Search results for ""Intellect""

"Bold and compelling... Uniformly excellent, and often wryly amusing."" - The Wall Street Journal "A globetrotting historical adventure, told from the inside of the operating room... Medical writing at its most exhilarating." - Michael Paul Mason"Comprehensively researched, deftly told, and radiating both intellect and passion... Essential reading for anyone interested not only in the history but also in the future of medicine." - Frank Huyler"A history of surgery that is informative, entertaining, and highly readable." Library JournalA fascinating history of the practice of surgery from one of the leading figures in the field, chronicling centuries of scientific breakthroughs by the discipline's most dynamic, pioneering doctors.Written by an author with plenty of experience holding a scalpel, Dr. David Schneider's The Invention of Surgery is an in-depth biography of the practice that has leapt forward over the centuries from the dangerous guesswork of ancient Greek physicians through the world-changing "implant revolution" of the twentieth century.The Invention of Surgery explains this dramatic progress and highlights the personalities of the discipline's most dynamic historical figures. It links together the lives of the pioneering scientists who first understood what causes disease, how organs become infected or cancerous, and how surgery could powerfully intercede in people's lives, and then shows how the rise of surgery intersected with many of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the last century, including the evolution of medical education, the transformation of the hospital from a place of dying to a habitation of healing, the development of antibiotics, and the rise of transistors and polymer science.And as Schneider argues, surgery has not finished transforming; new technologies are constantly reinventing both the practice of surgery and the nature of the objects we are permanently implanting in our bodies. Schneider considers these latest developments, asking "What's next?" and analyzing how our conception of surgery has changed alongside our evolving ideas of medicine, technology, and our bodies.

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Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639) is one of the most fascinating, if hitherto inaccessible, intellectuals of the Italian Renaissance. His work ranges across many of the intellectual, ecclesiastical, and political concerns of that tumultuous era. John Headley uses Campanella's life and works to open a window into this complex period. He not only explicates the frequently contradictory texts of a prolific author but also situates Campanella's writings amidst the larger currents of European thought.For all its obscurely magical and astrolgocial intricacies, Campanella's entire intellectual endeavor expresses an effort to impose a distinctive order and direction upon the major issues and forces of the age different from that which was shortly to prevail with the new Galilean science and the Leviathan state. In the process of identifying and engaging these issues and imparting in some instances something of his own, he managed to mobilize and deploy many of the salient principles of late medieval and Renaissance culture, often cast in a curiously modern hue and aligned with the new forces of the age. Indeed, modern and antique, new and old juxtapose violently in the person of this reformer who combines an encyclopedic comprehensiveness of intellect with an appalling intensity of will. He is a man who strove to destabilize the regnant forces of what he identified as tyranny, sophistry, and hypocrisy and to shake the world into a new order. In this book, Headley invites readers to look anew at this mercurial figure and at the turbulent times in which he lived.John M. Headley is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has authored studies of Luther, Thomas More, the Emperor Charles V, and San Carlo Borromeo.Originally published in 1997.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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Professor John F. Boyle’s lecture, Master Thomas Aquinas and the Fullness of Life, is a piece that combines a profoundly personal element – the experience of someone who has chosen St. Thomas as his own teacher and master – with the learnedness of one of the most respected contemporary American scholars of the thought of Thomas Aquinas. What we are offered in Professor Boyle’s lecture is not the kind of arid and lifeless speculation that is sometimes – albeit mistakenly – associated with Aquinas’s own style. Boyle emphasizes that Aquinas was far from being a “brain on a stick,” a theologian and thinker so deeply immersed in speculation as to lose sight of the real world, and indeed of what matters in the real world. For what matters in the real world is life, and our ability to conduct this life is a way that is in accordance with the deepest longings of human nature. Boyle demonstrates, with both learning and wit, that it is precisely this life, in its fullness, to which St. Thomas endeavors to lead his students through his teaching. This life has its roots in the humble operations of living that we share with creatures such as plants and animals; it rises to the properly human level in the selfdirection of which we are capable through intellect and will, and which enables us to form ourselves morally in habits that become “second natures” for us; and it is perfectedin the supernatural life of faith in which Christ becomes our teacher and master, who leads us to eternal life with his Father. With Master Boyle through Master Thomas to the Master: that could be the motto of this Aquinas Lecture, which was delivered at the University of Dallas on January 28, 2013. Although the University of Dallas has hosted an annual Aquinas Lecture since 1982, Master Thomas Aquinas and the Fullness of Life is the first to be made available in this new series.

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'(A)sensational book by one of our greatest and best-loved historians... Astoundingly good.' - Alison Weir 'Masterful, captivating, page-turning, this is solid gold history at its best.' - Nicola Tallis'(A) thought-provoking, impeccably researched, and moving account uncovering how Anne's family, intellect, and tragedy shaped Elizabeth I's extraordinary career.' - Gareth Russell'Her extensive research... reveals them as the most dazzling female double act in history.' - Sarah Gristwood'Incredibly well-researched, elegantly written, and overall genuinely ground-breaking,' - Estelle ParanqueOne of the most extraordinary mother and daughter stories of all time - Anne Boleyn, the most famous of Henry VIII's wives and her daughter Elizabeth, the 'Virgin Queen'.Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII's six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. For the most part, she is considered in the context of her relationship with Tudor England's much-married monarch. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest - and significance - is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I.Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. Given that she could have held precious few memories of Anne, it is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her. But this is both inaccurate and misleading. Elizabeth knew that she had to be discreet about Anne, but there is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Even during Henry's lifetime, Elizabeth dared to express her sympathy for her late mother by secretly wearing Anne's famous 'A' pendant when she sat for a painting with her father and siblings.Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn's relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history.

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The second volume of the extraordinary life of the great music and literary icon Leonard Cohen, in the words of those who knew him best.Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon—there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring the world with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen is one of the world’s most cherished artists. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights. Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. This second of three volumes—From This Broken Hill—follows him from the conclusion of his first international music tour in 1971 as he continued to compose poetry, record music, and search for meaning into the late 1980s. The book explores his decade-long relationships with Suzanne Elrod, with whom he had two children, and various other numerous romantic partners, including the beginning of his long relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann and, simultaneously, a five-year relationship with a woman never previously identified. It is a challenging time for Cohen. His personal life is in chaos and his career stumbles, so much so that his 1984 album, Various Positions, is rejected by Columbia Records, while other artistic endeavours fail to find an audience. However, this period also marks the start of his forty-year immersion in Zen Buddhism, which would connect him to the legendary Zen master Joshu Sasaki Roshi and inspire some of his most profound and enduring art. In From This Broken Hill, bestselling author and biographer Michael Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reach beyond the Cohen of myth and reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the real man. Honest and entertaining, this is a must-have book for any Cohen fan.

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This in-depth study examines the social, religious, and philosophical thought of Simone Weil. Simone Weil for the Twenty-First Century presents a comprehensive analysis of Weil’s interdisciplinary thought, focusing especially on the depth of its challenge to contemporary philosophical and religious studies. In a world where little is seen to have real meaning, Eric O. Springsted presents a critique of the unfocused nature of postmodern philosophy and argues that Weil’s thought is more significant than ever in showing how the world in which we live is, in fact, a world of mysteries. Springsted brings into focus the challenges of Weil’s original (and sometimes surprising) starting points, such as an Augustinian priority of goodness and love over being and intellect, and the importance of the Crucifixion. Springsted demonstrates how the mystical and spiritual aspects of Weil’s writings influence her social thought. For Weil, social and political questions cannot be separated from the supernatural. For her, rather, the world has a sacramental quality, such that life in the world is always a matter of life in God—and life in God, necessarily a way of life in the world. Simone Weil for the Twenty-First Century is not simply a guide or introduction to Simone Weil. Rather, it is above all an argument for the importance of Weil’s thought in the contemporary world, showing how she helps us to understand the nature of our belonging to God (sometimes in very strange and unexpected ways), the importance of attention and love as the root of both the love of God and neighbor, the importance of being rooted in culture (and culture’s service to the soul in rooting it in the universe), and the need for human beings to understand themselves as communal beings, not as isolated thinkers or willers. It will be essential reading for scholars of Weil, and will also be of interest to philosophers and theologians.

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"Bold and compelling... Uniformly excellent, and often wryly amusing."" - The Wall Street Journal "A globetrotting historical adventure, told from the inside of the operating room... Medical writing at its most exhilarating." - Michael Paul Mason"Comprehensively researched, deftly told, and radiating both intellect and passion... Essential reading for anyone interested not only in the history but also in the future of medicine." - Frank Huyler"A history of surgery that is informative, entertaining, and highly readable." Library JournalA fascinating history of the practice of surgery from one of the leading figures in the field, chronicling centuries of scientific breakthroughs by the discipline's most dynamic, pioneering doctors.Written by an author with plenty of experience holding a scalpel, Dr. David Schneider's The Invention of Surgery is an in-depth biography of the practice that has leapt forward over the centuries from the dangerous guesswork of ancient Greek physicians through the world-changing "implant revolution" of the twentieth century.The Invention of Surgery explains this dramatic progress and highlights the personalities of the discipline's most dynamic historical figures. It links together the lives of the pioneering scientists who first understood what causes disease, how organs become infected or cancerous, and how surgery could powerfully intercede in people's lives, and then shows how the rise of surgery intersected with many of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the last century, including the evolution of medical education, the transformation of the hospital from a place of dying to a habitation of healing, the development of antibiotics, and the rise of transistors and polymer science.And as Schneider argues, surgery has not finished transforming; new technologies are constantly reinventing both the practice of surgery and the nature of the objects we are permanently implanting in our bodies. Schneider considers these latest developments, asking "What's next?" and analyzing how our conception of surgery has changed alongside our evolving ideas of medicine, technology, and our bodies.

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"Everything and nothing is sacred in Rebecca Brown's essays. Tongue, word, thought, and intellect all conspire in a free language love of living history, divination, sex, solitude and amusement. She is America's only real rock n' roll schoolteacher. Lessons layered with profundity and protracted parallels. Where old world religion, Gertrude Stein and Oreo cookies co-exist in an actual and mystic world of wonder." --Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth "If Rebecca Brown's talent for prose were any tighter, it would be a lyric -- to a pop standard. An homage -- a menage -- to America, exposing what's laid bare in a comic tragic redux. I laughed till it hurt." --Van Dyke Parks, Composer/Arranger "Anyone who can get from the Eucharist, to a Necco Wafer, to the goo beween the Oreo wafers, to the Inquisition, to the goo between the legs of excited young women is a distant sibling of mine. She can dash and she can drift and she is not much interested in the really bad parts that might qualify as confession. She likes the float of quotidian living and I like to read the words upon which she floats." -- Dave Hickey, author of Air Guitar The impulse to tell our worst to a bunch of strangers has been fueling American self-hood for 300 years: there's a direct line from the Puritan confession narrative to today's lurid, inescapable exhibitionism. But whose stories are we telling? This collection of mordant, poignant, and playful essays shows Rebecca Brown at the height of her imaginative and intuitive powers. A wry, incisive social and literary critique is couched in a gonzo mix of pop culture, autobiography, fiction, literary history, misremembered movie plots, and fantasy that plays with the notion of what it is to be "American." Fantastical connections and unlikely meetings span the course of America's cultural history in a manic remix, featuring appearances by Brian Wilson, Gertrude Stein, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Invisible Man, the Abligensian Crusade, John Wayne, Felix Mendelssohn, JFK, Shane, and God. Rebecca Brown's books include: The Gifts of the Body, The Last Time I Saw You, The Haunted House, Terrible Girls, and The End of Youth.

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This English translation of Gebser’s major work, Ursprung und Gegenwart (Stuttgart, Deutsche Verlag, 1966), offers certain fundamental insights which should be beneficial to any sensitive scientist and makes it available to the English-speaking world for the recognition it deserves. “The path which led Gebser to his new and universal perception of the world is, briefly, as follows. In the wake of materialism and social change, man had been described in the early years of our century as the “dead end” of nature. Freud had redefined culture as illness—a result of drive sublimation; Klages had called the spirit (and he was surely speaking of the hypertrophied intellect) the “adversary of the soul,” propounding a return to a life like that of the Pelasgi, the aboriginal inhabitants of Greece; and Spengler had declared the “Demise of the West” during the years following World War I. The consequences of such pessimism continued to proliferate long after its foundations had been superseded. It was with these foundations—the natural sciences—that Gebser began. As early as Planck it was known that matter was not at all what materialists had believed it to be, and since 1943 Gebser has repeatedly emphasized that the so-called crisis of Western culture was in fact an essential restructuration.… Gebser has noted two results that are of particular significance: first, the abandonment of materialistic determinism, of a one-sided mechanistic-causal mode of thought; and second, a manifest “urgency of attempts to discover a universal way of observing things, and to overcome the inner division of contemporary man who, as a result of his one-sided rational orientation, thinks only in dualisms.” Against this background of recent discoveries and conclusions in the natural sciences Gebser discerned the outlines of a potential human universality. He also sensed the necessity to go beyond the confines of this first treatise so as to include the humanities (such as political economics and sociology) as well as the arts in a discussion along similar lines. This was the point of departure of The Ever-Present Origin. From In memoriam Jean Gebser by Jean Keckeis

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When Emma leaves the security of her Amish community for a job in North Carolina, she finds herself navigating choices, circumstances, and a relationship that she never could have imagined. Follow as she struggles to reconcile her faith and her complicated feelings in this romance by bestselling Amish writer Linda Byler.Plenty of young men had noticed Emma's smooth auburn hair and her quick intellect, but at twenty-six years of age, she was still single, much to the bewilderment of her Amish community. "She's just too picky," they said, and she supposed they were right. Most did not know that she had been in love once, and had wound up brokenhearted.When she becomes a nanny for an English (non-Amish) family along the coast of North Carolina, her world opens up in exciting—and confusing—ways. Not only is she getting used to life outside the safety of her Amish culture in Pennsylvania, but she finds herself spending time with Ben, the handsome Amish man who is working as a contractor on the house next door to where she's staying. He is charming, outgoing, strong, and so bold in his affection for her!When Emma is forced to leave North Carolina suddenly, she doesn't get a chance to say goodbye to Ben or to exchange phone numbers or addresses. She trusts that he will find her eventually, but as months go by with no word from him, she doesn't know what to make of the romance they had shared.Emma's best friend Eva invites her to go on a camping trip and she agrees, only to discover Eva has schemed to set Emma up with Matt, a cousin who had long since left the Amish community and was living a faithless, worldly life. Annoyed and longing for Ben, she is relieved when Matt assures her he has no interest in dating her. He's nice enough, but he's not Ben, and besides, Emma would never date a man who had chosen to leave his parents, their faith, and their deeply held traditions.When eventually Emma returns to North Carolina to reunite with Ben, her world is shattered in a way she couldn't have imagined, and she is left to grapple with her faith, her future, and her complicated feelings. Why did God keep stringing her along, only to leave her broken again and again?

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*THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* - November 2021A deeply honest investigation of what it means to be a woman and a commodity from Emily Ratajkowski, the archetypal, multi-hyphenate celebrity of our time._______________'This is the book for every woman trying to place their body on the map of consumption vs control, and every woman who wants to better understand her impulses. It left me much changed' - Lena Dunham'I read these pages, breathless with recognition, and the thrill of reading a new voice telling it like it is' - Dani Shapiro'Emily Ratajkowski's first essay collection needs to be read by everyone [...] both page-turning and moving as hell' - Amy Schumer'A slow, complicated indictment of a profession and the people who propel it [...] it will deliver a more nuanced and introspective rendering of her interior than those who come to it with those surface interests might expect' - Vogue'Dazzling' - Observer'Ratajkowski brings nuanced insight to questions about empowerment versus commodification of women's bodies and sexuality. Blending cultural criticism and personal stories, My Body is smart and powerful' - Time Magazine'Raw, nuanced and beautifully written. A moving and enlightening experience to join a woman openly exploring such deep parts of her physical self via the written word. A truly impressive debut' - Emma Gannon'Excellent [...] Ratajkowski writes with curiosity, intellect and acute awareness' - Harper's Bazaar'Superb [...] it feels revolutionary' - Telegraph'I admire and envy her artistry' - Guardian_______________Emily Ratajkowski is an acclaimed model and actress, an engaged political progressive, a formidable entrepreneur, a global social media phenomenon, and now, a writer. Rocketing to world fame at age twenty-one, Ratajkowski sparked both praise and furor with the provocative display of her body as an unapologetic statement of feminist empowerment. The subsequent evolution in her thinking about our culture's commodification of women is the subject of this book.My Body is a profoundly personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power, of men's treatment of women and women's rationalizations for accepting that treatment. These essays chronicle moments from Ratajkowski's life while investigating the culture's fetishization of girls and female beauty, its obsession with and contempt for women's sexuality, the perverse dynamics of the fashion and film industries, and the grey area between consent and abuse.Nuanced, unflinching, and incisive, My Body marks the debut of a fierce writer brimming with courage and intelligence.

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From beginnings secreted in the folds of her mother's sari, transplanted to England to struggle with the rough musicality of Mancunian vowels, Raman Mundair, a Punjabi Alice, found no true reflection of herself, no wonderland, but mirrors which dissolved, shrank and obscured her size. In these poems she creates her own universe and dissects its realities in all their complex, tragic and surreal forms.At the heart of the collection is an acute sensitivity to the body: hurt, aroused, desired, ignored. Her poems spill out from this centre: to the physical memory of domestic violence, the intense joys of intimacy and love, and the pain of their rejection, to a passionate concern with the body politic. Here, whether her focus is on the non-sense of religious exclusion, the seismic fault of partition that continues to tremor, or the racist murders of Stephen Lawrence and Ricky Reel, the approach is oblique, metaphorical, observant of the details that carry the poems beyond political statement. For Mundair, there is, too, a world beyond Britain, seen with more than just a vivid eye for the ironies and pleasures of travel.Raman Mundair's voice encompasses the most delicate, shimmering images and a raw, abrasive, sometimes angry energy. There is a probing intellect at work that arranges the world in new ways, and a sensuous truth to feeling that puts the reader inside the experience of the poems. Each poem has its own distinctiveness, but there is also an architecture that makes the collection a satisfying whole.There is room, too, for a sense of the absurd and a macabre sense of humour. How would you deal with the thief of your heart?"She is constantly sensual... tempered by a delicate care for detail, a quality of consideration that engages in the philosophical in sometimes complex ways..." - Kwame DawesRaman Mundair is a writer and artist. She was born in Ludhiana, India and came to live in the UK at the age of five. She is the author of two volumes of poetry, A Choreographer's Cartography and Lovers, Liars, Conjurers and Thieves.

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Campo Santo is a collection of essays by W. G. SebaldWhen W.G. Sebald died tragically in 2001 a unique voice was silenced. Campo Santo is a collection of the pieces he left behind - none of them previously published in book form - which provide a powerful insight into the themes that came to dominate his life. Four pieces pay tribute to Corsica, weaving elegiacally between past and present. Sebald also examines the works of writers such as Kafka, Nabokov, and Günter Grass, showing both how literature can provide restitution for the injustices of the world and how such literature came to have so great an influence on him. Campo Santo is a fitting memorial to W.G. Sebald, who himself studied the shifting nature of memory and time with such sensitivity.'A precious addition to the canon' Independent'Will come to be seen as indispensable to an understanding of his work' Sunday Times'Full of a sense of liberation and lightness ... these [pieces] abound in energy and work the authentic Sebaldian magic' Literary Review'We have become suspicious, rightly, of claims for literary greatness, but in Sebald's case the claim was triumphantly justified. He was, he is, the real thing' John Banville, Guardian'Sebald was probably the greatest intellect and voice of the late twentieth century' Anthony Beevor, The Times'A writer whose explorations of time and memory make him arguably the closest author modern European letters has to rival Borges' Sunday TimesW . G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allgäu, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1996 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Campo Santo, Unrecounted, For Years Now and A Place in the Country. His selected poetry is published in a volume called Across the Land and the Water.

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A Heart-Centered Spiritual Classic for Your Ever-Changing Life The Bhagavad Gita is a gem so precious in India's spiritual treasury that many regard it not as a volume of sacred verse, but as a living manifestation of the Divine. In the summer of 1974, inside a balmy Boulder, Colorado, warehouse that served as the main hall of the fledgling Naropa Institute, some say that a minor miracle occurred: the reawakening of the Gita's living presence, as it unfolded in a series of wisdom teachings led by Ram Dass. With Love, Service, Devotion, and the Ultimate Surrender, you are invited to experience these legendary gatherings. The tale of the warrior Arjuna and his divine friend Krishna serves as metaphor for the recurring dilemmas that we encounter as we spiral into the depths of our spiritual journey. In these sessions, Ram Dass illuminates the Gita’s essential verses with insights spanning many traditions, from Rumi's ecstatic poetry to Basho's koans, from devotional chant to monastic silence, from Sri Ramana's self-inquiry to Saint Paul's devotion to Christ. The destination? A new perspective on the crucial moments of contradiction and questioning that all spiritual seekers must face again and again: If it's all Divine perfection, why bother with the search at all? Is it possible to awaken without a teacher or guru? Why am I experiencing these strange spiritual "gifts”? Will I get lost in their power? If I'm conscious and kind, why not indulge in all of life's pleasures? Since everyone suffers and dies, will my compassion ultimately matter? With irrepressible love and intellect (and a good dose of skillful mischief), this epic meeting with Ram Dass yields new answers with every revisit, like a lifelong friend that comes to meet us at each turning of our journey.Highlights: A 12-hour odyssey with Ram Dass into his timeless Yogas of the Bhagavad Gita Naropa sessionsThree ways to enter the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita • Karma yoga—reincarnation, dharma, service, sadhanas • Jnana yoga—inquiry, the critical mind, the koan • Mind, illusion, and Brahman • Sacrifice and mantra—trappings and benefits of ritual and form • Renunciation and purification—ashtanga yoga, kundalini, the chakras, austerities, the "witness," desire, sexual energy • Devotion and the guru—bhakti ("devotion"), surrender, siddhis ("powers"), Maharajji • Death and dying—What is born, what dies? How do you live in the present moment?

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RATIONALITY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS “This book is a labor of love! Michael Bernard has painstakingly transcribed a number of Albert Ellis’s therapy and demonstration sessions as well as a selection of his lectures and has used this material to excellent effect to make Dr Ellis’s views on psychological health and happiness come alive. A gem of a book on a gem of a man by a gem of an author.” Professor Windy Dryden, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK “Michael Bernard’s book reveals the importance of ‘rationality’ as a positive faculty of mind that enables people to strengthen their resilience and self-efficacy in order to not only cope with the inevitable challenges, demands and changes characteristic of our post-modern age but, in addition, through the application of different principles of rational living identified by legendary psychologist Albert Ellis, to live fulfilled and meaningful professional and personal lives. I confidently commend this book.” Professor Field Rickards, Dean, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia Albert Ellis, one of the world’s most influential psychologists, founded Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in the 1950s. Over the years, this pioneering form of cognitive behavior therapy has advanced the emotional well-being of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Yet while Ellis’s innovative approaches for helping people with emotional difficulties are well known, his views on the pursuit of personal happiness – which have also influenced generations of people both with and without such problems – are far more elusive. Ellis’s powerful arguments in favor of the rational pursuit of happiness are set out for the very first time in this book. Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness presents Ellis’s views on how the principles of rational living can be used by anyone to achieve lifelong happiness. Transcripts of private counseling sessions and public forums reveal the great power of rationality and the self-defeating nature of irrationality. Drawing on 50 years of Ellis’s writing, Michael Bernard shows how the emotional misery that arises from irrational thinking of the human psyche can obstruct our innate potential for self-actualization and happiness. In doing so, he firmly establishes Ellis as a pioneer of positive psychology and a human being whose superior intellect and years of public education and psychotherapy experience offer genuine insights into the eternal question of what makes for a happy life.

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Russell Ackoff is a very special management thinker. As an architect, city planner, doctor of philosophy, behavioral scientist, trailblazer in the fields of organizational, operations, and systems theory, bestselling author, distinguished Wharton School professor, and head of his own management education and consulting firm, he qualifies, as do few others in this century, for the title of "Renaissance Man." Fortunately, he makes up for this grievous shortcoming by also being an outrageously funny observer of homo commercium. Now, Ackoff's Best offers you an opportunity to become acquainted with this irreverent genius who, over the past forty years, has done so much to shape our understanding of the modern business organization. Compiled by the author, Ackoff's Best encapsulates the author's most controversial, influential, and wittiest work to appear since the 1970s. Ackoff's groundbreaking exploration of systems theory and its effect on business provides the backbone of this collection. Also included are his most lasting and thought-provoking writings on an array of topics in business, society, and human behavior that well reflect the sweeping scope of Ackoff's intellect and expertise. From managing teams, maximizing the effectiveness of information systems, and problem solving, to creativity, crime, and the role of the corporation in a democratic society, these writings are a cornucopia of insights, observations, and powerful lessons that will help you maximize your personal development and the effectiveness of your organization. An excellent introduction for newcomers to Russell Ackoff, and a welcome compendium of Ackoff's pithiest writings for those already familiar with his ideas from such classic works as Creating the Corporate Future and The Art of Problem Solving, Ackoff's Best is required reading for every intelligent businessperson. "The range, depth, and perspectives of these essays on management illustrate, once again, Russ Ackoff's unique genius."—Warren Bennis, University Professor, University of Southern California, and Co-author, Co-Leaders "Russ Ackoff uses words that cut through the familiar and open doors in one's brain."—Arie P. de Geus, Author, The Living Company "Ackoff's Best captures the lucid and compelling explorations of one of the most profound and influential thinkers of our time."—Ray Stata, Chairman of the Board, Analog Devices "This collection reminds me that I have learned my most valuable lessons from Russ Ackoff."—Vince Barabba, General Manager, Corporate Strategy and Knowledge Development, General Motors Corporation

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Coming home was never the plan Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him. That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her. When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . . Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart? Sunrise is the first explosive volume in a new nail-biting series from USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren. *** "Warren launches her thrilling new Sky King Ranch series with a topical tale of romantic suspense set in the breathtaking Alaskan bush. . . .Warren proves yet again why she is a master in the genre."--Booklist, Starred Review "In the romance novel Sunrise, a once-couple reconciles in the rugged landscape of Alaska's beautiful frontier."--Foreword Reviews "I started reading this book and could NOT put it down. Definitely is now one of my all-time favorites!"--Interviews & Reviews "Sunrise is the first explosive volume in a new nail-biting series from USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren."--Fresh Fiction "Warren takes readers on a journey of a lifetime for those who have always wanted to venture to the great Alaskan outdoors."--Relz Reviews "Good stories flow with a mix of intellect, wit, and charm. . . . Sunrise combines all of those elements to tell a story that blends action, danger, and romance set against the backdrop of the rugged Alaskan wilderness."--Killer Nashville

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This extraordinary account of imprisonment shows with exacting clarity the awful injustices of the system. Sylvia Neame, activist against apartheid and racism and by profession a historian has written a highly personal account, in an original style. It casts a particularly sharp light on the unfolding of a police dominated apartheid system in the 1960s. The author incorporates some of her experiences in prisons and police stations around the country, including the fabricated trial she faced while imprisoned in Port Elizabeth, one of the many such trials which took place in the eastern Cape. But her focus is on Barberton Prison. Here she was imprisoned together with a small number of other white women political prisoners, most of whom had stood trial and been sentenced in Johannesburg in 1964–5 for membership to an illegal organisation, the Communist Party. It is a little known story. Not even the progressive party MP Helen Suzman found her way here. Barberton Prison, a maximum security prison, part of a farm jail complex in the eastern part of what was then known as the Transvaal province, was far from any urban centre. The women were kept in a small space at one end of the prison in extreme isolation under a regime of what can only be called psychological warfare, carried out on the instructions of the ever more powerful (and corrupt) security apparatus. A key concern for the author was the mental and psychological symptoms which emerged in herself and her fellow prisoners and the steps they took to maintain their sanity. It is a narrative partly based on diary entries, written in a minute hand on tissue paper, which escaped the eye of the authorities. Moreover, following her release in April 1967 – she had been altogether incarcerated for some three years – she produced a full script in the space of two or three months. The result is immediacy, spontaneity, authenticity; a story full of searing detail. It is also full of a fighting spirit, pervaded by a sharp intellect, a capacity for fine observation and a sense of humour typical of the women political prisoners at Barberton. A crucial theme in Sylvia Neame’s account is the question of whether something positive emerged out of her experience and, if so, what exactly it was.

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The extraordinary life of one of the world’s greatest music and literary icons, in the words of those who knew him best.Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon—there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring the world with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen is one of the world’s most cherished artists. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights. Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. This third and final volume in biographer Michael Posner’s sweeping series of Cohen’s life—That’s How the Light Gets In—explores the last thirty years of his life, starting with the late 1980s revival of his music career with the successful albums I’m Your Man and The Future. It covers the death of his manager, Marty Machat, and the appointment of another who would ultimately be accused of stealing more than five million dollars from Cohen. Personally, Cohen suffers the traumatic end of his long relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann and begins a public romance with actress Rebecca De Mornay. When that relationship ends in 1993, as Cohen is about to turn sixty years old, he begins a deeply spiritual phase, entering the Mount Baldy monastery under the tutelage of Zen master Joshu Sasaki Roshi—arguably the most important relationship in Cohen’s life. Ever the seeker, he then goes to Mumbai in 1999, the first of half a dozen trips to India to investigate Advaita Vedanta Hinduism, expanding his growing fascination with spirituality. In 2008, Cohen makes his triumphant return to the concert stage, and for five years travels the world in an extraordinary final act of his life, giving almost four hundred performances over three continents. The book provides the first full chronicle of Cohen’s final months, fighting debilitating disease, while still creating three new studio albums, adding to his remarkable legacy. Cohen’s story is told through the voices of those who knew him best—family and friends, colleagues and contemporaries, business partners and lovers. Bestselling author Michael Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the man The New York Times called “a secular saint.” This is a book like no other, about a man like no other.

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PUBLISHED BY EUREKA PRESS, TOKYO, AND DISTRIBUTED BY ROUTLEDGE OUTSIDE JAPAN.The scholar and diplomat Sir Ernest Satow was the best-known Westerner who lived in Meiji Japan. Although he rose to become British Minister to Japan, the most interesting part of his career was the start of it, when he witnessed, and in a small way influenced, the fall of the bakufu and the Meiji Restoration. He wrote an account of this in a memoir called A Diplomat in Japan in 1921, which was based on the diaries transcribed in this volume. These diaries, hitherto unpublished, reveal the original material from which he crafted his memoir, as well as the material (about one-third of the diaries in total) he omitted. In various respects, the memoir is a sanitized account, written partly in Bangkok in the 1880s, and completed in retirement at the urging of younger relatives. In A Diplomat in Japan, Satow comes across as an assured young statesman, who, with his excellent Japanese and ability to make contact with the key players, was able to perceive the direction that the turbulent and confused events he witnessed was taking. In the diaries, he is a little less assured and not quite so percipient and interspersed with tales of meeting the likes of Saigō Takamori and Sakamoto Ryōma, are stories such as that of the paternity claim against him by a Japanese woman in Nagasaki. The part of the diaries relating to Satow’s stay in China (Shanghai and Peking from January to August 1862) has never before been transcribed or published, and is the most interesting part on a human level. It was an environment in which Satow, aged just 18, was forced to grow up fast, and we see him and his fellow student interpreters behaving badly on numerous occasions. Yet we also see the breadth of his intellect in the books he was reading and his informed interest in everything he saw around him. The editors have added extensive annotations and explanations to these diaries, making this book an indispensable reference work for students of bakumatsu Japan, and indeed anybody who wants to understand the story of how a very young, very clever, but rather awkward Englishman could have penetrated the very highest levels of the Japanese hierarchy to witness the transformation of the country from a feudal, inward-looking society to one that would become a major industrialized power to shock the world.

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*THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*A deeply honest investigation of what it means to be a woman and a commodity from Emily Ratajkowski, the archetypal, multi-hyphenate celebrity of our time._______________'This is the book for every woman trying to place their body on the map of consumption vs control, and every woman who wants to better understand her impulses. It left me much changed' - Lena Dunham'I read these pages, breathless with recognition, and the thrill of reading a new voice telling it like it is' - Dani Shapiro'Emily Ratajkowski's first essay collection needs to be read by everyone [...] both page-turning and moving as hell' - Amy Schumer'A slow, complicated indictment of a profession and the people who propel it [...] it will deliver a more nuanced and introspective rendering of her interior than those who come to it with those surface interests might expect' - Vogue'Dazzling' - Observer'Ratajkowski brings nuanced insight to questions about empowerment versus commodification of women's bodies and sexuality. Blending cultural criticism and personal stories, My Body is smart and powerful' - Time Magazine'Raw, nuanced and beautifully written. A moving and enlightening experience to join a woman openly exploring such deep parts of her physical self via the written word. A truly impressive debut' - Emma Gannon'Excellent [...] Ratajkowski writes with curiosity, intellect and acute awareness' - Harper's Bazaar'Superb [...] it feels revolutionary' - Telegraph'I admire and envy her artistry' - Guardian_______________Emily Ratajkowski is an acclaimed model and actress, an engaged political progressive, a formidable entrepreneur, a global social media phenomenon, and now, a writer. Rocketing to world fame at age twenty-one, Ratajkowski sparked both praise and furor with the provocative display of her body as an unapologetic statement of feminist empowerment. The subsequent evolution in her thinking about our culture's commodification of women is the subject of this book.My Body is a profoundly personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power, of men's treatment of women and women's rationalizations for accepting that treatment. These essays chronicle moments from Ratajkowski's life while investigating the culture's fetishization of girls and female beauty, its obsession with and contempt for women's sexuality, the perverse dynamics of the fashion and film industries, and the grey area between consent and abuse.Nuanced, unflinching, and incisive, My Body marks the debut of a fierce writer brimming with courage and intelligence.

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RATIONALITY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS “This book is a labor of love! Michael Bernard has painstakingly transcribed a number of Albert Ellis’s therapy and demonstration sessions as well as a selection of his lectures and has used this material to excellent effect to make Dr Ellis’s views on psychological health and happiness come alive. A gem of a book on a gem of a man by a gem of an author.” Professor Windy Dryden, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK “Michael Bernard’s book reveals the importance of ‘rationality’ as a positive faculty of mind that enables people to strengthen their resilience and self-efficacy in order to not only cope with the inevitable challenges, demands and changes characteristic of our post-modern age but, in addition, through the application of different principles of rational living identified by legendary psychologist Albert Ellis, to live fulfilled and meaningful professional and personal lives. I confidently commend this book.” Professor Field Rickards, Dean, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia Albert Ellis, one of the world’s most influential psychologists, founded Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in the 1950s. Over the years, this pioneering form of cognitive behavior therapy has advanced the emotional well-being of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Yet while Ellis’s innovative approaches for helping people with emotional difficulties are well known, his views on the pursuit of personal happiness – which have also influenced generations of people both with and without such problems – are far more elusive. Ellis’s powerful arguments in favor of the rational pursuit of happiness are set out for the very first time in this book. Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness presents Ellis’s views on how the principles of rational living can be used by anyone to achieve lifelong happiness. Transcripts of private counseling sessions and public forums reveal the great power of rationality and the self-defeating nature of irrationality. Drawing on 50 years of Ellis’s writing, Michael Bernard shows how the emotional misery that arises from irrational thinking of the human psyche can obstruct our innate potential for self-actualization and happiness. In doing so, he firmly establishes Ellis as a pioneer of positive psychology and a human being whose superior intellect and years of public education and psychotherapy experience offer genuine insights into the eternal question of what makes for a happy life.

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To this day, mention the name “Andy Warhol” to almost anyone and you’ll hear about his famous images of soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. But although Pop Art became synonymous with Warhol’s name and dominated the public’s image of him, his life and work and worldwide influences are infinitely more complex and multi-faceted than that. And Phillip Romero, MD is just the person to explain exactly what that impact was and is and from whence it derives.In Andy Warhol’s Brain, esteemed psychiatrist Phillip Romero takes on Andy Warhol in all his depth and dimensions. The book is essentially a return to renowned psychiatrist Phillip Romero’s scheduled interview with his friend Warhol that never happened, as it was scheduled for the day after Andy’s untimely death. The book is both homage to Warhol for his inspiring friendship with the author and a platform for Romero to explore his thesis, “Art for Survival.” Romero here presents the extraordinary results of an agreement between the approaches to a topic of different academic subjects: in this case science and the humanities. It offers a unique and exceptional advance in thinking about artistry and intellect.Doctor Romero’s work as a family/child psychiatrist led him to formulate the concept of “Creative Intelligence,” which he defines as the effortful attention of the individual “mind” to recruit both these attributes to change oneself, to evolve social systems, and to sustain the environment to improve the quality and duration of human life. Romero found himself deep into researching the brain-mind/art-culture continuum of Creative Intelligence, and in doing so, his friend Andy Warhol presented a perfect example of the concept. This book is an effort to integrate the life and art of Andy Warhol with the brain-mind/art-culture system that informs the evolution of human civilization. The struggle between Creative Intelligence and adversity exists within each human being. Romero uses Warhol’s life as a mirror to inspire the reader’s Creative Intelligence in reinventing themselves through the complex and challenging times we live in. In this groundbreaking work that comes from the unique perspective of a world-class psychiatrist and practicing artist himself, Romero explains that for individuals, creativity protects us from our painful pasts and inspires us to create a better present for a more secure future. Creative Intelligence harnesses our inborn resilience and creativity. It is an ongoing mind-body process of effortful attention: remembering, reflecting, reframing, reimagining, reinventing, and reconnecting with oneself and the world.

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If the zodiac signs were a coloring book, this would be it! Get to know yourself, your intuition, and the universe better as you color these 120+ gorgeous, cosmic-inspired patterns. Whether you’re new to astrology or you know your way around the zodiac, there’s something for you in Astrology Coloring Book. These captivating coloring templates will help you tune in to your astrological potential and help you zone in on your celestial goings-on. Mindfully color the unique, beautiful templates that are printed on both sides of quality paper so the colors won’t bleed through. Just as there is no right or wrong way to use this book, there is no right or wrong way to color. Whether you use pencils, crayons, or gel pens, color these beautiful illustrations however you wish and in whatever way feels right to you. This is about getting in touch with yourself on your spiritual journey, so if one coloring template doesn’t appeal to you, simply move on to one that does. If you’re a fiery Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius: Maybe you’ll be drawn to warmer colors (such as red, oranges, and yellows), which are colors associated with initiative, courage, and passion—much like these signs. If you’re an airy Aquarius, Gemini, or Libra: The cool colors (such as blues, greens, and purples) might have the more calming qualities your intellect is after. If you’re an earthy Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn: Then darker colors or shades, with their lower-energy vibes, might echo your practicality, diligence, and sensitivity. If you’re a watery Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio: Bright colors tend to have more energy while pastel and tinted colors tend to communicate softer energy—either of which might speak to your emotions and intuition. So why make a coloring book for adults? As we add responsibilities to our lives, we sometimes push aside those things we used to do for sheer enjoyment. With that in mind, these astrology-inspired designs are intended for adult sensibility and dexterity, rather than for children, so these are all yours! One of the great things about coloring is that it’s accessible to anyone, and being able to add your own colors helps make the experience more personal. Astrology is so much more than your daily horoscope, as these coloring pages show. Pick the one that speaks to you, and see where it takes you!

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Reflects the most important theoretical foundations and research directions concerning aging and older adulthood This authoritative volume provides the latest insights into, and theoretical interpretation of, our understanding of the human aging process. Newly updated and revised, this edition of the well-established student textbook offers relatable scenarios that touch upon real-world issues faced by older adults and their families. The book explains how research studies attempt to answer questions of both theoretical and practical importance as they relate to aging and older adulthood, and it explains the hypotheses and findings of the studies in a manner that is comprehensible to readers of all levels of research experience. Aging and Older Adulthood begins by describing the demographic characteristics of the older population, and follows with a chapter on theoretical models that apply to the study of adult development and aging, as well as approaches commonly taken to conduct research and ethical concerns involved in the study of this group. It then offers a series of chapters exploring biological aging, sensation perception and attention, memory, intellectual functioning, cognition and real-world problem-solving, personality and coping, social interaction and social ties, lifestyles and retirement, mental health and psychotherapy, and death and bereavement. The final chapter looks at aging in the future. Each chapter includes fully updated research findings, as well as new and expanded coverage of concepts and ideas in areas such as neuroscience, and diabetes. New edition of a highly respected text exploring our contemporary understanding of a broad range of topics related to older adulthood and the psychology of aging Offers thematic treatment of core issues including health, sensory perception, memory, intellect, social interactions, employment and retirement, and mental health Uses a dual lens of two models – the selective optimization with compensation model and the ecological model – to provide cohesiveness to the presentation of both theoretical and applied material Introduces each chapter with a relevant real-world scenario and refers back to it throughout the chapter Includes pedagogical feature boxes that reflect current understanding of contemporary issues in the field as well as key points and issues for further discussion Aging and Older Adulthood, 4th Edition is an excellent text for upper division undergraduate and graduate courses focusing on the older adulthood and aging, the psychology of aging, gerontological studies, and lifespan development.

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If the zodiac signs were a colouring book, this would be it! Get to know yourself, your intuition and the universe better as you colour these 100+ gorgeous, cosmic-inspired patterns. Whether you’re new to astrology or you know your way around the zodiac, there’s something for you in Astrology Colouring Book. These captivating colouring designs will help you tune in to your astrological potential and help you zone in on your celestial goings-on. Mindfully colour the unique, beautiful templates that are printed on both sides of the paper so you can extend your colouring experience. Just as there is no right or wrong way to use this book, there is no right or wrong way to colour. Colour these beautiful illustrations however you wish and in whatever way feels right to you. This is about getting in touch with yourself on your spiritual journey, so if one colouring page doesn’t appeal to you, simply move on to one that does. If you’re a fiery Aries, Leo or Sagittarius: Maybe you’ll be drawn to warmer colors (such as red, oranges and yellows), which are colours associated with initiative, courage and passion – much like these signs. If you’re an airy Aquarius, Gemini or Libra: The cool colours (such as blues, greens and purples) might have the more calming qualities your intellect is after. If you’re an earthy Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn: Then darker colours or shades, with their lower-energy vibes, might echo your practicality, diligence and sensitivity. If you’re a watery Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio: Bright colours tend to have more energy whilst pastel and tinted colours tend to communicate softer energy – either of which might speak to your emotions and intuition. So why make a colouring book for adults? As we add responsibilities to our lives, we sometimes push aside those things we used to do for sheer enjoyment. With that in mind, these astrology-inspired designs are intended for adult sensibility and dexterity, rather than for children, so these are all yours! One of the great things about colouring is that it’s accessible to anyone, and being able to add your own colours helps make the experience more personal. Astrology is so much more than your daily horoscope, as these colouring pages show. Pick the one that speaks to you, and see where it takes you!

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THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU - to appreciate the significance of this particular school of Buddhism, famous for its focus on meditation and self-awakening - to understand the history of Zen and the 'Ways of Zen' - to discover how Zen is a way of life -- not a belief system - to avoid faux pas in conversation, in travelling and in personal relationships Zen (in Chinese, Ch'an) is the form of Buddhism which the great teacher Bodhidharma brought to China from India in the late fifth century. Today it is practised mainly in Japan and Korea, . Based upon the understanding that each of us has the potential for complete awakening, Zen is in fact a coalition of practical ways of stilling the mind in order to attain self-knowledge. Because the realization of the true nature of reality, including one's own, is not an intellectual pursuit but an experienced truth, Zen teachers transmit the truth (dharma) from mind to mind or heart to heart without the use of words, using different techniques to break through the limitations of the logical mind. This engaging book explains the essence of Zen in simple terms.. It traces its development and looks at its unique methods of teaching, such as meditation, koans -- startling paradoxes that stop the intellect -- the use of texts, ceremonies, poetry, and the martial arts. It describes life in monasteries and in the everyday world. Because Zen is rooted in Reality, its practitioners often experience a delightful sense of wonder in the commonplace. This democratic and liberating philosophy does not require us to give up our own traditions, but rather helps us to deepen our understanding of them, and continues to inspire growing numbers of followers in the West. ACCESS THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS Simple Guides: Religion is a series of concise, accessible introductions to the world's major religions. Written by experts in the field, they offer an engaging and sympathetic description of the key concepts, beliefs and practices of different faiths. Ideal for spiritual seekers and travellers alike, Simple Guides aims to open the doors of perception. Together the books provide a reliable compass to the world's great spiritual traditions, and a point of reference for further exploration and discovery. By offering essential insights into the core values, customs and beliefs of different societies, they also enable visitors to be aware of the cultural sensibilities of their hosts, and to behave in a way that fosters mutual respect and understanding.

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One of Essence's Best Books of the YearNAACP Image Awards Winner for Outstanding Literary WorkWith a foreword by Speaker Nancy Pelosi“There was no greater friend to the poor, to the lost, to the left out, and to the left behind. If you want to understand this great man, read his historic, important book and learn the lessons and values from his ‘moral voice crying in the wilderness’ on behalf of our American democracy.” —Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)Known for his poise, intellect, and influence until his death in October 2019, Elijah Cummings was one of the most respected figures in contemporary politics, a politician who held fast to his beliefs but was not afraid to reach across the aisle in the name of friendship and progress. Since his earliest days in government through his time as a representative and chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he proved his abilities as a politician who could operate at the highest levels of democracy, serving the people of Baltimore and illustrating the importance of working with—and for—the underdog.Yet in his final years of life, Cummings recognized that democracy was the underdog. We’re Better Than This draws from Cummings’s own life to show the formative moments that prepared him for the disturbing first years of the Trump presidency and spurred him to hold the administration accountable for their actions. Weaving together the urgent drama of modern-day politics and character-defining stories from his past, Cummings offers a never-before-told perspective on how his personal history, coming of age in South Baltimore, laid the foundation of a life spent fighting for justice. He goes behind the scenes with the House Democratic leadership, offering an eye-opening chronicle of the grim realities of holding the Trump administration to account. Detailing this moment of unprecedented obstructionism by both the president and Republicans, Cummings presents a vital defense of how government oversight defines our collective trust, examining the dangerous precedent for both parties that exists if the executive branch remains above public scrutiny.Part memoir, part call to action, We’re Better Than This is the story of our modern-day democracy and the threats that we all must face together, as well as a retrospective on the life and career of one of our country’s most inspirational politicians. As we approach another test of our democracy, the next race for the White House, We’re Better Than This reminds people that in this country we don’t elect kings, and we cannot afford four more years of this false one.

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Kwame Dawes speaks for all those for whom reggae is a major part of life. He describes how reggae has been central to his sense of selfhood, his consciousness of place and society in Jamaica, his development as a writer - and why the singer Ken Boothe should be inseparably connected to his discovery of the erotic.Natural Mysticism is also a work of acute cultural analysis. Dawes argues that in the rise of roots reggae in the 1970s, Jamaica produced a form which was both wholly of the region and universal in its concerns. He contrasts this with the mainstream of Caribbean literature which, whilst anticolonial in sentiment was frequently conservative and colonial in form. Dawes finds in reggae's international appeal more than just an encouraging example. In the work of artists such as Don Drummond, Bob Marley, Winston Rodney and Lee 'Scratch' Perry, he finds a complex aesthetic whose inner structure points in a genuinely contemporary and postcolonial direction. He identifies this aesthetic as being both original and eclectic, as feeling free to borrow, but transforming what it takes in a subversive way. He sees it as embracing both the traditional and the postmodern, the former in the complex subordination of the lyric, melodic and rhythmic elements to the collective whole, and the latter in the dubmaster's deconstructive play with presences and absences. Above all, he shows that it is an aesthetic which unites body, emotions and intellect and brings into a single focus the political, the spiritual and the erotic.In constructing this reggae aesthetic, Kwame Dawes both creates a rationale for the development of his own writing and brings a new and original critical method to the discussion of the work of other contemporary Caribbean authors.Natural Mysticism has the rare merit of combining rigorous theoretical argument with a personal narrative which is often wickedly funny. Here is a paradigm shifting work of Caribbean cultural and literary criticism with the added bonus of conveying an infectious enthusiasm for reggae which will drive readers back to their own collections or even to go out and extend them!"Dawes is an ideal grammarian for the reggae aesthetic, his voice the estuary where his energies as a poet, professor and one-time musician are poured. He bears a gift, rarer than it should be in academia, for intellectually processing his subject and still yielding enlivening writing..."Michael Kuelker, The BeatKwame Dawes is widely acknowledged as the foremost Caribbean poet of the post-Walcott generation. He currently holds the position of Distinguished Poet In Residence and Louise Fry Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts at the University of South Carolina.

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Want to tap the power behind search rankings, product recommendations, social bookmarking, and online matchmaking? This fascinating book demonstrates how you can build Web 2.0 applications to mine the enormous amount of data created by people on the Internet. With the sophisticated algorithms in this book, you can write smart programs to access interesting datasets from other web sites, collect data from users of your own applications, and analyze and understand the data once you've found it. Programming Collective Intelligence takes you into the world of machine learning and statistics, and explains how to draw conclusions about user experience, marketing, personal tastes, and human behavior in general -- all from information that you and others collect every day. Each algorithm is described clearly and concisely with code that can immediately be used on your web site, blog, Wiki, or specialized application. This book explains: * Collaborative filtering techniques that enable online retailers to recommend products or media * Methods of clustering to detect groups of similar items in a large dataset * Search engine features -- crawlers, indexers, query engines, and the PageRank algorithm * Optimization algorithms that search millions of possible solutions to a problem and choose the best one * Bayesian filtering, used in spam filters for classifying documents based on word types and other features * Using decision trees not only to make predictions, but to model the way decisions are made * Predicting numerical values rather than classifications to build price models * Support vector machines to match people in online dating sites * Non-negative matrix factorization to find the independent features in a dataset * Evolving intelligence for problem solving -- how a computer develops its skill by improving its own code the more it plays a game Each chapter includes exercises for extending the algorithms to make them more powerful. Go beyond simple database-backed applications and put the wealth of Internet data to work for you. "Bravo! I cannot think of a better way for a developer to first learn these algorithms and methods, nor can I think of a better way for me (an old AI dog) to reinvigorate my knowledge of the details." -- Dan Russell, Google "Toby's book does a great job of breaking down the complex subject matter of machine-learning algorithms into practical, easy-to-understand examples that can be directly applied to analysis of social interaction across the Web today. If I had this book two years ago, it would have saved precious time going down some fruitless paths." -- Tim Wolters, CTO, Collective Intellect

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WINNER OF A NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD A USA TODAY BESTSELLER "A gifted writer, astonishingly adept at nuance, narration, and the politics of passion."-Toni Morrison Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history. As the novel opens, Helen has been summoned by a former student to view a cache of seventeenth-century Jewish documents newly discovered in his home during a renovation. Enlisting the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student as impatient as he is charming, and in a race with another fast-moving team of historians, Helen embarks on one last project: to determine the identity of the documents' scribe, the elusive "Aleph." Electrifying and ambitious, sweeping in scope and intimate in tone, The Weight of Ink is a sophisticated work of historical fiction about women separated by centuries, and the choices and sacrifices they must make in order to reconcile the life of the heart and mind. AUTHOR: Rachel Kadish is the award-winning author of the novels From a Sealed Room and Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story, and of the novella I Was Here. Her work has appeared on NPR and in the New York Times, Ploughshares, and Tin House. SELLING POINTS: • Set in 1660s London and the early aughts, The Weight of Ink tracks two women whose lives collide in mysterious ways, and whose respective intellectual and personal ambitions inform and overlap with one another; a historical novel that bears uncanny relevance to the ideas and concerns of our day. • Hits that elusive sweet spot - brings to life several fascinating historical epochs (contemporary professor in London gains access to a cache of letters by a woman from 17th-century Holland who works secretly as the scribe of an exiled rabbi from Portugal). With two powerful female protagonists from different centuries telling their stories, weaving in the history of the Jews from Portugal to Amsterdam to London, there is so much delicious material here - so much to learn and talk about. We also plan to include a reading group guide and Q&A with the author in the back matter, and we hope this will encourage reading groups to pick this title for discussion. • An intellectually ambitious, suspenseful, and entertaining page-turner; a satisfying and accessible narrative jigsaw puzzle that will appeal to a wide range of readers - historical fiction readers and beyond.

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Like all complex living systems, a family, during its life course, proceeds through predictable stages of development. Yet every family is different, its uniqueness defined and continually redefined by an open-ended array of structural, biological, and sociocultural variables. And, as with all living things, a family's continued well-being depends upon its ability to adapt to changes arising from both within the family system and without. First postulated in the 1940s, these basic ideas constitute the conceptual core of modern family development theory. From them has blossomed an impressive body of knowledge about family health and illness, without which much of the progress occurring in family therapy over the past half-century would not have been possible. This book does much to promote continued progress in the practical application of family development theory by affording family therapists an unparalleled opportunity to acquaint themselves with the most important trends in family development theory to emerge over the past decade. In it you will find contributions from leading theorists, researchers, and clinicians, arranged so as to provide a systematic treatment of the latest thinking on family development seen from both the systemic viewpoint and that of individual members of the system. Comprehensive in scope, this book explores the patterns, processes, and dynamics inherent in "traditional" families, as well as in important structural variants such as single-parent and gay and lesbian families and families with special needs and problems, including divorce, physical abuse, and disabilities. Since progress in the social sciences is as much about formulating viable new ways of seeing as it is about determining quantifiable facts, the editors offer equal time to an array of influential and sometimes radically conflicting schools of thought, including sociobiology, social psychology, constructionism, multiculturalism, postmodernism, and feminism. Mainstream family therapists will find much in this handbook that they will consider controversial. In some cases readers may even be outraged by the views expressed. Yet, thanks to the high caliber of scholarship, intellect, and professionalism evidenced throughout, none of the ideas advanced in Handbook of Family Development and Intervention can be easily dismissed, and all have something of value to offer the thoughtful, dedicated family therapist. Handbook of Family Development and Intervention is a valuable professional resource for all couples and family therapists. It is also must reading for graduate students in family psychology, family therapy, social work, and counseling. "In this magnificent volume, the editors make a major contribution that integrates individual and family development concepts and therapeutic applications by bringing together scholarly yet fresh contributions. The inclusion of various family forms and of families with special needs makes this volume especially relevant to the treatment of contemporary families as we enter the new millennium. This superb Handbook should be mandatory reading and an excellent reference for teachers, researchers, and therapists at all levels of development."—Celia J. Falicov, PhD President, 1999 2001 American Family Therapy Academy

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“City of Bones is a poet’s testament, his vision of time’s past and future. Composed in a language that is highly intelligent, tightly wrought, and buoyant—the inherent lyric quality derives its swing from reggae, blues, jazz, gospel, and spoken-word traditions—it is a road map tarred in civilizational wisdom. This is an astonishingly fine book. If I were to predict a future Nobel Prize winner in literature, it would more than likely be Kwame Dawes.”—Sudeep Sen, author of EroText and editor of The HarperCollins Book of English Poetry“In this book-length journey, Kwame Dawes guides the reader through the many circles of mnemonic hell. His are poems nailed into the white pages with the force of bestial silence; thick-neck poems written by a poet with hands and ear for old bones, for the shattering of breaking time, for the rituals of manhood. Whenever I picked a new book from the shelf, I always hoped it would be exactly this.” —Valzhyna Mort, author of Factory of Tears“This testament is one of the remarkable books of contemporary English-language letters. I celebrate Dawes and his achievement, and in doing so celebrate all those who have a space in his poems and all those who are able to tune into his remarkable music, intellect, and spirit.”—John Kinsella, author of Jam Tree Gully and Firebreaks“Extending Kwame Dawes’s already wide-ranging and prolific body of work, City of Bones is a testament to a complicated past that replays itself in the daily lives of so many Americans today. In the shadow of the Thirteenth Amendment Dawes remixes the works of August Wilson and brings lucidity to our present moment. Unafraid to trouble the waters and make clear why American race relations exist as they currently do, City of Bones sets the record straight and leaves no doubt that the past is ever present and we have not yet overcome. City of Bones should leave no question in the minds of any contemporary reader that Kwame Dawes is one of the most significant poets working today. This is poetry’s ‘Redemption Song.’”—Matthew Shenoda, author of Tahrir Suite“Why read Kwame Dawes? Because he knows how to ‘listen for the calm voice of God.’ Because he will show you how to grieve and not be torn open. Because his poem “The Things You Forget in Jail” shares with us empathy so unlike that of most North American poets at work today. Go back to him because Dawes is in love with ‘music of mint, ginger root, garlic, sweet / onion” of our language, its tormented ‘promise of good earth.’ Why read him? Because words ‘when spoken will soften / your chest.’ Why read Kwame Dawes? Because you cannot stop. Because Dawes is the poet to read when ‘all talking / is over’ and you sit alone in this room.” —Ilya Kaminsky, author of Dancing in Odessa

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This book explores the social consequences of digitization. The authors determine the problems, substantiate the perspectives, and offer recommendations for determining the role of human in modern digital society. The scientific concept "homo digital" is developed, and the essence of its formation in the process of evolution of "homo economicus" is studied. The transition from the post-industrial to the information society is also considered. The authors show that in the context of the digital economy the problem of economization (commercialization) of non-economic (non-profit) spheres and types of economic activity become more urgent; they are analyzed through the prism of the theory of time in economics. Based on this, the increase of the influence of the consumer society on the modern social environment is shown. The key role of human capital in formation of a new quality of economic growth in the digital economic environment is substantiated, and transformation processes in the structure and practice of application of human capital are analyzed. The idea of social justice is reconsidered through the prism of digital society as a social environment with equal opportunities but different competences and motives. Attention is paid to the modern Russian practice of influence of the digital economy on society on the whole and each human. Scientific and methodological recommendations for indicative evaluation of quality of economic growth in the conditions of digitization of Russia’s economic system are offered, and the specifics of the problem of socio-economic differentiation of the Russian population in the conditions of technological progress are shown. Based on this, it is proved that the digital economy has a contradictory influence on society, increasing the accessibility of goods and services, in particular hi-tech ones, but also causing an urgent need for adapting to the new economic conditions. This adaptation is largely determined by capabilities of people, flexibility of their thinking, and ability for learning and development. Thus, instead of the expected provision of balance of society, its disproportions could grow in practice. Also, specific features of regional migration in modern Russia in the context of digitization are determined. The role of emotional intellect in formation of the critical thinking of a company’s employees is outlined. Due to this, it is shown that so called "human factor", which is traditionally treated as a source of economic risks and costs, acquires a new role in the conditions of the digital economy – a source of value creation and reduction of risks of technological progress, due to justified opposition to unfavorable changes. Informal labor relations based on digital communications, as the highest form of evolution of these relations that is achieved in the conditions of Industry 4.0, is considered. The central role of higher education in the process of social adaptation to the conditions of Industry 4.0 is outlined. The economic and legal issues of the digital economy are considered – in particular, the issue of democracy in the digital society in the conditions of e-government.

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From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the bestselling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower-in two weeks or less. For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better-a process known as "biohacking." In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows readers how to biohack their way to a sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brain. Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest, and being able-possibly for the first time in your life-to do more in less time? What it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100% confident about your intellect, and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn't smart enough, or can't remember something important? How would you treat people if the mood swings, short temper, and food cravings that disrupt your day could simply disappear? In Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible-and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or "hacks") to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, readers will learn how to take their mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired "get it done now" perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you: * Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long* Eliminate the sources of "kryptonite," both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower.* Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of our brains, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus.* Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years.* Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning-hotwiring your brain for success. Asprey's easy to follow, two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including: which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body; meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements; and how to adjust the lighting in your home and work space to give your brain the quality light it thrives on. A better brain-and a happier, easier, more productive life-is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong.

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'This is where I begin. This blank page draws me nearer to you, the day sweltering, my courage quickens, the curtains billowing and the punkah swaying, the punkah rattling as I sit at my writing bureau ... it is a soothing sound.'Mina, a writer, is navigating her place in the world, balancing creativity, academia, her sexuality and the expectation that a wife and mother abandons herself for others. For her, like so many women of mixed ancestry, it is too easy to be erased. But her fire and intellect refuse to bow. She discovers 'the dark, adorable' Eurasian woman Daisy Simmons, whom Peter Walsh plans to marry in Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway. Daisy disappeared from Woolf's pages, her story unfinished - never given a voice in the novel, nor a footnote in any of the admiring Woolf scholarship that followed.While dealing with the remains of another life, Mina decides to write Daisy's story. Travelling from Australia to England, India and China, freelancing and researching, she has to navigate cultural and race barriers, trying hard not to look back or flinch at the personal cost. Like Woolf, her writing both sustains and overwhelms her. But in releasing Daisy from her fictional destiny, Mina finds the stubbornness and strength to also break free.'An elegant meditation on race, class and privilege ... Daisy and Woolf not only brings us stories of brave, clever women in an eloquent way, it also leaves questions for us readers to think of our own trajectory of reading and influences' ArtsHub'Cahill writes beautifully ... Daisy and Woolf is a novel about reclamation. Highlighting the inadvertent racism inherent in much of the classical literary canon, it reinforces the the importance of Own Voices writing, and shines a light on the lives of people of colour that cannot be understood or expressed without their input' The Age'an impressive, ambitious postmodern novel that raises questions around race, class, feminism, Empire, the post-colonial voice and so much more ... a fascinating work, it's rare to see something of its kind in the Australian literary landscape' ReadingsPRAISE FOR MICHELLE CAHILL:'Her deftness and linguistic grace masks her purpose, till she reveals a shocking glimpse of the price that art can exact' - HILARY MANTEL'Traverses centuries, cultures and continents to deftly explore how race, gender and class have the power to shape a narrative' - MAXINE BENEBA CLARKE'A dauntless novel of empire, and its ever-replicating costs. There are echoes of Michael Ondaatje in this novel's lush and observant prose-craft. This is fiction at its most human and humane' - BEEJAY SILCOX'In luminous prose, she has brought an old world back to life. Her background as a poet is clear in her evocative and detailed descriptions of colonial India. Daisy's voice is perfectly tuned and her story is compelling' - MELANIE CHENG'At once critically acute and narratively rich, Daisy and Woolf shows us that there are always new ways to read the past in order to understand the present' - PATRICK FLANERY'Michelle Cahill deploys poetry and history in the most powerful manner possible to write back to Virginia Woolf, and expose the colonial gaze that did not (does not) acknowledge the full humanity of others. This novel will be to Mrs Dalloway what Wide Sargasso Sea was to Jane Eyre' - MEENA KANDASAMY

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Lyrical and unforgettable, part elegy and part memoir, we present a previously unpublished masterpiece from the Beat Generation icon. Simultaneously released with an expanded edition of di Prima's classic Revolutionary Letters on the one-year anniversary of her passing.In the autumn of 1964, Diane di Prima was a young poet living in New York when her dearest friend, dancer, choreographer, and Warhol Factory member, Freddie Herko, leapt from the window of a Greenwich Village apartment to a sudden, dramatic, and tragic death at the age of 29. In her shock and grief, di Prima began a daily practice of writing to Freddie. For a year, she would go to her study each day, light a stick of incense, and type furiously until it burned itself out.The narrative ranges over the decade from 1954—the year di Prima and Herko first met—to 1965, with occasional forays into di Prima's memories of growing up in Brooklyn. Lyrical, elegant, and nakedly honest, Spring and Autumn Annals is a moving tribute to a friendship, and to the extraordinary innovation and accomplishments of the period. Masterfully observed and passionately recorded, it offers a uniquely American portrait of the artist as a young woman in the heyday of bohemian New York City.One of The Millions' Most Anticipated Books of 2021.Praise for Spring and Autumn Annals:"The book is a treasure. Moving between the East Village, San Francisco, Topanga Canyon and Stinson Beach with young children, di Prima's life is unbelievably rich. She studies Greek, writes, prepares dinners and feasts, and co-edits Floating Bear magazine. Diane di Prima is one of the greatest writers of her generation, and this book offers a window into its lives."—Chris Kraus"Extolled by a writer who radically devoted herself to the experiential truth of beauty and intellect, in poverty and grace, in independent dignity, and in the community of Beat consciousness, Diane di Prima's Spring and Autumn Annals arrives as a long-lost charm of illuminated meditations to love, life, death, eros and selflessness. An essential 1960s text of visionary rapaciousness."—Thurston Moore"Freddie Herko wished for a third love before he died; and what a love is in this book's beholding, saying, and release. Di Prima's dancing narrative, propelled and circling at the speed of thought, picking up every name and detailed perception as a rolling tide, fills me with gratitude for the truth of her eye. Nothing gets past it, not even the 'ballet slippers letting in the snow.'"—Ana Božičević"A masterpiece of literary reflection, as quest to archive her dancer friend's life, to make art at all costs and the price dearly paid. Di Prima's observational capacity is profound, her devotion and loyalty assures her deserved place as a national treasure. She generously instills in us the call of poetic remembrance as an act of resistance, and gives voice to the marginalized participants in experimental cultural movements that carried courage in creative rebellion while envisioning freedom of the human spirit. Di Prima’s poetic memoir of the artist journey is a triumph. A must read and reread for years to come."—Karen Finley

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In this issue, we remember the enormous contribution of Jim Bouton, pictured on the cover in a portrait by artist Gary Cieradkowski. Throughout baseball’s hidebound history, rebels and mavericks have emerged to challenge the status quo in the sport and the wider society, none more so than Bouton. His book Ball Four ultimately changed baseball, the sports media, and American literature. During his playing days, Bouton spoke out against the Vietnam War, South African apartheid, the exploitation of players by greedy owners, and the casual racism of the teams and his fellow players. When his baseball career ended, he continued to use his celebrity as a platform against social injustice. Fifty years after Ball Four’s publication and now two years after Bouton’s death, Robert Elias and Peter Dreier look back at the legacy. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: “When the Fans Didn’t Go Wild” by J. Furman Daniel, III & Elliott Fullmer While the circumstances of the 2020 MLB season were far from ideal, it did present a unique research opportunity. Home-field advantage has long been observed in all major team sports, including baseball. Over the past several decades, researchers have sought to explain this persistent phenomenon. While multiple explanations have been advanced, the most common centers on the effect of attending crowds. Cheering (or booing) fans, the argument goes, affect the performance of players or umpires, leading to advantages for the home team. Because the 2020 MLB season was played without crowds, we are able to test the impact of fans on game outcomes through this unique natural experiment. “Impact of the Varying Sac-Fly Rules on Batting Champs, 1931–2019” by Herm Krabbenhoft The back-and-forth character of the sacrifice fly rule (i.e., at-bat or no at-bat) over the course of the twentieth century has resulted in some interesting “What if?” situations. For instance, one of baseball’s oldest (and at-one-time highly revered) batting metrics is batting average, with the player with the highest batting average being regarded as the batting champion of his league. But which players would have won baseball’s batting crowns if the rule had been consistent? What if the current sacrifice fly rule had been in effect for the 1931–53 period? Who would have won the batting titles, then? “‘Country’ Base Ball in the Boom of 1866,” by Robert Tholkes As baseball spread throughout the United States after the Civil War, not every newspaper was supportive of the notion. “Violent exercise,” reported the Cleveland Plain Dealer, would lead to “the production of fevers and bowel diseases.” The Raleigh Daily Sentinel disapproved of Southerners spending time on amusements, noting that “Intellect, energy, frugality and hard labor will raise the South, and nothing else can.” And as incidents of Sunday ballplaying proliferated, stiff opposition was raised by the Sabbatarians and other religious groups, like the State Street Congregational Church of Brooklyn’s Missionary Society. The Society’s diatribe warned that the game had turned from “a reasonable exercise into a moral contagion…insidiously diffusing and infusing itself into the minds and brains of thousands upon thousands of our young American people, from thirty years of age downward to little children…exhibiting a reckless abandon and mad ecstasy.” Additional articles reexamine Hank Aaron’s home run record, the career of Al Kaline, and the uncanny walk-off prowess of Ryan Zimmerman. One study looks at whether the perception that PED use prolonged MLB careers is correct. The “fourth out rule” and the earliest use of uniform numbers in the minor leagues are also investigated, among 18 articles in all.

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Find out what Joseph Conrad, Arthur Miller, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Mark Twain can tell you about being a more effective manager. Looking for business insights? Forget the Wall Street Journal. You can learn a lesson or two from Arthur Miller and David Mamet. Put down Forbes and Fortune for once and spend an evening with Chaucer and George Bernard Shaw. Not only will you enjoy yourself, you're also likely to discover some fresh management perspectives and ideas! Written by a former CEO of a global corporation who has also been an English literature professor, this provocative new business book proves that great novels and plays are a rich, untapped resource for businesspeople looking for solutions to problems they confront on the job. Robert A. Brawer digs deeply into fictions by literary legends such as Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad, Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis, and Joseph Heller to unearth vital lessons that managers can readily apply to the real world of work. From tips on resolving office conflicts in James Thurber's "The Catbird Seat" to pointers on gaining client confidence found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Brawer finds nuggets of business wisdom in places where most businesspeople never think of looking. Focusing mainly on fiction that explores business themes, Brawer uses Heller's Something Happened and Shaw's Major Barbara to illustrate the dangers of allowing excessive faith in corporate hype to impair a manager's ability to accurately assess serious problems. From Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and Dreiser's Sister Carrie, he infers important lessons about the art of salesmanship. He explores the problems of alienation and maintaining personal integrity in a corporate world through a close reading of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit. And out of his analysis of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and John Dos Passos's The Big Money, among other major nineteenth- and twentieth-century works, Brawer develops an inspiring discourse on self-interest and efficiency versus ethical responsibility and compassion in a Darwinian business world. As instructive as it is entertaining, Fictions of Business shows you how to take advantage of great novels and plays in solving the human problems of management. Praise for Fictions of Business "What a fabulous concept: the bringing together of great literature and management theory. This is a business book that challenges the intellect and goes about unveiling the basic principles of management in a way that forces you to think about what you know in a completely different way. It's a business book that stays with you long after you've read it." -Shelly Lazarus, Chairman and CEO, Ogilvy & Mather "A truly refreshing contribution to the multitude of books on corporate management. Brawer has cleverly crafted a set of essays that are both inspirational and practical." -Robert A. Kavesh, Professor of Finance and Economics, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University. "Robert Brawer is both a successful entrepreneur and a distinguished literary scholar, and his book, Fictions of Business, is wise about both trade and fiction. Brawer writes with ironic wit and sharp observation about the culture of the corporation and the workplace." -Martin Peretz, Editor-in-Chief, The New Republic and Professor of Social Studies, Harvard University. "Brawer's message is clear and true: good literature enriches business leaders, making them more productive in their careers." -Richard D. Franke, former Chairman and CEO, John Nuveen Company. "Although commerce and literary analysis might seem worlds apart, Robert Brawer's book brilliantly weaves together fictional characters with larger-than-life figures from the corporate world. In Brawer's compelling narrative, literature offers striking models for good corporate practice." -Philip Gossett, Dean of Humanities, University of Chicago.

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Colin Dayan has one of the most original minds in America and also one of the fiercest. Here for the first time she turns her rigorous intellect toward her own life, onto her vexed relationship with her mother and subsequent suffering -- and she does so with her usual uncompromising clarity. It's rare for such a tormented work to be so masterful. In the Belly of her Ghost is not exactly an easy read, but it's also very hard to put down. -Madison Smartt Bell Colin Dayan's searing personal narrative is as much a Southern Gothic story as a haunting family portrait. A tale of love and resentment, In the Belly of Her Ghost is a memoir and meditation on the author's dead mother -- a Haitian woman attempting to assimilate into white Southern belle high society during the Civil Rights era. Dayan's mother grows austere with her newfound glamour and dismissive of her daughter, whose darker skin foments a loving connection with Lucille, her African American nanny. Capturing the bitter struggle of mother and daughter -- from her childhood unto death and beyond into the disconcerting present--In the Belly of Her Ghost is a lyrical journey through memory and loss. Dayan reflects on her complicated origins as she grows into a woman, uncertain if she's "black" or "white"; we see a gritty, nuanced view of the Jim Crow South. A literary ghost story, In the Belly of Her Ghost grapples with our complicated notions of race, identity, and femininity. In times such as ours, and the times from which they spawned, ages of violence against all forms of "other" -- genders, bodies, skins, ideas -- how can we lay to rest the ghosts that haunt us, and invite to the table those that help us live? Writing from the headlands far into the interior, threading the personal with the public, an elegy with a covert manifesto of hope, Colin Dayan understands what it is to be haunted: by history, by race, by family, by what presses on the definitions of one's life. In pages at once strikingly evocative, allusive, and embodied, rigorously sensory in their hard-won wisdoms, Dayan argues for the co-existence of species, variants of identity and belonging, a commonwealth of the living and the dead. In the Belly of Her Ghost imbues profound remembering with a democracy of looking and listening, where all that matters -- objects, animals, people and place -- is properly attended. It is a volume appearing undeniably in its necessary moment, and it is precisely necessary because the truths it speaks are as old as our troubles, as required as our joys. -Andrea Luka Zimmerman This subtle, ambivalent, deeply thoughtful book makes nothing easy -- difficult moments are imbued with grace and familiar parades of ghosts. "It is not easy to tell a ghost story that is not meant to frighten," Colin Dayan writes, and we hear a series of conversations with the past, with selves old and new, with memories of Haiti and the American South, with a black woman who effectively mothered the writer, with an actual mother both dead and alive. How many of us could so lucidly say of a disappointed and disappointing parent, "I did not want to love her as much as I did"? At the center of this haunting narrative is an unforgettable ghost story, which, ultimately, is not quite a ghost story at all. -Michael Wood With "In the Belly of Her Ghost," Colin Dayan delivers a haunted and haunting memoir of her mother, from a childhood in Haiti to a clipped life as a Southern belle. This is no ordinary family story: it is a lyrical telling of how racial terror and patriarchy reverberate in our most intimate relationships; it is about love aborted and love forged in violence and repression. As rejection, loss, and self-loathing simmer on the surface, this beautiful and desolate work recounts social harms and personal grievances. But it also bears witness to the persistent longing for connection that we carry with us and reminds us of what remains: an abiding faith that love can make you whole, even in death. -Deborah Chasman

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We all daydream. We've all experienced that moment when we suddenly realise that instead of paying attention in a meeting or reading a book, our mind has wandered. In that moment, our conscious mind has detached from the current task at hand and has drifted elsewhere. But what if we could harness that power to increase creativity and focus our thoughts?Our attention is a powerful lens which allows us to pick out and filter relevant details from the vast amounts of information our brains receive - so how does our brain decide where to go when it wanders, and why does it focus on one thing over another? How important is daydreaming and why do we do it?Traditionally daydreaming was considered to be a single state of mind. However, recent research has shown that not only are there different states of daydreaming, but these states are actually governed by different neurological pathways, meaning not all mind-wandering is the same!Here, Arnaud Delorme PhD examines the science and theory behind why we daydream, examining its potential purpose. He shows you how to tame your 'monkey mind' and offers easy techniques that will enable you to develop the skill of mind wandering to improve your mood and foster greater creativity."Dr. Arnaud Delorme delves deep into the mysteries of daydreaming in his latest book. Unveiling the diverse neurological pathways of mind wandering, he offers a compelling exploration of how our thoughts are formed and how they shape our perception of the world, integrating scientific rigor with the wisdom of ancient meditation practices."- Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global, clinical professor at the University of California, Honorary Fellow in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, and author of over 90 books, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. "We all daydream. You are likely doing it right now as you read this endorsement, but Delorme is on a mission to show the world that far from being a waste of time, mind-wandering can become the very best use of your time. If you have ever been curious about how your mind works, and how to make your thoughts work for you rather than against you, this book is seminal - destined to become a science meets spirit classic read."- Theresa Cheung, Sunday Times Top-10 bestselling dreams and spiritual author, host of White Shores podcast."Dr. Arnaud Delorme's book deconstructs the ubiquitous phenomenon of mind wandering and even explores the fundamental nature of thoughts themselves. It is essential to us all - for the management of everyday living and overall well-being. The book's synthesis of science and practical exercises is nothing short of profound."­- Mark Gober, award-winning author of An End to Upside Down Thinking and board member at the Institute of Noetic Sciences"Delorme skilfully merges what is known about mind-wandering from cognitive psychology and the neurosciences, but this book is not just a dry scientific treatise . . . Highly recommended for those seeking to tame, or at least to understand, the ever-wandering mind."- Dean Radin PhD, Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and author of Real Magic and other books"Join Dr. Arnaud Delorme on a fascinating journey into the human mind. His book not only uncovers the complex science behind daydreaming but also harmonizes it with timeless meditation teachings. This rare blend provides profound insights into taming and harnessing our thoughts to reshape our reality."- Thomas Brothy, Ph.D., president of California Institute for Human Science and author"With the perspective and tools that this book provides, readers will be equipped to both effectively manage their mind wandering and to discover for themselves the potential unique ways in which they flow down the stream of consciousness."- Jonathan Schooler, PhD, Distinguished Professor UC Santa Barbara"A groundbreaking work! Dr. Delorme skilfully guides us through the labyrinth of our own minds. His practical techniques for harnessing your mind are invaluable for anyone looking to enhance focus, mood, and creativity. This book is a rare blend of scientific depth and accessible wisdom."- Prof. Steven Laureys, neurologist, keynote speaker and author of The No-Nonsense Meditation Book"In this engaging and highly accessible book, Delorme offers a refreshingly balanced approach to competing theories about why our minds wander, even when we try valiantly to focus our attention. While the book is a feast for our intellect, the dessert comes when Delorme offers simple practices to help us think clearly and effectively. At a time when we are living with weapons of mass distraction that can easily throw us off course, Delorme gives us effective tools to find clarity and focus."- Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D., author of Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life

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‘Probably the most readable, exciting and authoritative writer on science we have. A new Lawrence Krauss book always goes to the top of the curious mind’s wish list.’ Stephen Fry “I loved the fight scenes and the sex scenes were excellent.” (Eric Idle) 'In the span of a century, physics progressed from skepticism that atoms were real to equations so precise we can predict properties of subatomic particles to the tenth decimal place. Lawrence Krauss rightly places this achievement among the greatest of all stories, and his book—at once engaging, poetic and scholarly—tells the story with a scientist’s penetrating insight and a writer’s masterly craft.' (Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe, and Director, Center for Theoretical Physics, Columbia University) "Unlike some very clever scientists, Lawrence Krauss is not content to bask on the Mount Olympus of modern physics. A great educator as well as a great physicist, he wants to pull others up the rarefied heights to join him. But unlike some science educators, he doesn’t dumb down. In Einstein’s words, he makes it 'as simple as possible but no simpler.'" (Richard Dawkins, author of The Magic of Reality) “In every debate I’ve done with theologians and religious believers their knock-out final argument always comes in the form of two questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? and Why are we here? The presumption is that if science provides no answers then there must be a God. But God or no, we still want answers. In A Universe From Nothing Lawrence Krauss, one of the biggest thinkers of our time, addressed the first question with verve, and in The Greatest Story Ever Told he tackles the second with elegance. Both volumes should be placed in hotel rooms across America, in the drawer next to the Gideon Bible." (Michael Shermer, Publisher Skeptic magazine, columnist Scientific American, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, author The Moral Arc.) "A Homeric tale of science, history, and philosophy revealing how we learned so much about the universe and its tiniest parts." (Sheldon Glashow, Nobel Laureate, 1979 in physics) “The Greatest Story Ever Told—So Far ranges from Galileo to the LHC and beyond. It's accessible, illuminating, and surprising—an ideal guide for anyone interested in understanding our accidental universe.” (Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction) “College students, hippies, squares, Christians, Muslims, democrats, republicans, libertarians, theists, even atheists—all of us—sit around BS-ing like: ‘So, how did all this, I mean everything, all of us, the whole universe, you know, man, everything, how did this all get here?’ While we were doing that, Lawrence Krauss and people like him were doing the work to figure it out. Then Krauss wrote this great book about it. ‘Wow, man, you mean, like we’re getting closer to really knowing? I guess we’ll have to go back to talking about politics and sex.’” (Penn Jillette, author of Presto!) “Discovering the bedrock nature of physical reality ranks as one of humanity’s greatest collective achievements. This book gives a fine account of the main ideas and how they emerged. Krauss is himself close to the field, and can offer insights into the personalities who have led the key advances. A practiced and skilled writer, he succeeds in making the physics ‘as simple as possible but no simpler.’ I don’t know a better book on this subject.” (Martin Rees, author of Just Six Numbers) “It is an exhilarating experience to be led through this fascinating story, from Galileo to the Standard Model and the Higgs boson and beyond, with lucid detail and insight, illuminating vividly not only the achievements themselves but also the joy of creative thought and discovery, enriched with vignettes of the remarkable individuals who paved the way. It amply demonstrates that the discovery that ‘nature really follows the simple and elegant rules intuited by the 20th- and 21st-century versions of Plato’s philosophers’ is one of the most astonishing achievements of the human intellect.” (Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), MIT) “Charming... Krauss has written an account with sweep and verve that shows the full development of our ideas about the makeup of the world around us... A great romp.” (Walter Gilbert, Nobel Award, Chemistry, 1980) “History of science with an edge—humorous, personal, passionate, yet intellectually serious and authoritative.” (Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate, Physics)In the beginning there was light but more than this, there was gravity. After that, all hell broke loose... This is how the story of the greatest intellectual adventure in history should be introduced - how humanity reached its current understanding of the universe, one that is far removed from the realm of everyday experience. Krauss connects the world we know with the invisible world all around us, which is removed from intuition and direct sensation. He explains our current understanding of nature and the struggle to construct the greatest theoretical edifice ever assembled, the Standard Model of Particle Physics -- and then to understand its implications for our existence. Writing in the critically acclaimed style of A Universe from Nothing, Krauss celebrates the beauty and wonders of the natural world and details our place within it and how this shapes our understanding of it. Krauss makes this story accessible through profiles of the scientists responsible for these advances, and clear explanations of their discoveries. Krauss takes us on a tour of science and the brilliant personalities who shaped it, often against political and religious indoctrination, enduring persecution and ostracism. Krauss creates a captivating blend of research and narrative to invite us into the lives and minds of these figures,creating a landmark work of scientific history.

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