This book introduces complex ideas in simple language, and unpacks complex ideas in a highly accessible way.

This book provides wide-ranging commentary on depictions of the black male in mainstream cinema. O'Brien explores the extent to which counter-representations of black masculinity have been achieved within a predominately white industry, with an emphasis on agency, the negotiation and malleability of racial status, and the inherent instability of imposed racial categories. Focusing on American and European cinema, the chapters highlight actors (Woody Strode, Noble Johnson, Eddie Anderson, Will Smith), genres (jungle pictures, westerns, science fiction) and franchises (Tarzan, James Bond) underrepresented in previous critical and scholarly commentary in the field. The author argues that although the characters and performances generated in these areas invoke popular genre types, they display complexity, diversity and ambiguity, exhibiting aspects that are positive, progressive and subversive. This book will appeal to both the academic and the general reader interested in film, race, gender and colonial issues.

If films drawing on Middle East tropes often highlight white Westerners, figures such as Sinbad and the Thief of Bagdad embody a counter-tradition of protagonists, derived from Islamic folklore and history, who are portrayed as 'Other' to Western audiences. In Muslim Heroes on Screen, Daniel O'Brien explores the depiction of these characters in Euro-American cinema from the silent era to the present day. Far from being mere racial masquerade, these screen portrayals are more complex and nuanced than is generally allowed, not least in terms of the shifting concepts and assumptions that inform their Muslim identity. Using films ranging from Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, El Cid, Kingdom of Heaven and The Message to The Wind and the Lion, O'Brien considers how the representational strategies of Western filmmakers may transcend such Muslim stereotypes as fanatic antagonists or passive victims. These figures possess a cultural significance which cannot be fully appreciated by Euro-American audiences without reference to their distinction as Muslim heroes and the implications and resonances of an Islamicized protagonist.

Make no mistake: Our founding fathers were more bandanas-and-muscles than powdered-wigs-and-tea.
As a prisoner of war, Andrew Jackson walked several miles barefoot across state lines while suffering from smallpox and a serious head wound received when he refused to polish the boots of the soldiers who had taken him captive. "He was thirteen years old. "A few decades later, he became the first popularly elected president and served the nation, pausing briefly only to beat a would-be assassin with a cane to within an inch of his life. Theodore Roosevelt had asthma, was blind in one eye, survived multiple gunshot wounds, had only one regret (that there were no wars to fight under his presidency), and was the first U.S. president to win the Medal of Honor, which he did "after he died. "Faced with the choice, George Washington actually preferred the sound of bullets whizzing by his head in battle "over the sound of silence. "
And now these men--these hallowed leaders of the free world--want to kick your ass.
Plenty of historians can tell you which president had the most effective economic strategies, and which president helped shape our current political parties, but can any of them tell you what to do if you encounter Chester A. Arthur in a bare-knuckled boxing fight? This book will teach you how to be better, stronger, faster, and more deadly than the most powerful (and craziest) men in history. You're welcome.

Sensational Sayings on Love, Sex, Dating and Marriage is a primarily a humorous quotation book about relationships. A quotation is something ingenious you wish you could think up on the spur of the moment. But sadly, that just doesn't happen for most of us. Being able to say someone else's witty quote is pretty damn close. Who doesn't like quotations? "Not me " Wait a minute, is that right? "I do " No, that doesn't seem right either. Anyway... Sensational Sayings on Love, Sex, Dating and Marriage provides the wit and wisdom from the best humours thinkers in the world. This assemblage has the added bonus of clever titles and cartoons. All mixed together and sorted into a convenient, accessible collection. This gathering is in a format that will fascinate and amuse you for hours. It used to be so prevalent only a few years ago. How to describe this presentation? Oh yeah... It's a book If you visit my web site sensationalsayings.com, or go to Amazon.com you can get this collection of indispensible quotes as a great resource on your Kindle device, personal computer, phone, or other electronic device as well. Awesome Now you don't have to wait until two in the morning to figure out something clever you wish you would have said. You can look it up right when you want it. I love quotation books and have been buying and reading them most of my life. And so can you Enjoy...

Into Fairyland: A Treasure Chest of Fairy Stories is an enchanting, illustrated anthology of 25 original stories written by Diane Light about the Fairies. It begins with an invitation from the wee folk themselves to step into the land of love, magic, and lore. Inspired by the author's Irish grandmother, each charming and colorfully illustrated story is beautifully crafted to delight, encourage, and inspire children everywhere, and the Fairy Child in each of us.

Star Points: Connections Old and New is a mystery novel in which a young couple living in Japan stumbles upon a centuries old illusive quest to solve the mystery of the "Star Points." Along the way their lives show us aspects of Japanese culture, they learn about meditation, and give us hope that the world can truly make connections and work together ...someday.

If films drawing on Middle East tropes often highlight white Westerners, figures such as Sinbad and the Thief of Bagdad embody a counter-tradition of protagonists, derived from Islamic folklore and history, who are portrayed as 'Other' to Western audiences. In Muslim Heroes on Screen, Daniel O'Brien explores the depiction of these characters in Euro-American cinema from the silent era to the present day. Far from being mere racial masquerade, these screen portrayals are more complex and nuanced than is generally allowed, not least in terms of the shifting concepts and assumptions that inform their Muslim identity. Using films ranging from Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, El Cid, Kingdom of Heaven and The Message to The Wind and the Lion, O'Brien considers how the representational strategies of Western filmmakers may transcend such Muslim stereotypes as fanatic antagonists or passive victims. These figures possess a cultural significance which cannot be fully appreciated by Euro-American audiences without reference to their distinction as Muslim heroes and the implications and resonances of an Islamicized protagonist.

This comprehensive study of author Thomas Harris' popular works focuses particularly on Harris's internationally known antihero Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter in the classic novels Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal. In 12 scholarly essays, the work examines several themes within Harris' trilogy, including the author's artistic exploration of repressed desires, his refinement of neo-noir themes and the serial killer motif, and his developing perceptions of feminine gender roles. Several essays also focus on Harris' works before and after the popular trilogy, examining themes such as gothic romance in Harris's first novel Black Sunday and the making of a monster in the trilogy's 2006 prequel Hannibal Rising.