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Dogs and Monsters Stories [electronic resource] : by Haddon, Mark.aut; cloudLibrary;
From the "terrifyingly talented" (The Times, [London]) author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Porpoise, eight mesmerizingly imaginative, deeply-humane stories that use Greek myths and contemporary dystopian narratives to examine mortality, moral choices and the many variants of love For millenia Greek myths have fascinated people, who have seen in them lessons about fate and hubris and the contingency of existence. Mark Haddon digs into the heart of these ancient fables and imagines them anew. The dawn goddess Eos asks Zeus to give her lover Tithonus eternal life but forgets to ask for eternal youth. In "The Quiet Limit of the World" Haddon imagines Tithonus' life as he slowly ages over thousands of years, turning the cautionary tale of tempting the gods into a spellbinding meditation on witnessing death from the outside, and ultimately, how carnal love evolves into something richer and more poignant with time. In "The Mother’s Story," Haddon takes the myth of the minotaur in his labyrinth, in which the beast is the spawn of the monstrous lust of the king's wife Pasiphaë, and turns it into a wrenching parable of maternal love for a damaged child, and the more real monstrosities of patriarchy. In "D.O.G.Z.," the story of Actaeon, who was turned into a stag after glimpsing the naked goddess Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about the continuum of human and animal behavior. Other stories play with contemporary mythic tropes—genetic engineering, trying to escape the future, the viciousness of adolescent ostracism—to showcase how modern humans are subject to the same capriciousness that obsessed the Greeks. Haddon's tales cover a vast range, from the mythic to the domestic, from ancient Greece to the present day, from stories about love to stories about cruelty, from battlefields to bed and breakfasts, from dogs in space to doors between worlds, all of them bound together by a profound sympathy and an understanding of how human beings act and think and feel when pushed to the very edge. Throughout, Haddon's supple prose showcases his astonishing powers of observation, of both the physical world and the workings of the psyche. His vision is clear-eyed, but always resolutely empathetic.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Literary; Magical Realism; Historical;
© 2024., Doubleday Canada,
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Lytton : climate change, colonialism and life before the fire / by Edwards, Peter,1956-author.; Loring, Kevin,1974-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."From bestselling true-crime author Peter Edwards and Governor General's Award-winning playwright Kevin Loring, two sons of Lytton, BC, which burned to the ground in 2021, offer a meditation on hometown -- when hometown is gone. Before it made global headlines as the small town that burned down during a record-breaking heat wave in June 2021, while briefly the hottest place on Earth, Lytton, British Columbia, had a curious past. Named for the author of the infamous line, "It was a dark and stormy night," Lytton was also where Peter Edwards, organized-crime journalist and author of over a dozen books, spent his childhood. Although only about 500 people lived in Lytton, Peter liked to joke that he was only the second-best writer to come from his tiny hometown. His grade-school classmate's nephew Kevin Loring, a member of the Nlaka'pamux Nation at Lytton First Nation, had grown up to be a Governor General's Award-winning playwright. The Nlaka'pamux called Lytton "The Centre of the World," a view Buddhists would share in the late twentieth century, as they set up a temple just outside town. In modern times, many outsiders would seek shelter there, often people who just didn't fit anywhere else and were hoping for a little anonymity in the mountains. You'll meet a whole cast of them in this book. A gold rush in 1858 saw conflict with a wave of Californians come to a head with the Canyon War at the junction of the mighty Fraser and Thompson rivers, one that would have changed the map of what was soon to become Canada had the locals lost. The Nlaka'pamux lost over thirty lives in that conflict, as did the American gold seekers. A century later, Lytton hadn't changed much. It was always a place where the troubles of the world seemed to land, even if very few people knew where it was. This book is the story of Lytton, told from a shared perspective, of an Inidigenous playwright and the journalist son of a settler doctor who quietly but sternly pushed back against the divisions that existed between populations (Dr. Edwards gladly took a lot of salmon as payment for his services back in the 1960s). Portrayed with all the warmth, humour and sincerity of small-town life, the colourful little town that burned to the ground could be every town's warning if we don't take seriously what this unique place has to teach us."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Just once, no more : on fathers, sons, and who we are until we are no longer / by Foran, Charles,1960-author.;
"In this vulnerable, honest, beautiful memoir, award-winning writer Charles Foran offers a brief and powerful meditation on fathers and sons, love and loss, even as his own father approaches the end of life. Dave Foran was a formidable man of few words, seemingly from a different era than his sensitive, literary son, Charlie. Among other adventures, Dave had lived in the bush, been snow-blinded, hauled a dead body across a frozen lake on a dog sled, dodged a bullet during a bar fight, and gone toe to toe with a bear. Aspects of his life were like tall tales while others were more somber and enigmatic. A decent father to Charlie and his siblings, and a devoted husband to Charlie's mother, Dave was a tough, emotionally distant man, prone to gruff cynicism and a changeable mood. As Charlie writes: "He struggled most days of his life with wounds he could not readily identify, let alone heal ... Not only did my father never get over what had happened to him as a boy, he didn't try. Men usually didn't try back then. And we just had to deal." When Charlie turned 55, his father began a slow and, as it turned out, final decline. And Charlie felt something he'd never imagined before: a mysterious desire to write about his relationship with his father. On the surface, the motivation was to help lift an inchoate burden from his father's shoulders, to reassure him that he was loved. But there was also another, more personal motivation. "Late into the middle of my own lifespan," Charlie writes, "sadness took hold of my being ... I wanted to say so frankly, never mind how glib it sounded, how uncomfortable it made me." In spare, haunting prose, Just Once pulls on these threads--unravelling a fascinating personal story but also revealing its universal context (suggested by the title "Just Once, No More," a quote from a poem by Rilke that applies to all of our brief lives). With its skillful prose, humour, affecting intimacy, and love of life even in the shadow of death and uncertainty, this short but very full book presents a nuanced, moving portrait of a fond but distant father grappling with the end of life as his son acts as witness, solace, and would-be guide while shakily facing his own decline. What story can we tell ourselves and those we love, this memoir asks, to withstand the insecurities of self and the inexorable passage of time?"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Foran, Charles, 1960-; Foran, Dave.; Aging parents; Fathers and sons; Fathers; Parent and adult child;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Head strong : the bulletproof plan to activate untapped brain energy to work smarter and think faster--in just two weeks / by Asprey, Dave,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the bestselling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower--in two weeks or less. For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better--a process known as "biohacking." In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows readers how to biohack their way to a sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brain. Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest, and being able--possibly for the first time in your life--to do more in less time? What it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100% confident about your intellect, and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn't smart enough, or can't remember something important? How would you treat people if the mood swings, short temper, and food cravings that disrupt your day could simply disappear? In Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible--and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or "hacks") to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, readers will learn how to take their mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired "get it done now" perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you: Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long Eliminate the sources of "kryptonite," both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower. Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of our brains, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus. Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years. Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning--hotwiring your brain for success. Asprey's easy to follow, two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including: which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body; meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements; and how to adjust the lighting in your home and work space to give your brain the quality light it thrives on. A better brain--and a happier, easier, more productive life--is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong"--
Subjects: Brain; Brain; Mental health;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Uncommon type : some stories / by Hanks, Tom,author.; Twomey, Kevin,photographer.;
"Uncommon Type contains seventeen stories, each in some way involving a different typewriter (Hanks is an avid collector of vintage typewriters and owns over one hundred of them). The stories feature an immigrant arriving in New York City after his family and life have been torn apart by his country's civil war; a man who bowls a perfect game (and then another, and another), becoming ESPN's newest celebrity; an eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant on the hunt for something larger in America; and the junket life of an actor."--
Subjects: Short stories.;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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In love with the world : a monk's journey through the bardos of living and dying / by Yongey Mingyur,Rinpoche,1976-author.; Tworkov, Helen,author.;
"In 2011, Mingyur Rinpoche was the respected thirty-six-year-old abbot of three monasteries, a world-renowned meditation teacher, the son of an esteemed meditation master, and a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters. In Love with the World begins the night that, without telling anyone of his plan, he slips past the monastery gates alone for the first time in his life and sets forth on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. He wanted to throw off his titles and privileges, give up the protections he had always known, and engage in an "ego-killing mission" in order to explore the deepest aspects of his own being and move beyond the grasping self. Yet he immediately discovers that his training has not prepared him to deal with the stench of the third-class train car to Varanasi, or the filthy people around him, or the screeching noise of the train. He has trouble taking off his monk's robes and pays for a cheap hostel rather than sleep on the streets. Soon he becomes deathly ill from food poisoning--and his journey begins in earnest. His lifelong training has prepared him for facing death, and he must now test the strength of his practice. The invaluable lessons he learns from this near-death experience--how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living--are just what we need to navigate these challenging times. A profoundly moving, unusually candid account by a spiritual master"--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Yongey Mingyur, Rinpoche, 1976-; Buddhist monks; Near-death experiences; Intermediate state; Spiritual life;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Grand : a grandparent's wisdom for a happy life / by Johnson, Charles,1948-author.;
An award-winning novelist, philosopher, essayist, screenwriter, professor and cartoonist, Charles Johnson has held numerous impressive titles over the course of his incomparable career. Now, for the first time, with his trademark wisdom and philosophical generosity, he turns his attention to his most important role yet: grandparent. Johnson shares stories from his life with his six-year-old grandson, Emery, weaving in advice and life lessons that stand the test of time. Johnson shares these truths and more, offering profound meditations on family, race, freedom and creativity. Joyful, lucid and deeply comforting, this is Johnson at his most accessible and profound, an indispensable compendium for new grandparents and growing grandchildren alike, from one of America's most revered thinkers.
Subjects: Johnson, Charles, 1948-; Grandparent and child.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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We are all perfectly fine : a memoir of love, medicine and healing / by Horton, Jillian,1974-author.;
"When we need help, we count on doctors to put us back together. But what happens when doctors fall apart? Funny, fresh, and deeply affecting, We Are All Perfectly Fine is the story of a married mother of three on the brink of personal and professional collapse who attends rehab with a twist: a meditation retreat for burned-out doctors. Jillian Horton, a general internist, has no idea what to expect during her five-day retreat at Chapin Mill, a Zen centre in upstate New York. She just knows she desperately needs a break. At first she is deeply uncomfortable with the spartan accommodations, silent meals and scheduled bonding sessions. But as the group struggles through awkward first encounters and guided meditations, something remarkable happens: world-class surgeons, psychiatrists, pediatricians and general practitioners open up and share stories about their secret guilt and grief, as well as their deep-seated fear of falling short of the expectations that define them. Jillian realizes that her struggle with burnout is not so much personal as it is the result of a larger system failure, and that compartmentalizing your most difficult emotions--a coping strategy that is drilled into doctors--is not useful unless you face these emotions too. Jillian Horton throws open a window onto the flawed system that shapes medical professionals, revealing the rarely acknowledged stresses that lead doctors to depression and suicide, and emphasizing the crucial role of compassion not only in treating others, but also in taking care of ourselves."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Horton, Jillian, 1974-; Burn out (Psychology); Job stress.; Physicians; Physicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Where they wait : a novel / by Carson, Scott,1982-author.;
"Recently laid-off from his newspaper and desperate for work, war correspondent Nick Bishop takes a humbling job: writing a profile of a new mindfulness app called Clarity. It's easy money, and a chance to return to his hometown for his first visit in years. The app itself seems like a retread of old ideas--relaxing white noise and guided meditations. But then there are the "Sleep Songs." A woman's hauntingly beautiful voice sings a ballad that is anything but soothing--it's disturbing, really, more of a warning than a relaxation--but it works. Deep, refreshing sleep follows. So do nightmares. Vivid and chilling, they feature a dead woman who calls Nick by name and whispers guidance--or are they threats? And soon her voice follows him long after the song is done. As the effects of the nightmares begin to permeate his waking life, Nick makes a terrifying discovery: no one involved with Clarity has any interest in his article. Their interest is in him"--
Subjects: Horror fiction.; Application software; Nightmares; War correspondents;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Mindfulness for children [yoto card] : Yoto card. by Ladybird.;
Read by Sheridan Smith.For use with a Yoto Player, the Yoto Player app on a device or NFC touchpoint to stream.A practical and interactive audiobook for 5 to 8 year olds. This collection of 20 interactive exercises will teach children the basics of practicing mindfulness - while also making it fun and accessible! Written by a leading child development psychologist and mindfulness expert, and brought to life with fun sound effects, we learn about calming, focus, bedtime, waking up and kindness. Your child will be encouraged to play along as they listen, using their imagination to focus on the here and now. We know little minds can be busy and easily distracted, so you can start by doing as little as one minute at a time. Once this is established you can then build up to two, three and five minutes. Whatever your child's personality, these breathing exercises, visualisations, calming games and meditations will help them manage worries, encourage focus and kindness and make bedtime and waking up that bit more fun.Ages 5 to 8.System requirements: 1 Yoto Player smart speaker or Yoto Player app on a device or NFC touchpoint to stream.
Subjects: Children's audiobooks.; Sound recordings.; Mindfulness (Psychology); Preloaded audiobook.; Yoto audio card.;
© 2021., Yoto Inc.
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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