The Indians manifest their poetry in their huge temples; the Persians in their holy books; the Egyptian in pyramids, obelisks and the like; the Hellene in their magnificent statues; the Romans in their enchanting pictures; the Germans in their beautiful music—but the Slavs have poured out their soul and their intimate thoughts in ballads and tales.Herein are 33 Serbian superstitions and national customs, 12 legends of Prince Marko, a Serbian national hero, the epic poem of the hero...

Tales of Little Egypt is a fictional account of small town America and the peculiar, ordinary, eccentric, sturdy, cunning, and contented characters who created it. Set in the years between the Civil War and the great Influenza Plague of 1918, this is a pageant of imaginary people-the narratives of a score of men, women, and children whose lives illustrate the immense changes and challenges of that turbulent era. This was a period of great events and outsized personalities: splendi...

This anthology of essays questions many widespread assumptions about the culture of postwar America. Illuminating the origins and development of the many threads that constituted American culture during the Cold War, the contributors challenge the existence of a monolithic culture during the 1950s and thereafter. They demonstrate instead that there was more to American society than conformity, political conservatism, consumerism, and middle-class values.By examining popular culture...

The only available historical dictionary devoted exclusively to the 1940s, this book offers readers a ready-reference portrait of one of the twentieth century's most tumultuous decades. In nearly 600 concise entries, the volume quickly defines a historical figure, institution, or event, and then points readers to three sources that treat the subject in depth. In selecting topics for inclusion, the editors and authors offer a representative slice of life as contemporaneous Americans saw it ...

Everyday Kindness is a charity anthology of short, fictional stories of kindness, edited by LJ Ross. These uplifting tales of hope and of small, everyday kindnesses are intended to support wider, positive mental health goals and foster wellbeing through the act of reading tales of goodwill inspired by others. Featuring authors across the spectrum of literature, some international bestsellers and award-winning writers amongst them, this is a unique collection of words.Proceeds from ...

In 'The Mythology of Mayas, Aztecs and Incas', Lewis Spence delves into the rich mythological traditions of three ancient civilizations - the Mayas, the Aztecs, and the Incas. Through meticulous research and expert storytelling, Spence presents a comprehensive account of the beliefs, deities, and rituals that shaped the worldview of these civilizations. His scholarly approach provides a thorough analysis of the cultural significance of myths, offering insights into the spiritual and societ...

The Myths of Mexico & Peru offers a comparative survey of the sacred narratives, cosmologies, divine figures, and ritual traditions of the great Indigenous civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Andes. Lewis Spence draws on chronicles, codices, archaeological reports, and early ethnographic materials to reconstruct mythic worlds shaped by creation cycles, solar worship, hero legends, and sacrificial rites. Written in the lucid, synthetic style characteristic of early twentieth-century mythog...

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Chris Hedges makes a forceful case that liberal institutions have failed Americans by ceding power to self-serving and elitist corporations**“Uncompromising. . . . Hedges indicts the press, the Church, the arts, labor unions, universities, and the Democratic Party for failing to protect the middle and lower classes.” —**The New YorkerHistory has shown time and time again that when the liberal class...

A bestselling first collection of humorous and insightful essays by a luminary of the women’s liberation movementThese essays from Gloria Steinem’s first three decades of work offer a portrait of a woman who was not only one of the savviest leaders of the women’s liberation movement, but also a profoundly humane thinker with a wide-ranging intellect and irresistible wit. In “If Men Could Menstruate,” Steinem engages readers in a flight of imagination as incisive as...

The influence of intellectuals is not only greater than in previous eras but also takes a very different form from that envisioned by those like Machiavelli and others who have wanted to directly influence rulers. It has not been by shaping the opinions or directing the actions of the holders of power that modern intellectuals have most influenced the course of events, but by shaping public opinion in ways that affect the actions of power holders in democratic societies, whether or not tho...

In the vein of Taylor Branch's classic Parting of the Waters, Supreme Court lawyer and political pundit Linda Hirshman delivers the enthralling, groundbreaking story of the gay rights movement, revealing how a dedicated and resourceful minority changed America forever.When the modern struggle for gay rights erupted in the summer of 1969, forty-nine states outlawed sex between people of the same gender. Four decades later, in 2011, New York legalized gay marriage ...

A one-volume introduction to over three decades of the wide-ranging writings of one of America's most respected and cited authorsThese selections from the many writings of Thomas Sowell over a period of a half century cover social, economic, cultural, legal, educational, and political issues. The sources range from Dr. Sowell’s letters, books, and newspaper columns to articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines. The topics range from late-talking chil...