Youniverse is about you and the way things really are--how to improve your chances of a much longer and more satisfying life. It could be called an extension of an old and honorable tradition, that of enlightened self-interest. Traditional ideologies teach sacrifice for something "greater" than yourself, but in the era of cryonics and anti-senescence research, with a little brains and a little luck, you can do much better.

X-ray vision at first was the revival of the phantasmagoria and ground-penetrating sight of earlier centuries attached to the new technology of X-rays in the early twentieth century. The image-idea of the existence of rays that allow prepared eyes to see into clothing, through walls and into the earth, not feasible in fact, generated fictions and surrogates of how living beings would experience such an ability, what they would do with it and what it would do to them. Expressing both a need and a desire, X-ray vision underwent its own development gathering elements of play, inquiry and assault independent of X-ray technology but converging with microscopy, telescopy, television and surveillance.

If reading is inevitably always an experiment, reading literary masterpieces gains one access to a linguistic and semiotic universe that baffles hermeneutic authority, as well as any attempt to propose definitive interpretations. What is good about reading is that it is simultaneously a statement of subjectivity and recognition of the other as a different interpreter of the same signs. Every reading is therefore always provisional. Working on Texts provides some old and new readings of famous literary masterpieces by authors such as John Donne, S.T. Coleridge, Walt Whitman, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Seamus Heaney.

The essays in this anthology represent a cross-section of current scholarship examining the complex interplay between work, in its broadest theoretical conceptualization, and the world cultures in and through which this labor is performed. Although aimed primarily at an academic audience, the included essays, written in English, Spanish, and French, are also accessible to the curious layperson interested in looking at literature, theater, cinema, and philosophy through the lens of world languages and cultures. For more than thirty years, the Southeast Conference for Languages, Literatures and Film (SCFLLF) has been a premier platform for the discussion and dissemination of the latest scholarship in the Humanities, with emphasis on non-English area studies. The current volume showcases some...

According to seventeenth century epigrammatist La Rochefoucauld, "The hell of women is old age." For many women, turning thirty opens the gates to the hell that La Rochefoucauld defines. It is a universal, painful rite of passage that strips her of her youth and exposes a woman with no more excuses. Every woman eventually turns thirty, and it just so happens to be Generation X's turn. Woman X Turns Thirty: Myths, Mysteries, and Mental Meltdowns is a humorous, non-fiction account of one Generation X woman's journey to and through thirty. Her experiences are relayed through a variety of vignettes dealing with sex, mortality, stress, and surviving "the big one", to name a few. For the woman who will soon find herself in the throes of thirty (or has been there already), this book off...

For the first time, this ground-breaking book tells the forgotten story of the true genesis of the June 25, 1876 disaster along the Little Bighorn, "Custer's Last Stand." The failure of the southern column to continue to advance north after the battle of the Rosebud set the stage for the annihilation of George Armstrong Custer and his five companies of the 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn. For nearly 150 years, almost everything possible already has been written about the fascinating story of "Custer's Last Stand" except the analysis and new views that have been emphasized in this most revealing book: the true causes and culprits of the bloody fiasco at the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876 that shocked the American nation like no other post-Civil War event. Phillip Thomas Tucker, Ph.D....

Silence may be golden, but not when it comes to the extremes of the Christian Right. That is why Jan Linn wrote his new book, What's Wrong With The Christian Right, just released by BrownWalker Press. As a former college and seminary teacher and author of ten previous books, Linn uses the Christian Right's own words and actions to show the extent to which it is trying to reshape both American politics and Christianity into its own image. The book describes in detail the agenda of the Christian Right, the tactics it employs, and the ways it plays loose with truth. It is also a call to action to everyone disturbed by the power and influence of the Christian Right. With careful documentation, this book exposes the extent to which the Christian Right is influencing American politics, who ...

Warsaw and Jerusalem deals with different aspects of the inherent paradoxes of Jewish-Polish relations. Written by scholars from Israel and from Poland, who study history, culture, education, and politics, this book forms a unique interdisciplinary collage. Thus, it has a twofold advantage: as an academic insight in the field of Jewish studies; and as a social bonder of an academic community that has its representatives in universities in Israel and in Poland.This project is bound to be an inspiring source for scholars of Jewish studies and Jewish history. In college or university classes, the collection of a variety of chapters will aid students who compose their assignments and need brainwave resources in the field. With a contribution to the deep comprehension of the ongoing discourse a...

Voices of Protest: Liberia on the Edge, 1974-1980 is a compilation of writings and speeches of Liberians who were in the forefront of the struggle for democratic change in their country during the period leading up to the military coup of 1980 that changed the course of Africa's oldest Republic. The writings and speeches show the sentiments of the people as they confronted a ruling group which had held power for over a century and was unwilling to carry out meaningful transformation that would meet the aspirations of the majority of the citizens. These writings and speeches are historical source materials that will give another perspective to the political agitation that sought an alternative to the stagnation in the country before the military intervened to stop the democratic momentum.

A compelling, vivid and moving account of a Hungarian noble family's life before and after the horrors of World War II, as seen through the eyes of an adolescent boy. It reflects an era lost in the annals of history, yet it raises hope for the return of a country devastated by 45 years of communism, to a sociopolitical level which could enable it to reenter the community of Western society. For anyone who cares for the innocence of childhood and basic human values, this is fascinating reading, indeed.

Cultural critics frequently point out how rude people have become. The need for patience, consideration and kindness is the mindset that provides the antidote to this cultural dysfunction. Christian virtues that enhance the quality of life for everyone, including both the initiators and receivers, are discussed in this book. Each chapter includes a reflection section that helps one apply the principles covered.Is it credible to claim that any reader of a book who applies the contents could enhance the quality of his own life as well as that of others with whom he interacts? This book examines issues that hold the potential for such direct far-reaching aims. Rather than curse the darkness of uncivil behavior in culture, this book shines light in providing an antidote that enhances the perso...

The intention of this work is to inform the non-specialist and the curious, who are intrigued by finding deeper understandings of our existence. With a clear, easily comprehensible and non-technical language, Universal Theory invites the layperson to join in the most exciting non-fictional adventure. It also welcomes the scientists who have reached roadblocks in their investigations and are willing to take a leap into the unexplored and often avoided areas of study. Universal Theory follows quantum mechanics' lead to challenge the boundaries between known physics and the unknown realm. "A new way of thinking or change in perspective may be needed to achieve a Theory of Everything and a true understanding of reality. Mohsen Kermanshashi has done an outstanding job in providing that new insi...

This study addresses a long-standing mythology concerning the "Unfinished" Symphony and reviews anachronistic performance practices that prevent listeners from experiencing the work as a product of its own time. David Montgomery’s Unfinished History challenges the traditional story of Franz Schubert’s B-minor Symphony and searches for a more credible account of this great work. Written for all Schubert lovers from lay readers to musicians and musicologists, the book reviews a strangely persistent mythology concerning the symphony, continuing with the first in-depth examination of its manuscript and related documents. Details of handwriting, notation, paper, watermarks, compositional procedures, and stylistic contexts suggest a new year and country of origin for the “Unfinished”...

Understanding Rhetoric: A Guide to Critical Reading and Argumentation is a composition textbook that outlines three essential skills – rhetoric, argument, and source-based writing – geared towards newcomers and advanced students alike. Though comprehensive in its coverage, the book’s focus is a simple one: how to move beyond a "gut reaction" while reading to an articulation of what is effective and what is not, while explicitly answering the most important question of "Why?" This text gets at this central concern in two fundamental ways.First, the text teaches composition as a cumulative process, coaching you how to question, challenge, and expand on not just the readings you hold in your hands, but also how to interrogate the internal processes of writing and thinking. The book's bl...

Unbinding Christianity is a book that will be good news for some readers while stretching others in uncomfortable ways. It begins with the premise that traditional Christian teaching is focused on right beliefs while the life and teachings of Jesus was all about right living. The book represents a fresh voice for Christians who struggle to accept traditional beliefs by assuring them that Jesus himself said much more about right values than he did right beliefs.The goal of this book is to unbind Christianity from the wrappings of creeds, doctrines, dogma, and beliefs in order to make room for an understanding of what it means to be Christian defined by values that invites unity among Christians without the need for conformity of beliefs.One of the important by-products of a values-based Chr...

The concern of this thesis is with the history of ideas; specifically, the history of recent theological ideas. This thesis is not a work of systematic theology but rather situates discourse about a theological problem within the matrix of some relevant contemporary thought. Its category then is the history of the development of ideas. In the late twentieth century many academic theologians found the intelligibility of the traditional language used about the Christian Trinitarian God to be problematic. This is the thesis’ research problem. The research hypothesis is that these recent academic theologians sought to make trinitarian language used about the Christian Trinitarian God intelligible by replacing static definitions of 'person' with a dynamic relational model. The methodolog...

The idea that the solitary thinker, using pure reason, can unlock the deepest mysteries of reality is certainly an exciting one. The rationalist dream began with Parmenides of Elea and became the epistemological foundation for the greatest metaphysical systems ever constructed. This thesis traces the complete historical development of this neglected epistemology and inaugurates a radical new appraisal of its method. The new clarity provides fresh insights into traditional puzzles like the Cartesian Circle and whether Plato had a secret esoteric doctrine. A new positive re-evaluation of a doctrine thought to have been refuted by Kant and the positivists will provide interest for students, philosophers and those interested in the history of ideas.

In this era of advanced technology keeping students' attention often becomes difficult. Teachers need to find new ways to create interest. In writing classes, choosing a topic that involves students is a priority. A new genre, Tourism Writing, is an innovative and effective means of teaching students composition. It can fill this need.Tourism Writing focuses on a particular place or event, provides photos and information on nearby points of interest, and directly invites visitors. This book provides an understanding of how Tourism Writing benefits people in all areas of life. This transfers to classroom assignments when students are asked to write a poem in this genre and they are given lists of possible topics, but they also have the option to choose their own place or event. It becomes a...

This thesis examines the reception of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War in US foreign policy debates since the end of the Cold War. It begins with a background survey of Thucydides' use in foreign policy debates up to and during the Cold War, primarily by the realist school of international relations, and the comparisons which were drawn between the Cold War and the Peloponnesian War. After the Cold War, these comparisons became less relevant to current debates, and critics of realism began to use Thucydides to support their own theories. The emphasis is on how the three key movements since the Cold War, realism, liberal internationalism and neoconservatism, have each seen aspects in Thucydides' writing to admire and utilise for their theories, at the same time building competin...

The elements of menace and terror are crucial aspects of Elizabeth Bowen's pervasive theme of betrayal in her investigation of human relationships. Bowen introduces menace into the familiar and predictable environment of her characters and threatens their sense of security and safety.

This dissertation seeks to establish that there is a renaissance of Thomistic Philosophy in the Post-Conciliar Catholic Church, specifically a reawakening of Scholasticism, as evidenced by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) ushered in a new era for the Roman Catholic religion prompted by the desire of Pope John XXIII to have the 2,000 year old institution catch up with the modern world and address current problems as well as present the ancient faith in contemporary ways. Prior to Vatican II, there was a monolithic way to explain faith and reason. Theology and Philosophy were rigidly taught via textbook manuals according to a norm established under Pope Pius X who vigorously denounced the errors of Modernism in his encyclical Pas...

This book presents a new model of vowel perception and production derived from visual cues identified in waveform displays. In addition to describing waveform displays of vowels beyond previous descriptions, included in the book are descriptions of experimental evidence supporting near 100% vowel identification accuracy across 20 male talkers using the concepts in the model. The book content will be of interest to several academic fields including Cognitive Science, Psychology, Linguistics, Speech and Hearing, Language Acquisition, Neurolinguistics, Phonetics, and areas within Physics and Mathematics. Beyond these academic fields, the new model of vowel perception presented here could possibly be used to improve accuracy and speed within existing speech recognition systems, or it could be ...

Eight decades ago, the Jewish people underwent genocide in Europe. This apocalyptic event, was followed almost immediately by astonishing Jewish political and theological resurrection and renewal. This unique book ponders the tumultuous vicissitudes of the modern Jewish condition. Part memoir, part scholarship, and part theological conjectures, the book posits that to be a modern Jew entails constantly oscillating between seemingly disparate and contradictory polarities such as logos and revelation, worldliness and eternity, tradition and modernity, continuity and change. To be a modern Jew, postulates the author, is both fate and destiny, historicity and vocationalism. The Jewish saga, argues Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler, is emblematic of the human saga writ large, inasmuch as all of us are, in ...

This book gives a challenging point of view about science and its history/philosophy/sociology. Science is in decline. After centuries of great achievements, the exhaustion of new forms and fatigue have reached our culture in all of its manifestations including the pure sciences. Our society is saturated with knowledge which does not offer people any sense in their lives. There is a loss of ideals in the search for great truths and a shift towards an anodyne specialized industry whose main goal is the sustenance and procreation of an endogamic professional caste. A wide audience of educated people interested in these topics will most likely respond to the ideas expressed here as things they have thought about or observed, but have not dared to say out loud. REVIEW "Lopez-Corredoira's a...

The Trail Home describes my 2,650 mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail and the internal transformation that occurred along the way. Starting in southern California and heading northward, I spent six months journeying through some of the most spectacular landscapes in America, from the arid deserts of the southwest to the High Sierras and the Cascade Mountains. Ultimately, I would arrive at the Canadian border in mid October, but I was no longer the same person as when I began. The Trail Home describes the intertwined, dual journey that I would undertake the external journey exploring the physical landscape and the internal journey exploring the landscape of my soul. I came to the realization as I hiked along the Pacific Crest Trail that we live fragmented and disjointed lives. We have bee...

This peer-reviewed study represents a culmination of years of research into the history of the Theosophical Society. In this unique project which combines biographies with source analyses, Jeffrey D. Lavoie records a detailed history of the early Theosophical Society and examines its relationship with the modern Spiritualist movement between the years 1875-1891. Special attention has been paid to some of the neglected figures associated with these organizations including Arthur Lillie- the Gnostic-occultist and early critic of the Theosophical Society; the Davenport Brothers- the Spiritualist mediums who developed many of the standard elements which became associated with modern Spiritualism; Alfred Wallace- the prominent scientist, Spiritualist, and supposed member of the Theosophical Soc...

This research examines the string literature of American composer and violist Louise Lincoln Kerr. A biography of Mrs. Kerr is given, emphasizing compositional training and skill, her style of composition, contributions to musical organizations in the Phoenix area, and her donation of the Kerr Cultural Center and her manuscripts to the Arizona State University College of Fine Arts. Selected string compositions are examined for their historical significance, compositional style, performer accessibility, and significance to the repertoire. Kerr made use of Native American and Spanish folk melodies in some of her compositions in a Southwest Impressionist genre. It is the findings of this study that Louise Kerr made significant contributions to the string repertoire and that these works s...

The influence of Swami Vivekananda on the INDIAN Nationalist Movement is well-known. Swami Vivekananda was not only a visionary, or a monk but a nationalist and a reformer par excellence. Many in our own country think that religion and mysticism and social amelioration and political and economic reconstruction cannot unite and declare that the secular and spiritual ideals are polar opposites. Such a notion has been responsible for the gross misrepresentations of the spirit of Indian philosophy, religion and culture, but the mystics, the saints and the sages of India prove standing refutation of this gross misconception. India's foreign domination is also attributed to her religion which is considered to be dreamy, idealistic, fatalistic, world-denying, pessimistic and unethical and othe...

Semiotics is an interdisciplinary field of research and Beckett’s theatre is one which engages a large spectrum of subjects and concerns that touch upon multiple aspects of human experience. The Beckettian dramatic text, as shall be demonstrated in this book, is a fertile ground for a semiotic investigation that is orchestrated by the profound insights of C. S. Peirce. As it applies semiotics to Beckett’s theatre, this book seeks to preserve, communicate and throw into relief those ‘universal values’ in the playwright’s works which remain unchallenged despite every change and every revolution in human societies. What this book will hopefully contribute to the general canon of theatrical studies is its study of the Beckettian dramatic text not as a model of the ‘absurd’ t...

Experience confirms that every believer has a daily challenge of how to appreciate and understand the disposition of his God in times of faith crises, great difficulty, trials and near hopelessness. Some would even ask: “Did God ever have a plan of salvation? If so, is it working at all?” Cognisant of the fact that a Biblical example could be the best way of appreciating the disposition of God at difficult times, the remnant motif in the Old Testament and especially in Isaiah presented some attractive issues that, if explored, could offer useful insights into the divine plan. As a response to this situation, this dissertation, which scored a summa grade on presentation to the Biblical section of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, Rome, is basically an ...