Book Three.

Today the United States is a country divided along lines of gender, economic inequality, educational level, and political affiliation. Democrats typically select a different range of matters of serious public concern compared to Republicans. Many Americans describe difficulty in coming to terms with the demands placed on them in their work, communities, and personal lives and achieving satisfaction. The institutional crises that pervade our politics, economy, educational systems, and communities have inspired a contemporary crisis: a widespread inability for many to live as integrated, effective selves in the twenty-first century United States. Drawing on a wide range of historical and contemporary research, The Lonely Quest explores the dilemma of constructing the self in the U.S. today.

Now in a thoroughly revised and updated edition, this text offers a comprehensive examination of North America’s physical and human geography, weaving in the key themes of environment and sustainability throughout. The authors explore the challenges each region faces, such as water shortages, climate change, increased migration and diversity, urbanization, and continued economic changes. The book also highlights the positive actions that Americans and Canadians are taking to move toward a more sustainable future. New features in the second edition include sections on population, immigration and diversity, and urban trends. Each chapter also features a case study that examines a national park (representing natural and cultural heritage), how the region is coping with climate change, how geospatial technologies are applied to environmental challenges, iconic images and/or cultural festivals, urban sustainability best practices, and global connections and networks. Designed for ease of teaching and learning, the book features full-color photographs and maps throughout; chapter highlights; lists of key terms, places, and major cities for each chapter; discussion questions; and a glossary.

The recognition of women’s human rights to migrate and work as sex workers is disregarded and dismissed by anti-trafficking discourses of rescue in the latest United Nation’s definition of trafficking. This volume explores the life experiences, agency, and human rights of trafficked women in order to shed light on the complicated processes in which anti-trafficking, human rights and social justice are intersected. In these articles, the authors critically analyze not only the conflation of trafficking with sex work in international and national discourses and its effects on migrant women, but also the global anti-trafficking policy and the root causes for the undocumented migration and employment. Featuring case studies on eleven countries including the US, Iran, Denmark, Paris, Hong Kong, and south east Asia and offering perspectives from transnational migrant population, the contributors rearticulate the trafficking discourses away from the state control of immigration and the global policing of borders, and reassert the social justice and the needs, agency, and human rights of migrant and working communities. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, gender studies, human rights, migration, sociology and anthropology.