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A selection from the Historical-Critical Dictionary of Marxism on the concept of politico-historical conjuncture is presented. For Ben Brewster and Louis Althusser, the concept of 'conjuncture' is nothing less than 'the central concept of the Marxist science of Politics' (Glossary of For Marx and Reading Capital, 1969 and 1970). It indicates 'the exact balance of forces, [the] state of overdetermination of the contradictions at any given moment to which political tactics must be applied'. Unlike conjuncture in the sense of fluctuation, eminently compatible with various teleological philosophies of history, the concept of conjuncture in its developed form is decisively anti-teleological, as well as firmly opposed to economic or class-reductionism. Social changes, also of a structural type, take place in and through conjunctures with many determinations. As an analytical tool, the concept of conjuncture can expand the capacity to act politically by helping to examine the conditions of a political intervention in their complexity, that is, to trace the displacements and condensations of different sorts of contradictions, and thus open up possibilities for action. Adapted from the source document.

Abstract
This companion piece to 'Bespoke Bookselling for the twenty-first century: John Smith's and current UK higher education' (also in this issue of Book 2.0) provides a historical narrative of the bookshop chain John Smith's. From its emergence in Glasgow in the 1750s, through its negotiation of the Net Book Agreement around 1900 and its strategies for survival and growth after the agreement's collapse in the digital era, the article provides the only comprehensive history of this unique book retail business up to the present day. What is apparent is that its current diverse business model has a clear historical precedence. Their business involvements have included publishing, circulating libraries, library and learning material supply, creation of cultural events, transitioning from local to global and, especially, cooperation with higher education. John Smith's is a perfect example of how bookselling was and is far more than simply the activity of selling books.

The article deals with issues of the past, its evaluation and attitude to it in terms of sociological thinking, historical memory and its place and role in the fi ght characters in Ukrainian society. Historical and sociological analysis values of the past, historical memory and historical consciousness, fi ghting symbols are not only purely scientifi c in nature, but also practical, because these processes affect the progress of Ukraine to the civilized world. Also disclosed questions of origin and formation of historical sociology as a separate branch of sociological knowledge. The issue is open for discussion, as sociological thought is in progress of development and is updated with new ideas and directions. Historical sociology has the right to exist as an autonomous branch within the sociology of knowledge, because it examines the characteristics of social and historical processes of transformation of systems and ideologies that infl uence social and historical development of mankind. For Ukrainian historical sociology the subject of «awakening the nation», «revival of the historical memory», establishing an effective civil society and the formation of united political nation are very relevant today.

Historiography is the method of doing historical research, a potentially powerful tool in a social work historian or qualitative researcher's arsenal. This addition to the Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods guides doctoral students and researchers in the construction of a historical study, from problem formulation to instrument construction to data collection and analysis.

Front Cover -- HISTORICAL ETHNOBIOLOGY -- HISTORICAL ETHNOBIOLOGY -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- One - Introduction -- 1. Initial considerations -- 2. History and development of ethnobiology -- 2.1 Preclassical period (XIX-1950), Clément (1998)/First phase, Hunn (2007) -- 2.2 Classical period (1950-80), Clément (1998)/Second and Third phases, Hunn (2007) -- 2.3 Postclassical period (after the 1980s), Clément (1998)/Fourth phase, Hunn (2007) -- 2.4 Fifth phase of ethnobiology, Wolverton (2013) -- 3. Historical development of ethnobotany -- 3.1 Evolution of the scientific concepts of ethnobotany -- 3.1.1 Changes in the interpretation of ethnobotany in the course of history -- 3.2 Brief comment about the history of the development of ethnobotany -- 3.2.1 Botany, ethnobotany, and explorers in the New World -- 3.2.2 Ethnobotany as a new academic discipline -- 4. Brief synthesis -- References -- Two - Defining historical ethnobiology -- 1. Theoretical matrix and concept of historical ethnobiology -- 2. Related knowledge areas to make possible historical ethnobiology research -- 3. Themes of interest of historical ethnobiology -- References -- Three - Documents that reveal the interactions between people and nature -- 1. The logical meaning of the terms involved in the documentary analysis for ethnobiology -- 2. Interaction between people and elements of nature -- 2.1 Comments on the origins of the knowledge about medicinal virtues of the species -- 2.1.1 Techniques for discovering useful species as medicine -- 2.1.1.1 Technique of nature observation -- 2.1.1.2 Technique of random attempt of hit and error -- 2.1.1.3 Technique of animal observation -- 2.1.1.4 Technique of contact between cultures -- 2.1.1.5 Technique of expert's experimentation.

Historical Archaeology. Martin Hall and Stephen W. Silliman, eds. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. 341 pp.

This article reviews the literature on historical persistence in political science and the related social sciences. Historical persistence refers to causal effects that ( a) operate over time scales of a decade or more and ( b) explain spatial variation in political, economic, or social outcomes. Although political scientists have always drawn from history, the historical persistence literature represents a new approach to historical research in the social sciences that places a premium on credible research designs for causal inference. We discuss regional and national coverage, state-of-the-art research designs, analytical and inferential challenges, and mechanisms and theories of persistence, drawing broadly from the contemporary literature in political science and economics.

'Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon' compiled by Mark W. DeLancey and Mark Dike DeLancey, 'Historical Dictionary of Djibouti' compiled by Daoud A. Alwan and Yohannis Mibrathu, 'Historical Dictionary of Liberia' compiled by D. Elwood Dunn, Amos J. Beyan and Carl Patrick Burrowes, and 'Historical Dictionary of Nigeria' compiled by Anthony Oyewole and John Lucas are reviewed.