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Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero Who Defied Putin and United the World
by Andrew L. Urban Chris McLeodThe first major profile of Ukraine's courageous President Volodymyr Zelensky! Ukraine's most popular comedic actor was an unlikely president of his country. And now, even more improbably, Volodymyr Zelensky has become the world's most celebrated statesman. Who is he? How did he become the international hero of our time? Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero Who Defied Putin and United the World is a compelling account of this fascinating, enigmatic leader. Covering Zelensky's childhood, family history, and astonishing transformation from TV celebrity to first Jewish president of Ukraine, this book tells you what you need to know about the newest star of the world stage. No one has been more surprised by Zelensky's power to inspire and mobilize his countrymen and the world than Vladimir Putin, who expected Russia's conquest of its beleaguered neighbor to be the work of an afternoon. Outfoxed and isolated, Putin is not the first person to have underestimated the former comedian with a spine of steel.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (Perennial Classics Ser.)
by Robert M PirsigTHE CLASSIC BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED MILLIONSA penetrating examination of how we live and how to live betterFew books transform a generation and then establish themselves as touchstones for the generations that follow. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one such book. This modern epic of a man’s search for meaning became an instant bestseller on publication in 1974, acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters. It continues to inspire millions. A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life.This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be.
Zen and the Beat Way
by Alan WattsZen and the Beat Way is based upon selections from Alan Watts's early radio talks, many of which were first aired on the Pacifica Radio Network in the late fifties and early sixties, and sessions from two of his most compelling seminarsin the mid-sixties.
Zen Bender: A Decade-Long Enthusiastic Quest to Fix Everything (That Was Never Broken)
by Stephanie Krikorian&“The book is filled with humor and soul-baring honesty, as Krikorian describes her adventures down just about every self-help road there is.&” —The Independent When the recession turned her life upside down, Stephanie Krikorian had to reinvent her life—and fast. She started ghostwriting self-help books for women. Between writing and researching she realized that everywhere she looked there was AFOG. Another freaking opportunity for growth. Soon she wasn&’t just writing each book; she was living them. This was the start of a ten-year zen bender of dieting, dating, journaling, meditating, and Marie-Kondo-ing on a quest for that ultimate self-help high. Stephanie Krikorian spent her forties trying all of the dating hacks to find love and respect, all of the diets to build self-esteem in a new body, and all of the spiritual guidance to become centered through self-care. On the brink of turning fifty she realized that being better wasn&’t what she craved; it was something else altogether. Zen Bender is the story of one woman&’s journey to radical acceptance, with some questionable advice along the way. A witty, moving, insightful story, the woman behind bestselling celebrity self-help books shares her story of being hooked on the self-help fix for a decade before learning that all the self-help in the world won&’t help you trust gut. &“A wise, witty and thought-provoking book that tends in just the place you&’d hope it would. A great read whether you have a Reiki healer on speed dial, or, well, not.&” —Marianne Power, author of Help Me!: One Woman&’s Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Her Life
Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk
by Leonard Cohen Shozan Jack HaubnerThese hilarious essays on life inside and outside a Zen monastery make up the spiritual memoir of Shozan Jack Haubner, a Zen monk who didn't really start out to be one. Raised in a conservative Catholic family, Shozan went on to study philosophy (becoming de-Catholicized in the process) and to pursue a career as a screenwriter and stand-up comic in the clubs of L.A. How he went from life in the fast lane to life on the stationary meditation cushion is the subject of this laugh-out-loud funny account of his experiences. Whether he's dealing with the pranks of a juvenile delinquent assistant in the monastery kitchen or defending himself against claims that he appeared in a porno movie under the name "Daniel Reed" (he didn't, really) or being surprised in the midst of it all by the compassion he experiences in the presence of his teacher, Haubner's voice is one you'll be compelled to listen to. Not only because it's highly entertaining, but because of its remarkable insight into the human condition.
Zen Encounters with Loneliness
by Terrance KeenanEmbark on a poignant and sometimes comic journey through Zen, poetry, and the transformative, personal practice of writing.In Zen Encounters with Loneliness Terrance Keenan weaves together poetry, memoir, and raw insight to give voice to the lonely "nobody" in everyone. From his memories of early childhood to his struggles with addiction, writer's block, and human relationship, Keenan delivers a heart-rending portrayal of the human hunger for selfhood and connection. Through his beautifully crafted literary reflections, he finds that Zen does not comfort our dream of being somebody, rather, it reveals connection only when we face who we really are--nobody. Zen Encounters intimately calls us to recognize that the well of emptiness is also a well of potential--to grow, learn, and overcome adversity.
Zen in the Art of Archery
by Eugen HerrigelSince its original publication in 1953, Zen in the Art of Archery has become one of the classic works on Eastern philosophy, the first book to delve deeply into the role of Zen in philosophy, development, and practice of Eastern martial arts. Wise, deeply personal, and frequently charming, it is the story of one man's penetration of the theory and practice of Zen Buddhism. Eugen Herrigel, a German professor who taught philosophy in Tokyo, took up the study of archery as a step toward the understanding of Zen. Zen in the Art of Archery is the account of the six years he spent as the student of one of Japan's great Zen masters, and the process by which he overcame his initial inhibitions and began to look toward new ways of seeing and understanding. As one of the first Westerners to delve deeply into Zen Buddhism, Herrigel was a key figure in the popularization of Eastern thought in the West, as well as being a captivating and illuminating writer.
Zen Odyssey: The Story of Sokei-an, Ruth Fuller Sasaki, and the Birth of Zen in
by Janica Anderson Steven Schwartz Sean Murphy Joan WattsExplore two lives—and a relationship—that profoundly shaped American Zen.Ruth Fuller Sasaki and Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki: two pioneers of Zen in the West. Ruth was an American with a privileged life, even during the height of the Great Depression, before she went to Japan and met D. T. Suzuki. Sokei-an was one of the first Zen priests to come to America; he brought the gift of the Dharma to the United States but in 1942 was put in an internment camp. One made his way to the West and the other would find her way to the East, but together they created the First Zen Institute of America and helped birth a new generation of Zen practitioners: among them, Alan Watts, Gary Snyder, and Burton Watson. They were married less than a year before Sokei-an died, but Ruth would go on to helm trailblazing translations in his honor and to become the first foreigner to be the priest of a Rinzai Zen temple in Japan. With lyrical prose, authors Steven Schwartz and Janica Anderson bring Ruth and Sokei-an to life. Two dozen intimate photographs photos show us two people who aren’t mere historical figures, but flesh and blood people, walking their paths.
The Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation
by Frederick FranckSeeing/Drawing is spiritual discipline, a "Zen method" admirably suited to the active temperament, and a way of contemplation by which all things are made new, by which the world is freshly experienced at each moment. <p><p> A renown Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen. Drawn and handwritten by Frederick Franck
The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life
by Mark EpsteinA remarkable exploration of the therapeutic relationship, Dr. Mark Epstein reflects on one year&’s worth of therapy sessions with his patients to observe how his training in Western psychotherapy and his equally long investigation into Buddhism, in tandem, led to greater awareness—for his patients, and for himself For years, Dr. Mark Epstein kept his beliefs as a Buddhist separate from his work as a psychiatrist. Content to use his training in mindfulness as a private resource, he trusted that the Buddhist influence could, and should, remain invisible. But as he became more forthcoming with his patients about his personal spiritual leanings, he was surprised to learn how many were eager to learn more. The divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual, he soon realized, were not as distinct as one might think. In The Zen of Therapy, Dr. Epstein reflects on a year&’s worth of selected sessions with his patients and observes how, in the incidental details of a given hour, his Buddhist background influences the way he works. Meditation and psychotherapy each encourage a willingness to face life's difficulties with courage that can be hard to otherwise muster, and in this cross-section of life in his office, he emphasizes how therapy, an element of Western medicine, can in fact be considered a two-person meditation. Mindfulness, too, much like a good therapist, can &“hold&” our awareness for us—and allow us to come to our senses and find inner peace. Throughout this deeply personal inquiry, one which weaves together the wisdom of two worlds, Dr. Epstein illuminates the therapy relationship as spiritual friendship, and reveals how a therapist can help patients cultivate the sense that there is something magical, something wonderful, and something to trust running through our lives, no matter how fraught they have been or might become. For when we realize how readily we have misinterpreted our selves, when we stop clinging to our falsely conceived constructs, when we touch the ground of being, we come home.
Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo
by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi Shohaku Okumura Jokei Molly WhiteheadAbandon your treasured delusions and hit the road with one of the most important Zen masters of twentieth-century Japan.Eschewing the entrapments of vanity, power, and money, "Homeless" Kodo Sawaki Roshi refused to accept a permanent position as a temple abbot, despite repeated offers. Instead, he lived a traveling, "homeless" life, going from temple to temple, student to student, teaching and instructing and never allowing himself to stray from his chosen path. He is responsible for making Soto Zen available to the common people outside of monasteries. His teachings are short, sharp, and powerful. Always clear, often funny, and sometimes uncomfortably close to home, they jolt us into awakening. Kosho Uchiyama expands and explains his teacher's wisdom with his commentary. Trained in Western philosophy, he draws parallels between Zen teachings and the Bible, Descartes, and Pascal. Shohaku Okumura has also added his own commentary, grounding his teachers' power and sagacity for the contemporary, Western practitioner. Experience the timeless, practical wisdom of three generations of Zen masters.
Zendaya
by Emily KleinZendaya Coleman, the star of Disney's Shake It Up, is the newest "it" girl!Ever since this talented young actor, dancer, and singer made her debut on Disney's Shake It Up at the age of fourteen, Zendaya's star has been on the rise. Since then, she's twirled her way into the hearts of viewers across the country as the youngest contestant ever on Dancing with the Stars, written a book, and released her own solo album. None of her successes have come easily, though. Zendaya had to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve her dreams. Find out all about her in this book filled with fabulous facts and photos!
Zendaya: Issue #8 (Scoop! The Unauthorized Biography #8)
by Jennifer PouxA new series of unauthorized biographies on the world's biggest names and rising stars in entertainment, sports, and pop culture! Complete with quizzes, listicles, trivia, and a full-color pull-out poster of the star, this is the definitive collection to get the full Scoop! and more on your favorite celebrities.From her humble beginnings as a backup singer and dancer, Zendaya first made a name for herself as Disney Chanel actress. But when she landed major roles in the Spider-Man franchise and in HBO's Euphoria, Zendaya made the leap from Disney star to Hollywood superstar.But what's next?Get the full Scoop! and more on Zendaya, Hollywood's next A-list actress.
Zenith City
by Michael FedoDuluth may be the city of "untold delights" as lampooned in a Kentucky congressman's speech in 1871. Or it may be portrayed by a joke in Woody Allen's film Manhattan. Or then again, it may be the "Zenith City of the unsalted seas" celebrated by Dr. Thomas Preston Foster, founder of the city's first newspaper. But whatever else it may be, this city of granite hills, foghorns, and gritty history, the last stop on the shipping lanes of the Great Lakes, is undeniably a city with character--and characters. Duluth native Michael Fedo captures these characters through the happy-go-melancholy lens nurtured by the people and landscape of his youth. In Zenith City Fedo brings it back home. Framed by his reflections on Duluth's colorful--and occasionally very dark--history and its famous visitors, such as Sinclair Lewis, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Dylan, his memories make the city as real as the boy next door but with a better story.Here, among the graceful, poignant, and often hilarious remembered moments--pranks played on a severe teacher, the family's unlikely mob connections, a rare childhood affliction--are the coordinates of Duluth's larger landscape: the diners and supper clubs, the baseball teams, radio days, and the smelt-fishing rites of spring. Woven through these tales of Duluth are Fedo's curious, instructive, and ultimately deeply moving stories about becoming a writer, from the guidance of an English teacher to the fourteen-year-old reporter's interview with Louis Armstrong to his absorption in the events that would culminate in his provocative and influential book The Lynchings in Duluth. These are the sorts of essays--personal, cultural, and historical, at once regional and far-reaching--that together create a picture of people in a place as rich in history and anecdote as Duluth and of the forces that forever bind them together.
Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom
by McCracken Poston Jr.&“Wildly entertaining…. Zenith Man By McCracken Poston, Jr. is a true crime book but the events described seems more like a John Grisham novel.&” —Mystery Tribune Like a nonfiction John Grisham thriller with echoes of Rainman, Just Mercy, and a captivating smalltown Southern setting, this is the fascinating true story—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—of an idealistic young lawyer determined to free an innocent neurodivergent man accused of murdering the wife no one knew he had. An inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice for readers of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Just Mercy.Was this small-town TV repair man &“a harmless eccentric or a bizarre killer&” (Atlanta Journal Constitution). For the first time, Alvin Ridley&’s own defense attorney reveals the inside story of his case and trial in an extraordinary tale of friendship and an idealistic young attorney&’s quest to clear his client&’s name—and, in the process, rebuild his own life. In October 1997, the town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley&’s house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had. McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the &“Zenith Man,&” as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder. Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin&’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin&’s junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man. Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle—and shows how easily those who don&’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood. Part true crime, part courtroom drama, and full of local color, Zenith Man is also the moving story of an unexpected friendship between two very different men that changed—and perhaps saved—the lives of both.
Zen's Chinese Heritage
by Tenshin Reb Anderson Steven Heine Andy FergusonZen's Chinese Heritage traces twenty-five generations of inlightened Buddhist teachers, supplementing their core teachings with history, biography, and poetry. The result is an intimate and profound human portrait of the enlightened Zen ancients, and an unprecedented look into the depths of the rich cultural heritage. In this new edition with even more valuable material, Ferguson surveys generations of Zen masters, moving chronologically through successive generations of ancestral teachers, supplementing their core teachings with history, biography, and starkly beautiful poetry. In addition to giving the reader the engaging sense of the "family history" of Zen, this uniquely valuable book paints a clear picture of the tradition's evolution as a religious, literary, and historical force.
Zenzele: A Letter For My Daughter
by J. Nozipo MaraireWritten as a letter from a Zimbabwean mother to her daughter, a student at Harvard, J. Nozipo Maraire evokes the moving story of a mother reaching out to her daughter to share the lessons life has taught her and bring the two closer than ever before. Interweaving history and memories, disappointments and dreams, Zenzele tells the tales of natives' struggle to turn Rhodesia into Zimbabwe's independence and the men and women who shaped it: Zenzele's father, an outspoken activist lawyer; her aunt, a schoolteacher by day and secret guerrilla fighter by night; and her cousin, a maid and a spy. Rich with insight, history, and philosophy, Zenzele is a powerful and compelling story that is both revolutionary and revelatory--the story of one life that poignantly speaks of all lives.
Zero Dances: A Biography of Zero Mostel
by Arthur SainerAn unconventional portrait of an unconventional actor. Sainer (theater, Sarah Lawrence) looks behind the standup comic turned award winning star to examine how his life as an artist made a shambles of his life as son, husband, father, and friend. He breaks from the narrative to describe the circumstances of interviewing Mostel's (1915-77) family, to imagine scenes that comment on the story, and to follow interesting tangents. He includes a filmography, but no bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) The author intersperses the facts of the late broad way performer, Zero Mostel with anecdotes taken from the people who interacted with Zero during his life. The readers also learn about the historical, religious, and political aspects of periods that marked his life and how these aspects impacted Zero. At times, Sainer's book reads like a novel, and one gains insight into the lives and thoughts of other people beside Zero. Sainer's quotes from Zero's sons, brother, first wife, and others, make the book personal as well as historical, literary, and biographical.
Zero Decibels
by George M FoyHave our noise-soaked lives driven us mad? And is absolute silence an impossible goal--or the one thing that can save us? A lively tale of one man's quest to find the grail of total quiet.---" I don't know at what point noise became intolerable for me," George Michelsen Foy writes as he recalls standing on a subway platform in Manhattan, hands clamped firmly over his ears, face contorted in pain. But only then does Foy realize how overwhelmed he is by the city's noise and vow to seek out absolute silence, if such an absence of sound can be discovered.Foy begins his quest by carrying a pocket-sized decibel meter to measure sound levels in the areas he frequents most--the subway, the local café, different rooms of his apartment--as well as the places he visits that inform his search, including the Parisian catacombs, Joseph Pulitzer's "silent vault," the snowy expanses of the Berkshires, and a giant nickel mine in Canada, where he travels more than a mile underground to escape all human-made sound. Along the way, Foy experiments with noise-canceling headphones, floatation tanks, and silent meditation before he finally tackles a Minnesota laboratory's anechoic chamber that the Guinness Book of World Records calls "the quietest place on earth," and where no one has ever endured even forty-five minutes alone in its pitch-black interior before finding the silence intolerable.Drawing on history, science, journalistic reportage, philosophy, religion, and personal memory, as well as conversations with experts in various fields whom he meets during his odyssey, Foy finds answers to his questions: How does one define silence? Did human beings ever experience silence in their early history? What is the relationship between noise and space? What are the implications of silence and our need for it--physically, mentally, emotionally, politically? Does absolute silenceactually exist? If so, do we really want to hear it? And if we do hear it, what does it mean to us?According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 30 million Americans suffer from environment-related deafness in today's digital age of pervasive sound and sensory overload. Roughly the same number suffer from tinnitus, a condition, also environmentally related, that makes silence impossible in even the quietest places. In this respect, Foy's quest for silence represents more than a simple psychological inquiry; both his queries and his findings help to answer the question "How can we live saner, healthier lives today?"Innovative, perceptive, and delightfully written, Zero Decibels will surely change how we perceive and appreciate the soundscape of our lives.
Zero Footprint: The true story of a private military contractor's secret wars in the world's most dangerous places
by Simon ChaseSimon Chase's life is a maze of burner phones, encrypted emails, secret meetings, and weaponry - all devoted to executing missions too sensitive for government acknowledgement. Working for shadowy British and American organisations, Chase has been on the trail of Bin Laden in Afghanistan, protected allied generals in Iraq, and been part of an operation directly related to the attack in 2012 on the US consulate in Benghazi.Zero Footprint takes us to this dangerous and thrilling world, and tells the true story of a private military contractor whose work forms the foundation for western security abroad, especially when the UK and US military, intelligence agencies, and departments of state need something done that they can't - or won't - do themselves.
Zero Footprint: The True Story of a Private Military Contractor¿s Covert Assignments in Syria, Libya, And the World¿s Most Dangerous Places
by Ralph Pezzullo Simon ChaseA dramatic insider account of the world of private military contracting.Armored cars, burner phones, top-notch weaponry and top-secret missions--this is the life of today's private military contractor. Like author Simon Chase, many PMCs were once the world's top military operatives, and since retiring from outfits like US Navy SEAL TEAM Six and the UK's Special Boat Service, they have devoted their lives to executing sensitive and hazardous missions overseas.Working at the request of U.S. and British government entities as well as for private clients, he takes on jobs that require "zero footprint," with no trace of their actions left behind.Chase delivers first-hand accounts of tracking Bin Laden in Afghanistan and being one of the first responders after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. We see his teams defuse terrorist bombs, guard dignitaries, and protect convoys traveling through perilous territory--and then there are the really big jobs: top-secret "zero footprint" missions that include searching for High Value Targets and setting up arms shipping networks.The missions in Zero Footprint will shock readers, but so will the personal dangers. Chase and the men he works with operate without government backup or air rescue. If they die serving their country--they remain anonymous. There are no military honors or benefits. Contractors like Simon Chase are the unsung heroes in the war against terrorism, a strong, but largely invisible force--until now.
Zero Regrets
by Apolo Ohno"Zero regrets. It's a philosophy not just about sport but about life. School, business, academics, love--anything and everything. It's complicated and yet not. You have to figure out who it is you want to be. Not what you want to be--who. There has to be a vision, a dream, a plan. Then you chase that with everything you've got." Over three consecutive Olympic games, Apolo Ohno has come to symbolize the very best of the competitive spirit--remaining equally gracious in victory and defeat, always striving to improve his performance, and appreciating the value of the hard work of training as much as any reward it might bring. In Zero Regrets, Apolo shares the inspiring personal story behind his remarkable success, as well as the hard-won truths and strategies he has discovered in good times and bad. Raised by his single father, an immigrant from Japan who often worked twelve-hour days, the young Apolo found it difficult to balance his enormous natural gifts as an athlete with an admittedly wild, rebellious streak. After making a name for himself as a promising young speed skater, his career was almost over before it began when his lack of preparation caused him to finish last at the U.S. Olympic trials in 1998. A life-changing week of solitary soul-searching at the age of fifteen led him to recommit himself to his training, and at the 1999 world junior championships he won first place overall--one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports history. From that moment on, the world of speed skating had a new champion and Apolo was on his way to legendary status. Much more than an account of races won and lost, Zero Regrets is a compelling portrait of a father-and-son relationship that deepened over time and was based on respect, love, and unshakable faith in each other. For the first time, Apolo reveals what he knows about his long-absent mother; he makes us feel what it is like to face the best competitors on the planet with the eyes of millions of fans upon you; and he shares his secrets for achieving total focus and mental toughness, secrets that can be applied in situations well beyond sports. We learn the details of the unbelievably intense workout and diet that he endured while training for the 2010 Winter Olympics, a regime that literally reshaped his body and led to some of his most thrilling victories. In this deeply personal and entertaining book, Apolo shows how we can all come closer to living with zero regrets. While Apolo's own journey may be unique, the insights he has gleaned along the way have the power to help us all feel like champions every day. *** Nine days after dropping me off, Dad came to pick me up. In that call from the pay phone, I hadn't said anything to him about what decision I had made. On the car ride back home, I told him. "I want to try this," I said. "Are you willing," he asked, "to really put forth a true effort? From the bone?" I told my father: "I want to skate." With clarity of purpose, everything suddenly seemed different. I didn't just want to skate--I loved it. I realized, too, that while I had to want to buy into the training, the discipline, the self-sacrifice, I needed direction and guidance, too. You truly can't get there by yourself. I needed not only to truly and profoundly depend upon Dad for help but also to welcome those--coaches, trainers, others--who could help me along the way. . . . I was also making promises to myself and writing them in my journal: I'm not going to mess it up this time. When I go home, I really am going to be the different person I decided in Iron Springs I would be. I know what I want to do. I want to be the best in the world. I didn't know quite yet how I would get there. But I was clear, and I had no doubt-- that's what I was after. --From Zero Regrets
Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday
by Apolo Anton OhnoGold medal-winning Olympic speed-skater Apolo Ohno, the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time, shares his inspiring personal story and life lessons learned through training and competition.
Zero to Breakthrough
by Vernice ArmourEthnomusicology, an academic discipline founded in 1950, has been defined as the study of the music of others. This definition, at once whimsical and very nearly true, is incomplete. Many of its strongest threads have emerged because a person or a people have wanted to understand themselves, their history, and their identity. This Very Short Introduction examines the history of the impulses to study ourselves and others, beginning with the work of Jesuit missionaries to Latin America in the sixteenth century and continuing through the encyclopedists, antiquarians, and orientalists of the eighteenth century, and the nationalists, scientists, and humanists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The institutional motivations driving studies in this field are scholarly and intellectual, political and ideological, artistic and aesthetic, religious, ethical, or commercial. What have ethnomusicologists learned about the nature of music? For ethnomusicologists, music creates community when performed; it embodies and in some cases creates cultural values and social norms; it constructs individual identities; it expresses large-scale economic and political structures that press upon particular local communities. Ethnomusicologists generally believe that music is an aspect of culture coherent with, or contributing to, any number of ideas and practices in such fields as religion, ethics, cosmology, plastic arts, dance, cooking, social identity, and the definition of theself. This book looks cross-culturally at some of the many themes that demonstrate the way music is embedded in, reflects, and contributes to broader cultural patterns, themes such as culturally specific beliefs about the nature of music; the social status of musicians; music and emotion; music's role in religion and ritual; the economics of music; music and the construction of individual and social identity, including gender and sexuality; and music in societies under stress from war, violence, conflict, or disease. In this Very Short Introduction, Timothy Rice describes how ethnomusicologists conduct fieldwork, examining some of the most spectacular results of these research methods as well as some of the issues that have arisen from using them, including ethical questions, questions of representation (who can speak for whom and how), what we learn when we learn to play music, the accuracy and reliability of musical notation and sound recordings, and differences between "insider" knowledge and scholarly interpretations. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects - from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative - yet always balanced and complete - discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
Zero to Breakthrough
by Vernice Armour"Hang on and watch your life take flight with FlyGirl!" -Marcia Wieder, CEO and Founder of Dream University Before she was thirty years old, Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour had become a decorated naval aviator, Camp Pendleton's 2001 Female Athlete of the Year and Strongest Warrior winner, the first female African-American on Nashville's motorcycle police squad, and a member of the San Diego Sunfire professional women's football team. She's a force to be reckoned with, and she believes that women and men from all walks of life have the potential to achieve the highest levels of success with the right flight plan. In Zero to Breakthrough, Vernice turns aspiration into action by revealing how to create the path that will get you out of your rut on onto the runway - cleared for take off. Armour firmly believes that there is no such thing as a dream out of reach. Integrating the foundational concepts of a Breakthrough MentalityTM like preparation, strategy, courage, legacy, and the importance of high spirits and enthusiasm, Zero to Breakthrough helps readers build a sustainable inner force and conviction that result in accomplishing significant goals and becoming an extraordinary member of any business or community. Packed with hard-hitting advice and amazing anecdotes from her adventures on the battlefield and in business, you'll learn strategies like how to: * Stop procrastinating and prepare to lay the groundwork for success * Execute situations with self-discipline to achieve mastery * Acknowledge and move past obstacles & challenges * Feel fear and use it to keep charging, and much more Whether you want to jump up the corporate ladder, start your own business, or develop a passion into a livelihood, Zero to Breakthrough will get you there. For anyone seeking a more fulfilling life, Armour has the ultimate launch pad.