Other books that might interest you

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  Grand Central Terminal -...

  Kurt C. Schlichting

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  “Looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels . . . will deepen anyone’s appreciation for New York’s most magnificent interior space.” —The New York Times Book Review 
   
  Winner of the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture from the Association of American Publishers 
   
  Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City’s preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America’s Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city’s most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York’s network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars. Its soaring Grand Concourse still offers passengers a majestic gateway to the wonders beyond 42nd Street. 
   
  In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering that lie behind its construction. Schlichting begins with Cornelius Vanderbilt—“The Commodore”—whose railroad empire demanded an appropriately palatial passenger terminal in the heart of New York City. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet—cramped and overburdened—soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived of a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Grand Central became a monument to the creativity and daring of a remarkable age. 
   
  More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.

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  Tsunami Days

  John Barnie

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  "We need more writers with bite. We have lived in the flatlands too long," writes John Barnie in one of his 'observations' ('Art in the Flatlands'). And bite he delivers.
  
  Ranging across politics, history, culture, ecological disaster, the meaning of truth, poetry, what we mean by identity and more… Barnie shares a window onto the world that is both erudite and particular. Leaning towards pessimism in a darkening world, these observations are often provocative, not from any bullish desire to antagonise, but as the result of mining a rationalist line of thought with an honesty and consistency that is applied as much to the author as to his subjects. There is a clarity here that some may find uncomfortable, but the aim is always dialogue above agreement; intellectual engagement above cheap solutions and sentimentality.
  
  Barnie asks us to think, consider and dig deeper, but most of all he asks that we "…live richly among our secondary self-created meanings, while recognising them for what they are. To face without flinching the nullity of the great void." ('Varieties of Meaning')
  Tsunami Days is a vital collection of essays for those prepared to engage with its unflinching observations.

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  They Can't Find Anything Wrong -...

  David D. Clarke

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  A specialist in Stress Illness reveals how to identify and remedy this potentially serious health issue that too often goes undiagnosed.   Every year, millions of people seek medical care for symptoms that diagnostic tests are unable to explain. Sent away frustrated, or thinking it’s “all in their heads,” the truth is that many of these people are ill because of hidden stresses.    Dr. David Clarke has done pioneering work with thousands of these patients, often sent to him as a last resort.  In They Can’t Find Anything Wrong, he offers real solutions to put a stop to the stress illness epidemic. Dr. Clarke describes the major types of stress and explains steps for treatment with a range of effective techniques. Case histories that read like medical mysteries illustrate the concepts and make them easy to apply.

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  Where Things Touch - A...

  Bahar Orang

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  Finalist for the 2021 Gerald Lampert Memorial AwardTo devote oneself to the study of beauty is to offer footnotes to the universe for all the places and all the moments that one observes beauty. I can no longer grab beauty by her wrists and demand articulation or meaning. I can only take account of where things touch.Part lyric essay, part prose poetry, Where Things Touch grapples with the manifold meanings and possibilities of beauty.Drawing on her experiences as a physician-in-training, Orang considers clinical encounters and how they relate to the concept and very idea of beauty. Such considerations lead her to questions about intimacy, queerness, home, memory, love, and other aspects of human existence. Throughout, beauty is ultimately imagined as something inextricably tied to care: the care of lovers, of patients, of art and literature, and the various non-human worlds that surround us.Eloquent and meditative in its approach, beauty, here, beyond base expectations of frivolity and superficiality, is conceived of as a thing to recover.Where Things Touch is an exploration of an essential human pleasure, a necessary freedom by which to challenge what we know of ourselves and the world we inhabit.2021 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award Jury Citation:"Tapestry-like in form, Orang’s lyrical poetic essay stitches together an exploration of beauty and aesthetics that is woven with humility and relationality to other. Her immense sense of craft and confidence make for breath stopping moments, over and over, while at the same time filling the senses with powerful and piercing revelation. 'Reading,' she writes, 'is a kind of ecological activity'– and it is a privilege to situate yourself within Orang’s topographies of love." 

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  Chakras for Beginners

  Yoshiro Mitsutoshi

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  Do you want to heal yourself through meditation? If yes, then keep listening!A large part of humanity knows the importance of balancing the chakras to keep themselves healthy for long. The whole universe is composed of energy and human metabolism is no exception! Long before modern technology and science, ancient cultures already knew that all living beings had a life force rooted in them. It forms several centers of energy - called the chakras - that move inside us. These play an important role in the balance and health of our body.But then, what are the chakras referring to precisely? And in what way are they so precious?The "chakra" is an old Sanskrit word that literally means "wheel". This is because our life force (prana) is spinning and circulating inside us. This rotating energy has seven centers in our body, starting from the base of the spine and going to the top of the head. They regulate all parts of the human body, thus influencing everything from the treatment of emotions to resistance to disease.As a general rule, chakra techniques are used to open them and keep them in alignment. If they are blocked or poorly synchronized, this can have a negative impact not only on physical health but also on psychological well-being.To better understand how they work, let's take the example of a machine. If the gears get stuck, if the pipes come loose, or if parts are missing, the machine cannot work properly. In addition, the initial problems inevitably lead to others that may be more serious. The device then deteriorates further before finally giving up the ghost. The chakra network works in a very similar way to that.Developing chakras are within everyone's reach. As a result, you can detect and resolve problems as they occur and before they have serious consequences. In addition, you can safely tackle your old injuries and do the work necessary to start over. In summary, a good knowledge of the chakras can undoubtedly lead to healing.

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  Finding Voice For Authentic...

  Terry Tempest Williams

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  Terry takes us on a whirlwind tour of what it means to give voice to our own authenticity. It requires deep listening and fertile silences. She encourages us to speak “Mother Tongue” — speaking from the belly rather than the mind. 
  She laments that in Western culture “the language of economics has power, the language of the law has power, the language of science has power. But an intelligence of the heart, an emotional intelligence, or a poetic sensibility, or even a sensibility that comes from the side, from a different angle, from a different point of view, asks us to form a different kind of shape of conversation.” 
  In this delightfully warm and thoughtful program you’ll be dazzled by the mystery of Terry’s dying mother’s request for her to read her journals, but not until after her death. Terry found 3 shelves of journals only to discover all of them were blank. Puzzle along with Terry as she takes us from the Red Rock Wildlands of Utah to the Plains of Kenya in a far-reaching dialogue about finding one’s authentic voice. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

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