Search results for ""Author becker"

From the bestselling author of Meetings With Remarkable Manuscripts, a captivating account of the last surviving relic of Thomas Becket The assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 is one of the most famous events in European history. It inspired the largest pilgrim site in medieval Europe and many works of literature from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales to T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral and Anouilh's Becket.In a brilliant piece of historical detective work, Christopher de Hamel here identifies the only surviving relic from Becket's shrine: the Anglo-Saxon Psalter which he cherished throughout his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, and which he may even have been holding when he was murdered.Beautifully illustrated and published to coincide with the 850th anniversary of the death of Thomas Becket, this is an exciting rediscovery of one of the most evocative artefacts of medieval England.

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"Charming and beautifully humorous . . . A sparkling story of weathering change." —Booklist, starred review Everything is changing for Becket Branch. From subways to sidewalks to safety rules, she is a city kid born and raised. Now the Branch family is trading urban bustle for big green fields and moving to help their gran on Blackberry Farm, where Becket has to make sense of new routines, from feeding animals to baling hay. But Becket is ready! She even makes her own “Becket List” for How to Be a Country Kid. Things don’t always work out the way she planned, but whether it’s selling mouth-puckering lemonade, feeding hostile hens, or trying to make a new best friend, Becket is determined to use her city smarts to get a grip on country living. Get ready to yell “Beautiful Alert!” along with Becket as she mucks through the messy, exuberant experience of change she didn’t ask for, in a story that sparkles with quirky characters, cheerful humor, and unexpected adventures.

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This fascinating book recounts the extensive building program that took place at Canterbury Cathedral Priory, England, from 1153 to 1167, during the time when Thomas Becket served as Royal Chancellor and then as archbishop of Canterbury. Masterminded by Prior Wibert, the renewal included the physical expansion of the cathedral's precinct, the construction of new buildings, and the installation of a pioneering pressurized water system. This ambitious undertaking utilized a Late Romanesque style, lavish materials, and sculpture, and drew on the optimism and creative energy of the young Angevin rulers of England, Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Canterbury Cathedral Priory in the Age of Becket reassesses the surviving remains and relates them to important changes in Benedictine monasticism concerned with hospitality, hygiene, the administration of law, liturgy, and the care of the sick. It also restores to history a neglected major patron of unusual breadth and accomplishments. Peter Fergusson sheds fresh light on the social and cultural history of the mid-12th century.Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

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In a ceremony of great solemnity in July 1220, almost fifty years after his murder in December 1170, the relics of Saint Thomas Becket, Canterbury’s most famous archbishop, were taken from the tomb in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral where they had lain for fifty years and placed in a magnificent bejewelled shrine in the cathedral’s Trinity Chapel. The shrine, which became the focus of pilgrimage and veneration for generations of travellers to Canterbury, remained in the Trinity Chapel for more than 300 years until its destruction in September 1538 by commissioners acting on the orders of King Henry VIII. The fabulous jewels and precious metals were carted off to the king’s treasury in London, but no authentic record has come to light of the fate of the mortal remains – the holy relics – of Saint Thomas. There are many stories but few hard facts. This book marks the 800th anniversary of the translation of Thomas Becket’s relics in 1220 from the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral to the shrine in the Trinity Chapel. In it, John Butler carefully sifts the evidence about the fate of Becket’s bones when the shrine was destroyed in 1538, and he explores a series of probing questions. Did the monks of the cathedral attempt to hide the relics before King Henry’s commissioners arrived in Canterbury? Were the bones burnt on the orders of Pope Paul III, as many believe, or did they somehow survive? What is the significance of the grave discovered in the crypt of the cathedral in 1888? Against a background of church politics and carefully referencing all his sources, John Butler pieces together an intriguing story of faith, science and romanticism that will appeal to all who relish a true-life mystery.

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Jürek Becker (1937–97) is best known for his novel Jacob the Liar, which follows the life of a man, who, like Becker, lived in the Lódz ghetto during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. Throughout his career, Becker also wrote nonfiction, and the essays, lectures, and interviews collected in My Father, the Germans and I share a common thread in that they each speak to Becker’s interactions with and opinions on the social, political, and cultural conditions of twentieth-century Germany. Becker, who had lived in both German states and in unified Germany, was passionately and humorously active in the political debates of his time. Becker never directly aligned himself with either the political ideology of East Germany or the capitalist market forces of West Germany. The remains of fascism in postwar Germany, and the demise of Socialism, as well as racism and xenophobic violence, were topics that perpetually interested Becker. However, his writings, as evidenced in this collection, were never pedantic, but always entertaining, retaining the sense of humor that made his novels so admired. My Father, the Germans and I gives expression to an exceptional author’s perception of himself and the world and to his tireless attempt to bring his own unique tone of linguistic brevity, irony, and balance to German relations.

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The extraordinary growth and development of the cult of St Thomas Becket is investigated here, with a particular focus on its material culture. Thomas Becket - the archbishop of Canterbury cut down in his own cathedral just after Christmas 1170 - stands amongst the most renowned royal ministers, churchmen, and saints of the Middle Ages. He inspired the work of medieval writers and artists, and remains a compelling subject for historians today. Yet many of the political, religious, and cultural repercussions of his murder and subsequent canonisation remain to be explored in detail. This book examines the development of the cult and the impact of the legacy of Saint Thomas within the Plantagenet orbit of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries - the "Empire" assembled by King Henry II, defended by his son King Richard the Lionheart, and lost by King John. Traditional textual and archival sources, such as miracle collections, charters, and royal and papal letters, are used in conjunction with the material culture inspired by the cult, toemphasise the wide-ranging impact of the murder and of the cult's emergence in the century following the martyrdom. From the archiepiscopal church at Canterbury, to writers and religious houses across the Plantagenet lands, to thecourts of Henry II, his children, and the bishops of the Angevin world, individuals and communities adapted and responded to one of the most extraordinary religious phenomena of the age. Dr Paul Webster is currently Lecturer in Medieval History and Project Manager of the Exploring the Past adult learners progression pathway at Cardiff University; Dr Marie-Pierre Gelin is a Teaching Fellow in the History Department at University College London. Contributors: Colette Bowie, Elma Brenner, José Manuel Cerda, Anne J. Duggan, Marie-Pierre Gelin, Alyce A. Jordan, Michael Staunton, Paul Webster.

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Exceptional fantasy artist Jasmine-Becket Griffith has been creating incredible art for over 25 years. She spends all of her time painting in her studio in Florida, working with water, paints and wood to produce beautiful and gothic artworks of faeries, mermaids, princesses and more. This wall calendar features 12 images showcasing her impressive and instantly recognizable style. Informative text accompanies each work in this art calendar and the datepad features previous and next month’s views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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This study reconstructs twelfth-century sculptural and architectural finds, found during the restoration of the Perpendicular Great Cloister of Christ Church, Canterbury, as architectural screens constructed around 1173. It proposes that the screens provided monastic privacy and controlled pilgrimage to the Altar of the Sword's Point in the Martyrdom, the site of Archbishop Thomas Becket's murder in 1170.Excavations in the 1990s discovered evidence of a twelfth-century tunnel leading to the Martyrdom under the crossing of the western transept. Construction would have required rebuilding the crossing stairs and the screens flanking the crossing. The roundels, portraying lions, devils, a 'pagan', Jews, and a personification of the synagogue, are reconstructed on the south side of the crossing as a screening wall framing the entrance to this tunnel. The quatrefoils with images of Old Testament prophets are reconstructed as a rood screen on the west side of the crossing. In the Martyrdom, a screen is proposed with perhaps the earliest known sculptural representation of Thomas Becket. The rood screen, located behind the Altar of the Holy Cross, would have provided a visual focus during Mass, monastic processions, and sermons, especially during Christmas and Holy Week. The row of prophets, pointing upwards at the Rood, would have functioned as the visual equivalent of the dialogue of the ‘Ordo prophetarum’ that predicted the Messiah as proof to Jews and other unbelievers of Christian redemption. The roundels, just around the corner on the south screening wall, can be interpreted as representing the unbelieving Other and forces of evil warning pilgrims to seek penance at the altar of the newly canonized St Thomas.In addition to this new interpretation, a catalog raisonné and an account of the discovery of the finds offers material for future research that has been unavailable to previous studies. All the finds were photographed by the author as the restoration progressed;16 pieces of which have since been lost, making some of the unpublished photographs essential evidence of the archaeological record.

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From Thomas Becket's early life as a merchant's son and his time as the Archbishop of Canterbury to his assassination in the Cathedral itself, this enlightening book brings to life a colossal figure of British history. 'Lively, effortlessly readable, superb. A beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history' The Times ____________________This is the man, not the legend . . . Thomas Becket lived at the centre of medieval England. Son of a draper's merchant, he was befriended and favoured by Henry II and quickly ascended the rungs of power and privilege. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between warring states and advised King and Pope. Yet he lost it all defying his closest friend and King, resulting in his bloody murder and the birth of a saint. In award-winning biographer John Guy's masterful account, the life, death and times of Thomas Becket come vividly into focus. ____________________ 'Suspenseful, meticulously researched . . . however well you think you know the story, it is well worth the read' Financial Times 'Wonderfully moving and subtle. Reading of the assassination is almost unbearably intense and brings tears to one's eye' Daily Express 'Compelling, marvellously measured, entertainingly astute, and in places positively moving' The Independent 'Scintillates with energetic scene-setting, giving us a tactile, visual feel for early medieval England . . . breathes new life into an oft-told tale' Financial Times

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This classic sociological examination of art as collective action explores the cooperative network of suppliers, performers, dealers, critics, and consumers who - along with the artist - "produce" a work of art. Howard S. Becker looks at the conventions essential to this operation and, prospectively, at the extent to which art is shaped by this collective activity. The book is thoroughly illustrated and updated with a new dialogue between Becker and eminent French sociologist Alain Pessin about the extended social system in which art is created, and with a new preface in which the author talks about his own process in creating this influential work.

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The present study deals with the comparison of rural settlements, aiming to compare developments in various settlements of the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman era. This is to show to what extent structures in the hinterland show parallels or are different from one another and to explore the causes of these similarities and differences. Aspects of the Roman economy must be taken into account as well as the micro-regional influences of pre-Roman settlement or topographical conditions. To achieve this goal, various aspects of rural settlements such as the dating, size or status of a place and its location and environmental conditions are analyzed and related. Archaeological, geographic and statistical methods of investigation are used. These methods, along with the complete resulting data, are fully disclosed in order to allow the comparison to be extended to other regions. The Vera basin and the Camp de Tarragona were chosen as study areas. The former is located in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, and was seen in the Roman period as the hinterland of the city of Baria, today's Villaricos. Also on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, but in the north, is Camp de Tarragona. The name refers to the surrounding area of the Roman city of Tarraco, capital of the Hispania Tarraconensis province of the same name. German Description: Die vorliegende Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit dem Vergleich ländlicher Siedlungsstrukturen. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, die Entwicklungen in verschiedenen Siedlungskammern der Iberischen Halbinsel während der römischen Epoche einander gegenüberzustellen. Dies soll zeigen, inwieweit Strukturen im Hinterland Parallelen aufweisen oder voneinander abweichen und worin die diese Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede begründet sind. Dabei sind Aspekte des römischen Wirtschaftswesens ebenso zu berücksichtigen, wie mikroregionale Einflüsse der vorrömischen Besiedlung oder topographische Gegebenheiten. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, werden verschiedene Aspekte ländlicher Siedlungsstrukturen wie Datierung, Größe oder Status eines Platzes und dessen Standort- und Umgebungsbedingungen analysiert und in Beziehung zueinander gesetzt. Dabei kommen archäologische, geographische und statistische Untersuchungsmethoden zum Einsatz. Diese werden ebenso wie sämtliche Daten und Ergebnisse innerhalb der Arbeit vollständig offengelegt, um eine Ausweitung des Vergleichs auf weitere Regionen zu ermöglichen. Als Untersuchungsgebiete wurden das Becken von Vera und das Camp de Tarragona ausgewählt. Ersteres liegt im Südosten der Iberischen Halbinsel an der spanischen Mittelmeerküste und war in römischer Zeit als Hinterland der Stadt Baria, dem heutigen Villaricos, anzusehen. Ebenfalls an der Mittelmeerküste Spaniens, jedoch in dessen Norden, liegt das Camp de Tarragona. Der Name bezeichnet das Umland der römischen Stadt Tarraco, Hauptstadt der gleichnamigen Provinz Hispania Tarraconensis.

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Canterbury Cathedral possesses a unique marble mosaic pavement, dating from the early 12th century, which has long intrigued scholars and been the subject of speculation and debate. It forms part of the floor of the Trinity chapel, adjacent to the site where the shrine of St Thomas Becket stood, prior to the Reformation. Since the mosaic is older than the chapel itself and partly destroyed a pavement of figurative roundels, laid c.1215, it must have been moved here from elsewhere in the cathedral. This volume explores the history and archaeology of the Trinity chapel, the pavement and the physical remains of the cult of Becket, based largely on hitherto unrecorded and unpublished evidence.In the early 12th century, Archbishop Anselm rebuilt the eastern arm of the cathedral, introducing architectural elements from his native Italy, and these included a magnificent mosaic pavement, composed of the most expensive marbles, which lay in front of the high altar. In 1170, Archbishop Becket was murdered in the cathedral, and his body rested overnight on the pavement before being buried in the crypt. Thomas was immediately revered as a martyr, and in 1173 was canonised by the pope; a simple shrine was erected over his tomb. In the following year, a fire (arson) destroyed the eastern arm of the cathedral, precipitating the construction of the present Trinity and Corona chapels, wherein St Thomas’s remains were enshrined.After decades of delay and political strife, the enshrinement took place in 1220, in the presence of Henry III. The shrine comprised a great marble table, supported on six clusters of columns. On top of the table was a marble sarcophagus containing the saint’s body in an iron-bound timber coffin, over which stood the sumptuous feretory, a gabled timber ‘roof’, plated with sheets of gold and adorned with jewels. East of the shrine lies the small Corona chapel in which a fragment of Becket’s skull was separately encased in a ‘head-shrine’, and to the west a large area was paved with forty-eight figurative stone roundels, created by French artisans. All around, stained-glass windows display the early miracles of Becket.The layout of the Trinity chapel underwent transmutations, first around 1230, when the mosaic pavement was taken up from the old presbytery, reduced in size and relaid in front of Becket’s shrine, where is it today. Second, the chapel was reordered in c. 1290, when the podium carrying the shrine was enlarged and the paving around it reconfigured. Medieval tombs were now being installed in the chapels, including those of the Black Prince and Henry IV. The end came in 1538, when Henry VIII ordered the thorough destruction of Becket’s shrines, but a great deal of archaeological evidence remained in the floors, walls and a few surviving fragments of the shrines, all now recorded and discussed in this beautifully illustrated volume for the first time.

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Since his pioneering application of economic analysis to racial discrimination, Gary S. Becker has shown that an economic approach can provide a unified framework for understanding all human behavior. In a highly readable selection of essays Becker applies this approach to various aspects of human activity, including social interactions; crime and punishment; marriage, fertility, and the family; and "irrational" behavior."Becker's highly regarded work in economics is most notable in the imaginative application of 'the economic approach' to a surprising breadth of human activity. Becker's essays over the years have inevitably inspired a surge of research activity in testimony to the richness of his insights into human activities lying 'outside' the traditionally conceived economic markets. Perhaps no economist in our time has contributed more to expanding the area of interest to economists than Becker, and a number of these thought-provoking essays are collected in this book."—ChoiceGary Becker was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 1992.

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*Finished Fifty Shades Fred and looking for your next sizzling read?! This is the perfect book for you!*The second book in the brand new Hunt Legacy duology by the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the This Man seriesA desperate passion, a dangerous love story...Eleanor Cole had no idea that when she met the charmingly irresistible Becker Hunt, she was putting her life on the line. So when she discovers his secrets, escape seems to be her only option - but Becker isn't ready to let Eleanor go.She knows better than to fall into his corrupt world again, but how long can she resist when he's stolen her heart?Eleanor must make a choice, to stay and follow Becker into the heart of the danger...or risk losing him forever!Becker Hunt is back and this time he's not letting Eleanor walk away...

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The extraordinary growth and development of the cult of St Thomas Becket is investigated here, with a particular focus on its material culture. Thomas Becket - the archbishop of Canterbury cut down in his own cathedral just after Christmas 1170 - stands amongst the most renowned royal ministers, churchmen, and saints of the Middle Ages. He inspired the work of medieval writers and artists, and remains a compelling subject for historians today. Yet many of the political, religious, and cultural repercussions of his murder and subsequent canonisation remain to be explored in detail. This book examines the development of the cult and the impact of the legacy of Saint Thomas within the Plantagenet orbit of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries - the "Empire" assembled by King Henry II, defended by his son King Richard the Lionheart, and lost by King John. Traditional textual and archival sources, such as miracle collections, charters, and royal and papal letters, are used in conjunction with the material culture inspired by the cult, to emphasise the wide-ranging impact of the murder and of the cult's emergence in the century following the martyrdom. From the archiepiscopal church at Canterbury, to writers and religious houses across the Plantagenet lands, to the courts of Henry II, his children, and the bishops of the Angevin world, individuals and communities adapted and responded to one of the most extraordinary religious phenomena of the age.

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The murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket in 1170 at the hands of trusted men of King Henry II of England had a huge impact on twelfth-century Europe. His violent death was the tragic outcome of a far-reaching conflict between the secular power of European feudal monarchies and the spiritual power of the Church. Following the events, the figure of Becket achieved great notoriety and his cult spread everywhere, also in the Iberian Peninsula, where we find texts and works of art commemorating his martyrdom and sanctification, like the wall paintings of Santa Maria de Terrassa (c. 1180). A painted tragedy unfolds the dissemination of the Thomas Becket cult and illustrates the relations between England and the Iberian Peninsula eight hundred and fifty years ago. Why did Ramon Beren-guer IV entrust his children?s guardianship to the King of England? Did Eleanor Plantagenet, daughter of Henry II, play an active role in promoting the Becket cult in the kingdom of Castile? Was t

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In 1963, Howard S. Becker gave a lecture about deviance, challenging the then-conventional definition that deviance was inherently criminal and abnormal and arguing that instead, deviance was better understood as a function of labeling. At the end of his lecture, a distinguished colleague standing at the back of the room, puffing a cigar, looked at Becker quizzically and asked, "What about murder? Isn't that really deviant?" It sounded like Becker had been backed into a corner. Becker, however, wasn't defeated! Reasonable people, he countered, differ over whether certain killings are murder or justified homicide, and these differences vary depending on what kinds of people did the killing. In What About Mozart? What About Murder?, Becker uses this example, along with many others, to demonstrate the different ways to study society, one that uses carefully investigated, specific cases and another that relies on speculation and on what he calls "killer questions," aimed at taking down an opponent by citing invented cases. Becker draws on a lifetime of sociological research and wisdom to show, in helpful detail, how to use a variety of kinds of cases to build sociological knowledge. With his trademark conversational flair and informal, personal perspective Becker provides a guide that researchers can use to produce general sociological knowledge through case studies. He champions research that has enough data to go beyond guesswork and urges researchers to avoid what he calls "skeleton cases," which use fictional stories that pose as scientific evidence. Using his long career as a backdrop, Becker delivers a winning book that will surely change the way scholars in many fields approach their research.

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'...the 1992 Nobel laureate demonstrates his well-known talent for extending ever further the frontiers of economics...in these pieces, the real world is very much at hand' - "Business Week". 'Becker goes tot he root of the problem...brims with fresh insights' - "The Wall Street Journal". 1992 Nobel Prize winner Gary S. Becker is one of the few modern economists to apply economic theory to human behavior. His provocative world-view states that our daily actions and choices are influenced more than we know by market forces and economic incentives.In "The Economics of Life", Gary Becker and historian Guity Nashat Becker have collected the best of the economist's popular work from his monthly "Business Week" column along with introductions that bring each topic into present-day focus. Extending well beyond the traditional range of economics, these 138 essays provocatively address modern issues including: the changing role of women in modern economics, crime, immigration, drugs, discrimination against minorities, and many other topics. From legalizing drugs to auctioning off immigration rights, the Beckers do not shy away from advocating controversial changes in public policy and personal behavior. They will set you thinking and perhaps change your mind about the connections between economics and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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El asesinato del arzobispo de Canterbury Tomás Becket en 1170 a manos de los hombres del círculo de confianza del rey Enrique II de Inglaterra causó un enorme impacto en la Europa del siglo XII. Su muerte violenta fue el trágico desenlace de un conflicto de gran trascendencia entre el poder secular de las monarquías feudales europeas y el poder espiritual de la Iglesia. A raíz de los hechos, la figura de Becket alcanzó una gran popularidad en el viejo continente, y su culto se extendió por todas partes, también en la península ibérica, donde encontramos obras que rememoran su martirio y santificación, como el conjunto pictórico de Santa Maria de Terrassa (ca. 1180). Una tragedia pintada narra la difusión del culto a Tomás Becket poniendo luz a las relaciones entre Inglaterra y el mundo peninsular de hace ochocientos cincuenta años. Por qué Ramón Berenguer IV confió la tutela de sus hijos al rey de Inglaterra? Tuvo Leonor Plantagenet, hija de Enrique II, un papel activo en la promoción

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Reconciliation of Geometry and Perception in Radiation Physics approaches the topic of projective geometry as it applies to radiation physics and attempts to negate its negative reputation. With an original outlook and transversal approach, the book emphasizes common geometric properties and their potential transposition between domains. After defining both radiation and geometric properties, authors Benoit and Pierre Beckers explain the necessity of reconciling geometry and perception in fields like architectural and urban physics, which are notable for the regularity of their forms and the complexity of their interactions.

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Originally published in 1968. In the pluralistic society of the medieval commune, informal and personal ties of obligation bound men together. In trecentro Florence this "gentle" communal structure gradually evolved into the stricter, more centralized organization characteristic of the modern state. A growing emphasis on law and order transformed the medieval commune of the early fourteenth century into the Renaissance territorial state of the latter half of the century. Professor Becker's subject is this metamorphosis. Following his study of the declining communal paideia in Volume One, the author examines in this second volume the growing vigor of public world, as well as the attendant depersonalization and repression. He is concerned primarily with two factors that he considers the major forces producing the Renaissance territorial state and encouraging the growth of imperial government and constitutionalism: the intrusion of new citizens (novi cives) into politics after 1343 and the skyrocketing of communal debt. Thus, the author disputes Burckhardt's idea of the state as a work of art, viewing it instead as a creation of socioeconomic mobility and deficit financing. Further, in examining art and literature as symptoms of developing public culture and reactions to it, Professor Becker interprets them as indications of increased public involvement of the Florentine citizens, thus providing a sharp refutation of Burkhardt's egoistic, violent Renaissance man. The author concludes his study with a detailed description of the territorial state itself, pointing out the new relationship between citizen and polis which emerged in the early fifteenth century. These two volumes provide a compelling and challenging interpretation of a crucial period in Western history.

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In 1963, Howard S. Becker gave a lecture about deviance, challenging the then-conventional definition that deviance was inherently criminal and abnormal and arguing that instead, deviance was better understood as a function of labeling. At the end of his lecture, a distinguished colleague standing at the back of the room, puffing a cigar, looked at Becker quizzically and asked, "What about murder? Isn't that really deviant?" It sounded like Becker had been backed into a corner. Becker, however, wasn't defeated! Reasonable people, he countered, differ over whether certain killings are murder or justified homicide, and these differences vary depending on what kinds of people did the killing. In What About Mozart? What About Murder?, Becker uses this example, along with many others, to demonstrate the different ways to study society, one that uses carefully investigated, specific cases and another that relies on speculation and on what he calls "killer questions," aimed at taking down an opponent by citing invented cases. Becker draws on a lifetime of sociological research and wisdom to show, in helpful detail, how to use a variety of kinds of cases to build sociological knowledge. With his trademark conversational flair and informal, personal perspective Becker provides a guide that researchers can use to produce general sociological knowledge through case studies. He champions research that has enough data to go beyond guesswork and urges researchers to avoid what he calls "skeleton cases," which use fictional stories that pose as scientific evidence. Using his long career as a backdrop, Becker delivers a winning book that will surely change the way scholars in many fields approach their research.

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One of the most groundbreaking sociology texts of the 20th century, Howard S. Becker’s Outsiders revolutionized the study of social deviance.Howard S. Becker’s Outsiders broke new ground in the early 1960s—and the ideas it proposed and problems it raised are still argued about and inspiring research internationally. In this new edition, Becker includes two lengthy essays, unpublished until now, that add fresh material for thought and discussion. “Why Was Outsiders a Hit? Why Is It Still a Hit?” explains the historical background that made the book interesting to a new generation coming of age in the 60s and makes it of continuing interest today. “Why I Should Get No Credit For Legalizing Marijuana” examines the road to decriminalization and presents new ideas for the sociological study of public opinion.

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'It made me rethink the roots of our deepest fears and insecurities, and why we often disappoint ourselves in how we manifest them' Bill Clinton, Guardian Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the 'why' of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie - man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. The book argues that human civilisation is a defence against the knowledge that we are mortal beings. Becker states that humans live in both the physical world and a symbolic world of meaning, which is where our 'immortality project' resides. We create in order to become immortal - to become part of something we believe will last forever. In this way we hope to give our lives meaning. In The Denial of Death, Becker sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates decades after it was written.

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'A fun, clever read on our obsession with true crime. I loved it' THE OBSERVER'I raced through Kill Show. Gripping, fast-paced and oh so twisty' LOUISE JENSEN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GIFTTHE NATION IS OBSESSED. WHAT HAPPENED TO SARA?A MISSING GIRL On a crisp April morning, Sara Parcell disappears without a trace. No one saw a thing. A NATIONAL OBSESSIONDesperate, her family agree to take part in a reality TV show following Sara's case. Cameras swarm the house. Viewers tune in. The addiction begins...A HIDDEN AGENDAAs the show gains traction, what began as a small-town crime becomes a global sensation. Everyone who knew Sara is questioned on camera - but the producers want more. Hungry for twists, they delve deeper into the story - and soon, it takes on a life of its own. Where is Sara? What do her family know? And how far will any of us go to create a good show?PRAISE FOR DANIEL SWEREN-BECKER'What a ride. Clever, gripping & terrifyingly plausible, it takes true-crime obsession to a horrifying conclusion. Loved it.' - Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things 'Frequent foreshadowing fosters tension and drive, while keenly rendered characters with distinct voices and unique perspectives add dimension and verisimilitude. . . . .Sweren-Becker delivers a riveting work of fiction that doubles as scathing social commentary about America's true-crime obsession.' - Kirkus Reviews'If you enjoy true crime and crime fiction, then you will absolutely HAVE to binge-read this! Still reeling from the twists... and that final page! Can't wait to discuss this with people.' - Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer's Wife

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In the first book to examine the industry of reproductive technology from the perspective of the consumer, Gay Becker scrutinizes the staggering array of medical options available to women and men with fertility problems and assesses the toll - both financial and emotional - that the quest for a biological child often exacts from would-be parents. Becker interviewed hundreds of people over a period of years; their stories are presented here in their own words. Absorbing, informative, and in many cases moving, these stories address deep-seated notions about gender, self-worth, and the cultural ideal of biological parenthood. Becker moves beyond people's personal experiences to examine contemporary meanings of technology and the role of consumption in modern life. What emerges is a clear view of technology as culture, with technology the template on which issues such as gender, nature, and the body are being rewritten and continuously altered. "The Elusive Embryo" chronicles the history and development of reproductive technology, and shows how global forces in consumer culture have contributed to the industry's growth. Becker examines how increasing use of reproductive technology has changed ideas about 'natural' pregnancy and birth. Discussing topics such as in vitro fertilization, how men and women 'naturalize' the use of a donor, and what happens when new reproductive technologies don't work, Becker shows how the experience of infertility has become increasingly politicized as potential parents confront the powerful forces that shape this industry. "The Elusive Embryo" is accessible, well written, and well documented. It will be an invaluable resource for people using or considering new reproductive technologies as well as for social scientists and health professionals.

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In The CIA in Ecuador Marc Becker draws on recently released US government surveillance documents on the Ecuadorian left to chart social movement organizing efforts during the 1950s. Emphasizing the competing roles of the domestic ruling class and grassroots social movements, Becker details the struggles and difficulties that activists, organizers, and political parties confronted. He shows how leftist groups, including the Communist Party of Ecuador, navigated disagreements over tactics and ideology, and how these influenced shifting strategies in support of rural Indigenous communities and urban labor movements. He outlines the CIA's failure to understand that the Ecuadorian left was rooted in local social struggles rather than bankrolled by the Soviet Union. By decentering US-Soviet power struggles, Becker shows that the local patterns and dynamics that shaped the development of the Ecuadorian left could be found throughout Latin America during the cold war.

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Shopping with Audrey Hepburn...Clubbing with Peter O'Toole...Going to the races with Omar Sharif...Witnessing a domestic spat between Rex Harrison and his wife Rachel Roberts...Taking Katharine Hepburn's chicken salad to a sick friend...Watching Marlene Dietrich pelted with beets... These are just some of the stories and people Frawley Becker encountered during his years as a movie dialogue coach in Paris. The author reminiscences about his work on the sets and in the dressing rooms of Hollywood personalities, providing glimpses into the private lives of a stellar array of actors and actresses. Besides these and other stars, Becker also discloses fascinating details of working with world-famous directors John Huston, William Wyler, Nicholas Ray, Anatole Litvak, René Clément, and Vittorio de Sica. The events recounted here take place against the backdrop of Europe, and particularly Paris, in the 1960s—a time of unrest and political upheaval—from the Paris student revolution of May 1968 to the sex and murder scandal that touched a French film star and shook a president—from the paranoia in Poland under communism to the most elegant, expensive brothel in the world. This is a fascinating chronicle of a time and place, of the stars who moved around Europe, and the dialogue coach who moved with them.

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A collection of over 40 original, sensual and provocative sexual adventures, this thirteenth volume of The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica offers the very best new work of both deservedly well-known names and up-and-coming talents. The previous volume included stories by Peggy Munson; Elissa Wald; French author Emma Becker; award-winning SF writer Kij Johnson; an acclaimed crime author writing as Pat McStone; San Francisco photographer Charles Gatewood; and I. J. Miller. Here you will find an exciting diversity of erotic writing which explores the full breadth of human emotional, sensual and sexual experience - vanilla is emphatically not the only flavour - in stories which are by turns intriguing, shocking, fascinating and enchanting.

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A joyful ode to the special bond between grandfathers and their grandchildren, from acclaimed creators Shelly Becker and Dan YaccarinoOne, two, Grandpa loves you.Three, four, rush to the door.Five, six, camping trip.Seven, eight, best travel mate.A girl and her grandfather strike out on an outdoor adventure in this heartfelt rhyming picture book from acclaimed creators Shelly Becker and Dan Yaccarino.

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In The CIA in Ecuador Marc Becker draws on recently released US government surveillance documents on the Ecuadorian left to chart social movement organizing efforts during the 1950s. Emphasizing the competing roles of the domestic ruling class and grassroots social movements, Becker details the struggles and difficulties that activists, organizers, and political parties confronted. He shows how leftist groups, including the Communist Party of Ecuador, navigated disagreements over tactics and ideology, and how these influenced shifting strategies in support of rural Indigenous communities and urban labor movements. He outlines the CIA's failure to understand that the Ecuadorian left was rooted in local social struggles rather than bankrolled by the Soviet Union. By decentering US-Soviet power struggles, Becker shows that the local patterns and dynamics that shaped the development of the Ecuadorian left could be found throughout Latin America during the cold war.

Read more less