This book examines the historical and contextual background to the oil and gas resources in the Kurdish territories; placing particular emphasis on the reserves situated in the disputed provinces. The volume is singularly unique in focusing on an examination of the rules reflected in both the national and the regional constitutional; legislative; and contractual measures and documents relevant to the question of whether the central government in Baghdad or the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil has a stronger claim to legal control over the oil and gas resources in the disputed Kurdish territories. As a subsidiary focus; the author also draws attention to how the basic thrust of the volume connects to broader jurisprudential issues regarding the nature and purpose of law; the matter of claims by native peoples to natural resources on traditional lands; and the place of regional minorities operating in a federal system. Since the law examined is domestic or municipal in origin; additional reference is made to the role that such law can play in the "bottom up" (as opposed to more conventional "top down") development of international law. The bookrsquo;s opening chapters provide a valuable contextual introduction; followed by a number of substantive chapters providing an analytical and critical assessment of the controlling legal rules. Written in a scholarly; yet accessible style; and covering matters of basic importance to academics; lawyers; political scientists; government representatives; and students of energy and natural resources; as well as those of developing legal structures; Oil and Gas in the Disputed Kurdish Territories is an essential addition to any collection.
#2297495 in eBooks 2008-06-12 2008-06-12File Name: B00EG09XX0
Review
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. An Invertebrate Family AlbumBy Vincent S. StecklineWood workers magazines have advertisements for "woodworkers porn sights" web sites that feature pictures of the highly figured woods they offer for sale (at highly figured prices) "Whooo boy; look at the grain on that tiger maple." "Spineless Portraits of Marine Invertebrates; the Backbone of Life" has page after page of equally exquisite pictures of luscious; naked marine invertebrates.The portraits are gorgeous; truly gorgeous. At first glance I thought they were drawings not photographs. They are photographs and at the end of the book Susan Middleton the author and photographer describes how she took the pictures. Her subjects were collected; put in small glass tanks which were placed on a white or black background and photographed. This method is not new .I used a roughly 6 by 6by2 inch chamber to photograph invertebrates 45 years ago on the Sea Isle Sholes off New Hampshires miniscule Atlantic coastline. She has refined the system to perfection. Even small amounts of silt scatters light; a finger smear blurs; an off-angle shot distorts. Nothing like that is in her pictures; they are clear; undistorted and beautiful.The animals are labeled both as Genus specie as well as their frequently amusing common names-Minor Venuss girdle Velamen parallelum or Curly Head Spaghetti Worm Thelepus crispus.Sylvia Earl has written an introduction and the book includes four essays by the author. She discusses the ongoing and probably never ending (even with DNA typing) taxonomic augments over which creature belongs where. Her comment on the effect of evolution on taxonomy is pithy "After the theory of evolution took hold; classifications became genealogies. "She describes basic animal symmetry spherical; radial and bilateral and its effect on classification. Then too there is an ecological undercurrent of climate change and over utilization flowing through the essays. Spineless is lucid and illuminating and; did I mention; gorgeous.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Spineless Has a Lot of Visual BackboneBy Stephen G KennedyA big; beautiful coffee table book with gorgeous pictures and intriguing text. With so much damage being done to our oceans -- and environment overall -- this book shows us what is almost invisibly beautiful; and important; about life under the surface of the sea. The book is a heavy; substantial one; with good quality paper and high-quality reproductions. Spineless is an odd title; but it fits all the strange; unique; and rare "animals" that are featured throughout the book. Readers wont be disappointed with the phenomenal sights.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. My 11-y/o granddaughter; budding marine biologist loves it.By Bruce OksolWow; this is really; really; an incredible book. The best part: the catalog at the end with thumbnail photos of every entry in the book and then an essay regarding each entry. Sometimes the entries are short; sometimes very; very long. I bought this for my 11-y/o granddaughter who wants to be a marine biologist -- she loves it; as I expected she would.