Other books that might interest you

• 

  Ordinary Wonder Tales

  Emily Urquhart

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A journalist and folklorist explores the truths that underlie the stories we imagine—and reveals the magic in the everyday. 
  “I’ve always felt that the term fairy tale doesn’t quite capture the essence of these stories,” writes Emily Urquhart. “I prefer the term wonder tale, which is Irish in origin, for its suggestion of awe coupled with narrative. In a way, this is most of our stories.” In this startlingly original essay collection, Urquhart reveals the truths that underlie our imaginings: what we see in our heads when we read, how the sight of a ghost can heal, how the entrance to the underworld can be glimpsed in an oil painting or a winter storm—or the onset of a loved one’s dementia. In essays on death and dying, pregnancy and prenatal genetics, radioactivity, chimeras, cottagers, and plague, Ordinary Wonder Tales reveals the essential truth: if you let yourself look closely, there is magic in the everyday.

  Show book

• 

  Discourses and Enchiridion

  Epictetus

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  For centuries, Stoicism was the unofficial religion of the Roman world.
  
  The stress on endurance, self-restraint, and power of the will to withstand calamity can often seem cold-hearted. It is Epictetus, a lame former slave exiled by Emperor Domitian, who offers the most precise and humane version of Stoic ideals. The Discourses, assembled by his pupil Arrian, catch him in action, publicly setting out his views on ethical dilemmas.
  
  Enchiridion, or Manual, is a distillation of his teachings and an essential manual for those seeking contentment.
  
  Committed to communicating with the broadest possible audience, Epictetus uses humour, imagery conversations and homely comparisons to put his message across. The results are perfect universal justice and calm indifference in the face of pain.

  Show book

• 

  But Have You Read the Book? - 52...

  Kristen Lopez

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  For film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 52 cinema classics and the literary works that served as their inspiration.    “I love that movie!”   “But have you read the book?”   Within these pages, Turner Classic Movies offers an endlessly fascinating look at 52 beloved screen adaptations and the great reads that inspired them. Some films, like Clueless—Amy Heckerling’s interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma—diverge wildly from the original source material, while others, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, shift the point of view to craft a different experience within the same story. Author Kristen Lopez explores just what makes these works classics of both the page and screen, and why each made for an exceptional adaptation—whether faithful to the book or exemplifying cinematic creative license.   Other featured works include:Children of Men · The Color Purple · Crazy Rich Asians · Dr. No · Dune · Gentlemen Prefer Blondes · Kiss Me Deadly · The Last Picture Show · Little Women · Passing · The Princess Bride · The Shining · The Thin Man · True Grit · Valley of the Dolls · The Virgin Suicides · Wuthering Heights

  Show book

• 

  Hinduism and Buddhism: The...

  Charles River Editors

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In conjunction with the development of religions, including not just Hinduism but also Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, the diverse traditions and ethnic groups that have called India home over the past 5,000 years combined to create a mythology that is as eclectic as it is interesting. Unraveling the details of India’s mythological systems is no easy task, but thankfully, hundreds of scholars who have studied Indian history have successfully translated thousands of ancient and medieval Indian texts into English and other modern Western languages. Generally speaking, Indian mythology originated from the ideas and practices of two ethnic groups, the Dravidians and the Aryans. Although the latter’s influence was more visibly dominant, the former was also integral in the development of Indian myths and Hinduism generally. It is also important to keep in mind the differences between mythology, theology, and rituals as they relate to Indian religion.  
  In the West, Buddhism is a religion that everyone has heard of but one that few truly understand aside from Buddhists themselves. For almost 2,500 years, Buddhism has been dominant on the Indian subcontinent, based on the traditions, beliefs, and practices that came about from the teachings of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), the Sansrkit word for “the awakened one.” Today, three distinct branches of Buddhism have mostly fanned out across Asia, and it’s believed that upwards of half a billion people practice Buddhism today, and some of the traditional practices and principles of the religion, including the concepts of karma, reincarnation and the practice of yoga are all commonplace ideas across the world. 

  Show book

• 

  World’s Most Famous Megaliths...

  Editors Charles River

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Despite the fact some Neolithic communities grew to considerable sizes, they’re typically not considered when people think of the first ancient civilizations or the first major cities, so when German archaeologists discovered the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey in the 1990s, it created an academic firestorm that is still raging. Far from being just another settlement, Göbekli Tepe has been described as the world’s first temple and perhaps one of the locations where human civilization began. Subsequent archaeological work at Göbekli Tepe has revealed that the site was a spiritual center for the local population during a time when humans were undergoing a transition as hunter-gatherers in the Paleolithic Period to a more sedentary lifestyle in the Neolithic Period, more than 10,000 years ago.  
  	Naturally, when European archaeologists began unearthing the megaliths of Malta in the 19th century, they did not know what to think, which led to a plethora of theories, many of them quite fantastic. At least 23 of these temples were uncovered, but because the people who built them lacked the knowledge of writing, speculation over who built them and why remained well into the 20th century (Rountree 2003, 26). Some people theorized that the Malta megaliths were built by a race of giants, while others believed that it was the center of a “Mother Earth” cult that later spread through Neolithic Europe.  
  	On the Salisbury Plain, only a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Central London, remains one of the greatest surviving relics of humanity's ancient past: the mighty stone circle of Stonehenge. Stonehenge is one of the most well-known ancient sites in the world, and an image of it raises numerous associations and emotional responses. Its impressiveness comes not only from its size and remarkable level of preservation, but more so because of incredible precision during an era of simple technology.

  Show book

• 

  The Weary Blues

  Langston Hughes

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Langston Hughes is a widely celebrated African American writer and important leader of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Deeply inspired by the great poet Walt Whitman, Hughes’ own writings gave voice to the Black community in the American literary canon. His assertion that “I, too, sing America” echoes through history and continues to be a battle cry in the fight for fair representation and equality. 
   
  The Weary Blues, published in 1926, was Hughes’ first collection of poetry. He was only twenty-four years old at the time, but his insights carry wisdom beyond his years. Hughes made his literary debut at the height of Jim Crow when racial segregation ran deep through American society. Through the pain and hardship, there is also an unshakable pride in his African American heritage. 
   
  Enjoy the rich notes and rhythms of Hughes’ distinct “jazz poetry” style, brought to life in this extraordinary InAudio production.

  Show book