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The Immortal 600: Surviving Civil War Charleston and Savannah (Civil War Series)
by Karen StokesIn 1864, six hundred Confederate prisoners of war, all officers, were taken out of a prison camp in Delaware and transported to South Carolina, where most were confined in a Union stockade prison on Morris Island. They were placed in front of two Union forts as "human shields" during the siege of Charleston and exposed to a fearful barrage of artillery fire from Confederate forts. Many of these men would suffer an even worse ordeal at Union-held Fort Pulaski near Savannah, Georgia, where they were subjected to severe food rationing as retaliatory policy. Author and historian Karen Stokes uses the prisoners' writings to relive the courage, fraternity and struggle of the "Immortal 600."
Queen Elizabeth I: A Biography
by J.E. NealeA scholarly and immensely readable, award-winning biography of the monarch known as the “Virgin Queen.”This has long been considered the classic biography of the great Tudor Queen. It is one of the first works of history to receive both scholarly and popular acclaim—testimony, indeed, to both its authority and readability. It has won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Biography and has been translated into nine languages.Exploring every aspect of Elizabeth’s life and rule—her shrewd policies at home and abroad—Professor Neale establishes the fact that she was unique as a strong-minded, independent woman ruling in an age of exclusively masculine power.Praise for Queen Elizabeth I“Entirely delightful, witty and gallant in defense, and nothing better has been said on the side of Elizabeth, on this side of idolatry.” —New York Times“Professor Neale’s narrative is straightforward and at times brilliant. . . . A first-rate literary biography.” —New Statesman“There can be no doubt about its scholarship. . . . Merely as a tour de force the book is a remarkable performance.” —American Historical Review
Beyond the Master Cleanse: The Year-Round Plan for Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet
by Tom WoloshynA post-cleanse program to keep enjoying the beneficial results of the Lemonade Diet—and continue your body&’s healthy transformation. • Stay Toxin Free • Keep the Weight Off • Increase Energy • Improve Skin and Hair • Eliminate Allergies • Maintain a Healthy Colon Spending ten days on The Lemonade Diet is a proven way to transform your body and health. But if you return to your former unhealthy habits, you&’ll quickly undo all you gained. With its comprehensive post-cleanse program, Beyond the Master Cleanse allows you to maintain and extend the Master Cleanse&’s amazing benefits.Beyond the Master Cleanse explains how to identify and overcome the most common difficulties you will encounter in your post-cleanse life. Drawing on the principles and power of The Lemonade Diet, this program offers an effective way to keep your body from sliding back into a toxic state. From easy parasite cleansing and tips for avoiding common toxins to overcoming addictions and transitioning to your new diet, Beyond the Master Cleanse shows how to continue the healthy transformation you started with your cleanse so that you can live a happier, healthier, and more prosperous, abundant life.
The Mentor: A Career-Readiness Business Parable
by J.N. WhiddonA student discovers the 12 Keys for Professional Success in this modern business parable by the acclaimed author and entrepreneur.The semester has begun, and Professor Johnathan Daniels welcomes his next batch of students into his classroom. He teaches the capstone Business Communications course at State U, one of the most valuable classes a student can take. As senior Aaron Woods takes his seat, he has no idea the wealth of knowledge, skills, and communication tools he’s about to receive that will help him conquer life after graduation.Dr. Daniels’ curriculum consists of his “12 Keys to Professional Success,” which offer help and guidance through any career-related obstacle one might encounter. As Aaron and his class make their way through the 12 Keys, they’ll gain wisdom and learn how to master essential principles—such as establishing rapport with others, time management, interview skills, dressing professionally, and more.Grab a seat: class is about to begin.
Hidden History of Kentucky Soldiers (Hidden History Ser.)
by Berry CraigA look at the lesser-known heroics of Kentucky soldiers, from the French and Indian War to World War II. Daniel Boone is celebrated as a Kentucky frontiersman, but what about his service in the French and Indian War? Custer&’s Last Stand in the Great Sioux War is legendary, but few remember Custer&’s &“next-to-last-stand&” in Elizabethtown, where he was sent to suppress the Ku Klux Klan and hunt down moonshiners just before heading to the Montana Territory and into history. Join Kentucky historian Berry Craig as he unearths the forgotten heroics of Kentucky soldiers, beginning with the French and Indian War and ending with World War II. Featuring tales of warriors from a diverse range of backgrounds, Hidden History of Kentucky Soldiers honors generations of Kentuckians who put their lives on the line for their country.
Riding the Rails: Inside the Business of America's Railroads (Railroads Past and Present)
by Robert D. KrebsA former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway CEO tells the behind-the-scenes story of the transformation and resurgence of America’s ailing railroads.When Robert D. Krebs joined the ranks of Southern Pacific Railroad in 1966, the industry had been in decline for decades, and the future of trains was in peril. Despite these obstacles, Krebs fell in love with the rugged, competitive business of railroads and was determined to overcome its resistance to change and put rail transportation back on track.By the age of forty, Krebs was president of the Southern Pacific Railroad and had also served as chief executive of both the Santa Fe Railway and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway companies. Riding the Rails: Inside the Business of America’s Railroads details Krebs’s rise to a position of influence in the recovery of America’s railroads—and offers a unique insider’s view into the boardrooms where executives and businessmen reimagined transportation in the United States.
Blotto, Twinks and the Rodents of the Riviera (Blotto, Twinks)
by Simon BrettA pair of aristocratic siblings chase art thieves to the French Riviera only to find more trouble in this humorous historical mystery.In yet another installment of the Blotto, Twinks series, his very funny parody of the golden age of mystery, Simon Brett sends his heroes to the French Riviera of the 1920s. Someone has stolen valuable paintings from Tawcester Towers, ancestral home of Blotto (the future Duke of Tawcester) and his sister, Twinks. Blotto is content to run around in a (handsome) sweat, cursing the thieving varlets and vowing revenge, but Twinks, rather more pragmatically, tracks the varlets to France. She and Blotto, accordingly, go zipping off to Paris—where they have rather a jolly time with the Left Bank bohemian set—but before the hangovers can take hold Twinks has redirected the search to the Riviera, headquarters of that dastardly criminal mastermind, La Puce! Will the noble Blotto and the brilliant Twinks recover their paintings, vanquish La Puce, and rescue the kidnapped film star I neglected to mention? Mesdames et messieurs, place your bets.Praise for the Blotto and Twinks Mysteries“A hilarious spin on the traditional British mystery.” —Publishers Weekly“This is the kind of book you’ll have to put down, frequently, as you roar with laughter.” —Booklist, starred review
The Press and Slavery in America, 1791–1859: The Melancholy Effect of Popular Excitement
by Brian GabrialThis scholarly study examines the shifting perceptions of slavery in the antebellum South through news accounts of major slave rebellions.Slavery remains one of the United States’ most troubling failings and its complexities have shaped American ideas about race, economics, politics, and the press since the first days of settlement. Brian Gabrial’s The Press and Slavery in America, 1791–1859 explores those intersections at moments when enslaved people revolted or conspired to revolt. Such events forced public discussions about slavery at times when supporters of the peculiar institution preferred them to be silent.This volume covers news accounts of five major slave rebellions or conspiracies: Gabriel Prosser’s 1800 Virginia slave conspiracy; the 1811 Louisiana slave revolt; Denmark Vesey’s 1822 slave conspiracy in Charleston, South Carolina; Nat Turner’s 1831 Southampton County, Virginia, slave revolt; and John Brown’s 1859 Harper’s Ferry raid. Gabrial situates these stories within a historical framework that juxtaposes the transformation of the press into a powerful mass media with the growing political divide over slavery, illustrating how two American cultures, both asserting claims to founding America, devolved into enemies over slavery.What the nineteenth century press reveals in this book are discourses that have retained resonance in contemporary race relations and American politics. They connect to ideas about the press and technology, changing journalistic practice, and the destruction wrought by the dysfunction of the nation’s political parties.
Letters from Prague: 1939–1941
by Helga Weinberg Raya C SchapiroCorrespondence documenting a Jewish family&’s personal history of the Holocaust and World War II. Raya Schapiro and Helga Weinberg found a box of letters among their mother&’s effects after her death in 1990. They were written by their grandmother and uncle, trapped in Prague after the Nazi occupation, to the girls&’ parents who had escaped to the United States in May, 1939, leaving behind Raya and Helga, who were five and seven years old at the time. The seventy-seven letters reprinted here span a period of two years, during which the Nazis drew an ever-tightening noose of destruction around the Jews of Prague: each letter is followed by notes of explanation and amplification, as well as notes on Nazi laws and official restrictions and the progress of the war. Each letter has a censor&’s stamp on it; each envelope bears the still-frightening emblem of the Third Reich. The letters dramatically convey the tension, growing daily, of existence under the Nazis, and their tone becomes increasingly desperate as every avenue of escape reaches a dead end. Praise forLetters from Prague: 1939–1941&“This book turns an abstraction into a palpable terror and pity.&” —Chicago Tribune&“A compelling and personal insight into the horrors of the Holocaust.&” —Booklist&“As it turned out, the girls escaped only after months of bureaucratic wrangling, while the grandmother and uncle never obtained permission to leave and were deported to the gas chambers at Treblinka and Auschwitz two years later. Collected here is the moving correspondence between the adults in Prague and the girls&’ parents in the U.S.&” —Publishers Weekly
Washington County Murder & Mayhem: Historic Crimes of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Murder And Mayhem Ser.)
by A Parker BurroughsExplore the chilling history behind some of southwestern Pennsylvania's most horrifying murders.In 1907, a young girl was found dead in the Lyric Theatre, leaving behind an unwanted pregnancy and an abusive lover. On an otherwise quiet morning in 1891, a cartful of nitroglycerin exploded. The remains of the driver had to be gathered in a peck basket. The Cannonball Express lived up to its name in 1888, when an open switch caused it to shoot off the track, sending two cars flying. Local journalist A. Parker Burroughs resurrects these and other stories from southwestern Pennsylvania's shadowy past. From foul play at the Burgettstown Fair to the tragic murder of North Franklin's Thelma Young, follow the trail with Burroughs as he uncovers the crimes and intrigues of Washington County.
Global Nollywood: The Transnational Dimensions of an African Video Film Industry (African Expressive Cultures)
by Matthias Krings and Onookome Okome“Reveals in fascinating detail the wild popularity, controversies, and complaints provoked by this film form . . . shap[ing] the media landscape of Africa.” —Brian Larkin, Barnard CollegeGlobal Nollywood considers this first truly African cinema beyond its Nigerian origins. In fifteen lively essays, this volume traces the engagement of the Nigerian video film industry with the African continent and the rest of the world. Topics such as Nollywood as a theoretical construct, the development of a new, critical film language, and Nollywood’s transformation outside of Nigeria reveal the broader implications of this film form as it travels and develops. Highlighting controversies surrounding commodification, globalization, and the development of the film industry on a wider scale, Global Nollywood gives sustained attention to Nollywood as a uniquely African cultural production.“Offers original material with respect to the transnational presence of Nollywood.” ?Moradewun Adejunmobi, University of California, Davis“Unveils a fascinating variety of the ways in which Nollywood cinema is viewed and interpreted.” ?Research in African Literatures“Delightfully entertaining yet appropriately erudite. . . . A welcome addition to the fields of film, media, African, and cultural studies.” —Cinema Journal“Highly recommended.” ?Choice“[T]he cumulative effect of [these] studies is to provide invaluable information for those wishing to keep up with where African cinema is today.” ?Journal of African History“Global Nollywood represents the most up-to-date research on Nollywood as a transnational cultural practice and is a must-read for scholars and students of African screen media.” —African Studies Review“Ground-breaking. . . . It proves that, in spite of appearing to be a niche market, Nollywood . . . can no longer be excluded from the canon of African cinema in the field of film studies.” ?African Affairs
Transition 112: The Django Issue (Transition #112)
by IU Press JournalsIssue #112 looks at violence and its relation to the history of slavery, featuring pieces on the films Django Unchained and Lincoln.Published three times per year by Indiana University Press for the Hutchins Center at Harvard University, Transition is a unique forum for the freshest, most compelling ideas from and about the black world. Since its founding in Uganda in 1961, the magazine has kept apace of the rapid transformation of the African Diaspora and has remained a leading forum of intellectual debate.In issue 112, the editors of Transition look at violence, particularly as it relates to the history of slavery, which raises the question of representation. Textbooks and television both grapple with the same fundamental questions: to whom do the stories of slaves belong? How should these stories be told? In this issue, Daniel Itzkovitz talks with Tony Kushner about the controversy that surrounded the making of Lincoln, a serious and sober film about the passage of the 13th Amendment. Django Unchained covers the same time period but uses a wildly different lens. The film is terrifying and topsy-turvy, and has ignited controversy that became a white-hot conflagration. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. speaks with Quentin Tarantino about the making of his film, and a host of scholars and critics, including Walter Johnson, Glenda Carpio, and Terri Francis, set the issue ablaze with provocative and searing commentary that speaks to the controversial film and its potent afterlife.
On the Horseshoe: A Guide to the Historic Campus of the University of South Carolina
by Elizabeth Cassidy West Katharine Thompson AllenA complete guide to the historic campus, featuring archival photos along with a close look at the structures and the people who inhabited them.Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, the University of South Carolina is one of the nation’s oldest public colleges. Located in the heart of downtown Columbia and bound by Sumter, Pendleton, Bull, and Greene Streets, this historic landscape, known today as the Horseshoe, has both endured and prospered through more than two centuries of South Carolina’s often-turbulent history.In On the Horseshoe: A Guide to the Historic Campus of the University of South Carolina, Elizabeth Cassidy West and Katharine Thompson Allen offer a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the historic Horseshoe. So much more than just a walking tour of Carolina’s historic original campus, On the Horseshoe features a wealth of archival photographs and drawings dating back to the nineteenth century and also provides a close look at the Horseshoe’s structures as well as the men and women who lived, worked, and studied in them.A numbered map with corresponding descriptions locates more than two dozen structures on the original campus and includes the history of each one, the important events that took place there, and its current use. An accompanying Web site (www.sc.edu/horseshoe) provides additional information and images for those who wish to further their knowledge of the university’s history. Walter Edgar, Neuffer Professor of Southern Studies Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at USC, provides a foreword.“Whether a native of Columbia, a South Carolina alumnus or a visitor to the Palmetto State, On the Horseshoe is a must-read for those interested in one of the most storied and historic facets of South Carolina’s capital city.” —John M. Sherrer III, Historic Columbia Foundation“Allen and West offer a well-researched and beautifully written narrative that highlights the physical and social histories of the campus. They seamlessly chronicle the construction of buildings, institutional traditions, the Civil War, slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, influential people, and ongoing memorialization efforts that showcase the rich and complex history of the university. This is an essential book for anyone interested in the University of South Carolina history, or southern history as a whole.” —Kelley Deetz, President’s Commission on Slavery and the University, University of Virginia
After Emerson (American Philosophy)
by John T. LysakerThe author of Emerson & Self-Culture shares essays covering such themes as identity, experience, ethics, poetry, philosophy, history, and race.John T. Lysaker works between and weaves together questions and replies in philosophical psychology, Emerson studies, and ethics in this book of deep existential questioning. Each essay in this atypical, philosophical book employs recurring terms, phrases, and questions that characterize our contemporary age. Setting out from the idea of where we are in an almost literal sense, Lysaker takes readers on an intellectual journey into thematic concerns and commitments of broad interest, such as the nature of self and self-experience, ethical life, poetry and philosophy, and history and race. In the manner of Emerson, Cavell, and Rorty, Lysaker’s vibrant writing is certain to have a transformative effect on American philosophy today.“An original and stimulating book, manifesting a level of reflection and existential concern of the highest order. It is intellectually and personally honest.” —Robert E. Innis, author of Susanne Langer in Focus“There is something fresh and hence refreshing in the manner in which John T. Lysaker takes up familiar topics. He shows, with both arresting details and an evolving design, how the conduct of life (to use Emerson’s expression) demands a form of thought frequently at odds with contemporary fashions and preoccupations, with institutionally entrenched approaches and all too rigidly policed discourses.” —Vincent Colapietro, author of Experience, Interpretation, and Community“Acknowledged as one of his generations premier Emerson scholars, Lysaker goes beyond his earlier work, Emerson & Self-Culture . . . [T]he writing is stimulating, vibrant, challenging, risky, and fecund. Recommended.” —D. B. Boersma, Choice
Comrades: A Local History of the Black Panther Party (Blacks in the Diaspora)
by Judson L. JeffriesEssays about the original Black Panther Party’s local chapters in seven American cities that seek “to move beyond the usual media stereotypes . . . Recommended” (Choice).The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in Oakland, California, in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. It was perhaps the most visible of the Black Power groups in the late sixties and early seventies, not least because of its confrontational politics, its rejection of nonviolence, and its headline-catching, gun-toting militancy. Important on the national scene and highly visible on college campuses, the Panthers also worked at building grassroots support for local black political and economic power.Although there have been many books about the Black Panthers, none has looked at the organization and its work at the local level. This book goes beyond Oakland and Chicago examines the work and actions of seven local initiatives in Baltimore, Winston-Salem, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. These local organizations are revealed as committed to programs of community activism that focused on problems of social, political, and economic justice.
Networks of Entertainment: Early Film Distribution, 1895–1915 (Early Cinema in Review)
by Frank Kessler and Nanna VerhoeffEssays by prominent scholars examining film distribution in the early years of cinema.This collection of essays explores the complex issue of film distribution from the invention of cinema into the 1910s. From regional distribution networks to international marketing strategies, from the analysis of distribution catalogs to case studies on individual distributors, these essays written by well-known specialists in the field discuss the intriguing question of how films came to meet their audiences.Contributors include Richard Abel, Marta Braun, Joseph Garncarz, André Gaudreault, François Jost, Charlie Keil, Martin Loiperdinger, Viva Paci, Wanda Strauven, Gregory Waller, and many more.
The Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky (Civil War Sesquicentennial Series)
by Stuart W. SandersOn January 19, 1862, Confederate and Union forces clashed in the now-forgotten Battle of Mill Springs. Armies of inexperienced soldiers chaotically fought in the wooded terrain of south-central Kentucky as rain turned bloodied ground to mud. Mill Springs was the first major Union victory since the Federal disaster of Bull Run. This Union triumph secured the Bluegrass State in Union hands, opening the large expanses of Tennessee for Federal invasion. From General Felix Zollicoffer meeting his death by wandering into Union lines to the heroics of General George Thomas, Civil War historian Stuart Sanders chronicles this important battle and its essential role in the war.
Confessions of a Guilty Freelancer
by William O'RourkeFrom an acclaimed writer and journalist, essays containing “a brilliant overview of American history from the 1960s to the post 9/11 era” (Maura Stanton, author of Immortal Sofa: Poems by Maura Stanton).William O’Rourke’s singular view of American life over the past 40 years shines forth in these short essays on subjects personal, political, and literary, which reveal a man of keen intellect and wide-ranging interests. They embrace everything from the state of the nation after 9/11 to the author’s encounter with rap, from the masterminds of political makeovers to the rich variety of contemporary American writing. His reviews illuminate both the books themselves and the times in which we live, and his personal reflections engage even the most fearful events with a special humor and gentle pathos. Readers will find this richly rewarding volume difficult to put down.“O’Rourke has always had his finger on the pulse of the contemporary American literary scene.” —Corinne Demas, author of The Writing Circle“With sparkling wit that never takes a vacation, [O’Rourke] is our unpaid public intellectual number one.” —Jaimy Gordon, author of Lord of Misrule, winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Fiction“O’Rourke’s . . . writing is literary, without a doubt, but his style is conversational, rhythmic and leavened by a dry sense of humor that engage the reader on an intimate level.” —South Bend Tribune“[T]hose who enjoy a good romp through some of our country’s most pivotal times in the company of an astute observer who is unafraid to offer a penetrating, and sometimes scathing, critique of the state of the nation, will find themselves well matched.” —ForeWord Reviews“O’Rourke’s descriptions of the writing life have the ring of absolute truth.” —Review of Contemporary Fiction
The Battle of Lake George: England's First Triumph in the French and Indian War (Military Ser.)
by William R. Griffith IVIn the early morning of September 8, 1755, a force of French Regulars, Canadians and Indians crouched unseen in a ravine south of Lake George. Under the command of French general Jean-Armand, Baron de Dieskau, the men ambushed the approaching British forces, sparking a bloody conflict for control of the lake and its access to New York's interior. Against all odds, British commander William Johnson rallied his men through the barrage of enemy fire to send the French retreating north to Ticonderoga. The stage was set for one of the most contested regions throughout the rest of the conflict. Historian William Griffith recounts the thrilling history behind the first major British battlefield victory of the French and Indian War.
A Lancastrian Mirror for Princes: The Yale Law School New Statutes of England
by Rosemarie McGerrThis seminal study addresses one of the most beautifully decorated 15th-century copies of the New Statutes of England, uncovering how the manuscript's unique interweaving of legal, religious, and literary discourses frames the reader's perception of the work. Taking internal and external evidence into account, Rosemarie McGerr suggests that the manuscript was made for Prince Edward of Lancaster, transforming a legal reference work into a book of instruction in kingship, as well as a means of celebrating the Lancastrians' rightful claim to the English throne during the Wars of the Roses. A Lancastrian Mirror for Princes also explores the role played by the manuscript as a commentary on royal justice and grace for its later owners and offers modern readers a fascinating example of the long-lasting influence of medieval manuscripts on subsequent readers.
Haunted Springield, Illinois (Haunted America)
by Garret MoffettSpringfield has launched a lot of history, from the career of Abraham Lincoln to the wagon train that bore the Donner party to their fate. While taking this tour with Garret Moffett, you will come face to face with the history that has refused to leave. Meet the Gibson Girl who turned society circles into séances during her life and the vengeful actor who held down a leading role as mischief maker after death. And maybe you should pause before you shake the hand of a Civil War reenactor at Camp Butler, just to make sure that his skin isn't as gray as his coat.
Lincoln's Springfield Neighborhood
by Richard E. Hart Bonnie E PaullWhen an emotional Abraham Lincoln took leave of his Springfield neighbors, never to return, his moving tribute to the town and its people reflected their profound influence on the newly elected president. His old neighborhood still stands today as a National Historic Site. The story of the life Lincoln and his family built there returns to us through the careful work of authors Bonnie E. Paull and Richard E. Hart. Journey back in time and meet this diverse but harmonious community as it participated in the business of everyday living while gradually playing a larger role on the national stage.
Readings in Wood: What the Forest Taught Me
by John Leland“[Leland] brings the botanical into direct relationship with the spiritual, using a prose style that is as profound as it is pyrotechnic.” —Jim Warren, Washington and Lee UniversityAward-winning nature writer John Leland offers a collection of twenty-seven short, poetic essays that marry science and the humanities as the author seeks meaning in trees. Readings in Wood is an investigation of trees and forests and also of wood as a material that people have found essential in the creation of society and culture. Leland views with wit and erudition the natural world and the curious place of human beings as saviors and destroyers of this world.At once personal memoir, natural history, and cultural criticism, the book reflects Leland’s idiosyncratic vision. As vast as a forest, topics range from tree grain and leaf shape to economic theories, mathematics, and engineering. Readings in Wood is a hybrid testament of science, faith, superstition, and disbelief learned from sitting on tree trunks and peering at leaves and fungi. Leland hopes others will join him in nature’s classroom. Quite aware of the irony, he reminds us, “These leaves you desultorily turn over once hung in a green wood gone to make this book. Touching a book, you touch a tree. I pray that Readings in Wood’s essays, touching you, may justify in some small way the trees who died in their making.”“This book constitutes a hymn to the technical and the beautiful, a meander through the geography, geology, botany, mathematics and vigor of our plants, especially in the southern Appalachians.” —R. T. Smith, editor, Shenandoah, and writer-in-residence, Washington and Lee University“Informative, thoughtful, inspiring, and innately entertaining.” —The Midwest Book Review
Signs and Society: Further Studies in Semiotic Anthropology
by Richard J. ParmentierA major voice in contemporary semiotic theory offers a new perspective on potent intersections of semiotic and linguistic anthropology.In Signs and Society, noted anthropologist Richard J. Parmentier demonstrates how an appreciation of signs helps us better understand human agency, meaning, and creativity. Inspired by the foundational work of C. S. Peirce and Ferdinand de Saussure, and drawing upon key insights from neighboring scholarly fields, Parmentier develops an array of innovative conceptual tools for ethnographic, historical, and literary research.Parmentier’s concepts of “transactional value,” “metapragmatic interpretant,” and “circle of semiosis,” for example, illuminate the foundations and effects of such diverse cultural forms and practices as economic exchanges on the Pacific island of Palau, Pindar’s Victory Odes in ancient Greece, and material representations of transcendence in ancient Egypt and medieval Christianity.Other studies complicate the separation of emic and etic analytical models for such cultural domains as religion, economic value, and semiotic ideology. Provocative and absorbing, these fifteen pioneering essays blaze a trail into anthropology’s future while remaining firmly rooted in its celebrated past.
A Theory of Great Men
by Daniel GreenstoneA Theory of Great Men is the humorous, fast-paced story of an irreverent, flawed man who has a talent for accumulating both proteges and enemies. George Cavaliere, a veteran high school history teacher, has many attributes of a brilliant educator. He's a vibrant classroom performance artist, his colleagues respect his knowledge of history, and he's popular with many students. Cavaliere is at his best when he's debunking the so-called "Great Man" theory of history, which maintains that the actions of major historical figures dominate the course of human events. Not so, Cavaliere insists. People's lives are shaped by sweeping forces beyond their control, and often their understanding. And yet his own life seems to show the opposite. Cavaliere's impatience with political correctness and his restless philandering lead to the unraveling of his career and his marriage. A part-time job coaching an underdog basketball team helps Cavaliere confront his own shortcomings and begin to see that, although he is anything but a great man, he is, nevertheless, the master of his own fate.