In Boccaccio's innovative text ten young people leave Florence to escape the Black Death of 1348, and organize their collective life in the countryside through the pleasure and discipline of storytelling. David Wallace guides the reader through their one hundred novelle, which explore both new and familiar conflicts with unprecendented subtlety, urgency and humor: everything from the struggle for domestic space, fought out between individual men and women, to the greater politics of the Mediterranean world where Christian and Arab meet. He emphasizes the relationship between the Decameron and the precocious proto-capitalist culture of Boccaccio's Florence. He also discusses gender issues and the influence of the text, particularly on Chaucer and on the novel.

Challenge yourself to become a happier person and create a better world in this uplifting and spiritually nourishing workbook. With a focus on social justice and structured around ten empowering life lessons, educator Dr David J. Wallace shows us how we can reflect on ourselves and draw from within to become the happiest, most socially conscious and fulfilled versions of ourselves. Taking one lesson at a time, this interactive book helps us recognise our own flaws and traumas so that we can move beyond these, harnessing the power within us to create conscious change. This book encourages us to join in with the mindful prompts and meditative practices and to ask themselves reflective questions which help us to understand ourselves, who we are and who we want to be. Dr Wallace, an educator whose work helps organizations transform for the better through challenging prejudices and incorporating anti-racist principles, draws on his own experiences and life lessons learned to help shine light on human nature, conscious connections, and our mindful relationship to the world around us. Engage, question and relearn your beliefs with life lessons on: 2. Intellectual exile 3. Introspection 4. Purpose 5. Self-respect 6. Forgiveness 7. Soul-care 8. Integrity 9. Power 10. Peace, love, and liberation Beautifully illustrated by Gabrielle Mabazza, this is an essential self-help guide for creating a positive, fair and compassionate society which leads from the heart... Are you ready?