Publisher: Good Press
Lucas describes Paris before World War I and consequently is describing places that are now much changed or disappeared altogether. For anyone who knew Paris at this time, it would have been a delight and, of course, the book now has a historical value since none alive now can remember Paris pre-1914.
He was known simply as the Blind Traveler -- a solitary, sightless adventurer who, astonishingly, fought the slave trade in Af-rica, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon, and helped chart the Australian outback. James Holman (1786-1857) became "one of the greatest wonders of the world he so sagaciously explored," triumphing not only over blindness but crippling pain, poverty, and the interference of well-meaning authorities (his greatest feat, a circumnavigation of the globe, had to be launched in secret). Once a celebrity, a bestselling author, and an inspiration to Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the charismatic, witty Holman outlived his fame, dying in an obscurity that has endured -- until now.A Sense of the World is a spellbinding and moving rediscovery of one of history's most epic lives. Drawing on meticulous research, Jason Roberts ushers us into the Blind Traveler's uniquely vivid sensory realm, then sweeps us away on an extraordinary journey across the known world during the Age of Exploration. Rich with suspense, humor, international intrigue, and unforgettable characters, this is a story to awaken our own senses of awe and wonder.Show book
A firsthand exploration of the extraordinary abilities and surprising, sometimes life-saving talents of “working dogs”—pups who can sniff out drugs, find explosives, even locate the dead—as told through the experiences of a journalist and her intrepid canine companion, which TheNew York Times calls“a fascinating, deeply reported journey into the…amazing things dogs can do with their noses.”There are thousands of working dogs all over the US and beyond with incredible abilities—they can find missing people, detect drugs and bombs, pinpoint unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers, or even find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. These abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but author Cat Warren shows the science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie these creatures’ amazing abilities. Cat Warren is a university professor and journalist who had tried everything she could think of to harness her dog Solo’s boundless energy and enthusiasm…until a behavior coach suggested she try training him to be a “working dog.” What started out as a hobby soon became a calling, as Warren was introduced to the hidden universe of dogs who do this essential work and the handlers who train them.Her dog Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he’s only one of many astounding dogs in a varied field. Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these intelligent and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, Warren discovers story after story that prove the capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with working dogs is woven into the fabric of society, and why we keep finding new uses for the wonderful noses of our four-legged friends.Show book
A vivid portrait of life in Greece, in the series that collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world. Many have impressions and opinions about Greece based on superficial headlines or pop culture stereotypes. This volume of The Passenger offers instead a wide-ranging, thoughtful, and lively picture of the country in all its nuance and diversity—its people, its problems, its art, its athletes, and much, much more. “The Passenger readers will find none of the typical travel guide sections on where to eat or what sights to see. Consider the books, rather, more like a literary vacation.” —Publishers Weekly In this volume:Once Upon A Time: The Greek Taverna by Petros Markaris Land of Migration by Matteo Nucci The Lost Generation by Christos Ikonomou Plus: Yorgos Lanthimos and the “Weird Wave” of Greek cinema, the island where people forget to die, the NBA’s most valuable player, the mayor who balanced the books but enraged the nationalists, abandoned buildings, oligarchs on the rise, the rebellious rhythm of rebetiko and much more . . .Show book
An elegant and absorbing tour of Tokyo and its residents.From 1632 until 1854, Japan's rulers restricted contact with foreign countries, a near isolation that fostered a remarkable and unique culture that endures to this day. In hypnotic prose and sensual detail, Anna Sherman describes searching for the great bells by which the inhabitants of Edo, later called Tokyo, kept the hours in the shoguns' city. An exploration of Tokyo becomes a meditation not just on time, but on history, memory, and impermanence. Through Sherman's journeys around the city and her friendship with the owner of a small, exquisite cafe, who elevates the making and drinking of coffee to an art-form, The Bells of Old Tokyo follows haunting voices through the labyrinth that is the Japanese capital: an old woman remembers escaping from the American firebombs of World War II. A scientist builds the most accurate clock in the world, a clock that will not lose a second in five billion years. The head of the Tokugawa shogunal house reflects on the destruction of his grandfathers' city: "A lost thing is lost. To chase it leads to darkness." The Bells of Old Tokyo marks the arrival of a dazzling new writer who presents an absorbing and alluring meditation on life in the guise of a tour through a city and its people.Show book
Most of us have discovered that life is never a straight line. It actually resembles a series of zig-zags. We zig in order to strengthen our creative gifts. We zag in order to provide a roof over our head and food on the table. This conversation looks at the life adventures of a father, a husband, a writer, a corporate marketer, a world traveler, and a meditation and yoga teacher. Karan Bajaj’s life path has been a quest to answer the question: Does our search for spiritual fulfillment and creativity have to take a back seat to our livelihood? His answer is that he gives himself fully to his corporate work for an average of four years and then takes a year sabbatical to travel and replenish his creative well. This takes some planning and discipline. His practice of meditation and yoga support him in all his endeavors to create a meaningful life. He describes his process: “When I’m working in my corporate life or I’m writing, I’m trying to dissolve all sense of doership and just become a vessel to express myself. In some small way I’m trying to live in a meaningful way even if I’m in corporate environment. I’m trying to get to that point that I spontaneously become a medium for my work.” He also talks about a kind of purity of action and, as an engineer, he describes himself as very left-brained, so that yoga and meditation help to balance him, “[T]hese activities balance me out, make me much more intuitive, and that always has an effect on work and really spirals it up.” (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)Show book
Unearth the fascinating history of how the Freemasons and Founding Fathers sowed the seeds of a new nation amid the collapse of the British colonies. Step back in time to the birth of a revolutionary new republic and discover how the utopian ideals of a visionary secret society laid the foundation for the most powerful nation on earth. Follow George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers as they transform the democratic principles of their Masonic lodges into a radical new nation. Solomon’s Builders unravels history from myth as it takes you on a Freemason’s tour of Washington, D.C. It reveals the evidence of Masonic influence during the construction of America and its new capital, including clues hidden in plain sight: •Masonic connections to national monuments •Puzzling pentagrams and symbolism in city streets •The mysterious temples of the “Widow’s Sons” Solomon’s Builders relates the true stories of these visionary founders, and the fascinating meaning behind the cryptic codes, enigmatic symbols and intriguing architecture that is reputedly the basis for the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol. “Well written account of the philosophical thinking that led to the formation of a common man’s democracy. . . . The reference book that teachers need to use in their American History classes.” —Karl Grube, Ph.D., Bonisteel Masonic Library, Ann Arbor, MI “One of the better books that I have seen that credits Freemasonry where credit is due.” —Thomas W. Jackson, The Northern Light Magazine “What distinguishes Solomon’s Builders from the good and bad, malicious and benevolent, is its honesty, humor and clarity.” —Mark A. Tabbert, author of American Freemasons “An academically written book on the early days of American Freemasonry without the pretentious trappings of most scholarly treatments on the subject.” —Stephen Dafoe, author of Nobly BornShow book
