In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream. It was a brazen crime committed while the whole world was watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Baffled and humiliated, the Norwegian police turned to the one man they believed could help: a half English, half American undercover cop named Charley Hill, the world's greatest art detective.The Rescue Artist is a rollicking narrative that carries readers deep inside the art underworld -- and introduces them to a large and colorful cast of titled aristocrats, intrepid investigators, and thick-necked thugs. But most compelling of all is Charley Hill himself, a complicated mix of brilliance, foolhardiness, and charm whose hunt for a purloined treasure would either cap an illustrious career or be the fiasco that would haunt him forever.

The Gospel Train left the station long, long ago filled with believers traveling on a straight, resolute track toward an eternal, spiritual paradise. But along the way, different cars of believers were switched off the main track and are now traveling in a somewhat different direction. Even though they are now following many different sets of rails, they all believe they are on the only true path that will take them to their desired destination. This book reveals the ways in which different religions deviated from a common trunk into contrary, discordant branches that are now essentially at war with one another. The book focuses on what Christian Bibles actually say instead of what believers are told they say. It gives an accurate account of religious history from verifiable documents that are both ancient and up-to-date records from many different sources. The most tantalizing revelation is the nature of God as stated directly from Christian Bibles. Readers are encouraged to use their own Bibles to verify all references to scripture. Both chapter and verse are supplied for reference purposes. After reading this book, you will never again feel exactly the same way about your religion.

The definitive art book for the remastered Spyro Reignited Trilogy, for fans young and old. In 2018 Toys for Bob Studios thrilled fans world wide by releasing Spyro Reignited Trilogy, a faithful remaster encompassing all three titles from the beloved Spyro trilogy introduced in 1998. The Art of Spyro is a meticulously crafted compendium filled with in-depth behind-the-scenes content, insightful quotes from top illustrators in the industry, anecdotes from the game developers, and a dazzling assortment of incredible concept art, some of which has never been seen by the public. It is a must-have for art lovers, games, fans... and the fun-loving adventurer in all of us.

"Seeing the Insane" is a richly detailed cultural history of madness and art in the Western world, showing how the portrayal of stereotypes has both reflected and shaped the perception and treatment of the mentally disturbed. Covering the Middle Ages through the end of the nineteenth century, Sander L. Gilman explores the depictions of mental illness as seen in manuscripts, sculptures, lithographs, and photography. With artistic renderings and medical illustrations side-by-side, this volume includes over 250 visual displays of the mentally ill. These images capture society's reliance on visual motifs to assign concrete qualities to abstract ailments in an attempt to understand the marginalized. Gilman's collection of images demonstrates how society has relegated the mentally ill to a state of "otherness" and portrays how society's perceived realities concerning the insane have morphed and evolved over centuries.

Sander L. Gilman, PhD, is a distinguished professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as Professor of Psychiatry at Emory University. A respected educator, he has served as Old Dominion Visiting Professor of English at Princeton; Northrop Frye Visiting Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto; Mellon Visiting Professor of Humanities at Tulane University; Goldwin Smith Professor of Humane Studies at Cornell University; and Professor of the History of Psychiatry at Cornell Medical College. He has written and edited several books including "The Face of Madness" and "Sexuality: An Illustrated History."

""Seeing the Insane" is a visual history of the stereotypes that have shaped the perception of the mentally ill from medieval through modern times. The result is nearly as heartbreaking as a visual history of the Holocaust. In picture after picture, the book portrays centuries of intolerance for deviance, mindless cruelty, unthinking prejudice, and self-righteous abuse of the weak and ill."

-"American Journal of Psychiatry"

"As extraordinary in concept as it is in its execution. . . . This remarkable book helps laymen as well as specialists to see the insane, but it does far more. When we study the past, we understand the present. When we see the conventional stereotype images of insanity, we find they still color our concepts of madness. Through these pictures of the insane, we see all humanity. We look, not through a glass darkly, but through a multiplicity of media, brightly."

-"Antiquarian Bookman"

Rev. James Lamb has provided the Afro centric Spiritual community a tremendous literary historical-theological treatise. The psycho-social issues facing the African American community today have their roots in the legacy of white supremacy which has dominated Black life in all areas of human activity, including economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war. BLACK uncovers the historical legacy of this dehumanization process and provides the solution for the African American community to reclaim its African soul by restoring its memory of the Ancient Egyptian genius to address contemporary struggles of Black life in all areas of people activity, including economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war. Rev. Richard D. Bullard, ThM Senior Pastor of Grace Evangelical Baptist Church Pine Bluff, Arkansas "This book parallels the practice of religion and the history of African and African American culture. Rev. Lamb takes the reader on his lifelong journey of discovery and realizations of his morality and his responsibility as a man of the cloth. This book offers compelling dialogue that makes the reader reflect and search within for answers we should all seek for ourselves." Garbo Hearne, Independent Bookseller, Pyramid Art, Books & Custom Framing BLACK: A clear straight forward historical and present day look into the complex world of Black people. From genius Empires displayed historically through slavery, Jim Crow, racial tension and Black on Black crimes; BLACK stands as a monument of practical resource information giving revelation of a great history. BLACK should be required reading in all educational institutions. Frazier Lamb Social Worker Department of Children Family Services State of Connecticut

From the critically acclaimed artist, designer, and author of the bestsellers The Principles of Uncertainty and My Favorite Things comes a wondrous collection of words and paintings that is a moving meditation on the beauty and complexity of women's lives and roles, revealed in the things they hold. "What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles. And the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love." In the spring of 2021, Maira and Alex Kalman created a small, limited-edition booklet "Women Holding Things," which featured select recent paintings by Maira, accompanied by her insightful and deeply personal commentary. The booklet quickly sold out. Now, the Kalmans have expanded that original publication into this extraordinary visual compendium. Women Holding Things includes the bright, bold images featured in the booklet as well as an additional sixty-seven new paintings highlighted by thoughtful and intimate anecdotes, recollections, and ruminations. Most are portraits of women, both ordinary and famous, including Virginia Woolf, Sally Hemings, Hortense Cezanne, Gertrude Stein, as well as Kalman's family members and other real-life people. These women hold a range of objects, from the mundane-balloons, a cup, a whisk, a chicken, a hat-to the abstract-dreams and disappointments, sorrow and regret, joy and love. Kalman considers the many things that fit physically and metaphorically between women's hands: We see a woman hold a book, hold shears, hold children, hold a grudge, hold up, hold her own. In visually telling their stories, Kalman lays bare the essence of women's lives-their tenacity, courage, vulnerability, hope, and pain. Ultimately, she reveals that many of the things we hold dear-as well as those that burden or haunt us-remain constant and connect us from generation to generation. Here, too, are pictures of a few men holding things, such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Anton Chekhov, as well as objects holding other objects that invite us to ponder their intimate relationships to one another. Women Holding Things explores the significance of the objects we carry-in our hands, hearts, and minds-and speaks to, and for, all of us. Maira Kalman's unique work is a celebration of life, of the act and the art of living, offering an original way of examining and understanding all that is important in our world-and ultimately within ourselves.

Dear reader, if you are holding in your hands the book "Legends of the Phoenix" by A.V.Trehlebov, then in just a moment a magnificent journey awaits you filled with fascinating knowledge about the hidden history of our world and some of the most fascinating societal processes to ever occur. If you have already read a few dozen books on the subject but are still asking yourself the questions "Who am i?" "What is my purpose here?" or "Why do we die?" then this book will become a treasure within your library. If you are still searching for the answers to the age old questions of the origins of life on earth, the origins and evolution of our modern civilization, the origins of different races, the true history of the people on earth, our spiritual growth as humans, or the universal laws of the universe, then this book has come to you at the right time. Through years of scientific study, this non-fiction tractate is written in a simple yet fascinating manner and is suitable for all readers. The phoenix, as in the title of the book, is an ancient Russian symbol symbolizing the rebirth of Russia and the Slavic people. From folk tales it is written that these birds rise from their ashes, are then reborn in a magical flame and appear in a purer form. Since history has always been written by, and for the benefit of the current rulers, disregarding any previous facts or knowledge, we use the experience and heritage of our ancestors which have been laid out in the "Legends of the Phoenix." "Legends of the Phoenix" is devoted to the revival of the ancient, million year old culture and heritage of the Slavic people. The information in this book has deep roots from the Slavic Vedas dating back hundreds of thousands of years with knowledge not yet fully discovered by our modern civilization. Consisting of two parts, the first part "Origin of the Slavic-Aryans" discusses the root origins of the Slavic people, the ancient texts and archaeological monuments, the eon old Slavic ancestry, our beliefs, morals, commandments, and the answers to the mysterious wise tales of the Slavs. The second part called "The Path to Light" discusses the connection and meaning of the Slavic and Hindu Vedas, the stages of the ancient Slavic spiritual belief "Rodoveriye," the meaning of spiritual development, the paths and goals of our ancient societies, the wisdom behind each stage of life and how to get ready for and create virtuous offspring, the nature of divine and demonic entities and their purpose, the importance of understanding your inner self and past lives, the structure of all our energy bodies, the origins of the Vedas, what it means to have a non-dualistic view of the universe, and the secrets of the Golden Path.

The volume offers a timely (re-)appraisal of Seleukid cultural dynamics. While the engagement of Seleukid kings with local populations and the issue of "Hellenization" are still debated, a movement away from the Greco-centric approach to the study of the sources has gained pace. Increasingly textual sources are read alongside archaeological and numismatic evidence, and relevant near-eastern records are consulted. Our study of Seleukid kingship adheres to two game-changing principles: 1. We are not interested in judging the Seleukids as "strong" or "weak" whether in their interactions with other Hellenistic kingdoms or with the populations they ruled. 2. While appreciating the value of the social imaginaries approach (Stavrianopoulou, 2013), we argue that the use of ethnic identity in antiquity remains problematic. Through a pluralistic approach, in line with the complex cultural considerations that informed Seleukid royal agendas, we examine the concept of kingship and its gender aspects; tensions between centre and periphery; the level of "acculturation" intended and achieved under the Seleukids; the Seleukid-Ptolemaic interrelations. As rulers of a multi-cultural empire, the Seleukids were deeply aware of cultural politics.

Human Rights and the Arts: Perspectives on Global Asia approaches human rights issues from the perspective of artists and writers in global Asia. By focusing on the interventions of writers, artists, filmmakers, and dramatists, the book moves toward a new understanding of human rights that shifts the discussion of contexts and subjects away from the binaries of cultural relativism and political sovereignty. From Ai Wei Wei and Michael Ondaatje, to Umar Kayam, Saryang Kim, Lia Zixin, and Noor Zaheer, among others, this volume takes its lead from global Asian artists, powerfully re-orienting thinking about human rights subjects and contexts to include the physical, spiritual, social, ecological, cultural, and the transnational. Looking at a range of work from Tibet, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, China, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Macau as well as Asian diasporic communities, this book puts forward an understanding of global Asia that underscores "Asia" as a global site. It also highlights the continuing importance of nation-states and specific geographical entities, while stressing the ways that the human rights subject breaks out of these boundaries. Many of these works are included in the companion volume Human Rights and the Arts in Global Asia: An Anthology, also published by Lexington Books.