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Speed Republic GN (Speed Republic)
by Ryan LindsayIn the future, Europe has united under one man, The Autocrat. He rules the apocalyptic landscape from corporate monopolies with a vision of unity that is gospel to some, but hollow to others. To distract the 99% from their poor and empty lives, they are given the opportunity to compete in the Grand Race. A marathon street race through Europe where only one driver can make it to the end and win a life of luxury. Our hero, Sebastian Valencia enters with the hope that winning this race can make up for his wasted past, but along the way he starts to question what kind of future he is actually buying into.
Spell Bound
by F.T. LukensMagic rivals. A deadly secret. An inconvenient crush. What could possibly go wrong? A perfect LGBT+ romantic fantasy for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Margaret Rogerson and Adam Silvera! Edison Rooker is determined to gain access to the magical world. Problem is, he doesn&’t have magic. But he does have a plan: get a job as apprentice to powerful sorceress Antonia Hex. He also has an illegal Spell Binder device, which he must keep hidden from the Magical Consortium, at all costs . . . With his new job, Edison is given a new name – Rook – which he happily accepts. He&’s less happy about working alongside Sun, the grumpy but annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia&’s big rival. When the Consortium gets wind of Rook&’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. Rook turns to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. The two must team up to save Antonia . . . or face losing their magic forever. Funny, subversive, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F. T. Lukens. Look out for So This is Ever After and In Deeper Waters.
Spellbound: The Secret Grimoire of Lucy Cavendish
by Lucy CavendishEndorsed by respected medium James Van Praagh, a "ghost whisperer" offers practical tips for dealing with grief Full of hands-on grief coping initiatives, this guide addresses many different types of loss, including grief and loss in men and how to use a medium&’s spirituality to recover. Aiming to inspire people to cope with their loss by connecting to the spirit world, this book is accessible to any level of spiritual believer. Written in a tone to help readers relax, poignant stories on mediumship illustrate that there is another life after death. While teaching spiritual mediumship, and focusing on all things spiritual, this is also a practical grief book, supplying methods for healing oneself.
Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Captivate Audiences and Unlock the Secrets of Success
by David KwongA professional magician and illusionist—the head magic consultant for the hit film Now You See Me—reveals how to bridge the gap between perception and reality to increase your powers of persuasion and influence.David Kwong has astounded corporate CEOs, TED talk audiences, and thousands of other hyper-rational people, making them see, believe, and even remember what he wants them to. Illusion is an ancient art that centers on control: commanding a room, building anticipation, and appearing to work wonders. Illusion works because the human brain is wired to fill the gap between seeing and believing. Successful leaders—like Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, and Ted Turner—are masters of control and command who understand how to sway opinions and achieve goals.In his years of research and practice, David has discovered seven fundamental principles of illusion. With these rules anyone can learn to:Mind the Gap—recognize and employ the perceptual space between your audience’s ability to see and their impulse to believe.Load Up—prepare to amaze your audience.Write the Script—discover the importance of shaping the narrative that surrounds your illusion.Control the Frame—explore the real life value of a magician’s best friend: misdirection.Design Free Choice—command your audience by giving them agency.Employ the Familiar—take secret advantage of habits, patterns, and audience expectations.Conjure an Out—develop backup plans that will keep you one, two, three, or more steps ahead of the competition.With Spellbound you’ll discover a different way to sell your idea, product, or skills, and make your best shot better than everyone else’s.
Spellbreaker: A Novel (The Spellwright Trilogy #3)
by Blake CharltonLeandra Weal has a bad habit of getting herself in dangerous situations. While hunting neodemons in her role as Warden of Ixos, Leandra obtains a prophetic spell that provides a glimpse one day into her future. She discovers that she is doomed to murder someone she loves, soon, but not who. That’s a pretty big problem for a woman who has a shark god for a lover, a hostile empress for an aunt, a rogue misspelling wizard for a father, and a mother who--especially when arguing with her daughter--can be a real dragon. Leandra’s quest to unravel the mystery of the murder-she-will-commit becomes more urgent when her chronic disease flares up and the Ixonian Archipelago is plagued by natural disasters, demon worshiping cults, and fierce political infighting. Everywhere she turns, Leandra finds herself amid intrigue and conflict. It seems her bad habit for getting into dangerous situations is turning into a full blown addiction. As chaos spreads across Ixos, Leandra and her troubled family must race to uncover the shocking truth about a prophesied demonic invasion, human language, and their own identities--if they don't kill each other first.Spellbreaker is the long awaited sequel to Blake Charlton's Spellbound, which was listed by Kirkus Reviews among the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2011. This final installment of the Spellwright Trilogy stands alone as a complete story; however, fans of the series will find in it answers to the questions raised by the previous books about Leandra’s parents, Nicodemus Weal and Francesca DeVega.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Spellcasters: Book 2 (Spellcasters #2)
by Crystal SungMeet the Spellcasters, who can change the world with their ancient magic and girl power! Four friends channel the magical abilities of their ancestors to protect their community in this empowering, action-packed new series for readers aged 7+.Jenny and her friends - the Spellcasters - are excited about helping Aunt Connie in the Spellcroft community garden. But everything's going wrong ... plants are dying, and the lake at the nature reserve dries up. Could it be the work of a dark witch? It's time for the Spellcasters to band together again and use their ancestral magic to find a way to fix the problem before the balance of nature is destroyed for ever!This exciting, enchanting new series is perfect for readers of 7+ who love adventure, magic and girl power.
Spellcasters: Book 2 (Spellcasters #2)
by Crystal SungJenny and her friends - the Spellcasters - are excited about helping Aunt Connie in the Spellcroft community garden. But everything's going wrong ... plants are dying, and the lake at the nature reserve dries up. Could it be the work of a dark witch? It's time for the Spellcasters to band together again and use their ancestral magic to find a way to fix the problem before the balance of nature is destroyed for ever!This exciting, enchanting new series is perfect for readers of 7+ who love adventure, magic and girl power.
Spelling By Sound And Structure (Spelling For Christian Schools Ser.)
by Marvin EicherThe Rod & Staff Grade 6 Spelling Student Guide features 34 weekly spelling lessons designed to teach spelling, pronunciation, meanings for words, spelling abbreviations, contractions, and understanding of syllables. The hardcover text also includes a dictionary at the end of the text for easy reference.
The Spender's Guide to Debt-Free Living: How a Spending Fast Helped Me Get from Broke to Badass in Record Time
by Anna Newell JonesPopular blogger Anna Newell Jones of AndThenWeSaved.com delivers this self-help manifesto that reveals how a "spending fast" will help you get on the road to living debt-free.In 2009, young photographer Anna Newell Jones was rapidly suffocating under the weight of too much debt. An inveterate “spender,” she was in way over her head, to the tune of almost $24,000. She knew her debt was only going to get worse if she didn’t take action, but she didn’t know where to look for help. On a whim, Anna decided to go on a spending fast—an idea she heard in passing but knew little about. Creating her own method, she learned what worked and what didn’t and wrote about it on her blog, AndThenWeSaved.com. Amazingly, Anna was able to eliminate all $23,605.10 of her debt in only 15 months! She was interviewed in Forbes, Self, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, and the Chicago Tribune.Anna’s journey inspired people and showed them that they too could change the way they dealt with their own money woes. The Spender’s Guide To Debt-Free Living takes readers through a detailed step-by-step plan on how to do a Spending Fast and get out of debt, including: Creating a personalized Debt-Free Life Pledge. Understanding where your money is going when you’re in debt, and where it will come from to pay it off. Learning why putting money into a savings account before (or while) paying off debt may not be the best idea for you. Finding additional income sources and generating side gigs. Re-integrating spending into your life once you’re out of debt, so that you stay out of debt.Filled with do-it-yourself ideas, insight from experts, and tons of motivational tips and real-life practical advice, The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living proves that you don’t have to win the lottery or get a new job to change your life.
Spenser Studies, volume 38 number 1 (2024)
by Spenser StudiesThis is volume 38 issue 1 of Spenser Studies. Spenser Studies is devoted to the study of Edmund Spenser as well as the poetry of Renaissance England. Contributions examine Spenser’s place in literary history, the social and religious contexts of his writing, and the philosophical and conceptual problems he grapples with in his art. The journal also features work on Renaissance literary culture, broadly conceived. Past issues have published studies ranging from the diction of Stephen Hawes to female authorship in Mary Wroth’s Urania to the influence of English Renaissance sonneteers on William Butler Yeats.
Spider Webs: Behavior, Function, and Evolution
by William EberhardIn this lavishly illustrated, first-ever book on how spider webs are built, function, and evolved, William Eberhard provides a comprehensive overview of spider functional morphology and behavior related to web building, and of the surprising physical agility and mental abilities of orb weavers. For instance, one spider spins more than three precisely spaced, morphologically complex spiral attachments per second for up to fifteen minutes at a time. Spiders even adjust the mechanical properties of their famously strong silken lines to different parts of their webs and different environments, and make dramatic modifications in orb designs to adapt to available spaces. This extensive adaptive flexibility, involving decisions influenced by up to sixteen different cues, is unexpected in such small, supposedly simple animals. As Eberhard reveals, the extraordinary diversity of webs includes ingenious solutions to gain access to prey in esoteric habitats, from blazing hot and shifting sand dunes (to capture ants) to the surfaces of tropical lakes (to capture water striders). Some webs are nets that are cast onto prey, while others form baskets into which the spider flicks prey. Some aerial webs are tramways used by spiders searching for chemical cues from their prey below, while others feature landing sites for flying insects and spiders where the spider then stalks its prey. In some webs, long trip lines are delicately sustained just above the ground by tiny rigid silk poles. Stemming from the author’s more than five decades observing spider webs, this book will be the definitive reference for years to come.
Spiel und Training im Handballtor: Ein Praxisleitfaden für Torhüterinnen und Torhüter (essentials)
by Frowin Fasold Patrick EngelIn diesem essential sind Grundlagen, Anforderungen und die Handlungsfähigkeit zum Spiel im Handballtor dargestellt. Zur Umsetzung von Trainings werden methodische Prinzipien vorgeschlagen sowie Empfehlungen zu Organisation und Struktur gegeben. Beispiele zur konkreten inhaltlichen Ausgestaltung können in der Trainingspraxis angewendet werden. Abschließend erfolgt eine kurze Auseinandersetzung mit spezifischen Aspekten der Spielanalyse und deren Anwendung in Bezug auf das Spiel im Handballtor.
Spies: A Novel
by Michael FraynFrom the bestselling author of Headlong, a mesmerizing novel about secrecy, imagination, and a child's game turned deadly earnestThe sudden trace of a disturbing, forgotten aroma compels Stephen Wheatley to return to the site of a dimly remembered but troubling childhood summer in wartime London. As he pieces together his scattered images, we are brought back to a quiet, suburan street where two boys, Keith and his sidekick-Stephen-are engaged in their own version of the war effort: spying on the neighbors, recording their movements, ferreting out their secrets.But when Keith utters six shocking words, the boys' game of espionage takes a sinister and unintended turn. A wife's simple errands and a family's ordinary rituals-once the focus of childish speculation-become the tragic elements of adult catastrophe.In gripping prose, charged with emotional intensity, Spies reaches into the moral confusion of youth to reveal a reality filled with deceptions and betrayals, where the bonds of friendship, marriage, and family are unravelled by cowardice and erotic desire. Master illusionist Michael Frayn powerfully demonstrates, yet again, that what appears to be happening in front of our eyes often turns out to be something we can't see at all.
Spilled Ink
by Nadia HashimiIn this insightful and affecting YA novel by well-loved author of books for adults and middle graders Nadia Hashimi, an Afghan American teenager's small town is thrown into controversy and violence when her brother, taking a stand against hatred, plays a prank that some think went too far…When Yalda hears that her twin brother, Yusuf, will be performing with his band at a local venue, she lets her friends convince her to sneak out to see his show. But the night has something else in store: After the opening band makes some ugly jokes about “terrorists,” Yusuf uses his time in the spotlight for an impulsive stunt responding to the hate speech. Suddenly, simmering tensions begin boiling over in their Virginia town, where many Afghan refugees have sought safety. When a video of Yusuf’s performance goes viral online, it seems like everyone in town turns against their family’s restaurant, leaving their livelihood in jeopardy. And then Yusuf is seriously injured in a mysterious fall.Despite her grieving and frightened family, friends she is not sure she can trust, and a town that no longer feels like a safe home, Yalda must try to find her own voice—and do what she can to change her world for the better.
Spin of Fate (The Fifth Realm #1)
by A. A. VoraIn a world inspired by karma, three teens encounter magnificent beasts, unforgiving magic, and epic battles in this propulsive and wholly original young adult fantasy.&“Evocative of Sanderson, Pullman, and Fullmetal Alchemist, yet at the same time shockingly original.&” —Rosaria Munda, author of FireborneAina&’s world is governed by Toranic Law, a force that segregates people into upper and lower realms. It&’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness and charity, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the peaceful upper realms.But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back home.Aina is desperate to reunite with her mother, hoping she&’s survived the beasts and wars of her homeland alone. After failing to weigh down her soul with petty crimes, Aina joins a rebel group defying the authorities and bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms. Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction, and Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the powers that be.Before long, the rebels find themselves in the middle of a brewing war. On one side, a violent king of a lower realm is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the authorities of the upper realms will do anything to stay on top. Now the young rebels must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law—but the universe itself.Fans of epic, propulsive fantasies like Six of Crows and innovative world-building like Avatar: The Last Airbender will delight in A. A. Vora's ambitious, unmissable debut.
Spinal Manual Therapy: An Introduction to Soft Tissue Mobilization, Spinal Manipulation, Therapeutic and Home Exercises
by Howard W. MakofskySpinal Manual Therapy: An Introduction to Soft Tissue Mobilization, Spinal Manipulation, Therapeutic and Home Exercises, Second Edition is an easy-to-follow manual of clinical techniques for the spine, pelvis, and temporomandibular joint. The text provides "tools" rather than "recipes" and immerses the reader in the process of "thinking as a manual therapist", rather than functioning as a technician. The clinical utility of this revised second edition combines the art and science of present day spinal manual therapy.The focus of Spinal Manual Therapy, Second Edition is to provide clinically useful treatment techniques, while being mindful of the scientific literature related to the practice of spinal manual therapy. It is an ideal resource for all those interested in grasping the basics of spinal manual therapy and transferring that knowledge into practice within a clinical environment.The hands-on approach taken by Dr. Howard W. Makofsky makes this new edition the go-to textbook for spinal manual therapy.New to the Second Edition: New pictures of examination and treatment techniques with captions Additional case studies New evidence supporting spinal manual therapy Updated references throughout the text This unique textbook has a plethora of clinical techniques, including the rationale for each of their use. With over 300 figures, illustrations, and photographs for each examination/treatment technique for various regions of the body, students and clinicians learning manual therapy will benefit greatly from Spinal Manual Therapy, Second Edition.Inside you’ll find: Evaluation Soft tissue techniques Manipulative procedures Specific exercises Clinical problem solving Spinal Manual Therapy, Second Edition mirrors a course on the introduction to spinal manual therapy and will be welcomed into physical therapy curriculums, as well as appreciated by clinicians when entering clinical practice.
Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters
by Ben GreenBefore Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Julius Erving, or Michael Jordan––before Magic Johnson and Showtime––the Harlem Globetrotters revolutionized basketball and spread the game around the world. In Spinning the Globe, author Ben Green tells the story of this extraordinary franchise and iconic American institution. We follow the Globetrotters' rise from backwoods obscurity during the harsh years of the Great Depression to become the best basketball team in the country and, by the early 1950s, the most popular sports franchise in the world. Green brings to life their struggles with racism and segregation, and their influence upon a nation's views about race and sport. We witness the Globetrotters' fall from grace to the brink of bankruptcy in the early 1990s, and their ultimate rebirth under Mannie Jackson today, as they once again amaze kids and families around the world. Now in paperback, this is the true and complete story of their amazing eighty years as a team, told with lyrical prose and masterful storytelling by Ben Green.
Spinoza's Critique of Religion
by Leo StraussLeo Strauss articulates the conflict between reason and revelation as he explores Spinoza's scientific, comparative, and textual treatment of the Bible. Strauss compares Spinoza's Theologico-political Treatise and the Epistles, showing their relation to critical controversy on religion from Epicurus and Lucretius through Uriel da Costa and Isaac Peyrere to Thomas Hobbes. Strauss's autobiographical Preface, traces his dilemmas as a young liberal intellectual in Germany during the Weimar Republic, as a scholar in exile, and as a leader of American philosophical thought. "[For] those interested in Strauss the political philosopher, and also those who doubt whether we have achieved the 'final solution' in respect to either the character of political science or the problem of the relation of religion to the state." —Journal of Politics "A substantial contribution to the thinking of all those interested in the ageless problems of faith, revelation, and reason." —Kirkus Reviews Leo Strauss (1899-1973) was the Robert Maynard Hutchins Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Chicago. His contributions to political science include The Political Philosophy of Hobbes, The City and the Man, What is Political Philosophy?, and Liberalism Ancient and Modern.
Spiral Jetta: A Road Trip through the Land Art of the American West (Culture Trails Ser.)
by Erin HoganErin Hogan hit the road in her Volkswagen Jetta and headed west from Chicago in search of the monuments of American land art: a salty coil of rocks, four hundred stainless steel poles, a gash in a mesa, four concrete tubes, and military sheds filled with cubes. Her journey took her through the states of Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. It also took her through the states of anxiety, drunkenness, disorientation, and heat exhaustion. Spiral Jetta is a chronicle of this journey.A lapsed art historian and devoted urbanite, Hogan initially sought firsthand experience of the monumental earthworks of the 1970s and the 1980s—Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels, Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field, James Turrell’s Roden Crater, Michael Heizer’s Double Negative, and the contemporary art mecca of Marfa, Texas. Armed with spotty directions, no compass, and less-than-desert-appropriate clothing, she found most of what she was looking for and then some.“I was never quite sure what Hogan was looking for when she set out . . . or indeed whether she found it. But I loved the ride. In Spiral Jetta, an unashamedly honest, slyly uproarious, ever-probing book, art doesn’t magically have the power to change lives, but it can, perhaps no less powerfully, change ways of seeing.”—Tom Vanderbilt, New YorkTimes Book Review“The reader emerges enlightened and even delighted. . . . Casually scrutinizing the artistic works . . . while gamely playing up her fish-out-of-water status, Hogan delivers an ingeniously engaging travelogue-cum-art history.”—Atlantic“Smart and unexpectedly hilarious.”—Kevin Nance, ChicagoSun-Times“One of the funniest and most entertaining road trips to be published in quite some time.”—June Sawyers, ChicagoTribune“Hogan ruminates on how the work affects our sense of time, space, size, and scale. She is at her best when she reexamines the precepts of modernism in the changing light of New Mexico, and shows how the human body is meant to be a participant in these grand constructions.”—New Yorker
Spirals, Helical Lines, and Spiral-Like Figures: Mathematical Playfulness in Two and Three Dimensions
by Hans WalserIn this book you will discover the mathematical patterns and regularities of various spirals, helixes and spiral-like figures. Their geometric aspects and connections are presented in a visually appealing way and are supplemented as best as possible with analytical aspects and representations. Using examples from technology and nature, you will learn about round, square, golden and spherical spirals and examine their curvature behavior and other exciting properties. The examples are arranged thematically and the book has a modular structure so that the individual chapters can be read largely independently of each other. It is therefore a valuable resource for students, pupils, (prospective) teachers, those interested in mathematics and those who want to become one.Additional animations are available with the SN More Media app: simply download the SN More Media app free of charge, scan an image or a link with the play button and immediately play the animation on your smartphone or tablet.The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.
Spirit in a Bottle: Tales and Drinks from Tito's Handmade Vodka
by Tito's Handmade VodkaCocktails and stories from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, America’s favorite vodka.Everyone knows that the best way to tell a good story is over a good drink—Tito’s Handmade Vodka brings them together, pairing tales and adventures with damn good cocktails. This book offers fans a never-before-seen look at the brand. From the earliest days in a one-room distillery and the hustle behind its first-ever bottles to copper caps lining shelves around the world, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is sharing its journey with the fans, friends, artists, mixologists, and every other person who’s been there along the way.Spirit in a Bottle is packed with helpful lessons for the home cocktail enthusiast including vodka infusions, at-home mixology, bar cart basics, and seasonal ingredients, plus, of course, a wide selection of cocktail recipes, like:Tito’s Espresso MartiniTito’s TransfusionHabanero InfusionThe GrackleLake BreakfastEach recipe is crafted with the same care and thoughtfulness that goes into every bottle of Tito’s. A variety of simple, complex, refreshing, and dynamic drinks are fit for every occasion and every taste. So go ahead and crack that copper cap, mix up a cocktail, and, as Tito’s always says, “If you like it, tell twenty of your closest friends.”
Spirit of Service: Your Daily Stimulus for Making a Difference
by HarperCollins PublishersInspired by President Obama’s call to national service, Spirit of Service is a daily devotional that will stir the soul and inspire every reader to meet the challenge of helping others with hope, energy, personal resources, and innovation. Offering 365 ways to serve, this self-help experience allows readers to look at all the ways that theycan get involved in service to others, from serving the person sitting next to them to their communities as a whole, from national service to actions that impact the world.
The Spirit of the Earth: A creative Journey into the Soul of Mother Nature
by Vernon HutterThe Spirit of the Earth A creative journey into the soul of mother nature. Humanity is ‘part-of’ and not ‘apart from’ Nature and the Earth. We rely on her for everything that we stand for, which is why it’s so important to look after her. This book is a restorative journey, expressed in photographs and creative words. It conveys the process of regaining our true nature by reconnecting with Mother Nature. There are four processes, in which I have travelled the journey from the beginning, and which can be a guide for others to emulate… Reflection, Reconnection, Strength and Growth, and, finally, Change and Transition. The Creative Spirit is the bridge to becoming connected to the Spirit of the Earth once more. And when we have reconnected to Mother Nature, then we are able to heal our inner nature and fulfil our true purpose.
The Spirit of The Herbfarm Restaurant: A Cookbook and Memoir: With More Than 100 Recipes, Tips, and Techniques from America's First Farm-to-Table Restaurant
by Ron ZimmermanThis book brings together more than 100 unique recipes from and inspired by America&’s first true &“farm-to-table&” restaurant with the story of its creation. Working together, founders Ron Zimmerman and Carrie Van Dyck turned a farm garage into a restaurant like no other. In their pre-opening manifesto, they vowed to use only local ingredients to reunite their guests with the increasingly forgotten nature that has sustained us for hundreds of years. The initial offering was a single noon seating that began with a garden tour led by Carrie. This quickly became a nine-course chef-selected menu with a price that included wine pairings. The meals told a daily story in six or nine sequential dishes of what was in the garden, wilds, farm, and sea. Unlike restaurants that would later cloak themselves in the verbal mantle of &“farm-to-table,&” The Herbfarm Restaurant first found the food and only then designed the menu. Everything in each dish was local, not just the protein or main vegetable. Even olive oil and lemons weren&’t used in the first years until Oregon olive orchards blossomed. There were no &“supplements&” or extra charges. Since guests were charged in advance, they knew to the penny what the experience would cost. Part memoir, part cookbook, The Spirit of the Herbfarm Restaurant is a walk down memory lane, written, photographed, and largely designed by Ron before his death in 2023. Delight in the history of the restaurant as well as the unique seasonal dishes and recipes and beautiful photography that cover all occasions.
The Spirit of This Place: How Music Illuminates the Human Spirit (The\rice University Campbell Lectures)
by Patrick SummersArtists today are at a crossroads. With funding for the arts and humanities endowments perpetually under attack, and school districts all over the United States scrapping their art curricula altogether, the place of the arts in our civic future is uncertain to say the least. At the same time, faced with the problems of the modern world—from water shortages and grave health concerns to global climate change and the now constant threat of terrorism—one might question the urgency of this waning support for the arts. In the politically fraught world we live in, is the “felt” experience even something worth fighting for? In this soul-searching collection of vignettes, Patrick Summers gives us an adamant, impassioned affirmative. Art, he argues, nurtures freedom of thought, and is more necessary now than ever before. As artistic director of the Houston Grand Opera, Summers is well positioned to take stock of the limitations of the professional arts world—a world where the conversation revolves almost entirely around financial questions and whose reputation tends toward elitism—and to remind us of art’s fundamental relationship to joy and meaning. Offering a vehement defense of long-form arts in a world with a short attention span, Summers argues that art is spiritual, and that music in particular has the ability to ask spiritual questions, to inspire cathartic pathos, and to express spiritual truths. Summers guides us through his personal encounters with art and music in disparate places, from Houston’s Rothko Chapel to a music classroom in rural China, and reflects on musical works he has conducted all over the world. Assessing the growing canon of new operas performed in American opera houses today, he calls for musical artists to be innovative and brave as opera continues to reinvent itself. This book is a moving credo elucidating Summers’s belief that the arts, especially music, help us to understand our own humanity as intellectual, aesthetic, and ultimately spiritual.