From the Arctic to South Africa - one finds them everywhere: Ants. Making up nearly 15% of the entire terrestrial animal biomass, ants are impressive not only in quantitative terms, they also fascinate by their highly organized and complex social system. Their caste system, the division of labor, the origin of altruistic behavior and the complex forms of chemical communication makes them the most interesting group of social organisms and the main subject for sociobiologists. Not least is their ecological importance: Ants are the premier soil turners, channelers of energy and dominatrices of the insect fauna. TOC:The importance of ants.- Classification and origins.- The colony life cycle.- Altruism and the origin of the worker caste.- Colony odor and kin recognition.- Queen numbers and domination.- Communication.- Caste and division of labor.- Social homeostasis and flexibility.- Foraging and territorial strategies.- The organization of species communities.- Symbioses among ant species.- Symbioses with other animals.- Interaction with plants.- The specialized predators.- The army ants.- The fungus growers.- The harvesters.- The weaver ants.- Collecting and culturing ants.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Index.

Reprint. Originally published: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.

Leading scholar Alex Dupuy investigates themes of class, power, and gender in Haiti in the capitalist world-economy—from independence and indemnity to the US occupation and current crisis after the assassination of President Moïse. This book provides new perspectives on Haiti’s political economy since independence and demystifies major forces that shape Haiti today. In addition to the controversial indemnity, Dupuy looks at how the United States supplanted France as the major power occupying Haiti from 1915-34 and influenced Haiti’s economic and political development. Its policies and those imposed by international financial institutions transformed Haiti into the supplier of the lowest-paid labor, particularly in export assembly industries comprised mostly of women. In the present day, criminal gangs have plunged Haiti into an unprecedented political, economic, and security crisis since the assassination of Moïse, and Prime Minister Ariel Henri has called for foreign intervention to restore order.

With the collapse of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986 came optimistic hopes for a transition toward a sound democracy, accompanied by economic development and social peace--a vision which has failed to materialize in the past 15 years. A native of Haiti, Fatton (government, U. of Virginia) analyzes Haitian politics from 1986 to 2001, revealing the complications and conflicts which have slowed the country's progress toward an effective democracy. The author also explores alternatives which could lead the country toward success. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR