Prokofiev, a compulsive diarist, gifted and idiosyncratic writer, possessed an incorrigibly sardonic curiosity about individuals and events. When he left Russia following the 1917 Revolution, his diaries were recovered from the family flat in Petrograd, and Prokofiev smuggled them out of the country after his first return to the Soviet Union in 1927. The later diaries, written in the West, were brought back by legal decree after the composer's death, to be kept in a special, closed section of the Russian State Archive. Eventually Prokofiev's son Svyatoslav was allowed to copy the voluminous contents; when he and his son Serge Jr moved to Paris they undertook the gigantic task of reproducing the partially encoded manuscript in an intelligible form. Volume I covers the bulk of Prokofiev's years at the St Petersburg Conservatoire, ending with his triumphant graduation. Simultaneously attached to and exasperated by the traditions exemplified at this time by such famous men as Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov, Lyadov and Tcherepnin, the relentlessly brash young genius relishes the power of his talent to irritate, challenge and finally overcome the establishment, alongside unusually candid revelations of the all-too-normal preoccupations of a young man flexing his muscles in society. Taken as a whole, the diaries represent an inexhaustibly rich portrait of one of the most vibrant periods in the whole of Western art, peopled by virtually every musician and artist of note. They constitute both an indispensable and an entertaining source of reference for all scholars and lovers of Prokofiev's music.

The second volume of Sergey Prokofiev's recently uncovered Diaries covers the years 1915 to 1922. It describes in detail the genesis and the problematic path to performance of major works in his canon, and the life-changing experiences of living in war-torn and revolutionary Russia, and deciding to leave for the mythic America he had long dreamed of visiting. The Diaries chart the author's swings of fortune, the loneliness of the emigre, his encounters with a luminous range of personalities from music, theatre, art and literature, and the search for love and friendship, all cast in the burnished prose of a born master, not just of music, but of words.

Roman thought he'd found the perfect opportunity to rebel. He may have been wrong. He awakens strapped to a set of parallel bars in a richly appointed sitting room, and begins a conversation with a masked man which will change his life. His world has been a facade - one which the mysterious Brahma is about to tear away. A stunning novel about the real world, and about the hidden chanels of power behind the scenes, EMPIRE V is a post-modern satirical novel exploring the cults and corruption of politics, banking and power. And not only are these cults difficult to join - it turns out they may be impossible to leave . . .

The discovery of antibiotics in the early 20th century fundamentally transformed human and veterinary medicine. Antibiotics now save millions of lives each year in the United States and around the world. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, however, represents a serious threat to public health and the economy. If the effectiveness of antibiotics (drugs that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria) is lost, we will no longer be able to reliably and rapidly treat bacterial infections, including bacterial pneumonias, foodborne illnesses, and healthcare-associated infections. As more strains of bacteria become resistant to an ever-larger number of antibiotics, our drug choices have become increasingly limited and more expensive and, in some cases, nonexistent. In a world with few effective antibiotics, modern medical advances such as surgery, transplants, and chemotherapy may no longer be viable due to the threat of infection. This book examines the national strategy and plan for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

An ancient Jade Amulet, a beautiful American girl with Asian ancestries, and a Celestrial dragon go on an exotic adventure to the Far East to find the dragon's lost mate before another team gets there first. Join Isabella Treehorn, her brother Kaelyn, Uncle Titus, and the crazy Witch Grace with the dragon Tianlong as they race against time to find Ling Ling, Tianlong's mate in the frozen regions of Mongolia and the Himalayas. Isabella is a simple girl of twelve with mixed heritage and who has trouble fitting in her school. Her mother on her death bed gives Isabella a family heirloom, a Jade stone amulet with unbelievable powers of Chi and telepathy. But with that fortune the necklace also brings death to every other generation of the Treehorn women dating back to her ancestors in the Ming Dynasty period. Ancient Demons the Lords of Death put a curse on the first princess for her wicked ways and have killed off most of the princess's descendents.

This book will help young men and women that are seeking to improve their self-esteem and haven't found the inspiration or motivation to do so. This Book Will Show You How To: Unlock your true potential for success and happiness Take control of your life Become the leader you were meant to be Believe in yourself and get others to believe in you Gain Confidence & Feel Better Be the person everyone looks up to Win friends and keep them Have the confidence to learn any subject and improve grades.

These studies by an academic who is also a former practising lawyer seek to establish the principles of biblical law as represented in the Sinai traditions. Specific topics covered include adultery, family law, slavery, animals and wealth; respect for life and the general biblical moral tradition are also discussed. The collection also deals with wider issues of prophecy and law, the relationship of torah and mishpat (especially in relation to Second Isaiah), and laws in the book of Ruth, and includes a discussion of the place of biblical law in contemporary society.

These studies by an academic who is also a former practising lawyer seek to establish the principles of biblical law as represented in the Sinai traditions. Specific topics covered include adultery, family law, slavery, animals and wealth; respect for life and the general biblical moral tradition are also discussed. The collection also deals with wider issues of prophecy and law, the relationship of torah and mishpat (especially in relation to Second Isaiah), and laws in the book of Ruth, and includes a discussion of the place of biblical law in contemporary society.

After considerable hesitation and soul-searching I have decided to publish the letters Dmitry Dmitriyevich Shostakovich wrote to me. This choice by the composer's close friend Isaak Glikman brought the tormented feelings of the musical genius into public view. Now those feelings resound in the first substantial collection of Shostakovich's letters to appear in English.From the early 1930s until his death in 1975 Shostakovich wrote regularly to Glikman, a Leningrad theater critic and historian. The 288 letters included in this volume began in 1941, at the time of Operation Barbarossa and the composition of the controversial (Leningrad) Symphony no. 7, and continue until 1974, by which time Shostakovich was too frail to write. Glikman's extensive introduction explains that the earlier letters were lost presumably left behind when both men were evacuated from besieged Leningrad. In his account of those years, Glikman relates personal details of the composer's life during the height of the Stalinist Terror, including Shostakovich's response to the public humiliation inflicted by the regime after the premiere of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.Taken together, the letters and Glikman's fascinating commentary form a portrait of a complex and acutely sensitive personality endowed with enormous moral integrity, humanity, compassion, and a sharp, often self-deprecating, sense of humor. The book recounts some of the most pivotal episodes of Shostakovich's life, including the long withdrawal of the Symphony no. 4, the regime's 1948 attacks on the composer, his subsequent trips to the United States and other Western countries, his frame of mind upon joining the Communist party in 1960, his reactions to the music of his contemporaries, and his composition of the devastating late symphonies and final string quartets.The battles over the politics of Dmitry Shostakovich and his music continue with undiminished vehemence, and Story of a Friendship is sure to occasion still more argument. At the same time, the book provides a unique opportunity better to understand the man and his music, on the one hand, and the regime that alternately hailed and reviled him, on the other."

From his teenage years in provincial Russia to his premature death in 1904, Anton Chekhov wrote thousands of letters to a wide range of correspondents. This fascinating new selection tells Chekhov's story as a man and a writer through affectionate bulletins to his family, insightful discussions of literature with publishers and theatre directors, and tender love letters to his actress wife. Vividly evoking landscapes, people and his daily life, the letters offer revealing glimpses into Chekhov's preoccupations ? the onset of tuberculosis, his dual careers as doctor and writer, and his ambivalence about his growing reputation as Russia's foremost playwright and author. This volume takes us inside the mind of one of the world's great writers, and the character that emerges from these pages is resilient, generous, charming and life enhancing. This is the first uncensored edition of the letters in any language, including previously unpublished material from the Russian archives, and the translation conveys the humour and warmth of Chekhov's prose.

The Passion of God provides a timely reminder in Lent that it is only by dying that we can live - only through death that resurrection lies. As the author says in the Preface 'Never has St Paul's commitment to the preaching of Christ Crucified been more urgent'. This collection of sermons given on special occasions is brought together to celebrate the complementary truths of the gospel - the joy in God's unimaginable love and the response that such love must evoke. May they give encouragement to all during the season of Lent, but at other times too.

Dr Phillips's volume, like the others in the series, contains the text in the NEB translation, with introductory material preceding it, and a commentary directly following each section of text. Dr Phillips explains the nature and function of the whole book, its place in Jewish religious history and thought, and among the Old Testament books, and its continuing relevance today.

This successful volume of essays by distinguished scholars not only makes a contribution to the study of Old Testament prophets but also summarizes scholarship in a way particularly appropriate to students, giving access to material available otherwise only in other languages or in journals difficult to obtain.