Other books that might interest you

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  Homer's Iliad and Odyssey - A...

  Alberto Manguel

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  A worldwide exploration of the history, purpose, and inescapable influence of the Iliad and the Odyssey that will inspire listeners to think anew about Homer's work 
   
   
    
  No one knows whether Homer was a real person, but there is no doubt that the epic poems assembled under his name are foundations of Western literature. The Iliad and the Odyssey—with their tales of the Trojan War, Achilles, Odysseus and Penelope, the Cyclops, the beautiful Helen of Troy, and the petulant gods—have inspired us for over two and a half millennia and influenced writers from Plato to Virgil, Pope to Joyce, and Dante to Margaret Atwood. 
   
   
    
  In this graceful and sweeping book, Alberto Manguel traces the lineage of Homer's poems. He examines their original purpose, either as allegory or record of history; surveys the challenges the pagan poems presented to the early Christian world; and looks at their reception after the Reformation through the present day. In this revised and expanded edition, Manguel ignites new ways of thinking about these classic works.

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  Good Luck Bad Luck or No Luck?

  Gregory Heary

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  Is the concept of 'luck' guiding your decisions more than your faith? Are you ready to challenge how you think about luck and its impact on your life?Examine the role of 'luck' across different cultures and its effect on personal accountability and decision-making in this insightful study. By dissecting the belief in luck through various lenses—such as its influence in gambling, sports, and even medical practices—the book paints a vivid picture of how such beliefs can lead to a reliance on superstitions rather than divine guidance. With a critical analysis that includes Islamic perspectives on luck, which advocate for a life based on faith and trust in God, the author expertly guides readers away from misconstrued beliefs and towards a more spiritually aligned existence.Armed with the knowledge from this book, you will be encouraged to let go of baseless superstitions and to embrace a life guided by faith and divine will, enhancing both your personal accountability and spiritual health.

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  Trade in the Ancient World: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  The concept of international trade was born in the ancient Mediterranean, which provided the perfect set of circumstances needed to produce an intricate trading system whose influence can still be seen in present-day economic practices. The ancient Mediterranean was home to a diverse range of cultures and landscapes, encompassing deserts, forests, islands and fertile plains. Different natural resources were available in different geographical areas, and with the advent of sailing ships around 3000 BCE, people were suddenly able to travel much further afield than ever before. This created an opportunity to trade local resources in international markets in exchange for exotic goods not available at home. At the same time, this shift in Mediterranean trade from a local to international scale was a catalyst for immense social, political and economic changes that helped to shape the course of Western Civilization as a whole. Ancient trade in the Mediterranean brought cultures into increasingly close contact with one another, and just as in the globalized world today, these cross-cultural influences came to shape the development of belief systems, languages, economics, politics, and art throughout wide expanses of land.  
  Over the centuries, the profits generated from trade helped establish wealthy nations and fuel economic development across the sea. By taxing imports and exports, governments could afford large infrastructure projects, like the construction of roads and harbors, which in turn helped to further increase trade and wealth. As a result, wars were fought for control of important trade routes and to maintain access to crucial commodities such as grain and precious metals. Economics became a primary consideration when establishing government policies and dealing with international relations. Some cities, most notably Rome and Athens, even built empires on the back of their mercantile success.

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  Badass Affirmations - The Wit...

  Becca Anderson

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  Even a badass needs positive affirmations. No one leaps out of bed knowing they're amazing and about to have an incredible day. We find ourselves rushing around, working hard to please others—and often we find ourselves making everyone happy but our own damn selves. Badass Affirmations is here to stop the negativity with positive quotes and affirmations from powerful women. 
   
   
   
  Discover strong women quotes and encouraging self-affirmations. In Badass Affirmations, positive living and affirmation queen Becca Anderson reminds you that you are pretty darn great. Inside this motivational quotes and affirmations book, you'll be fired up by inspirational quotes for women, by women. Alongside these women empowerment quotes, you'll gain new knowledge of the badass ladies who have left their mark on the world with a mix of short bios and longer profiles. And when you're done learning from other fierce females, you can work on affirming yourself with uplifting journal prompts. 
   
   
   
  Badass Affirmations will help you: 
   
   
   
  ● Learn the habit of affirming yourself daily 
   
   
   
  ● Empower yourself and strengthen your self-esteem 
   
   
   
  ● Be encouraged by words of wit and wisdom

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  Hidden Histories - 100 Wild...

  Tim Rayborn

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  Discover the little known facts about some of the world’s greatest historical icons. 
  We all know what was written in the history books. There are some stories we’ve heard a hundred times—but often our understanding of these events and people is narrow. Have you ever wondered about the lesser known details that influenced major events and figures behind-the-scenes? This hilarious compendium of fascinating facts and dizzying what-ifs will delight and shock history buffs and trivia lovers alike. From Abraham Lincoln’s wrestling champ background to the day Napoleon was attacked by a horde of hungry rabbits, this book will give you a new perspective. Including:Walt Disney gave his housekeeper Disney stock every year on her birthday and Christmas. By the time she retired, she was a multi-millionaire.Charlie Chaplin entered a lookalike contest as a joke…and got 20th place.Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, convinced Thomas Edison’s son to collect Edison’s last breath in a test tube. It is on display at The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.Before Galileo Galilei was buried, three of his fingers and a tooth were removed from his body by his admirers. The body parts are on display at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy. 
    
  From ancient civilization to modern times, history is full of mysterious and downright bizarre circumstances. With these crazy and compelling facts, Hidden Histories will change your view of history

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  A Measure Short of War - A Brief...

  William C. Wohlforth, Jill Kastner

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  In 2016, the United States was stunned by evidence of Russian meddling in the US presidential elections. But it shouldn't have been. Subversion—domestic interference to undermine or manipulate a rival—is as old as statecraft itself. The basic idea would have been familiar to Sun Tzu, Thucydides, Elizabeth I, or Bismarck. 
   
   
   
  It came as a surprise in 2016 because the sole superpower had fallen asleep at the wheel. But what's really new? Have we entered a new age of vulnerability? To answer these questions, and to protect ourselves against future subversion, we need a clear-eyed understanding of what it is and how it works. 
   
   
   
  In A Measure Short of War, Jill Kastner and William C. Wohlforth provide just that, taking the listener on a compelling ride through the history of subversion, exploring two thousand years of mischief and manipulation to illustrate subversion's allure, its operational possibilities, and the means for fighting back against it. With vivid examples from the ancient world, the great-power rivalries of the nineteenth century, epic Cold War struggles, and more, A Measure Short of War shows how prior technological revolutions opened up new avenues for subversion, and how some democracies have been fatally weakened by foreign subverters while others have artfully defended themselves—and their democratic principles.

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