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  Stolen Child - Kidnapped at 12...

  Marie-Claire Vidja, Olivier Goujon

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  "My name is Marie-Claire. I have had nightmares every night from the time I was 11, when I was kidnapped.”
  From the clutches of a French family who tortured her into the grips of an Algerian family who kidnapped and confined her, Marie-Claire went through hell before making a spectacular escape and reaching France.
  There are lives whose reality is hard to imagine. Marie-Claire's life is one of those. An unwanted child, born in France, beaten, involved in drug trafficking, she was abandoned, temporarily placed in the care of Social Services, before being returned to her parents—and then she was kidnapped by her stepfather and then by her father’s family that included a radicalized Islamic "tutor." She went through hell for ten years before escaping and starting on a path to recovery in which suffering and hardships kept getting worse, but which eventually led her to the hallowed halls of a French university, from where she continues to fight for the hundreds of children kidnapped by a parent—children who, every year, are victims of their parents' crimes and of institutional abandonment. 
  She also uses her personal experience to look at mixed marriages, parental authority, parental responsibility. She points out with intelligence and accuracy the blind spots in the law, the cowardice of institutions, and the indifference of public opinion in the face of crimes whose victims are, first and foremost, thousands of children.
  The life of Marie-Claire is not a novel.

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  ballast

  Quenton Baker

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  A poetic sequence using the 1841 slave revolt aboard the brig Creole as a lens through which to view the vitality of Black lives and the afterlife of slavery.In 1841, the only successful, large-scale revolt of American-born enslaved people erupted on the ship Creole. 135 people escaped chattel slavery that day. The event was recounted in US Senate documents, including letters exchanged between US and British consulates in The Bahamas and depositions from the white crew on the ship. There is no known record or testimony from the 135 people who escaped. Their story has been lost to time and indifference. Quenton Baker’s ballast is an attempt at incomplete redress.With imagination, deep empathy, and skilled and compelling lyricism, Baker took a black marker to those Senate documents and culled a poetic recount of the Creole revolt. Layers of ink connect readers to Baker’s poetic process: (re)phrasing the narrative of the state through a dexterous process of hands-on redactions.ballast is a relentless, wrenching, and gorgeously written book, a defiant reclamation of one of the most important but overlooked events in US history, and an essential contribution to contemporary poetry.

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  The End of Feudalism - How...

  Arlo Holders

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  Feudalism was a social, political, and economic system that dominated medieval Europe, particularly from the 9th to the 15th century. Its structure was based on the exchange of land for loyalty, military service, and labor. At its core, feudalism established a hierarchical order in which the king, or monarch, granted land, known as fiefs, to vassals (nobles) in exchange for their service. In turn, these vassals would grant portions of their land to serfs or peasants, who worked the land in return for protection and sustenance. This land-based economy was highly localized, with power concentrated in the hands of a few, and much of daily life revolved around agricultural production. 
  The decline of feudalism did not happen overnight but was a gradual process influenced by several interconnected factors. Key to its decline was the increasing centralization of power by monarchs. As monarchs gained more control, often through military conquest or strategic marriages, they began to diminish the power of feudal lords. This shift marked the beginning of the nation-state as a powerful political entity, replacing the decentralized feudal system. Additionally, the rise of a money-based economy undermined the land-based economy that feudalism relied upon. The growth of trade, the development of markets, and the emergence of a merchant class further destabilized feudal structures. 
  Another critical event in the decline of feudalism was the Black Death in the 14th century. The plague decimated large portions of Europe’s population, resulting in severe labor shortages. This, in turn, weakened the traditional feudal relationships between lords and serfs. With fewer workers available, peasants were able to demand better conditions, higher wages, or even freedom from their obligations. This shift in labor dynamics helped to weaken the power of feudal lords, who could no longer rely on a subjugated, large labor force to maintain their estates.

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  Empire of Liberty - A History of...

  Harry Montgomery

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  In 1789, the United States stood at a turning point. After years of conflict during the American Revolution and an uncertain postwar period under the Articles of Confederation, the country was in need of stronger national leadership. The new Constitution, ratified in 1788, was designed to create a more effective federal system while still preserving the ideals of liberty and republicanism. This document was a compromise between those who wanted a powerful central government and those who feared tyranny. It created three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—each with checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. The Bill of Rights, added shortly after ratification, helped ease concerns by protecting individual freedoms such as speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial. 
  With the Constitution in place, attention turned to the task of putting it into practice. George Washington was unanimously elected as the first president, taking office in April 1789. His presence offered reassurance to many citizens who trusted his leadership and commitment to republican values. Washington worked to establish the authority of the executive branch without appearing monarchical. He formed the first presidential cabinet, appointing Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury, and Henry Knox as Secretary of War. This team would help shape the future direction of the republic. 
  The first Congress, meanwhile, worked to set up the basic structures of the new government. They created the federal court system through the Judiciary Act of 1789 and established executive departments. They also passed revenue legislation to fund the government’s activities. One of the early and pressing tasks was addressing the national debt from the Revolution. Alexander Hamilton proposed a financial plan that included federal assumption of state debts, the creation of a national bank, and new taxes.

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  On Life and Death - Aristotle’s...

  Aristotle, Tim Zengerink

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  What if you could delve into the profound mysteries of life and death, gaining clarity on the essence of being? 
  Aristotle’s enduring exploration of existence stands as a cornerstone in understanding the fundamental questions of life: What is it that animates us? How do we define living vs. nonliving? Adapted for the contemporary reader, this edition bridges ancient knowledge and modern curiosity, offering a timeless lens through which to contemplate life’s greatest enigmas. 
  What You’ll Discover in This Modern Translation: 
  - The philosophical roots of life’s defining qualities 
  - Distinctions between the living and the inanimate world 
  - Insights that connect ancient theories with modern biology 
  - A roadmap to deeper contemplation of mortality and meaning 
  Imagine approaching life and death not with fear or confusion, but with a calm, reflective wisdom that transcends cultural boundaries. Aristotle’s nuanced inquiry encourages new perspectives on the preciousness of life and the inevitability of death. 
  Embrace a richer understanding of existence. Get your copy now and discover insights that spark meaningful reflection on life’s most profound questions.

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  Sign-Language and Mythology as...

  Gerald Massey

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  "Myth-making Man" did not create the Gods in his own image. The primary divinities of Egypt, such as Sut, Sebek, and Shu, three of the earliest, were represented in the likeness of the Hippopotamus, the Crocodile, and the Lion; whilst Hapi was imaged as an Ape, Anup as a Jackal, Ptah as a Beetle, Taht as an Ibis, Seb as a Goose. So it was the Goddesses. They are the likenesses of powers that were super-human, not human.... A huge mistake has hitherto been made in assuming that the Myth-Makers began by fashioning the Nature-Powers in their own human likeness. --from "Sign Language and Mythology as Primitive Modes of Representation" It goes unappreciated by modern Egyptologists, but it is embraced by those who savor the concept of a "hidden history" of humanity, and those who approach all human knowledge from the perspective of the esoteric. Gerard Massey's massive Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World--first published in 1907 and the crowning achievement of the self-taught scholar--redefines the roots of Christianity via Egypt, proposing that Egyptian mythology was the basis for Jewish and Christian beliefs. Here, Cosimo proudly presents Book 1 of Ancient Egypt, in which Massey argues that "primitive man" found no human agency in the phenomena of the natural world, which led to a woeful misinterpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics by the Greeks and Romans as well as a misunderstanding of the essence of Egyptian mythology. As a consequence, Massey contends, a deep fount of wisdom of the ancients has been lost, and he goes on to reveal how it can be rediscovered. Peculiar and profound, this work will intrigue and delight readers of history, religion, and mythology. British author GERALD MASSEY (1828-1907) published works of poetry, spiritualism, Shakespearean criticism, and theology, but his best-known works are in the realm of Egyptology, including A Book of the Beginnings and The Natural Genesis. 
   

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