Description:
1. While the niche this book aims to fill is smaller than those of some of our comparable textbooks, it's one where IUP has been a dominant presence for some time. The success of our other publications on this region, many widely used in teaching, is a positive indicator.
2. This book's focus on people and lived experiences provides nuance and insight into otherwise oversimplified understanding of this region.
3.The book is aimed at a general, educated audience. Authors have steered clear of disciplinary jargon and often include stories and their contextualization. It is aimed to appeal to students, government functionaries, development workers, and travelers to the region. Additionally the book will appeal to courses in such diverse fields as anthropology, sociology, political science, government, history, business, and global studies.
Review Quotes:
"This richly illustrated volume features more than fifty, often beautiful, black-and-white photographs of everyday scenes.Everyday Life in the Balkans is a smart sampler, a best-off that provides short glimpses into late socialist, post-socialist, and recent scholarship. It is highly recommended bedtime reading for any scholar of the region--student or more advanced--interested in looking beyond his or her own nose. "--Suedosteuropa
"Tthis volume offers invaluable insights into how the people of the Balkans construct their daily life in terms of art, religion, history, and ethnic relations."--KULT online
"The edited volume Everyday Life in the Balkans shows us that what is mundane is not at all boring. . . . Overall, this book is a welcome contribution to the literature on both the Balkans and everyday life. Its contributors together paint a vivid composite picture of life in an area that has been misunderstood for so long. This volume will go a long way in countering such misunderstandings by creating familiarity with local cultures and customs."--Victoria Clement, Central Asian Insights, Europe-Asia Studies