Other books that might interest you

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  Am I Alone Here? - Notes on...

  Peter Orner

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  "Stories, both my own and those I've taken to heart, make up whoever it is that I've become," Peter Orner writes in this collection of essays about reading, writing, and living. Orner reads and writes everywhere he finds himself: a hospital cafeteria, a coffee shop in Albania, or a crowded bus in Haiti. The result is a book of unlearned meditations that stumbles into memoir. 
   
   
   
  Among the many writers Orner addresses are Isaac Babel and Zora Neale Hurston, both of whom told their truths and were silenced; Franz Kafka, who professed loneliness but craved connection; Robert Walser, who spent the last twenty-three years of his life in a Swiss insane asylum, working at being crazy; and Juan Rulfo, who practiced the difficult art of silence. Virginia Woolf, Eudora Welty, Yasunari Kawabata, Saul Bellow, Mavis Gallant, John Edgar Wideman, William Trevor, and Václav Havel make appearances, as well as the poet Herbert Morris—about whom almost nothing is known. 
   
   
   
   
  An elegy for an eccentric late father, and the end of a marriage, Am I Alone Here? is also a celebration of the possibility of renewal. At once personal and panoramic, this book will inspire listeners to return to the essential stories of their own lives.

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  Kill Caesar! - Assassination in...

  Rose Mary Sheldon

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  “Why were Rome’s first emperors—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so vulnerable to conspiracies and assassination? . . . an expert analysis . . . compelling.” —Adrienne Mayor, author of The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates and Rome’s Deadliest Enemy Exploring the history of internal security under the first Roman dynasty, this groundbreaking book answers the enduring question: If there were 9,000 men guarding the emperor, how were three-quarters of Rome’s leaders assassinated? Rose Mary Sheldon traces the evolution of internal security mechanisms under the Julio-Claudians, evaluating the system that Augustus first developed to protect the imperial family and the stability of his dynasty. Yet in spite of the intensive precautions taken, there were multiple attempts on his life.    Like all emperors, Augustus had a number of competing constituencies—the senate, the army, his extended family, the provincials, and the populace of Rome—but were they all equally threatening? Indeed, the biggest threat would come from those closest to the emperor—his family and the aristocracy. Even Roman imperial women were deeply involved in instigating regime change. By the fourth emperor, Caligula, the Praetorian Guards were already participating in assassinations, and the army too was becoming more politicized.    Sheldon weighs the accuracy of ancient sources: Does the image of the emperor presented to us represent reality or what the people who killed him wanted us to think? Were Caligula and Nero really crazy, or did senatorial historians portray them that way to justify their murder? Was Claudius really the fool found drooling behind a curtain and made emperor, or was he in on the plot from the beginning? These and other fascinating questions are answered as Sheldon concludes that the repeated problem of “killing Caesar” reflected the empire’s larger dynamics and turmoil.

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  Beyond the surface - Christopher...

  Davis Truman

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  This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice.  
  "Beyond the Surface: Christopher Columbus and the Kaleidoscope of American Identity" invites readers on an enlightening journey through the intricate layers of history, culture, and identity that have shaped the Americas. In this captivating exploration, the book delves deep into the legacy of Christopher Columbus, unearthing the complex intersections of triumph and tragedy, discovery and displacement. With meticulous research and vivid storytelling, it uncovers the multifaceted facets of Columbus's impact, unveiling the profound effects on indigenous civilizations, European expansion, and the forging of a New World identity. Seamlessly weaving together historical narratives, cultural analyses, and contemporary reflections, the book illuminates the kaleidoscope of influences that have contributed to the diverse tapestry of American identity, challenging readers to confront the nuanced truths that lie beyond conventional narratives. "Beyond the Surface" is a thought-provoking odyssey that compels us to examine the past in order to understand better the present and chart a more inclusive, empathetic future.

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  On Giving Up

  Adam Phillips

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  From acclaimed psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, a meditation on what we must give up to feel more alive. 
   
   
   
  To give up or not to give up? 
   
   
   
  The question can feel inescapable but the answer is never simple. 
   
   
   
  Giving up our supposed vices is one thing; giving up on life itself is quite another. One form of self-sacrifice feels positive, something to admire and aspire to, while the other is profoundly unsettling, if not actively undesirable. 
   
   
   
  There are always, it turns out, both good and bad sacrifices, but it is not always clear beforehand which is which. We give something up because we believe we can no longer go on as we are. In this sense, giving up is a critical moment―an attempt to make a different future. 
   
   
   
  In On Giving Up, the acclaimed psychoanalyst Adam Phillips illuminates both the gaps and the connections between the many ways of giving up and helps us to address the central question: What must we give up in order to feel more alive?

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  Who Owns The Moon? - In Defence...

  A.C. Grayling

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  Silicon for microchips; manganese for batteries; titanium for missiles. 
   
  The moon contains a wealth of natural resources. So, as the Earth’s supplies have begun to dwindle, it is no surprise that the world’s superpowers and wealthiest corporations have turned their eyes to the stars. As this new Space Race begins, A.C. Grayling asks: who, if anyone, owns the moon? Or Mars? Or other bodies in near space? And what do those superpowers and corporations owe to Planet Earth and its inhabitants as a whole? 
   
  From feudal common land, through the rules of the sea, to the vast, nationless expanse of Antarctica, Grayling explores the history of the places which no one, and therefore everyone, owns. Examining the many ways this so-called terra nullius has fallen victim to ‘the tragedy of the commons’ – the tendency for communal resources to be exploited by a few individuals for personal gain at the expense of everyone else – Who Owns the Moon? puts forward a compelling argument for a bold new global consensus, one which recognises and defends the rights of everyone who lives on this planet.

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  Gay Sex Confessions Story...

  Rod Mandelli

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  This gay sex story collection contains six Gay Sex Confessions stories. Included are: 
  My Hot, Older Neighbor - Straight and smooth muscle stud Roy is about to find out how hot things can get on summer vacation when a hunky and hairy new neighbor in his 30's moves in across the street. Which will get "manhandled" more, the moving boxes or Roy? 
  Swimsuits Optional - Secretly gay Italian stud Joey has homosexual fantasies about his super-jock best friend, blonde-haired and blue-eyed Steve. With Steve leaving for vacation, Joey goes for an older substitute who believes that swimsuits should be optional. 
  Club Connection - Horny slut Jake cruises a gay club to find the man of his dirty dreams - a blue collar stud with a hairy chest, dark eyes, and something incredibly huge between his legs. 
  Texas Beef - Young college grad Shawn meets handsome Austin, a hard-partying cowboy from Texas. Austin's penchants for partying and sexual adventure lead him to give men permission to do whatever they want with his muscular body. 
  How To Get Out of a Speeding Ticket - As straight guy Jerry rushes home late, he gets pulled over on a deserted road by rough and tough Officer Harmon. Will Jerry give in to the police officer's sexual suggestions and let the hot cop have his way with him? 
  Best Friends Turn Into Lovers - When his shirtless best friend asks supposedly straight college student Chad to rub tanning oil on his back, will the truth about his gay fantasies finally come out?

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