Other books that might interest you

• 

  The Blind Girl Sees - Seeing...

  Amber Needham

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  At fifty years of age, Amber Needham suddenly went from having perfect vision to becoming blind. Despite the life-changing tragedy of losing her sight and the frustrating challenges this created in her day-to-day life, she eventually came to accept, manage, and even celebrate her blindness. Her disability taught her a new way to see—with her heart instead of her eyes. 
  With warmth, humour, and wisdom, Amber shares anecdotes and lessons she learned from her experiences while encouraging readers to look deeper at their own setbacks and struggles to search out the inner meaning. For anyone facing hardships or dealing with disability or illness, The Blind Girl Sees offers hope, motivation, and the skills needed to transform pain into acceptance, purpose, and even joy.

  Show book

• 

  John Rawls - Justice Fairness...

  Hector Davidson

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  John Rawls, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, fundamentally reshaped the field of political philosophy with his groundbreaking work, A Theory of Justice (1971). His vision of "justice as fairness" offered a robust framework for understanding social cooperation and the principles that should govern a just society. By blending elements of social contract theory with contemporary concerns about inequality and human rights, Rawls addressed timeless questions about the nature of justice and the moral obligations of institutions.  
  Born on February 21, 1921, in Baltimore, Maryland, Rawls’ early life was marked by tragedy and intellectual rigor. He lost two brothers to illness at a young age, experiences that profoundly influenced his outlook on morality and the fragility of human life. Rawls attended Princeton University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy, and later completed his doctorate at Harvard University after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. These formative years shaped his commitment to exploring ethical frameworks that could withstand the complexities of a modern, pluralistic world.  
  Rawls’ magnum opus, A Theory of Justice, introduced several key concepts that would come to define his philosophy. Central to his work was the idea of the "original position," a hypothetical scenario in which individuals design the principles of justice behind a "veil of ignorance." This veil prevents individuals from knowing their social status, wealth, abilities, or personal biases, compelling them to choose rules that are fair and impartial. The result is a system that prioritizes equal basic liberties for all, coupled with the difference principle, which allows social and economic inequalities only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society. 

  Show book

• 

  George Balanchine: The Life and...

  Editors Charles River

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  By the turn of the 20th century, American entertainment was still preoccupied with European-style operetta, as embodied in the works of cellist-composer Victor Herbert. Traditional dance forms moved from European stories to the American prairie in Oklahoma by the late 1940s, and what was once the property of Bavarian princes became the singing standards of cowboys riding through the corn fields in Oh What a Beautiful Morning and Out of My Dreams.  
  	At the time, the availability of classical ballet in America was scant. In contrast to the evolution of an American style in musical theater, Broadway, and film, ballet in the United States was ushered in largely through the efforts of an individual who brought with him a strong traditional sense from Russia and the rest of Europe but was intent on producing a distinctly American style. Other experimentalists appeared, such as Isadora Duncan, but it was George Balanchine who managed to institutionalize and fund both a hybrid traditional as well as experimental form.  
  	Balanchine, although a dancer as well, is today regarded as the “foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet.”[1] Despite much work in Russia and other parts of Europe, his eventual relocation to the United States made possible the establishment of an American ballet school and an elite ballet company, the New York City Ballet. In contrast to the fiercely guarded Russian classical style of the Bolshoi Theater, the New York City Ballet featured uniquely choreographed performances to previously unfamiliar musical works. These were approached with a uniquely American style of dance, however steeped in tradition the basic steps may have been.

  Show book

• 

  Mahatma Gandhi - The Most Famous...

  Kelly Mass

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian attorney, anti-colonial patriot, and political ethicist who used nonviolent resistance to lead the triumphant struggle for India's independence from British rule, motivating civil liberties and liberty movements around the globe. The epithet Mahtm (which means "great-souled" or "age-old" in Sanskrit) was at first appointed to him in South Africa in the year 1914 and is now used all across the world. 
  Gandhi was born into a Hindu family in seaside Gujarat and studied law at the Inner Temple in London. 
  In the year 1893, he came to South Africa to represent an Indian business owner in a case after 2 years in India, where he was not able to establish a rewarding law practice. 
  He spent the next 21 years of his life in South Africa. Gandhi raised his family here and was the first to use nonviolent resistance in a civil liberties struggle. 
  He went back to India in the year 1915, at the age of 45. He started setting in motion peasants, farmers, and city workers to fight oppression and high land taxes. Gandhi led statewide projects to reduce poverty, promote women's rights, build spiritual and ethnic amity, get rid of untouchability, and, above all, accomplish swaraj, or self-rule, after presuming management of the Indian National Congress in the year 1921. 
  Gandhi has meant much for the peace, the independence, and the culture of India, as well as his acts of non-violent resistance that have influenced the world. Let’s take a look at what else he did.

  Show book

• 

  Bad Henry - The Murderous...

  Ron Chepesiuk

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Henry Louis Wallace terrorized Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 1992 to March 1994.  Wallace preyed on lower economic-class Black women between 17 and 35 years old. He knew most of his victims, some through his job at Taco Bell, and gained their trust with his friendly demeanor and gentle nature—concealing a monster fueled by drug abuse and rage against women.  A rarity in that he was an African American serial killer, his murderous rampage spurred controversy throughout the city. Community members accused local police of ignoring the murders because of the victims' race. Wallace attended the funerals of many of his victims and offered condolences to families. The ensuing investigation became the largest in North Carolina’s history.  Wallace was eventually found guilty and convicted of nine counts of murder, but he admitted to more killings while incarcerated; he is potentially responsible for anywhere from 20 to 90 deaths of Black women. Wallace continues to appeal and awaits his execution at Central Prison in Raleigh.  BAD HENRY: The Murderous Rampage of ‘The Taco Bell Strangler’ by Ron Chepesiuk offers valuable insight into the psychology of serial killers and sheds light on issues surrounding race and policing.

  Show book

• 

  Lionessheart - The Life and...

  Catherine Hanley

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are two of the most recognizable figures of the Middle Ages, and almost certainly the best-known couple. The lives of their sons have been examined in detail many times, but their daughters are barely known despite the influence they exerted on the world around them. Joanna, the youngest daughter, led an extraordinary life full of travel, adventure, danger, and controversy. Her story is told here in full for the first time.

  Show book