Download or read book Precious Objects written by Alicia Oltuski and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the middle of New York City lies a neighborhood where all secrets are valuable, all assets are liquid, and all deals are sealed with a blessing rather than a contract. Welcome to the diamond district. Ninety percent of all diamonds that enter America pass through these few blocks, but the inner workings of this mysterious world are known only to the people who inhabit it. In Precious Objects, twenty-six-year-old journalist Alicia Oltuski, the daughter and granddaughter of diamond dealers, seamlessly blends family narrative with literary reportage to reveal the fascinating secrets of the diamond industry and its madcap characters: an Elvis-impersonating dealer, a duo of diamond-detective brothers, and her own eccentric father. With insight and drama, Oltuski limns her family’s diamond-paved move from communist Siberia to a displaced persons camp in post–World War II Germany to New York’s diamond district, exploring the connections among Jews and the industry, the gem and its lore, and the exotic citizens of this secluded world. Entertaining and illuminating, Precious Objects offers an insider’s look at the history, business, and society behind one of the world’s most coveted natural resources, providing an unforgettable backstage pass to an extraordinary and timeless show.
Download or read book Diamonds and War written by David De Vries and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2010-04 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on previously unexamined historical documents found in archives in Belgium, England, Israel, the Netherlands, and the United States, this book is the first in English to tell the story of the formation of one of the world's main strongholds of diamond production and trade in Palestine during the 1930s and 1940s. The history of the diamond-cutting industry, characterized by a long-standing Jewish presence, is discussed as a social history embedded in the international political economy of its times; the genesis of the industry in Palestine is placed on a broad continuum within the geographic and economic dislocations of Dutch, Belgian, and German diamond-cutting centers. In providing a micro-historical and interdisciplinary perspective, the story of the diamond industry in Mandate Palestine proposes a more nuanced picture of the uncritical approach to the strict boundaries of ethnic-based occupational communities.
Download or read book Diamonds and Scoundrels written by Adrienne Rubin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-09-17 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Adrienne Rubin enters into the jewelry business in 1970s Los Angeles, she is a maverick in a world dominated by men. She soon meets a young hotshot salesman who doesn’t seem to struggle at all, and when he asks her to be his partner, she is excited to join him. She doesn’t know him well, but she does know his father, and she believes he is as trustworthy as the day is long . . . Diamonds and Scoundrels shows us how a woman in a man’s world, with tenacity and sheer determination, can earn respect and obtain a true sense of accomplishment. Following Rubin’s experiences in the jewelry industry through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s—with the ups and downs, good guys and bad—this is a tale of personal growth, of how to overcome challenges with courage and resilience. It’s a story for the woman today who, in addition to a rich family life, seeks a self-realized, fulfilling path toward a life well lived.
Download or read book The Mazzel Ritual written by Dina Siegel and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-08-12 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The academic study of diamonds is as multi-faceted as the precious stones themselves. Mineralogists and geographers have written about them, as have historians and economists and students of art and fashion. They each shine their light on a different aspect of this source of luminous radiance. But who would venture to describe the entire complicated worldwide system starting in the diamond mines and ending with the consumers of Western metropolises? In The Mazzel Ritual: Culture, Customs and Crime in the Diamond Trade, Russian-Israeli cultural anthropologist and criminologist Dina Siegel follows the route of a diamond from the mines of Africa to the shops of Europe and the United States, as it passes through countless hands and places and is smuggled, stolen, cut, polished, sold, exchanged and, finally, worn as jewelry. In the course of this long and exciting journey, a wide range of people face all sorts of risks and criminality, as well as various moral and ethical judgments. Siegel describes the range of ethnic groups that are active in the diamond trade and the culture and customs that are specific to this business. She analyses the dangers and threats to the industry and aims to uncover the strategies and tactics to deal with them. Finally, this story of risk, trust and crime examines the vulnerability of diamond production and distribution to illicit and criminal activities. This book is about the diamond business itself as well as about those involved in it. It tells the story of people who simply cannot stay away from this expensive and alluring commodity.
Download or read book Blood Sweat and Earth written by Tijl Vanneste and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2021-09-16 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping history of our enduring passion for diamonds—and the exploitative industry that fuels it. Blood, Sweat and Earth is a hard-hitting historical exposé of the diamond industry, focusing on the exploitation of workers and the environment, the monopolization of uncut diamonds, and how little this has changed over time. It describes the use of forced labor and political oppression by Indian sultans, Portuguese colonizers in Brazil, and Western industrialists in many parts of Africa—as well as the hoarding of diamonds to maintain high prices, from the English East India Company to De Beers. While recent discoveries of diamond deposits in Siberia, Canada, and Australia have brought an end to monopolization, the book shows that advances in the production of synthetic diamonds have not yet been able to eradicate the exploitation caused by the world’s unquenchable thirst for sparkle.
Download or read book A Glossary of Jewish Life written by Kerry M. Olitzky and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 1992 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2,400 entries on most every aspect of Judaism including theology, religious practices, daily living, and world history.
Download or read book Precious Objects written by Alicia Oltuski and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-07-03 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A tour of the diamond industry explores the historically rich network connecting Communist Siberia, Israel, and New York's diamond district, and profiles some of the industry's more colorful characters, including the author's father.
Download or read book The Diamond Cutter written by Geshe Michael Roach and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2009-09-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, The Diamond Cutter presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their work and personal lives. Geshe Michael Roach, one of the great teachers today of Tibetan Buddhism, has richly woven The Diamond Cutter in three layers. The first is a translation of selections from the Diamond Sutra itself, an ancient text comprised of conversations between the Buddha and his close disciple Subhuti. Considered a central work by Buddhists throughout the world, the Diamond Sutra has been the focus of much interpretation over the centuries. In the second layer, Geshe Michael quotes from some of the best commentaries of the Tibetan tradition. In the main text, the third layer, he uses both sutra and commentary as a jumping-off point for presenting his own teaching. Geshe Michael gives fresh insight into ancient wisdom by using examples from his own experience as one of the founders of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, which was started with capital of fifty thousand dollars and which today has annual sales in excess of one hundred million dollars. Much of the success of Andin has come from applying the business strategies presented in The Diamond Cutter. Geshe Michael's easy style and spiritual understanding make this work of timeless wisdom an invaluable source for those already familiar with, and those unfamiliar with, Tibetan Buddhism.
Download or read book The Diamond Cutter written by Michael Roach and published by Image Books. This book was released on 2003 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The well-known teacher of Tibetan Buddhism shares his proven trategies for achieving success in business and personal life, drawing on the ancient texts of the Diamond Sutra and other commentaries to shed new light into the timeless traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Reprint.
Download or read book The Jerusalem Diamond written by Noah Gordon and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A man travels to Israel to uncover a diamond’s remarkable past in this vivid historical saga from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Physician. A diamond cutter and seller from a long, respected line of precious-gem dealers, New Yorker Harry Hopeman is intrigued by the story of the so-called “Jerusalem Diamond,” a magnificent yellow jewel rumored to date back to the biblical time of King Solomon. So when he’s asked to broker a deal that will return the legendary gemstone to Israel, he eagerly accepts. Arriving in the volatile Middle East, Hopeman soon discovers that his assignment will be anything but easy. Representatives of the Holy Land’s three major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—are all laying claim to the priceless jewel that once adorned the miter of Pope Gregory, and they will do anything to possess it. Partnering with Israeli government agent Tamar Strauss—a beautiful and courageous Yemenite war widow who inspires the visiting American’s passion as well as his respect—Hopeman is soon entangled in a web of mystery and intrigue that crosses continents and stretches back thousands of years. As the duo follows the twisting travels of the gem and the bloody conflicts it has ignited throughout its extraordinary past—a history that intertwines with Hopeman’s own family saga—the story of a breathtaking land and its people unfolds in all its drama and glory. International-bestselling author Noah Gordon—whose acclaimed historical novel The Physician was the inspiration for the major motion picture of the same name starring Ben Kingsley— “has packed a suspense tale with religious, historical and archeological underpinnings, along with fascinating insights into an industry whose conduct is generally shrouded from outside scrutiny” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Download or read book Relationshift written by Justin Blaney and published by BenBella Books. This book was released on 2022-09-20 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn to leverage your relationships so you can dream bigger, achieve whatever you want, and build a life that makes you happier with each passing day. No greater force for change exists than the people we surround ourselves with. Relationshift explores how the people in your life have colored your worldview, how this limits or expands your options, and what to do about it. Through the stories of British explorer Gertrude Bell, abolitionist hero Frederick Douglass, music icons the Beastie Boys, and many others, this book will help you: Learn how to connect with high-caliber people who can help you go further in life. Understand the rules of life as handed down through countless generations—then learn how to recognize which ones can be bent. Grow in happiness, thankfulness, peace, and contentment while eliminating the power of negative emotions. Explore how our minds reject new concepts like our bodies reject viruses. Build a personal tribe that can help you achieve any goal in work, health, or relationships. Make better choices by learning to see your options more clearly and honing your ability to move quickly with less information. Identify relationships that have the most impact on your wellbeing, for better or worse. Discover and refine the direction of your life by exploring wisdom from twenty experts on purpose. With dozens of illustrations and practical examples, Relationshift will help you take greater control of your life and uncover a path to your best possible future.
Download or read book The Abraham Accords written by Elham Fakhro and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2024-11-12 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In August 2020, Donald Trump announced that his administration had brokered a groundbreaking treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the first normalization agreement between Israel and an Arab state in more than twenty years. Soon afterward, Bahrain joined the agreements, known as the Abraham Accords. How were these treaties achieved, and why did the parties involved see normalization as in their interest? In what ways have the accords altered the Middle East’s political landscape, and how have they affected the question of Palestine? This book is a groundbreaking in-depth analysis of the Abraham Accords, shedding new light on their causes and consequences. Elham Fakhro demonstrates how shared security concerns, economic interests, and regional political shockwaves led to a surprising strategic convergence between the Gulf states and Israel, setting the stage for covert relations to come out into the open. She examines the role of the Trump administration in negotiating the agreements and shows how the UAE and Bahrain have instrumentalized the accords to burnish their reputations in Western capitals. Fakhro underscores how Washington’s Middle East policy shifted toward expanding the agreements at the expense of attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—with profound costs. Offering a critical lens on a much-hailed agreement, this book argues that the pursuit of normalization in isolation from a lasting solution to the conflict has entrenched the conditions that continually plunge the Middle East into crisis.
Download or read book The Israel Economist written by and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book News from Israel written by and published by . This book was released on 1963 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Foreign Economic Trends and Their Implications for the United States written by and published by . This book was released on 1969 with total page 1022 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond written by Edward Jay Epstein and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-12 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edward Jay Epstein investigates the most brilliant illusion in modern history: the illusion that diamonds are so rare that they will maintain their value forever. He explains how the the De Beers cartel, backed by a syndicate of Jewish diamond dealers in London, created an artificial scarcity by controlling the worldwide supply and used modern advertising to establish it in the mind of the public. In this book, comprised of six essays, we also learn about the secret workings of the cartel over the past century, including: + Why you cannot always sell diamonds for the price you paid? + Why Russia is now taking over the cartel operation? + How De Beers now uses the concept of blood diamonds to control prices? + Why Nicky Oppenheimer exited De Beers in 2011? Praise for Edward Jay Epstein: "Brilliant Expose of the International diamond monopoly" --Telegraph (London) "Full of readable if somewhat garish descriptions of diamond mines, diamond traders, and the activities of governments. If Ian Fleming were alive, he would have found much rewarding material here." -Woodrow Wyatt, Sunday Times
