Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Thoreau’s famous trip through the Maine Woods reissued to entertain, encourage, and inspire contemporary naturalists.
The year 2020 is a hugely significant one for the United States of America, marking as it does the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims to the New World and their establishment of a 'godly' colony in (what was for them) the 'American wilderness'. But it is also the year of the next Presidential election, one where the current occupant is expected to stand for re-election. Many millions of Americans will not see this as a random juxtaposition of events, since for them the unlikely person of Donald Trump is the one chosen by God to implement a twenty-first-century programme of godly rule and the restoration of American spiritual exceptionalism that is directly rooted in those far-off times when Puritan settlers (who followed in 1630) first established a semi-theocratic 'New Jerusalem' in the 'New World'. The USA is the home of more Christians than any other nation on earth. In 2014 research revealed that 70.6 per cent of Americans identified as Christians of some form with 25.4% identifying as 'Evangelicals'. Eighty-one per cent of them, around 33.7 million people, voted Trump in 2016. How can it be that self-described Christians of the 'Evangelical Religious Right' see, of all people, Donald Trump as their political representative and thus defender of their cause? Trump and the Puritans argues that while Donald Trump is no Puritan, the long-term influence of these 17th century radicals makes the USA different from any other Western democracy, and that this influence motivates and energizes a key element of his base to an astonishing degree and has played a major part in delivering political power to Trump.Show book
The true story of the defender of the Chicago 7Alternately vilified as a publicity-seeking egoist and lauded as a rambunctious, fearless advocate, William Kunstler consistently embodied both of these qualities. Kunstler's unrelenting, radical critique of American racism and the legal system took shape as a result of his efforts to enlist the federal judicial system to support the civil rights movement. In the late 60s and the 70s, Kunstler, refocusing his attention on the Black Power and anti-war movement, garnered considerable public attention as defender of the Chicago Seven, and went on to represent such controversial figures as Leonard Peltier, the American Indian Movement leader charged with killing an FBI agent, and Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald. Later, Kunstler briefly represented Colin Ferguson, the Long Island Railroad mass murderer, outraging fans and detractors alike with his invocation of the infamous "black rage" defense. Defending those most loathed by mainstream, conventional America, William Kunstler delighted in taking on fiercely political cases, usually representing society's outcasts and pariahs free of charge and often achieving remarkable courtroom results in seemingly hopeless cases. Though Kunstler never gave up his revolutionary underpinnings, he gradually turned from defending clients whose political beliefs he personally supported to taking on apolitical clients, falling back on the broad rationale that his was a general struggle against an oppressive government. What ideological and tactical motives explain Kunstler's obsessive craving for media attention, his rhetorical flourishes in the courtroom and his instinctive and relentless drive for action? How did Kunstler migrate from a comfortable middle-class background to a life as a staunchly rebellious figure in social and legal history? David Langum's portrait gives depth to the already notorious breadth of William Kunstler's life.Show book
A series of essays for music lovers, covering many topics. From music appreciation, to violin and symphony, music education, to piano and, in fact, the very origins of music, there is sure to be something for everyone. (Summary by prwells32)Show book
The House the Beatles Built: A Memoir of My Time Working for Geoffrey Giuliano is a witty, irreverent, turbulent take on a young man's internship as the literary associate of rock biographer Giuliano. Set in 1991, during the last gasp of the white glove publishing industry, this was a time before the Internet, before authors were interviewed in their living rooms on Skype but rather traveled the world like kings, bedding down in exotic locales the world over at the publishers' expense. Journeyman author Brandon Stickney gives us a glimpse into the narcissistic, upside down world of the outrageous tabloid biographer in the last golden moments of an industry now decimated by the digital revolution. It was a time of riches for even moderately successful authors caught here as a snapshot of avarice, vice, and unrestrained ego, served up in a delightfully funny and engaging narrative. Narrated by his old boss.Show book
When Theresa Marie discovered indiscretions on her husband’s phone, she was shocked. They were Christian co-ministers. They were foster parents. They were a good Christian family. What was he thinking!? Over the next several years, she would uncover just how deeply the betrayal ran, and watch the unraveling of a lifetime of commitment and partnership as she faced gaslighting and abusive behaviors from the man she once knew. In her debut book, Theresa Marie shares her personal testimony from an excruciating season in her life. In A Million Pieces, she is transparent about her initial responses to betrayal and trauma, the cycle of harm she willingly went on while hoping for restoration, and coming to the place of truly relying on God’s strength in her most vulnerable place. Theresa exposes an epidemic in our society that has infiltrated the church, and the residual effects of pornography on marriages, families, and ministerial relationships. You will see there is victory in choosing forgiveness in order to allow healing to come. May you be encouraged to forgive and heal.Show book
Russian literature of the 19th century is among the richest, most profound, and most human traditions in the world. This course explores this tradition by focusing on four giants: Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Anton Chekhov. Their works had an enormous impact on Russian understanding of the human condition. And, just as importantly, these works have been one of Russia's most significant exports: Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov have become part of our literary heritage. And our understanding of the novel is based in large part on the masterpieces of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, while Chekhov has defined modern notions of the short story. In this course, Knapp acquaints you with the authors, their lives and their times, and their most important works.Show book
