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  The Far Edges of the Known World...

  Owen Rees

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  When Ovid was exiled from Rome to a border town on the Black Sea, he despaired at his bleak and barbarous new surroundings. Like many Greeks and Romans, Ovid thought the outer reaches of his world was where civilization ceased to exist. Our own fascination with the Greek and Roman world has for centuries followed this perspective, shrouding cultures at the far reaches of their influence in myth. But what was it like to live on the edges of these empires, on the boundaries of the known world? 
   
   
   
  In The Far Edges of the Known World, ancient historian Owen Rees draws on archaeological excavations to reveal these so-called borders as thriving multicultural spaces. This is where the boundaries of "civilized" and "barbarian" began to dissipate; where traditional rules didn't always apply; where different cultures intermarried; and where nomadic tribes built their own cities. Rees journeys from the sandy caravan routes of Morocco to the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea, from the Red River valley of Vietnam to the rain-lashed forts south of Hadrian’s Wall. Rees introduces us to the everyday people who called the borderlands home. As Rees shows, exchanges of trends, ideas, even religious practices were happening all over the world. 
   
   
   
  The Far Edges of the Known World offers us a vibrant new lens to see and understand the ancient world.

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  Banking on Slavery - Financing...

  Sharon Ann Murphy

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  A sobering excavation of how deeply nineteenth-century American banks were entwined with the institution of slavery. 
   
  It’s now widely understood that the fullest expression of nineteenth-century American capitalism was found in the structures of chattel slavery. It’s also understood that almost every other institution and aspect of life then was at least entangled with—and often profited from—slavery’s perpetuation. Yet as Sharon Ann Murphy shows in her powerful and unprecedented book, the centrality of enslaved labor to banking in the antebellum United States is far greater than previously thought. 
    
  Banking on Slavery sheds light on precisely how the financial relationships between banks and slaveholders worked across the nineteenth-century South. Murphy argues that the rapid spread of slavery in the South during the 1820s and ’30s depended significantly upon southern banks’ willingness to financialize enslaved lives, with the use of enslaved individuals as loan collateral proving central to these financial relationships. She makes clear how southern banks were ready—and, in some cases, even eager—to alter time-honored banking practices to meet the needs of slaveholders. In the end, many of these banks sacrificed themselves in their efforts to stabilize the slave economy. Murphy also details how banks and slaveholders transformed enslaved lives from physical bodies into abstract capital assets. Her book provides an essential examination of how our nation’s financial history is more intimately intertwined with the dehumanizing institution of slavery than scholars have previously thought.

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  Observations of Life in Verse -...

  Violet Harrington

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  Allow yourself to be inspired by Violet Harrington's enjoyable poetry which springs from a wealth of lived experiences read by this extraordinary person herself. 
  In this special audio version, Violet reads these poems herself at almost a 100 years of age and life experience with her unmistakable and charming East End accent. This makes this recording an absolutely unique experience to listen to time and time again. 
  From London's East End during the Blitz, to her life as a London fashion model, a wife, mother then a successful business woman in New Zealand and Australia, Violet's heartfelt poetry will strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the joys of life and love and the pains of motherhood and loss. 
  Readers might wish to read her companion autobiography to gain a deeper understanding of the background to these poems.

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  Yuan Dynasty - Mongol Rule and...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The Yuan Dynasty emerged from the ambitions of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, who sought to consolidate Mongol rule over China. Before the establishment of the Yuan, the Mongols had waged a relentless military campaign against the Song Dynasty, the ruling power in southern China. After decades of conflict, Kublai Khan successfully defeated the Song in 1279, marking the first time in history that all of China was under foreign rule. His ascension to the throne not only signified the dominance of the Mongols but also introduced a new era of governance that blended Mongol traditions with Chinese administration. 
  Kublai Khan declared himself emperor in 1271 and named his dynasty "Yuan," meaning "Great Origin," a term rooted in Chinese philosophy and symbolic of the vast scope of Mongol rule. Unlike his predecessors, who maintained a nomadic lifestyle, Kublai recognized the necessity of adopting Chinese customs to effectively govern a vast and diverse population. He moved the capital from Karakorum to Dadu, present-day Beijing, reinforcing his commitment to ruling as a Chinese emperor while still maintaining Mongol authority. His reign sought to balance the military-driven expansion of his ancestors with the complexities of ruling a settled, bureaucratic society. 
  Despite his efforts to integrate into Chinese political traditions, Kublai faced challenges in legitimizing his rule. Many Han Chinese viewed the Mongols as outsiders and resisted their authority. To solidify his claim, Kublai adopted Confucian principles and retained elements of the Chinese imperial structure, appointing Chinese officials in lower government positions while keeping key positions reserved for Mongols and trusted foreign allies. This approach ensured Mongol dominance while utilizing the administrative expertise of the Chinese.

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  Selected Poems of the Tang...

  Wang Yushu

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  Tang poetry covers a wide range of subjects and has profound implications, shiny images, ornate diction and longstanding appeal. Different artistic styles and genres appeared at that time as if competing with one another for fascination. Many beautiful Tang poems are still on everyone's lips in China today and turn out to be gems in the treasure house of world literature. 
  The audiobook Selection of Tang Dynasty Poems contains the Tang Dynasty (618-907) poems from Selected Poems and Pictures of the Tang Dynasty, translated by Mr. Wang Yushu. Recited in Chinese and English by professionals, the audiobook is expected to help "readers" coming from varied language and cultural backgrounds to better enjoy the beauty of the Tang Dynasty poems.

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  The Social Animal -...

  Fred Grandsen

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  Human beings are inherently social creatures, shaped by the need to interact, communicate, and form relationships with others. The social nature of humans is deeply rooted in evolutionary history, where cooperation and group cohesion were essential for survival. Over time, human societies have become increasingly complex, but the fundamental need for social connection remains central to human identity and behavior. This chapter explores the biological, psychological, and sociological foundations of human sociality and how they shape individual and collective behavior. 
  From an evolutionary perspective, human beings have always relied on social bonds for protection, resource sharing, and collective problem-solving. Early human groups depended on coordinated hunting, gathering, and defense mechanisms to survive in harsh environments. Natural selection favored individuals who could effectively communicate, cooperate, and form alliances, leading to the development of social behaviors such as empathy, altruism, and social hierarchies. The human brain evolved to process social information, with structures such as the prefrontal cortex playing a critical role in understanding and responding to social cues. 
  Psychologically, the need for social connection is reflected in the human desire for belonging, acceptance, and emotional support. Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, suggests that early attachment to caregivers forms the foundation for future social relationships.

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