Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Playing Possum - How Animals...

  Susana Monsó, Mark Rowlands

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  When the opossum feels threatened, she becomes paralyzed. Her body temperature plummets, her breathing and heart rates drop to a minimum, and her glands simulate the smell of a putrefying corpse. Playing Possum explores what the opossum and other creatures can teach us about how we and other species understand mortality, and demonstrates that the concept of death, far from being a uniquely human attribute, is widespread in the animal kingdom. 
   
   
   
  With humor and empathy, Susana Monsó tells the stories of ants who attend their own funerals, chimpanzees who clean the teeth of their dead, dogs who snack on their caregivers, crows who avoid the places where they saw a carcass, elephants obsessed with collecting ivory, and whales who carry their dead for weeks. Monsó, one of today's leading experts on animal cognition and ethics, shows how there are more ways to conceive of mortality than the human way, and challenges the notion that the only emotional reactions to death worthy of our attention are ones that resemble our own. 
   
   
   
  Blending philosophical insight with new evidence from behavioral science and comparative psychology, Playing Possum dispels the anthropocentric biases that cloud our understanding of the natural world, and reveals that, when it comes to death and dying, we are just another animal.

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  Tao Te Ching

  Lao Tzu

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  The Tao Te Ching is a Taoist philosophical treatise. Lao Tzu, a great Ancient Chinese philosopher and teacher, is considered to be the author of this book. We owe this book to an unnamed guardian who kept safe the far western borders of a country, Zhou in the fifth century BC. The legend says that exhausted from misunderstanding Teacher with a tired heart went on his last journey – to die in a dessert. The guardian recognized great Lao Tzu, called him by name and, nobody knows how, persuaded the wise man to tell a world about Dao and De. "When you said Dao, you said nothing", the teacher replied. And you were wrong: five thousand words, that contains this book, have been existing for two and a half thousand years...

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  The Role of Women in Ancient...

  Omar Khalil

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  Women in Ancient Egypt held a unique and significant position within the broader social and cultural framework of their civilization. Unlike in many ancient societies, Egyptian women enjoyed a considerable amount of rights and freedoms, especially when compared to their contemporaries in other parts of the world. The role of women in Egyptian society was largely defined by a combination of legal rights, religious significance, and familial responsibilities, with many women being able to exercise substantial influence in both public and private spheres. 
  Socially, women in Ancient Egypt were often portrayed as equals to men, and their contributions to society were highly valued. While men generally dominated the spheres of politics, military, and high-ranking religious offices, women were not excluded from positions of authority, especially within the royal family and the religious hierarchy. For example, queens, priestesses, and high-ranking women could wield political power and influence in matters of state and governance. However, their roles were primarily centered around the family and domestic life. Marriage and motherhood were central to a woman’s identity, and women were expected to oversee the household and care for children. 
  In terms of legal rights, women in Ancient Egypt were granted many protections and privileges. They had the ability to own property, enter into contracts, and even initiate divorce if necessary. This level of autonomy was relatively rare in the ancient world, where women were often considered the property of their fathers or husbands. Egyptian women also had the right to inherit property, and they could pass on property to their children, ensuring that their lineage could maintain wealth and status. These legal rights enabled women to participate in economic transactions, manage estates, and even become wealthy landowners in some cases.

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  How to Grieve - An Ancient Guide...

  Marcus Tullius Cicero

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  An engaging new translation of a timeless masterpiece about coping with the death of a loved one 
   
   
   
  In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero's Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward. 
   
   
   
  Lost in antiquity, Cicero's Consolation was recreated in the Renaissance from hints in Cicero's other writings and the Greek and Latin consolatory tradition. The resulting masterpiece—translated here for the first time in 250 years—is infused throughout with Cicero's thought and spirit. 
   
   
   
  Complete with an inviting introduction, Michael Fontaine's engaging translation makes this searching exploration of grief available to readers once again.

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  Jin Dynasty - Northern Warriors...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchu people, emerged as a formidable force in northeastern Asia long before they established the Jin Dynasty. Originating from the forests and plains of Manchuria, they were a collection of semi-nomadic and agricultural tribes with a distinct culture, language, and way of life. Their society was organized into clans led by chieftains, and they engaged in hunting, fishing, and farming while maintaining a warrior tradition that would later define their military prowess. Although they lived independently, they often found themselves under the influence of stronger neighboring powers, including the Korean kingdoms and the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty. 
  The Liao Dynasty, which dominated much of northern China and Manchuria, exerted control over the Jurchens for centuries. The Khitan rulers forced them into a tributary system, requiring them to provide labor, furs, and horses in exchange for nominal autonomy. While this arrangement allowed the Jurchens to retain aspects of their culture, it also placed them in a subordinate position. However, resentment grew among the Jurchen clans, who viewed the Khitan overlords as oppressive rulers. This growing dissatisfaction set the stage for their eventual rebellion. 
  Despite their subjugation, the Jurchens developed a strong warrior tradition and mastered cavalry warfare, which would later give them an advantage over their adversaries. They organized themselves into tribal confederations and honed their skills in archery and horseback combat, making them formidable in battle. Their ability to adapt to different terrains, combined with their knowledge of the harsh northern climate, allowed them to maintain resilience and independence, even under Liao control. Over time, they also adopted elements of Chinese and Khitan governance, learning valuable administrative techniques that would later aid them in state-building.

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  The Yompers - With 45 Commando...

  Ian Gardiner

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  Called to action on 2 April 1982, the men of 45 Commando Royal Marines assembled from around the world to sail 8,000 miles to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invasion. Lacking helicopters and short of food, they ‘yomped’ in appalling weather carrying overloaded rucksacks, across the roughest terrain. Yet for a month in mid-winter, they remained a cohesive fighting-fit body of men. They then fought and won the highly successful and fierce night battle for Two Sisters, a 1,000 foot high mountain which was the key to the defensive positions around Stanley.
   
  
   
  This is a first hand story of that epic feat, but it is much more than that. The first to be written by a company commander in the Falklands War, the book gives a compelling, vivid description of the ‘yomp’ and infantry fighting, and it also offers penetrating insights into the realities of war at higher levels. It is a unique combination of descriptive writing about frontline fighting and wider reflections on the Falklands War, and conflict in general.
   
  
   
  Gritty and moving; sophisticated, reflective and funny, this book offers an abundance of timeless truths about war.
   
  
   
  Postscript: ‘Yomping’ was the word used by the Commandos for carrying heavy loads on long marches. It caught the public’s imagination during this short but bitter campaign and epitomized the grim determination and professionalism of our troops.

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