Though nearly everyone is familiar with the great mythological figures such as Hercules, Icarus and Medusa, readers may wonder what relevance these ancient tales hold for them. This unique reference book brings mythology to life for students by exploring the connections between ancient myths and contemporary culture. The delightful introductory essay sets the tone, with its overview of the myriad areas of human endeavors that have been influenced by mythology including the arts, science, psychology, language and literature, consumer products and other aspects of popular culture. The user-friendly volume is comprised of 50 narrative essays, that offer a lively retelling of the myth, and then trace the cultural connections. Readers will discover, for example, the fascinating derivation of Freudian psychoanalysis from the myth of Oedipus. Fans of popular film and fiction may be surprised to learn the mythological inspiration for works like Beauty and the Beast, The Matrix, or Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead. This engrossing book is enhanced with 25 original illustrations. Five fact-filled appendices offer glossaries and interesting mythological etymologies of commonplace words in nature, science, and everyday consumer products like Nike shoes and Olympus cameras. Whether for research or pure enjoyment, this accessible and informative book reveals the many unrecognized references to mythology that impact our lives.

This book is another example of the New Thought movement where the author looks at the law of attrac-tion in the sense of thought with the respect of the power of mind. Atkinson points out the similarities between the law of gravitation and the mental law of attraction. He ex-plains that thought vibrations are as real as those manifesting as light, heat, magnetism and electricity. The difference is in the vibratory rate which also ex-plains the fact that thought vibrations cannot usually be perceived by our five senses. The author, rather skillfully, argues that there are huge gaps in the spectrum of light and sound vibrations, wide enough to include other worlds. It is logical that these activities would be perceived by sense organs at-tuned to them. Increasingly sophisticated scientific instruments are able to register more and more of these hidden frequencies.

"At sea, when the nets are out and the pipes are lit, then will some ancient hoarder of tales become loquacious, telling his histories to the tune of the creaking of the boats. Holy-eve night, too, is a great time, and in old days many tales were to be heard at wakes. But the priest have set their faces against wakes. . . ." From the celebrated poet, William Butler Yeats, a volume of folk and fairy tales to stir the Irish soul.

Pasta, cappuccino, olive oil Italian food culture is a prominent feature of Western society in our cafes, restaurants and homes. But what is the history of Italian cuisine? And where do we get our notions about Italian food? Garlic and Oil is the first comprehensive history of food habits in modern Italy. Chronicling the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, the author argues that politics dramatically affected the nature of Italian cuisine and food habits. Contrary to popular belief, the Italian diet was inadequate and unchanging for many decades. Drawing on the writings of scientific professionals, domestic economists, government officials, and consumers, the author shows how the miserable diet of so many Italians became the subject of political debate and eventually, the target of government intervention. As successive regimes liberal, fascist, democratic struggled with the question of how to improve peoples eating habits, their actions purposefully and inadvertently affected what and how much Italians ate, shaping not only the foundations of Italian cuisine, but also the nature of Italian identity. Garlic and Oil is a popular national food history that offers a new perspective on the history of consumerism and food studies by examining how political change affects food consumption habits.

This encylopedic study illuminates the hidden web of connections between the Victorian fascinations with the fairies and the dominant obsessions of the larger culture. Drawing on anthropological, folkloric, historical and medical sources, Silver anatomizes a world of strange beings -real and imaginary - who infiltrate the literary and visual masterpieces of the era.

Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Walker Atkinson

In this New Thought classic, Atkinson looks at the law of attraction in the thought world. He points out the similarities between the law of gravitation and the mental law of attraction. He explains that thought vibrations are as real as those manifesting as light, heat, magnetism and electricity. The difference is in the vibratory rate which also explains the fact that thought vibrations cannot usually be perceived by our 5 senses.

Contents: Law of attraction in the thought world; Thought-waves and their power of reproduction; About the mind; Mind building; Secret of the will; How to become immune to injurious thought attraction; Transmutation of negative thought; Law of mental control; Asserting the life force; Training the habit mind; Psychology of the emotions; Developing new brain cells; Attractive power-desire force; Law, not chance.

Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend

This is a really inspiring book. It gets you focused on your dreams and goals with very simple to understand directions. I encourage everyone to read and apply the information with a spirit of enthusiasm and watch your life change

This is a critical analysis of the Titanic as modern myth, focusing on the second of the two Titanics. The first was the physical Titanic, the rusting remains of which can still be found 12,000 feet below the north Atlantic. The second is the mythical Titanic which emerged just as its tangible predecessor slipped from view on 15 April 1912. It is the second of the two Titanics which remains the more interesting and which continues to carry cultural resonances today. The book begins with the launching of the "unsinkable ship" and ends with the outbreak of the "war to end all wars". It provides an insight into the particular culture of late Edwardian Britain and beyond this draws far greater conclusions about the complex relationship between myth, history, popular culture and society as a whole.

A child's wish melds the soul of a kind-hearted simpleton to a toy BEAR. Secret for three generations the GUARDIAN wakes in time of need. Surviving the sinking of the TITANIC the BEAR passes into the hands of the JEWISH community. Aboard the rescue ship CARPATHIA it travels on...to the gas chambers of AUSCHWITZ. The BEAR brings with it...A HISTORY OF FEAR.