Consumer Sexualities explores women's experiences of shopping in 'sex shops' and using sexual commodities in their everyday lives. This enlightening volume shows how women take up sexual consumer 'technologies of the self' to work upon and understand themselves as confident and active sexual agents in postfeminist neoliberal culture. In guiding the reader through the historical emergence of sexual commodities 'for women' in feminism and postfeminism, Wood points to the normalisation and regulation of sexual practices and identities in and through consumption. Indeed, women's accounts show the work involved in constructing the 'right' - knowledgeable, tasteful, and confident - orientation to sexual consumption and, by extension, in becoming an intelligibly 'good' sexual person. At the same time, the author draws upon de Certeau to show how the ordinary contexts in which sexual commodities are used can lead to unpredictable moments of adaptation, discomfort, playfulness, and resistance. A rich analysis of women's everyday strategies of 'making do' with the kinds of femininity and female sexuality that sex shop culture represents, Consumer Sexualities will appeal to scholars of sociology, cultural studies and gender studies with interests in gender, sexuality, sex, and consumption.

With a history of use extending back to Vedic texts of the second millennium BC, derivations of the name Mithra appear in the Roman Empire, across Sasanian Persia, and in the Kushan Empire of southern Afghanistan and northern India during the first millennium AD. Even today, this name has a place in Yazidi and Zoroastrian religion. But what connection have Mihr in Persia, Miiro in Kushan Bactria, and Mithras in the Roman Empire to one another? Over the course of the volume, specialists in the material culture of these diverse regions explore appearances of the name Mithra from six distinct locations in antiquity. In a subversion of the usual historical process, the authors begin not from an assessment of texts, but by placing images of Mithra at the heart of their analysis. Careful consideration of each example's own context, situating it in the broader scheme of religious traditions and on-going cultural interactions, is key to this discussion. Such an approach opens up a host of potential comparisons and interpretations that are often side-lined in historical accounts. What Images of Mithra offers is a fresh approach to the ways in which gods were labelled and depicted in the ancient world. Through an emphasis on material culture, a more nuanced understanding of the processes of religious formation is proposed in what is but the first part of the Visual Conversations series.

Consumer Sexualities explores women's experiences of shopping in 'sex shops' and using sexual commodities in their everyday lives. This enlightening volume shows how women take up sexual consumer 'technologies of the self' to work upon and understand themselves as confident and active sexual agents in postfeminist neoliberal culture. In guiding the reader through the historical emergence of sexual commodities 'for women' in feminism and postfeminism, Wood points to the normalisation and regulation of sexual practices and identities in and through consumption. Indeed, women's accounts show the work involved in constructing the 'right' - knowledgeable, tasteful, and confident - orientation to sexual consumption and, by extension, in becoming an intelligibly 'good' sexual person. At the same time, the author draws upon de Certeau to show how the ordinary contexts in which sexual commodities are used can lead to unpredictable moments of adaptation, discomfort, playfulness, and resistance. A rich analysis of women's everyday strategies of 'making do' with the kinds of femininity and female sexuality that sex shop culture represents, Consumer Sexualities will appeal to scholars of sociology, cultural studies and gender studies with interests in gender, sexuality, sex, and consumption.

Reefs are an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Visible from outer space, coral reefs are the largest biologically constructed features known; in close proximity their spectacular beauty and abundance of life is dazzling. This text documents those biological innovations which have moulded the evolution of reef ecosystems and given rise to the highly complex reef communities found today. The appearance of clonality, the acquisition of photosymbiosis and the radiation of predator groups are all discussed in depth. Data from the fossil record documents the evolutionary development of reef ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach has the aim of providing an analytical text which will be of value not only to advanced undergraduates and postgraduate courses, but also to researchers in ancient reef ecology.

This groundbreaking volume brings together scholars of the art and archaeology of late antiquity (c. 200−1000), across cultures and regions reaching from India to Iberia, to discuss how objects can inform our understanding of religions. During this period major transformations are visible in the production of religious art and in the relationships between people and objects in religious contexts across the ancient world. These shifts in behaviour and formalising of iconographies are visible in art associated with numerous religious traditions including, but not limited to, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, religions of the Roman Empire, and paganism in northern Europe. Studies of these religions and their material culture, however, have been shaped by Eurocentric and post-Reformation Christian frameworks that prioritised Scripture and minimised the capacity of images and objects to hold religious content. Despite recent steps to incorporate objects, much academic discourse, especially in comparative religion, remains stubbornly textual. This volume therefore seeks to explore the ramifications of placing objects first and foremost in the comparative study of religions in late antiquity, and to consider the potential for interdisciplinary conversation to reinvigorate the field.

Living Life Like It's Golden is a book about womanhood and how to survive turning 40 when you've made no plans in doing so. D. L. Jordan provides answers to one of the most painful questions women ask themselves: Where did the time go? And where do I go from here?

FROM FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW Four Stars (out of Five) Since there seems to be no end to the various things teenagers simply must have, from makeup and clothing to expensive electronics, learning to earn one's own money is an essential life skill. Bev and Rachel Wood, a mother-daughter writing team, have taken on the task of teaching this lesson in their extremely helpful and well-written handbook, I CAN EARN IT Structured simply and effectively, I CAN EARN IT consists of twelve chapters that offer ideas and encouragement for enterprising teens and preteens. The tone of I CAN EARN IT is easy and friendly, and topics are approached in such a way that young readers won't feel overwhelmed or inundated with detail. Work ethics and responsibility are stressed in a manner that informs and encourages without lecturing, and the information and ideas given are concise and relevant. I CAN EARN IT is a fun, informative, and valuable resource for enterprising teens and t'weens. Product Description Mom and Daughter team, Bev and Rachel Wood partnered to create the book, I CAN EARN IT The Make Money How-to For Teens and T'weens. Filled with solid business ideas from Mom and the real dish from Rachel, the book is a great tool for teens and pre-teens alike As teens and pre-teens use the ideas in I CAN EARN IT they will find many rewards: extra cash, skills to build a resume, greater self confidence and the chance to make a difference. I CAN EARN IT helps teens and pre-teens assess what strengths and experience they possess that could be used to make extra dollars. Business basics are discussed in an easy to understand way including the concepts of profit and expense as well as the construction of a mini business plan. Family discussions are encouraged to be sure kids make good safe choices for their money making ideas.

Coral reefs are the largest landforms built by plants and animals. Their study therefore incorporates a wide range of disciplines. This encyclopedia approaches coral reefs from an earth science perspective, concentrating especially on modern reefs. Currently coral reefs are under high stress, most prominently from climate change with changes to water temperature, sea level and ocean acidification particularly damaging. Modern reefs have evolved through the massive environmental changes of the Quaternary with long periods of exposure during glacially lowered sea level periods and short periods of interglacial growth. The entries in this encyclopedia condense the large amount of work carried out since Charles Darwin first attempted to understand reef evolution. Leading authorities from many countries have contributed to the entries covering areas of geology, geography and ecology, providing comprehensive access to the most up-to-date research on the structure, form and processes operating on Quaternary coral reefs.