September Organization of the Month: Transitions

Cosimo is excited to announce Transitions (TOL) as our Organization of the Month for September.

Transitions is a nonprofit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Based in Prague, the organization does this through a combination of journalism and media training programs, blogs, and the publication of Transitions Online magazine.

The first book to be published by the Transitions imprint was Classroom Struggles: Education Reporting and Analysis from Transitions. Classroom Struggles is a collection of news and feature articles written by young journalists in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia. The articles expose the political and socio-cultural roadblocks education faces in those regions. As tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been rising in recent months, this collection is a compelling source for understanding the role of education in that region. It offers a information and discussion for readers interested in these regions, political scientists, and journalists. Classroom Struggles is available for purchase at leading online bookstores around the world including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.


About Transitions
TOL was established in April 1999, after the final issue of its print predecessor, Transitions Magazine, was published. Four of the former print magazine’s staff members established Transitions Online as a means of keeping the widely respected, cross-border coverage of the magazine alive.

Cosimo B2B 
Cosimo B2B is Cosimo's services unit, that offers publishing services to organizations such as TOL and others, who would like to present books to a worldwide readership and enhance their brand name. We welcome those organizations and institutions that are aligned with Cosimo's mission of creating a smarter and more sustainable society by connecting people with valuable ideas. If your organization wants to know more about the benefits of publishing with us or having its own imprint set up by us, please visit our private imprint page.

September Book of the Month: Classroom Struggles by Transitions

This September, Cosimo is celebrating Classroom Struggles as its book of the month. This eye-opening work, originally published by Transitions and TOL Chalkboard, provides a collection of news and feature articles written by young journalists in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia. Each informative article exposes the political and socio-cultural issues that hinder educational growth and prosperity in these regions. In these days after the recent annexation of Crimea and with the ongoing conflict in Eastern-Ukraine, this collection offers insight in this region with essays such as "Talking Past Another: Students in Crimea can learn in a variety of languages. Most choose Russian", "Running in Place: Despite Efforts to distance itself from Soviet times, the Ukrainian education system can't kick its old habits" and " A Terrible Thing to Waste: Education in Russia is becoming another tool of the ruling party."

 
Cosimo B2B

Classroom Struggles: Education Reporting and Analysis from Transitions offers compelling insight into the classrooms of multiple areas around the world. This collection is a fascinating source for anyone interested in political issues, educational reform, and/or the mentioned regions.

About Transitions:

Transitions is a nonprofit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union. Based in Prague, the organization does this through a combination of journalism and media training programs, and the publication of Transitions Online (www.tol.org) magazine.

Cosimo is proud to offer Classroom Struggles in paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback) and Amazon (paperback).

Cosimo B2B is Cosimo's services unit, that offers publishing services to organizations such as Transitions, who are considering setting up their own publishing company, in order to reach worldwide readership and enhance their brand name. We welcome those organizations and institutions that are aligned with Cosimo's mission of creating a smarter and more sustainable society by connecting people with valuable ideas. If your organization wants to know more about the benefits of having its own imprint and is interested in working with us to create such an imprint, please visit our private imprint page.

NYT Columnist Paul Krugman Highlights The Great Illusion and War in Ukraine

A recently published column in The New York Times entitled "Why We Fight Wars" by economic columnist Paul Krugman, refers to the 1910 Cosimo Classic, The Great Illusion. 


Krugman states: "A century has passed since the start of World War I, which many people at the time declared was 'the war to end all wars.' Unfortunately, wars just kept happening. And with the headlines from Ukraine getting scarier by the day, this seems like a good time to ask why." 

The Great Illusion, written by Norman Angell, argued that war destroys any wealth that conquerors may have wanted to obtain, making the whole enterprise pointless. This book was published just shortly before World War I began and obviously Angell's advice was not followed nor taken seriously then. Will Angell's and Krugman's advice be followed now before it is too late?

To read the full article by Paul Krugman, please visit The New York Times.

British journalist and politician Sir Ralph Norman Angell (1872-1967) was an executive for the World Committee against War and Fascism and a member of the executive committee of the League of Nations Union. Knighted in 1931, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933. For more titles on war and peace, please see Angell's other titles, including: Peace Theories and the Balkan War and The Fruits of Victory.

May Classic of the Month: On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

Cosimo is putting the spotlight on worldwide politics with the May Classic of the Month, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.


"No one can be a great thinker who does not recognise, that as a thinker it is his first duty to follow his intellect to whatever conclusions it may lead. Truth gains more even by the errors of one who, with due study and preparation, thinks for himself, than by the true opinions of those who only hold them because they do not suffer themselves to think."
       -John Stuart Mill, in On Liberty


Perhaps the greatest work from British political philosopher John Stuart Mill, On Liberty is one of the most profound and most hotly debated works of the 19th century. Is it a classic plea for human freedom and intellectual development... or is it factually wrong and morally offensive? With recent political upheaval in Ukraine and violent crimes in Syria, this book could not be more relevant to today's news and happenings. 

About the Author
English philosopher and politician John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was one of the foremost figures of Western intellectual thought in the late 19th century. He served as an administrator in the East Indian Company from 1823 to 1858, and as a member of parliament from 1865 to 1868. 

Cosimo is proud to offer both an affordable paperback and handsome hardcover edition of On Liberty at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback and hardcover), and Amazon (paperback, hardcover, and eBook).