The era of globalization saw China emerge as the world's manufacturing titan. However, the "made in China" model—with its reliance on cheap labor and thin profits—has begun to wane. Beginning in the 2000s, the Chinese state shifted from attracting foreign investment to promoting the technological competitiveness of domestic firms. This shift caused tensions between winners and losers, leading local bureaucrats to compete for resources in government budget, funding, and tax breaks. While bu...

Graduating from Sherubtse College, Bhutan's premier college nestled in the Himalayas, Rinzin finds himself scared by the thought of his unknown future, a blank slate as he describes. His quest for a job takes him far beyond his expectation of a life after college.Set in Bhutan, Delhi, London and Scotland, Home Shangrila tells a story about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find it at our doorstep.

High in the mountains of Bhutan, the wind doesn't just blow - it carries voices. In remote villages, along empty roads, and inside centuries-old temples, strange things still happen.Ghost Stories from Bhutan gathers stories from across the country, told with the quiet dread of people who vanished, of things that still wait, and of places best left alone.Whether it's a blessing gone wrong in The Annual Blessing, the echoes of The Singing Nun of Animo Gonpa, or the woman who ...

Bhutan is more than a beautiful Himalayan kingdom—it's home to a revolutionary idea: Gross National Happiness (GNH). Rooted in compassion, balance, and sustainability, GNH challenges the belief that progress is measured only by materialistic pursuit.This book reveals how Bhutan's unique philosophy has become a global inspiration, guiding conversations on mindfulness, sustainable living, and human well-being.For readers drawn to Bhutan, spirituality, or the search for a more...

In a world dominated by economic metrics, Gross National Happiness (GNH) offers a radical yet deeply human question: What is development truly for?Originating in Bhutan, GNH reframes progress by prioritizing holistic well-being over material accumulation alone. Far more than an idealistic concept, it is a comprehensive framework integrating ethical governance, cultural vitality, environmental sustainability, economic sufficiency, and psychological well-bei...

He was encouraged by his good friend to attend the second generation blind date by the president of the 'handicapped' family. He said, "I'll give you one hundred million yuan to be my bride for one year." The man spoke arrogantly. Liang Yuyi looked at the arrogant man on the wheelchair, and curled his lips. "Marry me? Can you do it? " [This young master will just carry him around the waist. I'll see whether it works or not after I try …]

"It's a game." Whoever was more serious would admit defeat.She, for her sister, could make any sacrifice. But I never knew if I was really loved.She, who had been used as a substitute in a conspiracy, was in unspeakable pain.It was him who destroyed her, who harmed her elder sister …

In the past 30 years or so, reform and opening-up are the two major themes for China's economic and social development. Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has made great explorations in the depth and breadth of opening-up. This book provides a comprehensive overview of some issues and policies of mutual benefit and win-win strategies, which include China's foreign trade and technical barriers to trade, China's technology progress, China's service outsourcing industry, China's d...

Wen-Dan Cheng, Chen-Sheng Lin, Wei-Long Uhang, Hao Zhang: Structural Designs and Property Characterizations for Second-Harmonic Generation Materials.- Fang Kong, Chuan-Fu Sun, Bing-Ping Yang, Jiang-Gao Mao: Second-order Non-linear Optical Materials based on Metal Iodates, Selenites and Tellurites.- Guo-Fu Wang: Structure, growth, nonlinear optics and laser properties of RX3(BO3)4 (R=Y, Gd, La; X=Al, Sc).-Chaoyang Tu, Zhaojie Zhu, Zhenyu You, Jianfu Li, Yan Wang, Alain Brenier: The ...

Considering Asian cities ranging from Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok to Hanoi, Nanjing and Seoul, this collection discusses the socio-political processes of how neoliberalization entwines with local political economies and legacies of ‘developmental’ or ‘socialist’ statism to produce urban contestations centered on housing. The book takes housing as a key entry point, given its prime position in the making of social and economic policies as well as the political legitimacy of Asian states. ...

Novel Optical Nanoprobes for Chemical and Biological Analysis starts with a brief introduction to several kinds of versatile nanomaterials with novel optical properties, such as gold/silver nanoparticles, quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles and graphene. It mainly focuses on the latest sensor design strategies, which apply the optical properties of nanomaterials to various detection techniques including colorimetry, fluorescence, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). ...

This book summarizes the recent advances in applications of starch in state-of-the-art drug carriers (hydrogel, micro- and nano-particulate carriers) with stimulus-responsive and target-specific properties. It also highlights the role of starch and its derivatives in transmucosal administration to improve the bioavailability of drugs. Further, it outlines the principles of effective, advanced, starch-based drug delivery systems and illustrates how these principles are key to the developmen...