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  Ancient Greece’s Most Famous...

  Editors Charles River

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  In ancient Greece, “no other practice was so universal than the consultation of oracles.” These holy sites were found in 260 locations around the Greek-speaking world, and they were considered the “most satisfactory means of ascertaining the future.” These sanctuaries were “set apart from the profane, ordinary world” and were in the beginning restricted to natural locations where the divine was thought to be “especially present.” They were set aside for special spiritual functions, and a state of purity was generally required of its participants. A historical tendency toward providing haven for criminals was based on the fear of shedding blood in a holy place, and the “fear that the evil magic would emanate from his curse.” 
  The Oracle of Delphi was one of the greatest religious institutions in Greece and one which played a significant role not only in the formation and collective decisions of Hellenic localities and city-states but also in the personal lives of Greeks known and unknown. The site was dedicated to the god Apollo, and the Greeks believed the god spoke his oracles through his prophetess known as the Pythia. The judgments and decisions rendered by the oracle were so important to the Greeks that they often put them above all other interests, even security threats posed by the likes of the Persians, and Delphi was popular even amongst outsiders. Many authors of antiquity mention the oracle for one reason or another, and there even survive epigraphic collections that preserve the god’s words on stone. 
  The Oracle of Dodona was the oldest of all, and it was one of the few dedicated to Zeus and his consort goddess Dione. The oracular utterances heard at the oracles are generally referred to as “smokiness” in Greek, but at Dodona, the answers came in natural sounds and other peripheral phenomena.

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  The Influence of Ancient Egypt...

  Omar Khalil

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  The fascination with Ancient Egypt’s visual and structural aesthetics has significantly influenced Western art and architecture, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. Known as the Egyptian Revival, this movement emerged as part of a broader romantic and neoclassical interest in ancient civilizations. Following Napoleon's campaign in Egypt and the publication of Description de l'Égypte, Europe became enamored with Egyptian motifs, leading to their incorporation into a wide range of architectural projects. 
  One of the most recognizable contributions of Egyptian Revival architecture is the use of obelisks and pyramid forms in public spaces and memorials. These iconic shapes, once central to Egyptian religious and ceremonial design, were reinterpreted in cemeteries, government buildings, and monuments across Europe and the United States. The Washington Monument in the U.S., for instance, is a clear example of how Egyptian form was adapted to convey power and permanence. 
  In interior design and decorative arts, Egyptian Revival made a mark through bold geometric patterns, lotus flower motifs, and symbolic elements like the sun disk and winged scarab. Furniture, wallpaper, jewelry, and textiles adopted these styles, evoking the mystery and majesty of the Nile. This decorative trend became especially popular after the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, which triggered a new wave of Egyptomania in the early 20th century.

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  Project Blue Book: The History...

  Editors Charles River

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  Most everyone in America is familiar with theories about UFOs, or “flying saucers” as they were often called then, but even this name dates back only to 1947. Before that time, they were called “ghost rockets” or “ghost airplanes” or “ghost airships.” Before the age of flight, the flying objects were called various things such as “flying chariots.” No matter what terminology is used, every generation has clearly had its own belief that mankind is not alone. 
  The various flying saucer sightings got the attention of the governments of the United States and other nations. The world was gripped in a Cold War, and some officials wondered if the UFOs might be experimental craft from some hostile power, most likely the Soviet Union. The American government in particular wanted to investigate the phenomenon to find out if this might be the case, as well as to calm public fears over what was appearing in the skies. Another motivation was to quash all the calls flooding into Air Force bases and police stations. Communications were limited in the mid-20th century, and every wave of sightings clogged up communication lines that might have been needed to defend against more terrestrial security threats. 
  In 1952, the federal government implemented the now notorious Project Blue Book, which purportedly took UFO sightings much more seriously and was actually given the funds to properly investigate some of the more promising sightings. Instead of following Project Grudge’s recommendation that “the investigation and study of reports of unidentified flying objects be reduced in scope,” this secret study amassed a huge amount of data, and what followed was a tangled web of government agencies and caseloads that, despite being since declassified, continue to confuse researchers.

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  Europe—Culture Smart! - The...

  Barry Tomalin, Belen Aguado...

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  This collection of Culture Smart guidebooks introduces listeners to Italy, Germany, and Spain.
  
  Each guidebook includes concise chapters on the local customs, traditions, and values of the country's inhabitants and, crucially, the key historical and cultural events that have shaped them. There are sections on social and business etiquette, tips on communication, both verbal and non-verbal, and advice on how to be a good guest.
  
  The guidebooks on Italy and Germany are written by Barry Tomalin. The guidebook on Spain is written by Bélen Aguado Viguer and Marian Meaney.

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  She Rides - Chasing Dreams...

  Alenka Vrecek

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  AT FIFTY-FOUR, Alenka Vrecek’s life was spiraling out of control—and she was running out of time to follow through on a long-forgotten dream. 
  She Rides is Alenka’s deeply personal memoir of her 2,500-mile solo bikepacking pilgrimage along the spine of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada and into  
  the hostile desert mountains and plains of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Stripped of self-pity and infused with a good dose of humor, her account of her journey 
  —a voyage across emotional, physical, and cultural boundaries—is a galvanizingwake-up call for anyone who wants to follow their own deeply buried  
  dreams . . .and reclaim their life. 
  A gripping account of small-scale adventure and self-discovery.” 
  —Kirkus reviews 
  “Alenka Vrecek invites us to sit side-saddle as she rides from Tahoe to the tip of Baja, battling headwinds and heartache, illness and injury, and others’ ideas of who and how a fifty-four-year-old woman should be. Gripping, wise, and snort-coffee-out-your-nose funny, She Rides will make you want to drop everything, get good and lost, and find your way back home.” 
  —Brian Benson, author of Going Somewhere 
  “A universal story of healing, hope, grit, and determination. Alenka’s bike trip from Tahoe to Baja is a heroine’s journey that will hold you in its grip. But it’s also a love story—about knowing what matters most and finding your way back home.” 
  —Valerie Andrews, editor of Reinventing Home and author of A Passion for this Earth

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  How to Travel - An Ancient Guide...

  Herodotus, M. D. Usher

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  A transporting anthology of ancient Greek and Roman travel writings that capture the thrill of exploration and discovery—from Europe to the Holy Land and Egypt to IndiaAt long last, a travel guide to the ancient world for the modern tourist—written by the ancients themselves. How to Travel gathers classic texts from Greek and Roman writers to explore what today’s readers can learn from ancient encounters with unfamiliar peoples, places, and customs.The Greek historian Herodotus (ca. 484–425 BCE) is one of the most famous travelers of antiquity. His Histories, which chronicle his and others’ encounters with foreign peoples and places, have fascinated readers for millennia, and have much to teach about the secrets of good travel. In How to Travel, Herodotus and Tacitus take us on tours of Central Asia, Egypt, and Germania, while pilgrims like Pausanias and the Christian nun Egeria guide us through Greece and the Holy Land. Readers are whisked away to India to experience the ways of forest-dwelling sages and to the far reaches of Africa. And as if Earth weren’t enough, the satirist Lucian takes us to the Moon. But this whirlwind tour of antiquity is more than a pleasure cruise. Seneca cautions travelers that, go as far as we may, we can never escape ourselves. Gratitude, Egeria says, is the traveler’s proper response for the privilege. And Homer reminds us that, ultimately, there’s no place like home.Featuring vivid new translations, an inviting introduction, and the original Greek and Latin texts on facing pages, How to Travel captures the thrill of exploration and discovery—and how new experiences, fresh vistas, and foreign cultures can change the traveler.

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