Stationery Books

Book SynopsisArtisan Art Notebooks, the new Journals from Flame Tree in a range of hues to suit the moment and featuring magnificent art. They’re hand crafted with decorated edges overflowing with petals, teasing vines and patterns. A unique blend of the practical and beautiful, with two ribbons and lined pages, the Artisan Art Notebooks are perfect for notes, creative writing, poetry, doodles and lists. And, with robust flexi covers, they’re easy to slip into your bag, a pleasure to use. Simply, they feel good! This example is based on a beautiful decorative tile design from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Alhambra’s world-famous palace in Granada, Spain, was first built in AD 889 as a small fortress. Throughout the centuries it has been rebuilt and extended into an enormous complex fit for royalty, richly decorated with mosaics and tiles, with a mixture of both Islamic and Christian influences.

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Book SynopsisJournaling Techniques for Growing, Healing, and Creativity “When Lynda [Monk] talks about her own journaling practice, a spirit of flexibility infuses her approach.”—Rebecca Kochenderfer, Journaling.com#1 Best Seller in Writing Skills Writing GuidesThe Great Book of Journaling provides calming tools for quelling worry and anxiety from psychotherapist Eric Maisel. As well as expert writing tips from Lynda Monk, Director of the International Association for Journal Writing.Journal Writing for High Self-Esteem. This is the next-generation book on journaling techniques that introduces a younger generation to the immense benefits of journaling and provides all journal writers with the tools they need to grow, heal, and deepen their personal writing experience.Utilize Therapeutic Writing. Journal writing can promote individual healing, creativity, and community-building. The Great Book of Journaling offers multiple perspectives on journaling techniques in an easy-to-use, practical format, along with providing a comprehensive introduction to various techniques and methods for deepening your personal writing. Learn from the Best. We’ve rounded up 40 of the top journal experts in the world to explain exactly what journal writing can do for you! The Great Book of Journaling is full of practical tips, evidence-based research, and rich anecdotes from their coaching, teaching, therapy work with journal writers, or their personal journal writing. The Great Book of Journaling can help: Create high self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence Improve your health and your sense of wellbeing Calm your worry and anxiety Serve your creative needs Deepen your personal writing Readers of books on journal writing such as Mindfulness Journal, The Self-Discovery Journal, or No Worries will love The Great Book of Journaling.Trade Review“I dare you to read more than a chapter or two of The Great Book of Journaling without feeling compelled to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard! This book is a beautiful quilt, each chapter written by one of the wisest voices in the journaling world, on every aspect of journal writing imaginable. That such journaling intelligence is accessible between two covers of one book is a gift to any existing or would-be journal keeper.”—Ruth Folit, founder and past director of the International Association for Journal Writing “I coach and accredit professional coaches and mentors, so I know what it takes for us to succeed personally and professionally. One of those success factors is having positive daily mental health and well-being practices. That’s why I’m a fan of The Great Book of Journaling. It’s a wonderful self-care resource for practicing what we preach to our clients, one that will help us and them live the lives we both desire.”—Dawn Campbell, business director, international authority for professional coaching and mentoring “This is a GREAT BOOK for those who already journal and for those who are ready to journal! Every chapter is filled with ideas and examples that will spark your creative self into action! Buy a copy for yourself, and lots more for gifts!”—Joyce Chapman, author of Journaling for Joy “As one of the 40 contributors to this book, I am excited by the collection's diverse approaches to journaling, all of them with something to teach me. This easy-to-engage-with collection offers strategies for journaling that will revive interest for long-time journal keepers and encourage new journal keepers to establish their journaling practice. Every chapter includes writing strategies that foster discovery as well as encouraging one to continue journaling for healing, for wisdom, and for capturing all of life moments.”—Sheila Bender, founder of Writing It Real “The Great Book of Journaling is indeed great! The richness of the many journaling perspectives, benefits, and suggested journaling activities included makes this book a true gem. I highly recommend this book for new and avid journal writers alike who crave both inspiration and information to start, sustain, or deepen an existing journaling practice. This book will surely inspire you to pick up your pen and tap into your inner wisdom and well-being through journaling.”—Rebecca Kochenderfer, Journaling.com “Journaling saved my life while battling a life-threatening illness. Never in the history of the world has there been a greater need for the in-depth introspection and self-healing that journal-keeping offers. The Great Book of Journaling is a stellar introduction to the joys and benefits of journaling by leaders in the field. Inspiration and guidance shine from every page.”—Lucia Capacchione, art therapist, author, and originator of the Creative Journal Method “What you'll find in The Great Book of Journaling is more than just a collection of ideas about journaling. Each of these chapters is meant to invite you deeper into a practice of listening to yourself, tuning into your intuition, and harnessing your natural powers to heal and create the life that you were meant to live. Ready for a fresh experience of the practice your therapist and every self-help book has been telling you to do? This book will touch your heart and help you connect with your inner creative self in a practice that can last the rest of your life!”—Jacob Nordby, author of The Creative Cure–How Finding and Freeing Your Inner Artist Can Heal Your Life “Who wouldn't want a life of wellness, creativity, meaning, and purpose? As a psychotherapist who believes that my craft can be helpful in this respect, I must also acknowledge that journaling can also help get you there. You still have to put in the work, and you will want to learn from the best. I highly recommend The Great Book of Journaling. It is full of practical wisdom, and it is a lot less expensive than therapy."—Jed Diamond, PhD, psychotherapist, author of The Irritable Male Syndrome: Understanding and Managing the 4 Key Causes of Depression and Aggression “The Great Book of Journaling, which contains an eclectic variety of creative and meaningful ways to journal, serves as a valuable and practical guide to anyone interested in journaling. For those who already journal, the book invites the reader to explore new techniques and unlocks the key to the gifts of journaling.” —Merle R. Saferstein, author of Living and Leaving My LegacyTable of ContentsContents Editor’s Introduction—Eric Maisel Editor’s Introduction—Lynda Monk 1. Juicy Journaling (SARK) 2. Journaling Basics (Mari L. McCarthy) 3. Journaling Simplicity (Kathleen Adams) 4. Journaling Resistance (Liz Crocker) 5. The Reflective Journal (Lynda Monk) 6. The Creative Journal (Lucia Capacchione) 7. The Storytelling Journal (Judy Reeves) 8. The Healing Journal (Jacob Nordby) 9. The Legacy Journal (Merle R. Saferstein) 10. The Elemental Journal (Midori Evans) 11. The Digital Journal (Hannah Braime) 12. The Planning Journal (Jennifer Britton) 13. The Altered Journal (Chris Leischner) 14. The Becoming Unstuck Journal (A M Carley) 15. The Forest Journal (Mary Ann Burrows) 16. The Audio Journal (Dwight McNair) 17. The Conflict Resolution Journal (Linda Dobson) 18. The Compassionate Journal (Ahava Shira) 19. Contemplative Journaling (Kimberly Wulfert) 20. Journaling as an Instrument of Mindfulness (Beth Jacobs) 21. Journaling Your Transitions (Leia Francisca) 22. The Writing Body (Emelie Hill Dittmer) 23. Inner Critic Journaling (Emma-Louise Elsey) 24. From Journal to Memoir (Eric Maisel) 25. Keeping the Fragmentary Journal (Sheila Bender) 26. Journaling in the Third Person (Lara Zielen) 27. Journaling in Community (Mary Ann Moore) 28. Journaling in a Group: A Facilitator’s Perspective (Nancy Johnston) 29. Journaling with Children (Nicolle Nattrass) 30. Journaling as Intergenerational Storytelling (Shehna Javeed) 31. Journaling and Creative 32. Journaling and Design Inspiration (Meryl Cook) 33. Journaling to Connect to Nature’s Wisdom (Jackee Holder) 34. Journaling and Traveling (April Bosshard) 35. Journaling to Find Love (Kim Ades) 36. Journaling and the Lost Words (Marisé Barreiro) 37. Journaling and Personal Growth (Sandra Marinella) 38. Journaling for Dream Fulfillment (Joyce Chapman) 39. Journaling and the Pursuit of Happiness (Susan Borkin) 40. Journaling for Your Future Self (Elena Greco) Conclusion Acknowledgments About the Editors

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Book SynopsisToday, Bernie Sanders is a household name, a wildly popular presidential candidate and an icon for progressive Democrats in the United States. But back in the 1980s, this democratic socialistthough some folks would prefer the term social democratwas mayor of Burlington, Vermont, where his administration attempted radical reforms. Some efforts were successful, but when a waterfront deal failed, it was not due to Sanders' efforts; he would rather compromise and have a net gain than be an ideological purist. In his preface to thisreissueofthe 1990book, Challenging the Boundaries of Reform, W. J. Conroy reflects on the recent legacy of Sanders, his Agenda for America, and his appeal to young voters. His book then looks back to identify Sanders' experience in Burlington by examining several case studies that unfolded amidst a conservative trend nationally, an unsympathetic state government, and a hostile city council. Ultimately, Conroy asks what lessons can be drawn from the case o

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Book SynopsisRevised and updated in a new edition, this is the only workbench book that shows the reader how to design a good workbench, how to build it and most importantly how to use it in their shop for all sorts of tasks, teaching the craftsperson how to fish rather than feeding them

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Book SynopsisDuring the founding of North Korea, competing visions of an ideal modern state proliferated. Independence and democracy were touted by all, but plans for the future of North Korea differed in their ideas about how everyday life should be organized. Daily life came under scrutiny as the primary arena for social change in public and private life. In Everyday Life in the North Korean Revolution, 19451950, Kim examines the revolutionary events that shaped people''s lives in the development of the Democratic People''s Republic of Korea. By shifting the historical focus from the state and the Great Leader to how villagers experienced social revolution, Kim offers new insights into why North Korea insists on setting its own course.Kim's innovative use of documents seized by U.S. military forces during the Korean War and now stored in the National Archivespersonnel files, autobiographies, minutes of organizational meetings, educational materials, women's magazines, and court documentstogether with oral histories allows her to present the first social history of North Korea during its formative years. In an account that makes clear the leading role of women in these efforts, Kim examines how villagers experienced, understood, and later remembered such events as the first land reform and modern elections in Korea's history, as well as practices in literacy schools, communal halls, mass organizations, and study sessions that transformed daily routine.Trade Review[On] the whole Kim's argument that the revolution was largely home-grown remains convincing. Especially fascinating are her chapters on the role of women in the revolution, and her exploration of the autobiographies that all adult North Koreans had to draft to show how their individual life stories fitted within the larger framework of Korea’s recent history and the revolution. -- Michael Rochlitz * Europe-Asia Studies *Kim's work stays focused on various 'everyday' people as examples of how the North Korean revolution enabled regular peasants to build a new socialist modernity uniquely theirs. The author relies on oral histories and archival sources to bring these marginalized histories to light. Kim is well read across Korean, Russian, and Chinese sources as well as scholarship on North Korea. Her innovative approach is... a step forward from the typical Cold War approach.... Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *Kim's book is a pioneering contribution to the articulation of a new paradigm. Putting it even more directly, she provides fresh, and often compelling, answers to a most fundamental question: How should the history of North Korea be written, especially in the aftermath of the Cold War? Suzy Kim has written an important book that deserves to be read widely by historians of North Korea, as well as by those of comparative communism and revolutionary processes. * Journal of Korean Studies *Concisely establishing the various lacunae and epistemological ossifications that hamstring studies of North Korea, this book makes a persuasive case for the significance of its subject. Kim argues that the everyday, especially in the formative years of the nation-state (1945–1950), posited a space for contestation, contingency, and construction by both state and society, which led to the formation of what she calls 'socialist modernity.'... Kim deftly mobilizes a range of materials, including statistics, photos, interviews, and official reports.... This is in many ways a pioneering work, the first analysis of North Korean social history in its formative years. Argued with finesse and supported by rich empirical research, it is undoubtedly an invaluable resource for all who are interested in the history of North Korea, everyday forms of socialism, and social history. -- Hyung-Gu Lynn * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Revolutions in the Everyday2. Legacies: Fomenting the Revolution3. Three Reforms: Initiating the Revolution4. The Collective: Enacting the Revolution5. Autobiographies: Narrating the Revolution6. Revolutionary Motherhood: Gendering the Revolution7. "Liberated Space": Remembering the RevolutionConclusionAppendix: Sample CurriculaNotes Index

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Book SynopsisRays of the World is the first complete pictorial atlas of the world's ray fauna and features paintings of more than six hundred species by the fish artist Lindsay Marshall.Trade ReviewOverall, this was a tremendous effort and the editors and illustrator should be commended. This is a must have book for anyone with an interest in chondrichthyans, and should find a place in the libraries of any serious ichthyologist. * The Quarterly Review of Biology *It is the first book to exclusively illustrate all the world’s rays, and was edited and written by some of the leading taxonomic researchers in the field.... The book is certainly not the last word on this group, but rather as the editors themselves commented on in the introduction, is a beginning to lay the groundwork for future research on this group of fishes. * Environmental Biology of Fishes *

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Book SynopsisEach center-sewn, foil-stamped notebook in this stunning trio features brand new cover artwork by James Jean and a dotted grid interior.

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Book SynopsisThese 92 magnificent designs - from elaborately detailed elephants to skulls, dragons and eagles - just beg to be coloured in. Use them for meditative downtime... or to inspire a real tattoo!

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Book SynopsisDiscover your true self as you create a cherished keepsake! With plenty of fun prompts, 'The Me Journal' encourages you to write your unique stories, thoughts, opinions, hopes and dreams.

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Book SynopsisThe origin story of hip-hop - one that involves Kool Herc DJing a house party on Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx - has become received wisdom. But Joseph C. Ewoodzie Jr. argues that the full story remains to be told. In vibrant prose, he combines never-before-used archival material with searching questions about the symbolic boundaries that have divided our understanding of the music.

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Book Synopsis The world of yoga has exploded since the first edition of Instructing Hatha Yoga was published in 2006. Millions more enthusiasts worldwide are experiencing the physical benefits and mindful awareness of yoga in gyms and spas, the training rooms of professional sport teams, prisons and hospitals, and even classrooms. With the increasing demand for qualified yoga teachers who can meet the needs of a diverse group of students, this updated edition of Instructing Hatha Yoga could not have come at a better time. Featuring detailed instructions on teaching 68 yoga poses and more than 200 photos showing the postures, the text covers all aspects of safe and confident hatha yoga instruction. The second edition is enhanced with the following features: Updated verbal and visual cues to use in teaching each posture Sample children's and prenatal classes 75 new video clips that demonstrate yoga poses and modifications and instruct oTable of Contents Part I The Practice of Yoga Chapter 1 Understanding Yoga Chapter 2 Basics of Teaching Yoga Chapter 3 Creating a Class Environment Chapter 4 Breathing and Beyond Chapter 5 Energy and Anatomy Part II Asanas and Adjustments Chapter 6 Sun Salutations Chapter 7 Standing Postures Chapter 8 Seated Postures Chapter 9 Supine and Prone Postures Chapter 10 Inverted Postures Chapter 11 Restorative Postures Part 3 Structuring a Class Chapter 12 Class Framework Chapter 13 Sample Classes

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Book SynopsisA concise, sensible grammar handbook explaining lucidly how to remember correct word forms and sentence structures. Useful as a reference tool for high school and beyond, it packs an entire grammar encyclopedia into just over a hundred pages.

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Book SynopsisDavid Mulroy’s brilliant verse translation of Oedipus Rex recaptures the aesthetic power of Sophocles’ masterpiece while also achieving a highly accurate translation in clear, contemporary English.Trade Review“A great work of world literature has at last become a great poem in English. Mulroy’s translation is far superior to other available English verse translations.”- Robert J. Rabel, editor of Approaches to Homer, Ancient and Modern;“Introductory notes on such matters as the historical background, fate vs. free will, and (inevitably) the Oedipus Complex are clear and useful.”- Peter Green, The New York Review of Books

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Book SynopsisFather and daughter provides an unique ‘insider perspective’ on two key figures in twentieth-century British social science, combining biography of Richard Titmuss and autobiography by his daughter Ann Oakley.Trade Review"Analysed with intellectual boldness and the rigour that typifies all of Oakley's work." British Journal of Social Work"[A] riveting book...Oakley has put together a collection of short essays and biographical fragments that explore not just her own unusual family life but key moments and personalities in the history of 20th-century social research." The Guardian"A very important contribution to historical and sociological scholarship. It is an original and carefully researched corrective to the existing 'business as usual' institutional and intellectual history of conflicts and tensions in the development of sociology, social administration, social policy and the professionalisation of social work." Times Higher Education"Ann Oakley is a highly original writer. The personal becomes political as she revisits her own history and that of her father. The web of social connections that made up the LSE's Department of Social Administration makes particularly fascinating reading." Jane Lewis, London School of Economics and Political Science"Ann Oakley’s story of how she is still taking stock of her relationship with Richard Titmuss is one of family dynamics and secrets, of politics at the grand and small scale, and of the ongoing process of making sense of who we are." Professor Graham Crow, Southampton University"Powerful and unique." LSE Review of Books blog"A fascinating study of an eminent father by his eminent daughter. This respected sociologist, feminist and novelist offers a true 'insider's view' of their relationship." Cherie Booth, QC"Father and Daughter is particularly powerful...the writing moves between scholarly exactness, dreamy reverie and pained resentment." London Review of Books"I have been gripped by "Father and Daughter" and I would like to say thanks for the best read in years!" A customer"In Father and Daughter, Ann Oakley revisits her childhood years and explores the causal links between her family's fraught domestic relationships and her father's idiosyncratic 'socialist view of inequality' that excluded gender issues from its policy concerns. This superbly researched memoir will become a classic of its kind - albeit a highly controversial one." Robert Pinker, Emeritus Professor of Social Administration, London School of Economics and Political Science"A tribute to the achievements, but many weaknesses, of her famous, revered father, Ann Oakley's own memoire of a childhood dominated by 'the Professor' makes often poignant but always fascinating reading." Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town"I love Ann Oakley's writing. She interrogates quite beautifully ' the shadowy spaces' in which public and private lives overlap and the effect this has, particularly on women." Melissa Benn,writer"An honest, intriguing and readable book about the author and her eminent father, her conflicts with him and his conflicts with his female colleagues. I could not put it down!" Baroness Blackstone of Stoke NewingtonTable of ContentsDaughter of a Blue Plaque Man; Falling into the Bog of History; Memory and Identity; Family and Kinship in London and Other Places; Mrs Titmuss’s Diaries; Love and Solitude; The Story of the Titmice: an alternative version; Meeting Win; Harem in Houghton Street; Difficult Women; Post-Mortem; The Troubles; Dusting his Bookshelves; Vera's Rose; This Procession of Educated Men; Telling stories.

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Book SynopsisAlthough Thomas Aquinas's influence over philosophy endures to this day, the medieval genius did not consider himself a philosopher, but a Scripture scholar. For the first time in history the Aquinas Institute is making Aquinas's commentaries on the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Matthew available in hardcover Latin-English editions. The bilingual format, which also features excerpts from the Gospel in Greek, Latin, and English, makes the work of this intellectual giant accessible to a wider audience than ever before. Aquinas's commentaries on the Gospels are a great gift for pastors, seminarians, and anyone who seeks a deeper intellectual reflection on the Gospels.

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Book SynopsisExplore the Energetic Dimension of Your Health—In Living Color! When it comes to the subtle body, coloring is more than just an enjoyable way to learn about the energy systems that govern our health—it’s also an effective practice to help awaken your intuitive connection to your chakras, meridians, and more. With The Subtle Body Coloring Book, Cyndi Dale joins illustrator Richard Wehrman to bring you an illustrated resource on healing modalities from a variety of traditions, inviting you to: • Embark on a coloring tour through the major energy structures of the subtle body—fields, channels, and centers • Explore the body’s aura and electromagnetic biofield • Illuminate the meridians—the body’s chi channels as identified by Traditional Chinese Medicine • Awaken the gifts and wisdom of each chakra as you color them • Journey through your acupressure points, organs, and the subtle energy centers that empower health and wellness • Learn the special qualities and healing properties of each color you use Filled with practical guidance for students, teachers, and holistic practitioners here is an information-rich book that serves as an educational tool, memorization aid, and a great way to relax and explore the energetic dimensions of our health.

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Book SynopsisExplore the World of Tarot with This Fun and Information-Packed Resource Want to learn how to read Tarot cards? Not sure where to start? With The Tarot Coloring Book, you can color your way through every card in the deck—and go from "Tarot rookie" to "Tarot rock star" in no time. Created especially for new practitioners and people who’ve been intimidated by Tarot, this guide was created to help you get going immediately with a Tarot practice that will grow and deepen for many years to come. As you relax and enjoy coloring illustrations from the classic Rider Waite deck, you’ll experience Reed’s accessible guidance as she shares: • Card-by-card insights on the symbolism, meaning, and hidden wisdom of all 78 Major and Minor Arcana • Guidance for coloring—what the classic colors mean, and why it’s sometimes even better to choose your own • Easy, jargon-free explanations about the history and practice of Tarot • Beginner-friendly spreads to help you get to answers fast and aid in decision-making • Tarot-to-Go—a handy quick-reference guide for the essential meaning of each card "As you color the images, you’ll find yourself seeing symbols that you may not have noticed before," writes Theresa. "You’ll see stories and patterns begin to emerge. You’ll find your own meanings while learning the traditional ones." Now you can master the entire deck with a unique and enjoyable guidebook for exploring the hidden aspects of this classic divination system.

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Book SynopsisDecorated with striking imagery from the beloved Harry Potter film series, this pocket journal is an exciting addition to Insight’s best-selling line of collectible pop culture notebooks.Hufflepuff house is known for its loyalty, a tradition that hails from its founder, Helga Hufflepuff. This hardcover pocket journal celebrates the iconic house with vibrant imagery and endpapers that display the beautiful art created for the films.

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Book SynopsisKnocking over a highly lucrative religious revival show, Parker reminds us that not all criminals don ski masks - some prefer to hide behind the wings of fallen angels. Backflash followed soon after, and it found Parker checking out the scene on a Hudson River gambling boat. Parker's no fan of either relaxation or risk.Trade Review"Parker has not lost his touch - or his nerve." (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times) "Parker at his best.... If you haven't read Stark, Backflash is the place to start your PhD in crime." (Stephen King) "Whatever Stark writes, I read." (Elmore Leonard)"

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Book SynopsisAdrian Tomine (Shortcomings, Scenes from an Impending Marriage) has forged countless iconic images of New York City in his career as an illustrator. A master of conveying an entire story with a single panel, his covers for The New Yorker are beloved by New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers alike, as much for their frank yet charming portrayal of life in the big city as for their flawless design and gorgeous linework. This postcard set celebrates thirty of Tomine's most well-known illustrations, and is a loving homage to the city that Tomine, a West Coast transplant, has called home for the past eight years.Trade ReviewIn [Tomine's] illustrations, Edward Hopper-like situations-of dogs under disused railway bridges, or people on a street corner-take on a wry edge.-The Economist

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Book SynopsisDot-to-dot puzzles have long been a popular activity for generations, with the opportunity to while away the hours uncovering hidden pictures. This new book takes simple join-the-dot art to the next level with 20 puzzles of delightful animals to complete. Intricate, challenging and rewarding to finish, the puzzles range from 352 to 879 dots and will have you transfixed as you progress from dot to dot trying to see what you have drawn.

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Book SynopsisRecord your own magical journey with this Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them­–themed writing journal.Featuring the spell from J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World used to stun enemies, dueling opponents, and even the occasional No-Maj, this finely crafted journal celebrates the exquisite art and design of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  With sturdy construction and a sewn binding, this journal lies flat, and the 192 lined, acid-free pages of high-quality, heavy stock paper take both pen and pencil nicely to encourage inspiration. The journal also features a ribbon placeholder, elastic closure, and 7.5 x 4.5–inch back pocket, ideal for holding photographs and sketches. Copyright © 2016 FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM characters, names and related indicia are © &TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB SHIELD: TM & © WBEI. J.K. ROWLING’S WIZARDING WORLD TM J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s16

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Book SynopsisThis text assesses the impact of socialist collectivization on Bulgaria's rural economy over the past 50 years through a case study of one village. Since 1989, Bulgarian villagers have struggled to defend their earlier gains against both proto-capitalists and rehabilitated socialists.Trade Review“Gerald Creed has written the best book available on contemporary events in Bulgaria. It clearly demonstrates why ethnographic methods are essential to understanding events since 1989: such methods reveal how daily practice ‘domesticates’ both socialism and its aftermath, disrupting the calculus of policies imposed from above. Written in accessible, jargon-free language, this book will be useful to students and policy-makers as well as to specialists of the region.”—Katherine Verdery,University of Michigan“This book gives the reader a ground-up view of how socialist economics worked for ordinary villagers in the late 1980s and how they reacted to and interpreted the subsequent transition. The scholarship is superior and the work is a major contribution to East European and (post) Soviet studies.”—Carol Silverman,University of Oregon

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Book SynopsisA reading of the Cartesian corpus from the vantage point of contemporary feminism. It includes discussion of the implications of Descartes' epistemology for feminists and the historical context of his intellectual relations with women. Contributors include Erica Harth and Ruth Perry.Trade Review“All in all, a fascinating journey!”—Katherine Rudolph Hypatia

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Book SynopsisApophasis has become a major topic in the humanities, particularly in philosophy, religion, and literature. This two-volume anthology gathers together most of the important historical works on apophaticism and illustrates the diverse trajectories of apophatic discourse in ancient, modern, and postmodern times.Trade Review“Any writer worth his salt knows that what cannot be spoken is ultimately the thing worth speaking about; yet most often this humbling awareness is unsaid or covered up. There are some who have made it their business, however, to court failure and acknowledge defeat, to explore the impasse of words before silence. William Franke has created an anthology of such explorations, undertaken in poetry and prose, that stretches from Plato to the present. Whether the subject of discourse is All or Nothing does not matter: the struggle of speech to name the unnameable is the same. This ambitious two-volume undertaking demonstrates a preoccupation as old as Western civilization itself: the limits of language and the virtue of being at a loss for words. How long we have been raiding the Inarticulate!” —Peter S. Hawkins, Boston University“Developments in critical theory during the past two decades have led to renewed interest in negative theology. Books like Languages of the Unsayable (1989), Negation and Theology (1992), Derrida and Negative Theology (1992), and The Otherness of God (1998) have signaled the resurgence of this ancient tradition. William Franke’s distinctive contribution is to provide the background and texts from which these recent developments have emerged.” —Mark Taylor, Williams College"These two volumes successfully realize a massive project: to propose and delineate a new field of discourse that provides a fresh approach to Western thought as a whole. In short, William Franke demonstrates the centrality of apophaticism, 'what cannot be said,' to the Western tradition, from Plato (and before) to Derrida (and beyond). . . . The first volume covers the first 'cycles' of apophasis, as the Western tradition evolves, stretching from the commentary tradition of Plato's Parmenides to Eckhart and his progenitors. . . . Franke's work is nothing short of brilliant." —Religion and Literature“. . . one of the most important and original contributions to the discussion of apophasis in recent years. . . . Franke’s historical and disciplinary range, in light of his well-written and compelling essays, provides an illuminating insight into the pervasiveness of apophatic discourse. . . . Franke’s anthology is a resource which should not be ignored. Few others, maybe no others, provide the same clarity, coherence, and scope.” —Christianity and Literature“The genius of Franke’s two-volume critical anthology on apophatic discourses is the work’s breadth and depth of engagement with the concept in variously distinct and even conflicting contexts. . . . Franke manages his sweeping and inclusive exploration of apophatic discourses by identifying a thematic lens for selecting his sources as part of a larger, conceptually-rooted genre of discourse. . . . the greatest strength of Franke’s two-volume collection resides in the sheer fact that nothing like it exists.” —Essays in Philosophy

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Book SynopsisExplores Shrine Madonnas, late medieval statues of the Virgin Mary that split open to reveal richly carved and painted interiors. Analyzes the changing roles of vision and sensation in the complex performative ways in which audiences engaged with devotional art, both in public and in private.Trade Review“This study of Shrine Madonnas employs a kaleidoscope of lenses to show that perception of these uncanny devotional objects resounded in the viewer’s body, evoked the lore and science of childbirth, displayed the motility of liveness, and offered multiple paths for the remembrance of sacred history. Attentive to cultural context, Elina Gertsman also brings an array of theoretical insights to bear. A rich and immersive experience awaits the reader-viewer of this intellectually scintillating book!”—Pamela Sheingorn,City University of New York“Worlds Within is wonderful—compelling, clear, sharp, and engaging. Elina Gertsman uses understudied Shrine Madonnas to prize apart understandings of medieval belief and practice, exploring how these objects facilitated embodied and enacted religious experiences that pressed the boundaries between the material and immaterial, the inert and active, the mundane and sacred, the visual and haptic, and the experience of the present and memory. This is accomplished through consideration of theoretical, cultural, theological, and formal perspectives, with particular emphasis on phenomenological and cognitive approaches. The implications of this learned study extend far beyond Shrine Madonnas to medieval understandings of vision and touch, and performance and devotion, that will shape the field.”—Asa Mittman,California State University“This thoughtful, sophisticated, and at times daring book offers important new insights into the simultaneous popularity and controversiality of the Vierge ouvrante in late medieval Europe. Springing dynamically between medieval theological, devotional, and scientific discourse and modern scholarship on ritual, reception, performance, and play, Elina Gertsman’s wide-ranging argument illuminates, with elegance and verve, the animated and animating role that these distinctive sculptures played in late medieval religious practice.”—Pamela Patton,Southern Methodist University“This finely written and pioneering study is not simply a descriptive tract on the Shrine Madonnas—those fascinating sculptures that open to reveal complex iconographical programs. Rather, it is a far-reaching and riveting analysis of their important place in society and belief. Taking an all-encompassing and holistic approach to the forty or so extant carvings that first appeared at the end of the thirteenth century, Elina Gertsman places the works in a central position with regard to private and public devotion and makes the reader aware of how much they embodied and how they functioned. Sister Candide, a sixteenth-century nun at Maubuisson, wrote of the carving in that church that ‘when open it was not a Virgin but the entire world.’ The same could be said of this book—when open, it brings us a far greater world than we are led to believe from the title. Mariological studies are extended with this monograph, which looks at the physicality and meaning of the carvings from a medieval and modern perspective. This is essential reading for anyone interested in medieval art.”—Colum Hourihane,Princeton University“This book takes on a little-studied class of object with forcefulness and erudition. Beyond elucidating the multiple resonances of Shrine Madonnas for their original viewers, Elina Gertsman’s work will inspire new ways of considering larger questions concerning late medieval sculpture, audience response, the intersections of art and science, and female experience.”—Nina Rowe,Fordham University“In this truly multidisciplinary study of one of the most perplexing and beguiling of medieval visual traditions, the so-called Vierges ouvrantes, Elina Gertsman deftly deploys a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches to investigate a staggering variety of objects, performances, and texts spanning three centuries and most of continental Europe as well as England. The book will have long-lasting impact not only on the discipline of art history, as a model of intellectual and scholarly rigor, but also on the broader field of medieval studies, for the way in which it brings together attention to the material and phenomenological specificity of objects and the theological, political, and epistemological dimensions within which they were created, viewed, and handled, or mishandled. One of the book’s most important contributions is its focus on the way the Vierges ouvrantes articulate a relationship between outside and inside, not just on an iconographic level but also and more importantly in terms of bodily process and passage. The brio and humor of Gertsman’s prose are finely balanced with the seriousness of her concern with the fundamental questions of how visual experience not only informs but actively shapes the way human beings experience physical, social, and psychic bodies.”—Alexa Sand,Utah State University“Spanning vast temporal and topographical geographies, Elina Gertsman’s fascinating new account of the Shrine Madonnas demonstrates how their performative and anatomical disclosures respond to medieval theology, image theory, the science of medicine, and ritual. As it draws on phenomenology, performance studies, and new advances in affective neuroscience, this provocative book challenges us to rethink the way medieval art is displayed in museums today.”—Bissera Pentcheva,Stanford University“With uncanny elegance, Elina Gertsman elucidates one of the most jarring genres in medieval art: sculpted wooden bodies of holy Mary that open and close to display or hide miniature sacred worlds that evoke all of Christian salvation history. Written with exceptional erudition and historically grounded imagination, Worlds Within provides a new way of looking at late medieval material culture through an exploration of the visual poetics of enclosure, concealment, fragmentation, and unveiling. By skillfully guiding the reader through a complex medieval matrix of devotional practices, theological and gynecological beliefs, and sensory experience, Gertsman makes newly accessible the ‘sacred anatomy’ of these strange yet familiar, beautiful yet monstrous objects that have fascinated and offended viewers from the Middle Ages to the present day.”—Debra Higgs Strickland,University of Glasgow“Vividly written, compellingly argued, and deeply informed by the latest scholarship, Worlds Within offers innovative and rich insight into the making and meaning of one of the most fascinating, but least researched, Marian images of the Middle Ages. Elina Gertsman’s sophisticated and often provocative book investigates the Shrine Madonna from a wide range of angles, which include, but are not limited to, the kinetics of concealment and revelation, medieval notions of anatomy, mnemonics, optics, the monstrous, and the abject, as well as modern cognitive science. This magisterial, truly interdisciplinary study will be must-reading for anyone interested in the ‘power of images’ in the medieval period and beyond.”—Achim Timmermann,University of Michigan“Handsomely produced and beautifully illustrated.”—Choice“Worlds Within: Opening the Medieval Shrine Madonna is a significant contribution to medieval studies not only for its content but also for the way in which the author leads us to read the text, written with great vivacity, humor and sometimes with that passion for the object investigated that makes us feel the author’s presence on every page.”—Loretta Vandi ArteVista“Striving to get a better understanding of late medieval culture, Gertsman draws upon a great variety of sources and concepts. Her meticulously analyzed case studies are based on a wide-ranging and up-to-date knowledge of scholarship that helps her to elaborate complex and sophisticated interpretations. . . . Gertsman’s ambitious book is a strong contribution to medieval art history and to art history in general.”—Robert Marcoux Renaissance Quarterly“Elina Gertsman’s book raises many interesting questions with passionate conviction and intellectual sophistication.”—Paul Williamson Burlington Magazine“Worlds Within is beautifully produced, with many full-color reproductions and high-quality paper that makes for a sumptuous reading experience. The inclusion of a gatefold of the Rhenish Shrine Madonna at the Met is a clever touch, allowing readers to enact an approximation of the opening and closing of the shrine. This sense of playfulness, in both the text and the book itself, reminds us that late medieval devotion itself was often playful. It is a welcome approach, and the wide range of possible approaches to the Shrine Madonna presents a model for interdisciplinary research. Worlds Within is an important contribution to current scholarship on late medieval devotion and will surely become a standard text for students and scholars alike.”—Johanna Seasonwein CAA.Reviews“A beautiful book of unusual and delightful sculptures. It is anchored in the scholarship of the last thirty years and demonstrates how an interest in devotional forms of art and the gendering of the Middle Ages has opened up the range of subject matter now acceptable as the focus of scholarly research. Elina Gertsman’s widely read scholarship is evident on every page.”—Judith Collard Parergon“Worlds Within exercises and synthesizes the past 20 or so years of scholarship on medieval art and related fields, making it a must-read for serious students of this subject.”—Julia Perratore Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture“Gertsman’s approach is sagacious and unquestionably original.”—George Lazaroiu Sixteenth Century JournalTable of ContentsContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: A Cause of Error1 Secrets: Revealing Bodies, Fragmented Vision2 Ruptures: Holy Anatomy, Affective Obstetrics3 Play: Animate Substance, Uncanny Performance4 Imprints: Hybrid Memories, Interior JourneysPostscript: The Excavated BodyAppendix: Shrine Madonnas ca. 1270–ca. 1500, in Approximate Chronological OrderNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA critical study of the growing use of evolutionary theory and neuroscience to interpret art. Explores the question of what is gained from using ideas and methods from the biological sciences in the analysis of art.Trade Review“A lucid historiography of the many manifestations, in art, of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Summing Up: Recommended.”—D. L. Schuld Choice“For decades, neuroarthistory, neuroaesthetics, and other biological approaches have been assembling a version of art’s history that is alien to the discipline of art history. Outlandish claims have been made about the significance of brain functioning to works of art, provoking defensive criticism about the pertinence of science to art history. Matthew Rampley advances and opens the discussion by taking up the same scientific criteria advocated by the writers he analyzes, including questions of evidence, hypothesis forming, and explanatory value. In that sense this book is not a polemic but an attempt to find ground for conversation. At its heart is a broad and widely informed concern with the sense of culture that art history might bring to bear in the coming decades.”—James Elkins,editor of The Stone Art Theory Institutes series“A thoughtful examination of the attempts to reduce aesthetics and art history to neurophysiology or evolutionary science. It provides a comprehensive survey and penetrating analysis of the efforts to impose biological models on the understanding of the arts that have proliferated in recent decades.”—Branko Mitrović,author of Rage and Denials: Collectivist Philosophy, Politics, and Art Historiography, 1890–1947Table of ContentsContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1 Art, Biology, and the Aesthetics of Selection2 Memes and Trees: Art History as Evolution3 Brains, Caves, and Phalanxes: Neuroaesthetics and Neuroarthistory4 Self-Organizing Evolution: Art as a SystemConclusion: On the Multiple Cultures of InquiryNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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