Magic in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean: Cognitive, Historical, and Material Perspectives brings together articles with the shared conviction that the category of magic remains useful in religious studies and provides new insights to biblical and related texts and artifacts. Historically, magic has been considered in both scholarly and popular discourse to be questionable, obscure, and potentially subversive. 19th century scholars of religion viewed magical beliefs and practices as primitive and inferior compared to Judeo-Christian forms of worship, which were considered true "religion". More recently, the category has been defended especially by scholars of the cognitive science of religion, who find it useful for delineating a set of beliefs and practices fundamental to all forms of religion. The volume joins current scholarship in refraining from using the concept as an othering device and in arguing that it can still serve as a helpful analytical tool. In addition to analyzing the discourse on magic in both ancient literature and modern scholarship, the articles provide individual examples of how literary and material culture attest to the existence of magical beliefs and practices in sources from the Ancient Near East to the Byzantine Period. The book is divided into three parts. The contributions in the first part approach magic from the theoretical perspective of cognitive studies, ritual studies, and cultural evolution, while the rest of the book focuses on how magic and magicians are understood in ancient sources. The second part discusses a specific set of textual material dealing with blessings and curses. The third part of the volume discusses the world of various destructive celestial beings, from which one and one's loved ones had to be defended, as well as the multitude of protective beings such as angels.
A “splendid” novel based on the rise and fall of the Browns, Arkansas siblings who became country music legends, by an award-winning author (Dallas Morning News). Late in 1959, the Brown siblings—Maxine, Bonnie, and Jim Ed—were enjoying unprecedented international success, rivaled only by their longtime friend Elvis Presley. They had a bona fide mega hit on their hands, which topped both the country and pop charts and gave rise to the polished sound of the multibillion dollar country music industry we know today. Mesmerized by the Browns’ haunting harmonies, the Beatles even tried to learn their secret. Their unique harmony, however, was only achievable through shared blood, and the trio’s perfect pitch was honed by a childhood spent listening for the elusive pulse and tone of an impeccably tempered blade at their parent’s Arkansas sawmill. But the Browns’ celebrity couldn’t survive the world changing around them, and the bonds of family began to fray along with the fame. Heartbreakingly, the novel jumps between the Browns’ promising past and the present, which finds Maxine—once supremely confident and ravenous in her pursuit of applause—ailing and alone. As her world increasingly narrows, her hunger for just one more chance to secure her legacy only grows, as does her need for human connection. Lyrical and nuanced, Nashville Chrome hits all the right grace notes with its vivid evocation of an era in American music, while at its heart it is a wrenching meditation on the complexities of fame and of one family—forgotten yet utterly unforgettable when reclaimed by Bass—who experienced them firsthand.
This New York Times bestselling business paperback chronicles the unlikely opportunities that transformed this unknown novelty label into an American icon. This is the story about how Barefoot Wines helped transform an entire industry from stuffy and intimidating to fun and socially aware.
Barefoot Wines creators had no money or experience when they started the company, but they made up for that with creativity, resourcefulness, guts and grit. By the time they sold the brand, they had helped transform the wine industry.
From the beginning of the Cold War to the present day resurgence of patriotism, this book traces the journey of the nation and its struggle to redefine itself in the midst of monumental flux.
After making an unexpected connection with God via his cell phone, one man embarks on an unlikely spiritual quest in this smart, savvy, rambunctious debut from Grammy Award-winning musician and New York Times bestselling author Rick Springfield. "Why are we here? What is love? Is there a Loch Ness monster? Does God send text messages?" These are the kinds of questions Horatio Cotton, aka Bobby Cotton, asks as he sets off on an uproarious adventure to find his purpose in life. After serendipitously stealing a mysterious self-help book called Magnificent Vibration: Discover Your True Purpose from a bookstore, Bobby calls the 1-800 number scrawled inside the front cover, only to discover that he has a direct line to God—and that God likes to mess with him. Soon enough, Bobby finds an ideal companion for his journey—the breathtakingly sexy and exceedingly sharp Alice—and they set out to find some combination of spiritual and carnal salvation...and possibly save the planet.
Qui se souvient encore des Brown, « le groupe américain préféré des Beatles » ? Dans les années 50, Maxine, Bonnie et Jim Ed Brown étaient pourtant aussi connus qu'Elvis Presley, qui trouva en eux des compagnons de route et une indéniable source d'inspiration. Nashville Chrome retrace le parcours, romancé, de ce trio atypique : leur enfance à Poplar Creek, dans le sud de l'Arkansas, à proximité de la scierie paternelle dont émanaient les fumées qui ont donné à leurs voix cet éclat soyeux et rauque ; les tournées aux côtés de ceux qui deviendront des grands noms de la musique rock country. Jusqu'au milieu des années 60, le groupe occupe le devant de la scène. Leur étoile pâlit peu à peu et ils se séparent au début des années 70. À l'image de leurs voix envoûtantes, Rick Bass construit un livre au ton délicat et juste. Au-delà du succès et du déclin de l'harmonie bien tempérée des Brown, se joue quelque chose de plus profond qui rappelle ses grands écrits sur la nature : leurs voix renvoient à l'authenticité d'une ère où les médias et les images ne sont pas encore rois.
The Tar Heel State’s most notorious crimes are revealed by the coauthor of Ghosts of the Triangle: Historic Haunts of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The smiling faces and southern hospitality of North Carolina promise a paradise for visitors and residents alike, but darkness still lurks in small towns as well as big cities. The state’s dangerous past of violence and murder is never seen in tourist pamphlets. From the capture of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph in the mountains to the seaside murder of the Hermit of Fort Fisher, dark deeds have touched every part of the state. Author Rick Jackson tells the stories behind some of the most famous, and most heinous, crimes in the history of the Old North State. Includes photos!
Horatio Cotton, aka "Bob," has been looking for some combination of spiritual and carnal salvation his entire life. When he steals a self-help book called Magnificent Vibration: Discover Your True Purpose from a bookstore and calls the number scrawled inside the front cover, he discovers that he has a direct line to God, and that God likes to mess with him. Soon enough Bob finds a partner in Alice, a surprisingly sexy and good-humored nun, and they travel from America to Scotland and try to answer questions, such as Why are we here? What is love? Is there a Loch Ness monster? Does God send text messages? MAGNIFICENT VIBRATION is smart, savvy, rambunctious, and hilarious novel, about the biggest questions that one man - or mankind - has ever asked"--
Is your heart burning for revival? In The Fire that Could Not Die, discover the story of the revival that changed Christianity and for a time, made a dead end street in Los Angeles the most famous street in the world. Learn the lessons of history and become inspired to press in for revival in your day.
As the gang crimes raise in New York and Chicago, Texas has become another dangerous state. While New York and Chicago gangs filter in Texas crime has sky-rocketed putting everyone in danger. That is until FBI Special Agent Rob Munroe compiled a team of the United States best officers and created an elite, secret team to end the violence. The first person he needs though is his old cadet buddy and New York native, Rico. Rico assembles the best team he can find and does what he does best-finds peace in a broken world. The Charon Unit-aptly named after the ferry boatman that carried dead bodies across the river Styx-has to find and stop the gang that is at the core of all this violence. With each member they take down, their lives become more at risk and this top secret mission more important. The officers of the Charon Unit will not let fear get in the way of breaking down the United States most wanted gang members. As the team unravels mystery after mystery of this gang they realize they're getting deeper and deeper into trouble. Will they be able to stop the gang before they lose an officer? This action-packed novel will have readers hanging by the page wondering what's coming next.
Whether you take the high road or the low road, with Rick Steves on your side, Scotland can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Scotland you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Scotland Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the wild beauty of Orkney Islands and the Hebrides to cozy corner pubs in Edinburgh How to connect with local culture: Chat with experts on the Speyside Whisky Trail, attend a small-town Highland Games, or join the search for Nessie Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a dram of Scotch Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and historic sites Detailed neighborhood maps and a fold-out city map for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, a phrase book of Scottish slang, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St. Andrews, the Scottish Highlands, Oban, Mull, Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, Fort William, Inverness, Loch Ness, Pitiochry, Balmoral Castle, the Isle of Skye, Wester Ross, the Orkney Islands, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Scotland.
As the gang crimes raise in New York and Chicago, Texas has become another dangerous state. While New York and Chicago gangs filter in Texas crime has sky-rocketed putting everyone in danger. That is until FBI Special Agent Rob Munroe compiled a team of the United States best officers and created an elite, secret team to end the violence. The first person he needs though is his old cadet buddy and New York native, Rico. Rico assembles the best team he can find and does what he does best-finds peace in a broken world. The Charon Unit-aptly named after the ferry boatman that carried dead bodies across the river Styx-has to find and stop the gang that is at the core of all this violence. With each member they take down, their lives become more at risk and this top secret mission more important. The officers of the Charon Unit will not let fear get in the way of breaking down the United States most wanted gang members. As the team unravels mystery after mystery of this gang they realize they're getting deeper and deeper into trouble. Will they be able to stop the gang before they lose an officer? This action-packed novel will have readers hanging by the page wondering what's coming next.
Here are beautifully illustrated stories about 21 unique cats from across the country--and the recipes they inspired--for the estimated 50 million Americans who love to spoil their cats. Features nutritional dishes that will make finicky kittens sit up and take notice.
From the creators of the "New York Times best-selling "America 24/7 come two heartwarming and spectacular new books celebrating everyone's favorite pets, cats and dogs. Culled from thousands of images taken all across the country by professional and amateur photographers, each photo and accompanying caption tells a story of the intimate connections we share with our furry friends. As with "America 24/7, readers will be able to create a custom cover featuring their own photograph.
Acclaimed mystery author and comics writer Max Collins (Road to Perdition) took over scripting Chester Gould's iconic detective strip in 1978, and Dick Tracy would never be the same again. The second of several volumes collecting Collins's masterful yet controversial 15-year run, the art is supplied by Rick Fletcher.
A “splendid” novel based on the rise and fall of the Browns, Arkansas siblings who became country music legends, by an award-winning author (Dallas Morning News). Late in 1959, the Brown siblings—Maxine, Bonnie, and Jim Ed—were enjoying unprecedented international success, rivaled only by their longtime friend Elvis Presley. They had a bona fide mega hit on their hands, which topped both the country and pop charts and gave rise to the polished sound of the multibillion dollar country music industry we know today. Mesmerized by the Browns’ haunting harmonies, the Beatles even tried to learn their secret. Their unique harmony, however, was only achievable through shared blood, and the trio’s perfect pitch was honed by a childhood spent listening for the elusive pulse and tone of an impeccably tempered blade at their parent’s Arkansas sawmill. But the Browns’ celebrity couldn’t survive the world changing around them, and the bonds of family began to fray along with the fame. Heartbreakingly, the novel jumps between the Browns’ promising past and the present, which finds Maxine—once supremely confident and ravenous in her pursuit of applause—ailing and alone. As her world increasingly narrows, her hunger for just one more chance to secure her legacy only grows, as does her need for human connection. Lyrical and nuanced, Nashville Chrome hits all the right grace notes with its vivid evocation of an era in American music, while at its heart it is a wrenching meditation on the complexities of fame and of one family—forgotten yet utterly unforgettable when reclaimed by Bass—who experienced them firsthand.
From the beginning of the Cold War to the present day resurgence of patriotism, this book traces the journey of the nation and its struggle to redefine itself in the midst of monumental flux.
“Perlstein...aims here at nothing less than weaving a tapestry of social upheaval. His success is dazzling.” —Los Angeles Times “Both brilliant and fun, a consuming journey back into the making of modern politics.” —Jon Meacham “Nixonland is a grand historical epic. Rick Perlstein has turned a story we think we know—American politics between the opposing presidential landslides of 1964 and 1972—into an often-surprising and always-fascinating new narrative.” —Jeffrey Toobin Rick Perlstein’s bestselling account of how the Nixon era laid the groundwork for the political divide that marks our country today. Told with vivid urgency and sharp political insight, Nixonland recaptures America’s turbulent 1960s and early 1970s and reveals how Richard Nixon rose from the political grave to seize and hold the presidency of the United States. Perlstein’s epic account begins in the blood and fire of the 1965 Watts riots, nine months after Lyndon Johnson’s historic landslide victory over Barry Goldwater appeared to herald a permanent liberal consensus in the United States. Yet the next year, scores of liberals were tossed out of Congress, America was more divided than ever, and a disgraced politician was on his way to a shocking comeback: Richard Nixon. Between 1965 and 1972 America experienced no less than a second civil war. Out of its ashes, the political world we know now was born. Filled with prodigious research and driven by a powerful narrative, Rick Perlstein’s magisterial account of how it all happened confirms his place as one of our country’s most celebrated historians.
Now featuring new research and the most current information on the science of happiness, this book presents an outline of the nine choices happy people consistently make. Also included are tools for self-assessment to allow readers to measure happiness-and to find out what might be holding them back from having more of it. Insightful, intimate, and inspiring, How We Choose to Be Happy lets readers learn by example, and take substantial steps toward joining the ranks of the extremely happy.
Searching For New Frontiers offers film students and general readers a survey of popular movies of the 1960s. The author explores the most important modes of filmmaking in times that were at once hopeful, exhilarating, and daunting. The text combines discussion of American social and political history and Hollywood industry changes with analysis of some of the era’s most expressive movies. The book covers significant genres and evolving thematic trends, highlighting a variety of movies that confronted the era’s major social issues. It notes the stylistic confluence and exchanges between three forms: the traditional studio movie based on the combination of stars and genres, low-budget exploitation movies, and the international art cinema. As the author reveals, this complex period of American filmmaking was neither random nor the product of unique talents working in a vacuum. The filmmakers met head-on with an evolving American social conscience to create a Hollywood cinema of an era defined by events such as the Vietnam War, the rise of the civil rights movement, and the moon landing.
Everyone loves wolves. Always having a dog or two in the family, Rick never experienced "other animals" outside a zoo. In 1999 Rick married a true animal lover and owner of two more dogs for the family. That was the limit until synchronicity reared its head, putting Rick, his wife, and her children in a "drive-through" zoo on the first day they could sell the first of a recent wolf litter.This book is a diary of sorts to chronicle this chance meeting. He reluctantly purchased a
Whether you take the high road or the low road, with Rick Steves on your side, Scotland can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Scotland you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Scotland Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the wild beauty of Orkney Islands and the Hebrides to cozy corner pubs in Edinburgh How to connect with local culture: Chat with whiskey experts on the Speyside Whisky Trail, attend a small-town Highland Games, or join the search for Nessie Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and historic sites Detailed neighborhood maps and a fold-out city map for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, a phrase book of Scottish slang, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St. Andrews, the Scottish Highlands, Oban, Mull, Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, Fort William, Inverness, Loch Ness, Pitiochry, Balmoral Castle, the Isle of Skye, Wester Ross, the Orkney Islands, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Scotland. Spending two weeks or less exploring the country? Try Rick Steves Best of Scotland.
Borrowed Hearts traces the development of Rick DeMarinis's incantatory voice, including newer work as well as stories selected from his three previous, highly acclaimed collections: Under Wheat (1986), the winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize for short fiction; The Coming of the Free World, a New York Times Notable Book (1988); and The Voice of America (1991). The title story was included in 1991's The Best Stories of the South, and "Your Story" was played on National Public Radio's Selected Shorts.
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