Social groups: alternative lifestyles Books

Book SynopsisA practical guide to nurturing healthy, loving non-monogamous relationships using attachment theory. Attachment theory has entered the mainstream, but most discussions focus on how we can cultivate secure monogamous relationships. What if, like many people, you’re striving for secure, happy attachments with more than one partner? Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual non-monogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how emotional experiences can influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships. Polysecure is both a trailblazing theoretical treatise and a practical guide. It provides non-monogamous people with a new set of tools to navigate the complexities of multiple loving relationships, and offers radical new concepts that are sure to influence the conversation about attachment theory.Trade Review‘Polysecure provides a roadmap for people who want to establish emotionally intimate and securely attached relationships with multiple partners. One of the most important insights is that secure attachment is a product of relationship experiences, rather than relationship structures.’ -- Dr Elisabeth Sheff, author of The Polyamorists Next Door, Stories from the Polycule, When Someone You Love is Polyamorous, and Children in Polyamorous Families‘Secure attachment is absolutely central to successful polyamorous relationships, and insecure attachment is at the core of the jealousy and other challenges in open relationships of all kinds. This book can help poly people, as well as clinicians, get to the heart of their struggles and pain. It can help them to take concrete steps to become more comfortable with their non-monogamous relationships and trust their partner’s love and commitment. This is required reading for people in open relationships and should be used as a textbook for every therapist who works with people in polyamorous relationships.’ -- Kathy Labriola, counsellor, nurse, and author of The Polyamory Breakup Book‘Gives people a way to understand how they may be recreating old patterns by bringing their own childhood attachment styles into their adult relationships. More importantly, it offers concrete skills for how to use this knowledge to create healthier, more satisfying, and secure relationship dynamics.’ -- Max Rivers, author of Loving Conflict: how conflict is really your relationship trying to go deeper‘I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in self-acceptance and self-mastery, as well as their own emotional wellbeing as they build loving, sustainable, healthy multiple relationships.’ -- Kitty Chambliss, relationship coach and author of Jealousy Survival Guide: how to feel safe, happy and secure in an open relationship‘Anyone even considering non-monogamy would benefit from reading Polysecure. Jessica Fern does an excellent job of not only explaining attachment theory and applying it to non-monogamy but also offering real steps readers can take and skills they can hone to help create the secure, satisfying relationships they want.’ -- JoEllen Notte, sex educator and author of The Monster Under the Bed: sex, depression, and the conversations we aren't having‘This is my favourite kind of book. Not only does it dissect the intricacies of interpersonal dynamics into fun charts and lists, but it also provides a helpful how-to for applying this information in your actual relationships, and to every aspect of your own life. I'm suggesting it to all my therapist friends immediately!’ -- Tikva Wolf, creator of Kimchi Cuddles and author of It’s OK, Feelings, I Got You and Love, Retold.‘Smart, readable, path-setting, and deeply caring. And practical. Jessica Fern presents abundant material that will inform poly-friendly therapists everywhere, and she offers six particular strategies that will help polyfolks and their beloveds to become more “polysecure” in their relationships.’ -- Lindsay Hayes, Polyamory in the News‘Polysecure is a must-read for polyamorous folks and for therapists with clients who are practicing consensual non-monogamy. However, I believe that its insights and messages could open doors for people who have, or are hoping to find, a single partner. We all carry unconscious beliefs about what love is and what it can be — and we can all benefit from asking ourselves if those beliefs really are leading us to the love we need.’ -- Jeremy Adam Smith, Greater Good Magazine‘An extremely helpful addition to the literature on consensual non-monogamy, and the first self-help book to focus on applying attachment theory to non-monogamous relationships. Taking the reader by the hand, Jessica Fern explains how perfectly secure attachment styles are rare, and how all of us can usefully work with our attachment issues, whatever our way of doing relationships. Weaving together research findings with therapeutic literature and personal experience, Fern does an excellent job of challenging the popular view that non-monogamous people are more likely than anyone else to struggle with attachment. She presents an extremely helpful model locating our relationship patterns within our wider culture and community as well as within our family background and relationship experiences. The notion of openly discussing whether we want an attachment-based partnership or not is worth the price of the book all by itself, as is the chapter on developing a secure attachment with yourself. This is gold!’ -- Dr Meg-John Barker, author of Rewriting the Rules: an anti self-help guide to love, sex and relationships

Read more less

Book SynopsisHave you forgotten how to relax and enjoy yourself? Do you run around in circles mistaking dizziness for happiness? Your troubles are over, for you hold in your hands the means to take control of your destiny, to turn your back on obligation and conformity, or at least hide from them in the toilets for a bit.Shirk, Rest and Play is a comprehensive illustrated handbook for wannabe drop-outs, dreamers, drifters and gadabouts. Authors Andrew Grumbridge and Vincent Raison – along with their panoply of wastrel acquaintances – offer ruminations about finding beauty in the ordinary, lessons in tactical slacking and detailed advice on how to get more out of life by doing less.They cover all aspects of modern existence, moving smartly through Childhood, Work, Leisure, Home, Money, Health & Beauty and, of course, Death, where even amid the tears and sadness, you can still find plates of mini-burgers.This book is the call to arms you’ve been waiting for, giving you all the tips, shortcuts and (de)motivation you need to duck out of the system and live life on your own terms.

Read more less

Book SynopsisKen Smith has had a lifelong love of wilderness and exploration. As a young man, he worked as a farmhand and labourer until 1975, when he moved to Yukon, Canada. On his return, Ken took to wandering across the British Isles, settling at Treig to resolve his grief and build a new life.Will Millard is a writer, BBC presenter, public speaker and expedition leader. Born and brought up in the Fens, he presents remote anthropology and adventure series for BBC Two and a series on rivers, urban exploration and history for BBC Wales. In 2019, his series My Year with the Tribe won the Realscreen Award for Travel & Exploration. His first book, The Old Man and the Sand Eel, follows his wild journey across Britain in pursuit of a fishing record. He has also ghostwritten many projects and written for numerous national and international magazines and newspapers, including BBC News, The Daily Telegraph, Vice, The Guardian, Geographi

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn honest, radical and moving account of life off the grid. It was 11pm when I checked my email for the last time and turned off my phone for what I hoped would be forever. No running water, no car, no electricity or any of the things it powers: the internet, phone, washing machine, radio or light bulb. Just a wooden cabin, on a smallholding, by the edge of a stand of spruce. In this upfront and lyrical account of a remarkable life without modern technology, Mark Boyle explores the hard won joys of building a home with his bare hands, learning to make fire, collecting water from the spring, foraging and fishing. What he finds is an elemental life, one governed by the rhythms of the sun and seasons, where life and death dance in a primal landscape of blood, wood, muck, water, and fire – much the same life we have lived for most of our time on earth. Revisiting it brings a deep insight into what it means to be human at a time when the boundaries between man and machine are blurring. *** ‘Boyle's memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating… A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.’ —New Statesman ‘A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional.’ —Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 ‘A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.’ Lily Cole, model and activistTrade Review‘Boyle is fascinating, often touching and funny, on the little fixes that a no-technology life requires, but he’s better when he digs into the deeper question of who we are.’ -- The Herald‘A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional’ * Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 *‘[An] honest and lyrical account of a remarkable life without technology’ -- Carlow People‘Boyle's memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating… A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.’ * New Statesman *‘[A] reflective, lyrical account… This genuine, warm-hearted analysis of the dysfunctions of our current world offers a surprisingly alluring alternative to our current malaise – if only we dared adopt it.’ * Manchán Magan, Irish Times *‘Don't buy my books: buy this instead, while there's still time for you to change. This one matters. Boyle is the real thing: vital, angry, and kind. And real things are terribly rare. You might think his ideas are dangerous, but in fact they represent the only possible safety.’ -- Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast‘A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.’ -- Lily Cole‘A revealing, humorous and deeply endearing witness statement on behalf of lovely, dirty reality.’ -- Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental Journey‘Illustrates beautifully that giving up many of the things in life that we treat as indispensable may actually be less of a sacrifice than a liberation.’ -- Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country'A frank account of life in rural Ireland and a way of life that has been forgotten.' * Irish Sunday Times *'Eloquent, engaging account of life off the grid.' * The Simple Things *‘The Way Home paints a picture not only of how broken our culture has become, but of how to begin building a new one. It demands to be read – and then lived by.’ -- Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake and Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist‘This memoir about living off the grid and tech-free in County Galway will inspire, connect and slow down the most impatient of readers, and that is a very good thing.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Boyle knows few people can live like he does, but positive change seems inevitable if one follows his advice to resist material trappings, revolt against industrial ecological damage, and re-wild landscapes. Boyle’s anti-technology stance upsets many, making this a must-read.’ * Booklist *‘In a world more connected than ever before we have never been so disconnected. By shaking off technologies of modern man and stepping back in time, Boyle shows the hardships and beauty of living with the seasons. A thought-provoking read which encourages the reader to appreciate many of the things we take for granted and question the way we live in the modern world.’ -- Megan Hine, author of Mind of a Survivor‘The book is an intimate description of his struggles to go back to basics and draws the reader into the sinews of the experience… This book is not a polemic, nor is it a rant against the modern age and its technologies; rather it is an account of a life that is lived to the beat of a more ancient drum. It is a delight as it draws you into the author’s life, to its rhythms, its challenges and its rewards. After I had finished reading The Way Home I was lonesome for Boyle’s world; a sure sign of a great read.’ * Irish Independent *‘Beautifully written (with a pencil as opposed to a computer), The Way Home is a paean to a life largely forgotten by the majority of humanity, an existence which appears more wholesome, fulfilling and rewarding as Mark builds his cabin, brews his wine and lives off the land.’ * Fermanagh Telegraph *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A glimpse into the exotic, mysterious, tinged-with-eroticism world of the almost mythical geisha' Val Hennessy, Daily Mail'[An] eloquent and innovative memoir' The TimesThe extraordinary, bestselling memoir from Japan's foremost geisha.'I can identify the exact moment when things began to change. It was a cold winter afternoon. I had just turned three.' Emerging shyly from her hiding place, Mineko encounters Madam Oima, the formidable proprietress of a prolific geisha house in Gion. Madam Oima is mesmerised by the child's black hair and black eyes: she has found her successor. And so Mineko is gently, but firmly, prised away from her parents to embark on an extraordinary profession, of which she will become the best. But even if you are exquisitely beautiful and the darling of the okiya, the life of a geisha is one of gruelling demands. And Mineko must first conten

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Vegan Guide covers everything you need to embrace the world's fastest growing way of life. It covers all the issues including why vegan, the latest nutrition information (older books will be out of date on vitamin B12 in particular), cooking techniques, and for the first time in the UK the psychology of discussing veganism, and the 20 tribes of vegan - there are lots of ways to do veganism! Featuring: Vegan food from around the world. Cooking vegan staple foods. Replacing meat, dairy and eggs. Bargain meals for tough times. Shopping and eating out. Vegan nutrition in depth. Raising vegan children. Clothing, cosmetics, alcohol, pet food. Reversing heart disease and diabetes, by vegan doctors. The twenty tribes of vegan - which one is yours? The psychology of explaining veganism to family and friends. Veganism will save the world: animals, health, environment. Got a problem? Where to get help. Alex Bourke and Ronny Worsey are two of Britain's most experienced vegan activists. They have taught veganism for over 20 years in talks, workshops, radio and TV, in cookbooks and travel guides, and working for vegan restaurants and in national vegan organisations helping people to go vegan every day. No one is better qualified to be your guides to all aspects of living vegan. With contributions from an expert team of vegan specialists including a nutritionist, a counsellor, a vegan vet, doctors and campaigners.Trade Review"A comprehensive and accessible guide to becoming a vegan; the authors are ardent and knowledgeable, mixing their evident passion and commitment to veganism with humour and insight and heaps of practical advice. The book is clearly divided into chapters covering all aspects of the vegan journey from ethics to health, diet and lifestyle and counter-arguments to the customary questions and concerns of non vegans. I would say this is essential reading for anyone considering or embarking upon a vegan lifestyle." Lorna Glenwright, Southampton. "Chapter 4 is the best, fairly falling off my chair laughing." Tim Barford, founder of Vegfest UK. "This is so great. I've just started reading it but can already see how thorough the content is and how much work Alex and Ronny poured into it." Aurelia d'Andrea, former editor of Vegnews.Table of Contents1. The Vegans Are Coming You Are Powerful 9 Getting Started 10 Vegan Food Around the World 11 Why Vegan 20 The Birth of Modern Veganism 27 2. A Balanced Diet A Sample Healthy Vegan Diet 30 What to Eat: which foods contain which nutrients 38 Vegan Nutrition In Detail 41 Animal Products, Health and Fake Science 50 Vegan Health Websites, Films and Books 51 3. How to Eat Vegan Kitchen Techniques 53 Basic Equipment Ingredients Ronny's Recipes and Kitchen Techniques Convenience Foods for Busy People 58 Replacing Meat 61 Replacing Cheese 61 Replacing Butter, Yogurt and Other Animal Milk Products 63 Replacing Eggs 64 How to Eat For Little More Than a Pound A Day 66 How to eat on five pounds a day Top tips for eating cheaply How to eat on a high budget Eating Outside 70 Ronny's Reads 72 Holidays 74 Travelling in the UK Travelling abroad Vegan travel companies 4. Vegan Tribes 79 Animal Activists Animal Rescuers Baketivists Convenience Food Fans Eco-Activists Fitness Junkies Foodies Food Not Bombs and People's Kitchen Foragers Gleegans Guru Followers Health Enthusiasts Macrobiotics Plant-based People Pretenders Raw Fooders Religious Practitioners Spiritual Seekers of Truth Skinny Bitches Straight Edgers Suspicious Minds Trolls Veeks 5. Beyond Food Vegan Shoes and Clothing 95 Household Products and Cosmetics 97 Alcoholic Drinks 98 Vegan Pet Food 101 6. Family and Friends Being Vegan in a pre-Vegan World 107 Level 1 Vegan - state your food needs, without justifying Level 2 Vegan - answer questions Level 3 Vegan - defend against attacks Level 4 Vegan - teacher Level 5 Vegan - instructor trainer Ethical veganism is a protected belief Vegan Parenting 114 7. Can Going Vegan Save Your Life? Health Benefits Of A Vegan Diet 123 Take the Vegan Pledge The hazards of not being vegan A diet for all ages Nutrient check What to say if your doctor challenges you on your diet Beating Diabetes Type 2 with Vegan Food 128 Britain's Lowest-Prescribing Doctor 129 Beating Heart Disease with Vegan Food 130 Avoiding Alzheimer's 133 The Plant Power GP 134 The Plant-Based Gut Doctor 134 10,000 Black Vegan Women 135 Pioneering Plant-Based Dietitians 136 PCRM 136 Plant-Based Health Professionals UK 137 Read and Watch All About It 138 8. The Way of the Vegan Vegan or bust 142 People may say 144 The V-Team 146 We are the future 147 The Vegan Pledge 148 References Environment 149 Nutrition 151 Vegan Tribes 154 Vegan Doctors 154 Index 155 Contributors and Consultants 159

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs polyamory continues to make its way into the mainstream, more and more people are exploring consensual non-monogamy in the hope of experiencing more love, connection, sex, freedom, and support. While for many, the move expands personal horizons, for others, the transition can be challenging, leaving them blindsided and overwhelmed. Beyond the initial transition to non-monogamy, many struggle with the root issues beneath the symptoms of broken agreements, communication challenges, increased fighting, and persistent jealousy. Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern and restorative justice facilitator David Cooley share the insights they have gained through thousands of hours working with clients in consensually non-monogamous relationships. Using a grounded theory approach, they explore the underlying challenges that non-monogamous individuals and partners can experience after their first steps, offering practical strategies for transforming them into opportunities for new levels of clarity and intimacy. Trade Review‘In her latest book, Jessica Fern has crafted the map to guide readers and lovers venturing into the uncharted. With great care and necessary nuance, Polywise is a must-read for anyone navigating open relationships.’ -- Esther Perel‘I often say there’s being polyamorous and then there’s being polyamorous well. I believe Polywise can equip you to do just that.’ -- Evita Sawyers, author of A Polyamory Devotional‘Most of us are content to “make polyamory work” and keep ourselves and our partners reasonably happy. Jessica Fern is taking us far beyond that to a much deeper level of understanding of our psyches and the underpinnings of our relationship dynamics. She and her co-conspirator David Cooley have bared their souls about the evolution of their own poly lives and relationships, as well as sharing countless illuminating stories about their clients’ struggles … Required reading and a must-have for your poly bookshelf!’ -- Kathy Labriola, author of The Polyamory Breakup Book‘An exceptional achievement that will be required reading for anyone practicing consensual non-monogamy, from seasoned veteran to timid newbie alike.’ -- Emily Sotelo Matlack, co-host of the Multiamory podcast and co-author of Multiamory: essential tools for modern relationships‘If you are ready to think more deeply about communication, codependency, conflict, and repair in your most important relationships, Polywise is required reading.’ -- Alexandra H. Solomon, PhD, author of Love Every Day and host of Reimagining Love‘In Polywise, Jessica Fern and David Cooley help readers understand the often unseen root causes of symptoms and give them the strategies they need so their relationships can actually thrive.’ -- JoEllen Notte, author of The Monster Under the Bed: sex, depression, and the conversations we aren’t having and In It Together: navigating depression with partners, friends, and familyPraise for Polysecure: ‘A deeply compassionate book, Polysecure is a great read for both therapists who serve people in consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships and laypeople who are interested in what makes for secure attachments in such relationships. It offers an excellent summary of conventional attachment theory, critiques and re-interprets attachment theory for CNM relationships, and provides a roadmap for people in CNM relationships who want to establish emotionally intimate and securely attached relationships with multiple partners. One of the most important insights from Fern’s delightful book is that secure attachment is a product of relationship experiences rather than relationship.’ -- Dr Elisabeth Sheff, author of The Polyamorists Next Door, Stories from the Polycule, When Someone You Love is Polyamorous, and Children in Polyamorous FamiliesPraise for Polysecure: ‘Polysecure is likely to become for people interested in polyamory, what Love Languages is for understanding romance. It gives people a way to understand how they may be recreating those old patterns by bringing their own childhood attachment styles into their adult relationships. And even more importantly, it offers concrete skills for how to use this knowledge to create healthier, more satisfying, and secure relationship dynamics.’ -- Max Rivers, intimacy coach and author of Loving Conflict: how conflict is really your relationship trying to go deeperPraise for Polysecure: ‘An extremely helpful addition to the literature on consensual non-monogamy, and the first self-help book to focus on applying attachment theory to non-monogamous relationships. Taking the reader by the hand, Jessica Fern explains how perfectly secure attachment styles are rare, and how all of us can usefully work with our attachment issues, whatever our way of doing relationships. Weaving together research findings with therapeutic literature and personal experience, Fern does an excellent job of challenging the popular view that non-monogamous people are more likely than anyone else to struggle with attachment. She presents an extremely helpful model locating our relationship patterns within our wider culture and community as well as within our family background and relationship experiences. The notion of openly discussing whether we want an attachment-based partnership or not is worth the price of the book all by itself, as is the chapter on developing a secure attachment with yourself. This is gold!’ -- Dr Meg-John Barker, author of Rewriting the Rules: an anti self-help guide to love, sex and relationships

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Beautifully written and structured, deeply moving, and realised in wise, thoughtful, chiselled prose... it is that rarity: a genuine non-fiction classic' William Dalrymple'A troubling and moving account of lives gone wrong in the search for an eastern Utopia' Damon Galgut, author of the Booker Prize-winning The PromiseA spellbinding story about love, faith, the search for utopia - and the often devastating cost of idealism.It’s the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world - Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.So how do John and Diane end up dying two decades later, on the Trade Review'A forensic reconstruction of two deaths set against the background of a tropical utopia. It is beautifully written and structured, deeply moving, and realised in wise, thoughtful, chiselled prose. It tells an extraordinary tale of a paradise lost, and of the dangers of utopian naivety: what happens when dreams collide with harsh reality. Like In Cold Blood, it is that rarity: a genuine non-fiction classic.' -- William Dalrymple, author of The Anarchy'Akash Kapur’s Better to Have Gone is a troubling and moving account of lives gone wrong in the search for an eastern Utopia.' -- Damon Galgut * Wall Street Journal, Writers' Favourite Books of 2021 *'This beautifully written account ... is fascinating in describing the efforts of people...to carve out a sustainable community in such a forbidding environment. But it becomes more fascinating still when it begins to explore the contradictions between idealism and real life.' -- Mick Brown * Sunday Telegraph *'A haunting, heartbreaking story, deeply researched and lucidly told, with an almost painful emotional honesty... I kept wanting to read Better to Have Gone because I found it so gripping; I kept wanting not to read it because I found it so upsetting. Better to Have Gone ends with an unexpected lightness, even transcendence, as Kapur helps us see what Auroville has given him, gives him still, despite the pain.' -- Amy Waldman * New York Times *'Using the framework of a personal historical quest, Akash Kapur gives us a gripping morality tale, phosphorescent and unsettling, of the cruelty that accompanies utopia.' -- Jeet Thayil, Booker shortlisted author of Narcopolis'Haunting and elegant... The beauty of Mr Kapur’s story lies in our conviction, by the end, that he and his wife have found most of the answers they were looking for.' -- Tunku Varadarajan * Wall Street Journal *'Akash Kapur has written a trenchant, nuanced account of the longing for a perfect world. Working from personal experience and a writer’s profound curiosity, he takes us deep into the heart of an intentional community’s ambitions and failures. This is an important work about the eternal human desire for utopia, and about the dystopia that always lurks within these dreams.' -- Vikram Chandra, author of Sacred Games'Haunting...a harrowing quest to understand the blinkered idealism that led to [his parents-in-law's] deaths, on the same day, in 1986' * Financial Times *'In this compulsively readable account, Akash Kapur ... unravels a mystery whose players are yogis and hippies, Tamil villagers and a disaffected son of the American elite. Kapur’s great achievement is to narrate a personal tragedy with such generosity and insight that it becomes a love story - one that doesn’t shy from the passionate idealism or devastating failures of sixties utopianism.' -- Nell Freudenberger, author of Lost and Wanted and The Newlyweds'Kapur weaves together memoir, history and ethnography to tell a story of the desire for utopia and the cruelties committed in its name… told with a native son’s fondness, fury, stubborn loyalty, exasperated amusement… the story is suspensefully structured, and I consumed it with a febrile intensity… It is a complicated offering, this book, and the artefact of a great love.' -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *'Kapur's account of the trajectories of his main characters is gripping... [he] has a fine understanding of the fundamentally flawed, even cankered, nature of any utopia. The author's cool, clean style, and his admirable refusal to judge any of his characters' words and actions...give the book a quiet cumulative power.' -- Neel Mukherjee * Financial Times *'Better to Have Gone tells the extraordinary true story of an "aspiring utopia" named Auroville, "The City of Dawn", established near Pondicherry in southeast India in 1968. A riveting account of human aspiration and folly taken to extremes.' -- Dan Cryer * Boston Globe *'A riveting memoir of a search for utopia… Kapur is a terrific storyteller…his writing compels you to follow him as he digs deeper.' -- Alison Arieff * San Francisco Chronicle *'An enthralling and sometimes shocking account of the birth and uneasy growth of Auroville, a utopian village in south India. The author and his wife both grew up in Auroville and were surrounded by idealism and tragedy but, perhaps surprisingly, were drawn back there after spending some years in the orthodox world. It should win an award: a gripping tale.' -- Tom Hodgkinson * The Idler *'This gripping, magical, deeply moving book is a story of stubborn, self-sacrificing idealism - both its beauty and its cost. Akash Kapur set out to understand the visionary lives and terrible deaths of his wife’s parents in Auroville, the South Indian utopian community where he and she grew up... It is exhilarating to read about a place and time where utopia seemed not just possible but close.' -- Larissa MacFarquhar, author of Strangers Drowning: Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Urge to Help'An enlightening look at how a well-meaning utopian community in India became complicated by reality. In a propulsive narrative, [Kapur] chronicles the story of John Walker and Diane Maes, the parents of his wife, Auralice, who left their homes in the waning days of the hippie movement for South India’s idealistic “planned city” Auroville... Expect the unexpected in this riveting story.' * Publishers Weekly *'A forensic reconstruction of two deaths set against the background of the flawed tropical utopia of Auroville. It is beautifully written and structured, deeply moving, and realised in wise, thoughtful, chiselled prose.' -- William Dalrymple * New Statesman, Books of the Year *'This haunting memoir, by a man who grew up in an intentional community in India and returned to live there with his wife and children, is a sensitive excavation of fraught family history as well as a philosophical meditation on the utopian impulse.' * New York Times, Notable Books of 2021 *'The moving history of a quest for enlightenment and how idealistic dreams came crashing down to earth.' * Scribd, Books of the year *'Spellbinding and otherworldly, Better to Have Gone is an exquisite literary achievement. With graceful, luminous prose, Akash Kapur's intimate account of utopian Auroville is entrancing, devastating and unforgettable. Above all, this book is a hauntingly beautiful love story, composed by a writer in full command of his craft.' -- Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove'Written with insight and compassion, Better to Have Gone takes us on the journey of the author and his wife as they seek to reconstruct the events that brought them together as children and then shaped their lives as adults. At the same time, the book also explores the rivalries and tensions that defined Auroville's early years and what it means to try to create a utopian environment.' -- Glenn Lowry, Director of MoMA * CNN, Best Books of 2021 *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe astonishing reality of living without our most important resource: money. 'An inspiring and entertaining guide to escaping the money trap and reconnecting with reality.' Paul Kingsnorth, author of Real England Imagine a year living without spending money... Former businessman Mark Boyle undertook this extraordinary challenge and recounts the amazing adventure it led him on. Going back to basics and following his own strict rules, Mark learned ingenious ways to eliminate his bills and discovered that friendship has no price. Encountering seasonal foods, solar panels, skill-swapping schemes, caravans, compost toilets, and – the unthinkable – a cash-free Christmas, Boyle puts the fun into frugality and offers some great tips for economical (and environmentally friendly) living. A testament to Mark’s astounding determination, this witty and thought-provoking book will make you reevaluate what is most precious in life.Trade Review‘Essential and enjoyable reading. The fascinating story of an important social experiment, told with humility, insight and great humour.’ —Chris Cleave, author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven'An inspiring and entertaining guide to escaping the money trap and reconnecting with reality.' —Paul Kingsnorth, author of Real England: The Battle Against the Bland'An inspiring, hair-raising journey into a world which most of us can only begin to imagine. Fearless and funny, Boyle’s descriptions of simple living and its unexpected repercussions are guaranteed to make you smile.' —Kate Aydin'Whether you think him brave or foolhardy, his book contains cogent ideas and practical tips that, post-credit crunch, you many no longer be able to ignore.' —Waterstones'It’s difficult not to admire the philosophy, and the infectious home-spun and passionate tone!' —Benedict Allen - Survivalist and author of The Faber Book of Exploration

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Eminé and Paul live and breathe Ayurveda every day, and I love their gentle, intuitive, conscious approach to life.' - Jasmine Hemsley, author of East by West and co-author of the Hemsley + Hemsley booksSattva is one of the three basic life forces outlined in Ayurvedic teachings. Among the beautiful qualities it embodies - unity, harmony, purity, vitality, clarity, gentleness and serenity - are essences of nature that we're craving more than ever in our busy lives. In this book, you'll find a complete lifestyle prescription for balance and peace in our hectic Western world. Sattva offers a simple guide to living in harmony with seasonal cycles, resources for conscious living and nourishment for body and soul. A celebration of ancient, holistic wisdom for intuitive modern living, Sattva has the power to help us move from chaos into consciousness. Let it remind you of your natural state of being.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world is not as mobile or as interconnected as we like to think. As Harm de Blij argues in The Power of Place, in crucial ways--from the uneven distribution of natural resources to the unequal availability of opportunity--geography continues to hold billions of people in its grip. We are all born into natural and cultural environments that shape what we become, individually and collectively. From our mother tongue to our father''s faith, from medical risks to natural hazards, where we start our journey has much to do with our destiny. Hundreds of millions of farmers in the river basins of Asia and Africa, and tens of millions of shepherds in isolated mountain valleys from the Andes to Kashmir, all live their lives much as their distant ancestors did, remote from the forces of globalization. Incorporating a series of persuasive maps, De Blij describes the tremendously varied environments across the planet and shows how migrations between them are comparatively rare. De Blij also looks at the ways we are redefining place so as to make its power even more potent than it has been, with troubling implications.Trade Review"Should be set upon the desks of every legislator, policy wonk and concerned citizen."Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Globals, Locals, and Mobals2. The Imperial Legacy of Language3. The Fateful Geography of Religion4. The Rough Topography of Human Health5. Geography of Jeopardy6. Places Open and Shut7. Same Place, Divergent Destinies8. Power and the City9. Promise and Peril in the Provinces10. Lowering the BarriersWorks CitedIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisA bullet train of a book, fast-paced, hilarious, rich with action. A harbinger of good things to come in mysterious ways.It all began at a cocktail party at Wallace Stegner's for the Stanford writing class of 1958. Ken Kesey and Ken Babbs became cronies, embarking on a frolicking, rambunctious adventure that lasted over 40 years. Babbs calls the 70 stories of this book burlesques because, after 85 years of living, much of it in the wide friendly center of an evolving, at times psychedelic culture, memory no longer can, or even should include an exact retelling, but only a tasty sprinkling of the truth, mixed with an endless enigma, all topped with the best of humor and heart.The troupe of characters include the Kens Kesey and Babbs, Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Timothy Leary, Jerry Garcia, Pigpen, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mountain Girl, Sonny Barger, Larry McMurtry, Wavy Gravy, Hunter S. Thompson, Kirk Douglas, Paul Newman, Jan Kerouac,Trade ReviewReview Quotes: "Babbs’s vivid storytelling ... invites us to connect to the Pranksters’ moment and the spirit of restive questioning that powered it and so many other countercultural eruptions. ... Babbs’s memories prove arresting, and his reconstructed conversations pulse with energy, wit, and a persuasive sense of truth, especially as Pranksters jape, improvise road poems, and build on each other’s mad thoughts with thoughts madder still." —Publishers Weekly "...[A] wondrous record: a lengthy memoir by a man who witnessed a great deal and brings it to life in vivid detail. But it’s also a tremendous act of friendship, capturing the visionary Kesey in a way that gives him depth without demystifying his art. A freewheeling, candy-colored journey of comradeship, drugs, art, and 1960s hijinks." —Kirkus Reviews "...[A] must-read for aging hippies, admirers of Kesey and anyone who wondered whatever happened to that group calling itself the Merry Pranksters. ... [An] affectionate remembrance of years spent raising hell with his best friend and taking others along for the ride." —Associated Press, John Rogers "This book is for anyone who has read Kerouac’s On the Road, dreamt of leaving it all behind, getting with close friends, and venturing forth into the unknown. It’s an enlightening, adventure-filled book for the inner prankster in us all." 4.5/5 stars —San Francisco Book Review, Eric Smith "While previous writers have created caricatures of Kesey, Babbs presents Kesey in a much more personal way, as a friend and pal. The book is an excellent read for anyone interested in learning more about the overlapping circles of the Merry Pranksters and the Grateful Dead." 4/5 stars —City Book Review, Seattle, David Keenan "...[A] rip-snorting tale tempered by the wisdom of time and informed by the psychedelic enthusiasm of a culture founded in youth but defined by eternity." —CounterPunch, Ron Jacobs "At its heart, Cronies is a buddy picture. ... Ken Babbs carries on the Prankster spirit into the 2020s, acting as an anthropologist and living historical record, still on the search for a Kool Place." —Live For Live Music, Michael Broerman

Read more less

Book SynopsisA mother's gritty yet often humorous account of family life in Africa, and the consequences of a violent event on each of them.Trade ReviewAn astonishing story ... Nicholls carries us through her experiences with a searing honesty that for me was hugely educational and deeply moving.A life lived beyond the dreams of most of us. It's a real page-turner - Jeremy IronsBursting with humour, intelligence and fierce humanity, Under the Camelthorn Tree takes you on a breathtaking journey: anthropological and personal. It is an unflinchingly brave, generous book filled with the wisdom of one who has seen both the beauty and the darkness the world has to give - Sophie DahlA wonderfully rich and honest memoir of an extraordinary life by an extraordinary person. A book that somehow manages to be both charming and challenging, a bit like Africa herself. The writing is as light as a sonnet but it is the honesty that anchors it to reality - a special book - Tim ButcherUnder the Camelthorn Tree is remarkable, wild as a pride of lions -- heartbreaking, relentlessly truthful, funny. Kate Nicholls steps into life's beauties and hardships with a rare and extraordinary courage: you will love this book, and love Kate too - Erica Wagner, Harper's Bazaar'Under The Camelthorn Tree is a breathtaking memoir written with an abundance of wit, honesty and love. Over the course of a page I found myself weeping, giggling, inspired, challenged, but never lectured to. Kate's humour is infectious, her honesty and vulnerability emboldening and her language precise in conjuring the sights, sounds and smells of her unique journey' - Harry MichellA sort of Life Force personified, a whirlwind of love and motherhood and science; beautiful woman, brutally true, impossibly brave, impossibly stylish, just plain bloody impossible. Self-taught in science, this poet of the Okavango home-schooled - right through to good universities - four remarkable children in a remote camp surrounded by individually known, radio-tracked lions. After tirelessly working to rehabilitate Botswana's rape victims, her own horrific rape and its aftermath threatened to destroy her life and the family idyll but . . . well, read the whole beautiful book to the end. You'll never see another memoir like this -- Richard Dawkins

Read more less

Book SynopsisWednesday is for Witch . . . . . . and so is every other day of the year.Start the New Year by awakening your supernatural powers and manifesting your dreams with a daily dose of good witch energy. Feel empowered by this book of magical positivity, which offers fun rituals and simple spells for everyday self-care, from a mindfulness charm to help you stay grounded on big days to positive mantras for times when you need a good-mood boost. Whether you want to perform a cleanse for a fresh start, be at one with the nature around you, meditate with the healing power of crystals or simply add a dash of cinnamon to your breakfast for extra zing, this book of spells and spice for everyday good vibes will help you tap into your inner magic whenever you need it.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGypsies, Roma and Travellers are some of the most marginalized and vilified people in society. They are rarely seen as having a place in a country, either geographically or socially, no matter where they live or what they do. Another Darkness, Another Dawn is a new history that charts their movement through time and place: from their roots in the Indian subcontinent, across the Byzantine and Ottoman empires to western Europe and the Americas, to their place in the contemporary world. This history of Romani people demonstrates how their experiences provide a way to understand mainstream society's relationship with outsiders and immigrants, both in the past and present. Rather than seeing these peoples as separate from the societies in which they have lived, and as untouched by history, this book sets Gypsies' experiences in the context of broader historical changes. Understanding their history is to take in the founding and contraction of empires, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, wars, the expansion of law and order and of states, the Enlightenment, nationalism, modernity and the Holocaust, as well as the increasing regulation of modern society. It is as much a history of ourselves as it is a history of 'others'. Ultimately Taylor demonstrates that history is not always about progress: the place of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers remains as contested and uncertain today as it was upon their first arrival in western Europe in the fifteenth century.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy is it that the more advanced our society becomes, the unhappier we are?Seeking an answer from the only honest perspective, Tobias Jones and his wife opened up their family home and ten acre woodland to those going through crises in their lives, or suffering from depression, addiction and loneliness.They will encounter extraordinary people: from 'Roadkill Kev' to 'Mary Poppins'; build a chapel, raise pigs and encounter both violent antagonism and astounding generosity. At the same time, they will open themselves, their children and their ideals up to the most demanding of judgements and transformations.Five years on, they think they are on to something. To sit down to eat together, to work on the land, to have no tolerance for drugs but a lot of tolerance for change – it takes time and many mistakes, but they have found a way to help people.This is the story of how.Trade ReviewThis is no Hollywood-style tale of redemption and transformation. It is something much more honest: a warts-and-all account of what it is like to try a radically different way of living, and to not only survive, but have real triumphs . . . Thanks to Jones's sense of humour the book rarely feels "worthy", in the pejorative sense, despite the subject matter . . . Admirably erudite, charming and reflective . . . To read this book is to imagine, even if only briefly, that a different way of living might be possible. -- Alice O'Keefe * Guardian *Fascinating and remarkable . . . a study of compassion in action * Sunday Times *This is an enjoyable book * Mail on Sunday *[I was] Amused and moved by this book . . . The Joneses' desire to rescue lost people is both magnificent and astonishing * The Times *Chosen as a summer read by Julian Baggini * Observer *Extremely gripping and moving . . . Often very funny . . . Jones writes beautifully about the changing seasons . . . Each night I looked forward to reading this book. Clearly there is something in our psychological make-up that longs to be part of an 'extended household', breaking bread with strangers. Or - at least - to experience it voyeuristically through the pages of a captivating memoir * Independent *There is much beauty in the story of Windsor Hill Wood, the rural idyll that Jones and Fra create together. He manages to take us with him into it . . . Jones is a sublime writer, who has the ability to bring tears to the eye * Daily Telegraph *It's a gentle meditation on a brave venture that leaves the reader uplifted and even a little enlightened * Press Association *It is Jones's humanity and gift for characterisation that make his book so captivating . . . His account rings with universal truths . . . A Place of Refuge asks difficult questions about how often mental illness is connected with the fact that 'community', as it's currently understood, is delivered through a screen * Financial Times *A wonderful book describing the bosky - sometimes bolshie - community he and his wife set up for allcomers: recovering alcoholics, addicts and anoxerics. It is written with the keenest eye for nature - human and leafy - and a wisdom learned the hard way (perhaps there is no other way) -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMany modern gurus, life-style magazines, TV programmes and books promote slow-ing down and resisting the relentless tem-po of daily life. We are offering a carefully selected set of objects and accessories that will not only show you how to relax again, but also how to refuse the crazy pressure for speed. Take back control over your life and make it enjoyable again. Let this book be your guide on the way to escape the hurly-burly of everyday life and get rid of the stress it generates. Back to basics, discover the beauty of the slow mode that will make your life more rewarding, whether you are relaxing, enjoying the moment, sharing them with your loved ones or practicing a hobby. Thanks to our inspirational collec-tion of tools for slow living you will connect with reality, with others and most impor-tantly with yourself.

Read more less

Book Synopsis"From a lighthouse keeper in Norway to a reindeer herder in Mongolia, the resulting series offers a captivating portrait of 10 extraordinary individuals living off the grid." — Financial Times "His book takes you on a journey of discovery." — Home & Interiors Scotland Between 2015 and 2020, photographer Brice Portolano travelled from the islands of Alaska to the Patagonian steppe and from the forests of Lapland to the highlands of Iran to capture the daily lives of 10 extraordinary people who made profound changes in their lives in order to live closer to nature. They consciously built a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city, usually without a phone signal or internet access. Their lives are arduous, but also full of a sense of personal freedom, self-determination, and fulfilment. These photographs present an inspiring vision of the joys of finding one’s place in the world and the challenges of living off the grid. In these 10 vivid portraits of alternative lifestyles, we meet: Tinja, the dog sled driver in Lapland; Ali, the Persian horseman; Barny, the self-supporter in a circus wagon in Cumbria, England; Zaya, the reindeer herder in the Mongolian taiga; George, the hostel father in Tuscany; Sylwia, the artist on the Greek island of Lefkada; Sky, the Argentinean goucha; Ben, the hunter in Utah, USA; Jerry, the oyster farmer in Alaska; Elena, the lighthouse keeper in Norway. Text in English and German.Trade Review"From a lighthouse keeper in Norway to a reindeer herder in Mongolia, the resulting series offers a captivating portrait of 10 extraordinary individuals living off the grid." - Financial Times"…portraying people who have…found harmony away from civilisation as we know it." - National Geographic Traveller"Deliberately moving away the hustle and bustle of the city, without phone signal or internet access, their lives are far from perfect - without those things, life does become somewhat harder - but they do share a sense of freedom, self-determination and fulfilment." - Amateur PhotographerExcerpts taken from No Signal - Red"His book takes you on a journey of discovery." - Home & Interiors Scotland"In every instance, Portolano noted critical similarities in the reasons for escape, ‘There’s a big thirst for freedom and independence’." - WhyNow

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing on over three hundred in-depth interviews with men and women of all ages and every class, Eric Klinenberg reaches some startling conclusions about the seismic impact solo living is having on our culture, business and politics.Trade Review'Trailblazing' Vanity Fair'Klinenberg fleshes out [his] subjects with expertise and devotion' New York Times'A book so important that it is likely to become both a popular read and a social science classic This book really will change the lives of people who live solo, and everyone else - thorough, balanced, and persuasive' Psychology Today

Read more less

Book SynopsisMoo's Law is the latest title from successful investor Jim Mellon, to help readers understand the investment landscape in cultivated and plant-based proteins and materials.Jim has a vision that within the next couple of decades world agriculture will be radically transformed by the advent of cultivated meat technology. This book grounds the reader in why such an advancement is absolutely necessary and informs them of the investments they could make to become part of the New Agricultural Revolution themselves. The harrowing effects on our environment, animal cruelty in food and fashion, and the struggling ability to feed the world''s ever-growing population gives us no choice but to grow meat in labs or derive our proteins from plant-based sources.Not only this, he outlines what he sees as the major hurdles to the industry''s success in terms of scalability of production and the smart designing of regulatory frameworks to stimulate innovation in this sector.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTransformative Politics of Nature examines political barriers to land and wildlife conservation and presents possible transformative pathways forward that address both proximate and fundamental factors from Western and Indigenous perspectives.Table of ContentsList of Tables List of Figures Part A: Ceremony and Introduction Poem shalan joudry 1. From Politics to Transformative Politics: Wildlife and Species at Risk Policy in Canada Beazley, Olive, and Finegan Introducing Disruptions Finegan Part B: Barriers to Conservation in Canada 2. A Pathological Examination of Conservation Failure in Canada Lemieux, Groulx, Swerdfager, and Hagerman 3. Who Should Govern Wildlife? Examining Attitudes across the Country Williamson, Lischka, Olive, Pittman, and Ford 4. In a Rut: Barriers to Caribou Recovery Boan and Plotkin 5. Enacting a Reciprocal Ethic of Care: (Finally) Fulfilling Treaty Obligations McDermott and Roth Disrupting Dominant Narratives for a Mainstream Conservation Issue: A Case Study on “Saving the Bees” Colla The Role of National Parks in Disrupting Heritage Interpretation on Turtle Island Finegan Part C: Transformation through Values 6. Reconciliation or Apiksitaultimik? Indigenous Relationality for Conservation Pictou 7. “Etuaptmumk”/Two-Eyed Seeing and Reconciliation with Earth McGregor, Popp, Reid, Marshall, Miller, and Sritharan 8. Beacons of Teaching Young Indigenous Knowledge as a Disruption to State-Led Conservation Myhal The Misipawistik Cree Nation kanawenihcikew Guardians Program Cook Part D: Transformation through Actions 9. Transforming University Curriculum and Student Experiences through Collaboration and Land-Based Learning Zurba, Hache, Doucette, and Graham 10. Ecological Networks and Corridors in the Context of Global Initiatives Hilty and Woodley 11. The Imperative for Transformative Change to Address Biodiversity Loss in Canada Ray Conservation Bright Spots: Focusing on Solutions Instead of Reacting to Problems Frei Disrupting Current Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation through Innovative Knowledge Mobilization Nguyen Part E: Conclusion and Ceremony 12. Concluding Remarks: Achieving Transformative Change: Conservation in Canada Olive and Beazley Poem shalan joudry Author Biographies

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeneath the surface of Manhattan’s Riverside Park run railroad tunnels, disused for decades, where over the years unhoused people took shelter. The sociologist Terry Williams ventured into the tunnel residents’ world, seeking to understand life on the margins and out of sight.Trade ReviewIn Life Underground, Terry Williams meets Fyodor Dostoyevsky in the netherworld of New York City, unearthing the everyday lives of the city’s misbegotten bottom dwellers, immortalizing them for posterity. Richly observed and well-written, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares to truly understand the lives of those at the end of the line. -- Elijah Anderson, author of Black in White SpaceLife Underground provides unique documentation of the lives of homeless people living in underground tunnels and other spaces beneath the streets of New York City. No other work studies in so much detail the lives of people who might be considered the worst off of the city's worst off. -- Thomas J. Main, author of Homelessness in New York City: Policymaking from Koch to de BlasioTerry Williams has once again written a beautiful ethnographic piece, offering us a profound sociological work on 'shelterless life' below and at the margins of one of the richest but also socially polarized cities in the world: New York. Based on interviews, field notes, maps, journals, dream records, and a photographic register, Williams makes visible the living conditions of a population that is all too often invisibilized: homeless people. Their voices and life experiences are at the center of this research work together with the neoliberal transformations of said city. A fascinating and illuminating book that everyone should read, especially those who want to understand, challenge, and put an end to the housing crisis - in New York and globally. -- Ana Cárdenas Tomažič, Institute for Social Research (IfS), Goethe University FrankfurtTable of ContentsPrologueAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Descent2. Genesis3. Underground Ecology4. Men Underground: Bernard, Kal, and Jason5. Working Life6. Food: Restaurants and Soup Kitchens7. Women Underground: Tin Can Tina8. Beatrice and Bobo9. The Tagalong10. The Rabbit Hole 11. Reflections on Life Under the StreetEndnoteEpilogue: Mediating the Underground: Bernard’s ExitAppendix A: Income and Housing in New York City, 2002–2014Appendix B: Behavior Mapping and CartographyAppendix C: Interview Questions for Bernard, Princeton University, 2012Appendix D: Bernard’s Dream and PostcardAppendix E: Legacies of Harm: Policy and PolicingAppendix F: Where Are They Now?NotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisLiving and travelling in converted vehicles has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years and the coronavirus pandemic has only increased the trend further. Life on the road can offer an incomparable sense of freedom and community, with endless opportunity for new experiences, and a shift to simpler living. But what these travellers are after is very different from the traditional caravan holiday; instead these vans and trucks have been creatively turned into permanent homes, tailored to their owners’ tastes and interests. While some choose a ready-made van, for others the joy is in converting a vehicle themselves and making it personal and unique. With imaginative storage options, eco-friendly power sources, inventive layouts, and some very well-travelled pets, the options for these portable homes are limitless. This illustrated book reveals some of the most beautiful and innovative converted vehicles on the road and the most creative of van-dwellers, to inspire and delight every aspiring vanlifer.Trade Review"Documents the stories of people across the world - hipsters, retirees, families – who turned that (exhaust) pipe dream into reality..." * Wanderlust magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Brilliantly written, probing and necessary' PANDORA SYKES'Skinner goes in search of a different way of life . . . a sensitive and colourful account' New StatesmanIncludes a brand new chapter From the author of Jailbirds and one of Elle's '50 Game Changers' (2019) comes a timely exploration of different forms of living together.Seventy-six per cent of British adults feel that we've become more distanced from our neighbours in the last 20 years. We are less likely than our grandparents, or even our parents, to know the names of our neighbours, to enjoy multi-generational friendships or to share resources and childcare. With mental health at epidemic levels, the climate crisis worsening, and society feeling increasingly divided, this game-changing book asks whether there are better ways to live. Mim Skinner sets out to explore communities that have rejected individualism and nuclear family

Read more less

Book SynopsisAuthor and long-distance runner Jen Benson decided to live in a tent for a year with her husband Sim and their children to escape the stress, pressures and mounting debt of their old lives, and this is her account of that year spent in the wilderness of Britain

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt is a scrupulous map of groups of people who decided to share â in different manners â principles, spaces, goods and money, testing the suggestive challenges of the communal living.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaria Mellins is a Senior Lecturer in Screen Media at St Mary's University, UK.Table of Contents1.Twenty-first Century Vamp 2.Interviewing Vampires 3.Vampire Femininity and Status 4.Vampire Community Profile 5.Feminine Discourses 6.Alternative Celebrity 7.Conclusions Appendix Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the personal journal of a young American woman, living for six months amongst the Dodoth cattle-herdsmen in Northern Uganda. It is also an adventure story, for during this period the Dodoth were caught up in an escalating cycle of violence with their age-old rivals, the Turkana tribe. The animating tension of this feud was the tradition of cattle raiding, but it escalated to unprecedented levels of violence when the new nation states of Uganda and Kenya were drawn in to police these ancient clan frontiers. Elizabeth Marshall Thomas s total immersion in the life of this tribe in 1961 takes us with her, as with clarity and a lyrical eye for detail she brings their whole culture alive. For though she was not an academic herself, she had spent much time in the field with her mother, who was the world s leading authority on the Bushman of the Kalahari. So it was natural for Elizabeth Marshall Thomas to take her own young children on this adventure, where she proves herself such a brave, humane and unshockable witness to the life of the warrior herdsmen.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'My dear, she's on fire!' DAMIAN BARR'A snappy guide to an all-conquering aesthetic' Financial Times'The following things have seemed impossibly camp to me at one point or another: a doll whose body acts as a cover for a toilet roll, a tantrum over wire coat hangers, a 1950s muscle magazine featuring a photo of a young man dressed as a gladiator, and a rat underneath a silver serving platter'An essential reappraisal of camp across time and across the globe, from the author of Fabulosa! and Outrageous!Camp has been an inescapable part of popular culture for at least the last 150 years. Famously unrestrained and ever evolving, it has not only captured the cultural imagination, but also played an important role as a form of protest and resistance. Paul Baker takes us through camp's rebellious and revolutionary past with warmth, humour and sensitivity, starting with the court of Louis XIV and the dandies of the eighteenth century through to Showgirls, Harlem's drag balls and Columbian telenovelas.Throughout its history, camp has been a place of refuge and renewal, of heroism and hedonism. This glorious celebration traces camp's journey from the fringes of society to the mainstream.Trade ReviewMy dear, she's on fire! From low camp to high, from Louis XIV to Ru Paul, Baker charts the rise-and-rise of camp. Glittering cultural armour for dark times. Paul Baker captures essence of an essentially uncapturable phenomenon making it just knowable enough for all. Delightful! -- Damian BarrA snappy guide to an all-conquering aesthetic . . . Baker deserves a toast - preferably out of a rhinestone-spangled goblet * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe indispensible illustrated guide to living anywhere.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe indispensible illustrated guide to living anywhere.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeneath the surface of Manhattan’s Riverside Park run railroad tunnels, disused for decades, where over the years unhoused people took shelter. The sociologist Terry Williams ventured into the tunnel residents’ world, seeking to understand life on the margins and out of sight.Trade ReviewIn Life Underground, Terry Williams meets Fyodor Dostoyevsky in the netherworld of New York City, unearthing the everyday lives of the city’s misbegotten bottom dwellers, immortalizing them for posterity. Richly observed and well-written, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares to truly understand the lives of those at the end of the line. -- Elijah Anderson, author of Black in White SpaceLife Underground provides unique documentation of the lives of homeless people living in underground tunnels and other spaces beneath the streets of New York City. No other work studies in so much detail the lives of people who might be considered the worst off of the city's worst off. -- Thomas J. Main, author of Homelessness in New York City: Policymaking from Koch to de BlasioTerry Williams has once again written a beautiful ethnographic piece, offering us a profound sociological work on 'shelterless life' below and at the margins of one of the richest but also socially polarized cities in the world: New York. Based on interviews, field notes, maps, journals, dream records, and a photographic register, Williams makes visible the living conditions of a population that is all too often invisibilized: homeless people. Their voices and life experiences are at the center of this research work together with the neoliberal transformations of said city. A fascinating and illuminating book that everyone should read, especially those who want to understand, challenge, and put an end to the housing crisis - in New York and globally. -- Ana Cárdenas Tomažič, Institute for Social Research (IfS), Goethe University FrankfurtTable of ContentsPrologueAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Descent2. Genesis3. Underground Ecology4. Men Underground: Bernard, Kal, and Jason5. Working Life6. Food: Restaurants and Soup Kitchens7. Women Underground: Tin Can Tina8. Beatrice and Bobo9. The Tagalong10. The Rabbit Hole 11. Reflections on Life Under the StreetEndnoteEpilogue: Mediating the Underground: Bernard’s ExitAppendix A: Income and Housing in New York City, 2002–2014Appendix B: Behavior Mapping and CartographyAppendix C: Interview Questions for Bernard, Princeton University, 2012Appendix D: Bernard’s Dream and PostcardAppendix E: Legacies of Harm: Policy and PolicingAppendix F: Where Are They Now?NotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTerry Waite invites you to meet some of the exceptional people he has got to know on his travels, and explore with him the widely different forms of solitary existence they inhabit.Trade ReviewThis is a thoughtful and sensitive book from a man who endured the fear and loneliness of captivity. Now, years later, Terry Waite explores solitude in its many forms. * Stella Rimington DBE, former Director General of MI5 *No one is better qualified to write about solitude than Terry Waite, who spent nearly five years of his life in solitary confinement. His exploration of solitude – he calls it a saunter – takes him from his personal ordeal to the Australian outback, to the home of a former British double agent in Moscow, and beyond. His book will be of great value to those who have suffered from too much company or too little, or are interested in the phenomenon of being alone, which is not at all the same as being lonely. Terry Waite’s saunter through solitude is wide ranging, original, well written and (best of all) companionable. * Martin Bell OBE, UNICEF ambassador and former war reporter *This is a wonderfully perceptive and engaging book. Terry Waite takes the reader deep into other worlds, both geographical and psychological, from which they will emerge enlightened and spiritually enriched. * Ranulph Fiennes OBE, explorer, writer and poet *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince the first millennium BCE, nomads of the Eurasian steppe have played a key role in world history and the development of adjacent sedentary regions, especially China, India, the Middle East, and Eastern and Central Europe. Although their more settled neighbours often saw them as an ongoing threat and imminent dangerââœbarbarians,â in factâtheir impact on sedentary cultures was far more complex than the raiding, pillaging, and devastation with which they have long been associated in the popular imagination. The nomads were also facilitators and catalysts of social, demographic, economic, and cultural change, and nomadic culture had a significant influence on that of sedentary Eurasian civilisations, especially in cases when the nomads conquered and ruled over them. Not simply passive conveyors of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and physical artefacts, nomads were frequently active contributors to the process of cultural exchange and change. Their active choices and initiatives helped

Read more less

Book SynopsisDisrupting Breast Cancer Narratives: Stories of Rage and Repair explores politically insistent illness narratives.Table of Contents1 Shifting Public Perceptions of Breast Cancer Stories of Breast Cancer “The Angry Breast Cancer Survivors” Narrative Inquiry in Interdisciplinary Health Research Normative and Disruptive Stories Description of Chapters 2 Feminist Counternarratives Sharing Our Stories Breast Cancer Narratives in Public Feminist Narrative Bioethics, Illness Narratives, and the Medical Humanities Breast Cancer Narrative Ethics The Power of Counternarratives 3 Angry Stories of Survivorship “Welcome to Cancerland” Feeling Angry Challenging Happiness Contesting Survivorship The Cancer Journals Ordinary Life Bad Patient 4 Questioning Environmental Causation Chasing the Cancer Answer Cancer Killjoy The Problem with Personal Responsibility Crazy Sexy Cancer F**k Cancer 5 Queering Breast Cancer “White Glasses” Doing Elegiac Politics The Summer of Her Baldness Living Elegiac Politics The L Word Gender / Cancer Rage 6 The Power of Narrative Repair Revisiting Counternarratives Enacting Resistance Performing Patienthood Narrative Repair 7 Postscript: Screening Pink Ribbons, Inc Acknowledgments References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow do children of immigrants from countries in sub-Saharan Africa negotiate multiple identities as Black, as African, and as Canadian?Trade Review"In Where are you From? Gillian Creese discovered that some second generation African-Canadians reject Canadian identity, while others strongly assert being Canadian. She also found that boys had it easier than girls growing up in Vancouver. Frequently, teenage boys experienced popularity as ‘the cool Black guy,’ while girls in contrast found much less popular Black female imagery, making it harder for them to fit in." * BC Bookworld *"This accessible and well written book gives us pause as to how we treat those in our midst who we might perceive as different from ourselves." -- Jean Barman, University of British Columbia * The Ormsby Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Imagined Communities, Discourses of Blackness, and the New African Diaspora in Vancouver 3. “No one looked like me”: Remembering Migration and Early Childhood 4. “Cool Black guys” and Girls “trying to feel good in your own skin”: Navigating Adolescence 5. “More of my friends are Black”: Adult Friendships and Romantic Relationships 6. “I have so much more opportunities”: Education and Career Goals 7. Living "under a microscope": Navigating Public Spaces 8. “People still ask me where I’m from”: Belonging and Identity 9. Growing Up African-Canadian in Vancouver: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Place References Index

Read more less