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Four princes : Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the obsessions that forged modern Europe / by Norwich, John Julius,1929-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."John Julius Norwich--who the Wall Street Journal called "the very model of a popular historian"--has crafted a big, bold tapestry of the early sixteenth century, when Europe and the Middle East were overshadowed by a quartet of legendary rulers, all born within a ten-year period: Francis I of France, the personification of the Renaissance, who became a highly influential patron of the arts and education. Henry VIII, who was not expected to inherit the throne but embraced the role with gusto, broke with the Roman Catholic Church and appointed himself head of the Church of England. Charles V, the most powerful and industrious man at the time, was unanimously elected Holy Roman Emperor. Suleiman the Magnificent stood apart as a Muslim, and brought the Ottoman Empire to its apogee of political, military, and economic power. Against the vibrant background of the Renaissance, these four men laid the foundations for modern Europe and the Middle East. Their relations shifted dramatically, from hostile and competitive to friendly and supportive, while they collectively impacted the culture, religion, and politics of their respective domains. With remarkable expertise and flair, John Julius Norwich delves into this fascinating slice of world history, bringing the past to vivid life. His engaging, distinctive blend of erudition and brio indelibly portrays four dynamic characters, their incredible achievements, and the colorful surroundings in which they lived, while deftly examining the influence that each one had on the reigns of the others."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1500-1558.; Francis I, King of France, 1494-1547.; Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547.; Süleyman I, Sultan of the Turks, 1494 or 1495-1566.; History, Modern;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Silk Roads : a new history of the world / by Frankopan, Peter.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Our world was made on and by the Silk Roads. For millennia it was here that East and West encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas and cultures, the birth of the world's great religions, the appetites for foreign goods that drove economies and the growth of nations. From the first cities in Mesopotamia to the growth of Greece and Rome to the depredations by the Mongols and the Black Death to the Great Game and the fall of Communism, the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East. The Silk Roads vividly captures the importance of the networks that crisscrossed the spine of Asia and linked the Atlantic with the Pacific, the Mediterranean with India, America with the Persian Gulf. By way of events as disparate as the American Revolution and the horrific world wars of the twentieth century, Peter Frankopan realigns the world, orientating us eastwards, and illuminating how even the rise of the West 500 years ago resulted from its efforts to gain access to and control these Eurasian trading networks. In an increasingly globalized planet, where current events in Asia and the Middle East dominate the world's attention, this magnificent work of history is very much a work of our times"--Provided by publisher.LSC
Subjects: World history.; Trade routes; East and West; Imperialism; Culture conflict; Acculturation;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Taking care : the story of nursing and its power to change our world / by DiGregorio, Sarah,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In this sweeping cultural history of nursing from the Stone Age to the present, the critically acclaimed author of Early pays homage to the profession and makes an urgent call for change. Nurses have always been vital to human existence. A nurse was likely there when you were born and a nurse might well be there when you die. Familiar in hospitals and doctors' offices, these dedicated health professionals can also be found in schools, prisons, and people's homes; at summer camps; on cruise ships, and even at NASA. Yet despite being celebrated during the Covid-19 epidemic, nurses are often undermined and undervalued in ways that reflect misogyny and racism, and that extend to their working conditions--and affect the care available to everyone. But the potential power of nursing to create a healthier, more just world endures. The story of nursing is complicated. It is woven into war, plague, religion, the economy, and our individual lives in myriad ways. In Taking Care, journalist Sarah DiGregorio chronicles the lives of nurses past and tells the stories of those today--caregivers at the vital intersection of health care and community who are actively changing the world, often invisibly. An absorbing and empathetic work that combines storytelling with nuanced reporting, Taking Care examines how we have always tried to care for each other--the incredible ways we have succeeded and the ways in which we have failed. Fascinating, empowering and significant, it is a call for change and a love letter to the nurses of yesterday, today, and tomorrow."--
Subjects: Nursing;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Soul boom : why we need a spiritual revolution / by Wilson, Rainn,1966-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The trauma that our world experienced in recent years-as result of both the pandemic and societal tensions that threaten to overwhelm us-has been unprecedented and is not going away anytime soon. It is clear that existing political and economic systems are not enough to bring the change that the world needs. In this book, Rainn Wilson explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a "Soul Boom" in order to address today's greatest issues-mental health, racism and sexism, climate change, and economic injustice. For Wilson, this is very serious and essential pursuit, but he brings great humor and his own unique perspective to the conversation. He feels that, culturally, we've thrown the baby out with the bathwater-and that bathwater is spirituality, Faith and the Sacred. The baby is us, and we are in need of profound healing and a unifying understanding of the world that religion provides. Sharing his experience of losing his father during the summer of 2020 as well as his personal struggles with addiction and mental health, Wilson is an empathetic narrator and thinker who readers will appreciate and trust. Wilson's approach to spirituality-the non-physical, eternal aspects of ourselves-is relatable and will apply to people of all beliefs, even the skeptics. Filled with genuine insight-not to mention enlightening Kung Fu and Star Trek references-the book offers the keys to delving into ancient wisdom and seeking out practical, transformative answers to life's biggest questions"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Wilson, Rainn, 1966-; Religions.; Social change; Soul.; Television actors and actresses; Spirituality;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Age of anger : a history of the present / by Mishra, Pankaj,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."One of our most important public intellectuals reveals the hidden history of our current global crisis. How can we explain the origins of the great wave of paranoid hatreds that seem inescapable in our close-knit world--from American 'shooters' and ISIS to Trump, from a rise in vengeful nationalism across the world to racism and misogyny on social media? In Age of Anger, Pankaj Mishra answers our bewilderment by casting his gaze back to the eighteenth century, before leading us to the present. He shows that as the world became modern those who were unable to fulfill its promises--freedom, stability and prosperity--were increasingly susceptible to demagogues. The many who came late to this new world or were left, or pushed, behind, reacted in horrifyingly similar ways: intense hatred of invented enemies, attempts to re-create an imaginary golden age, and self-empowerment through spectacular violence. It was from among the ranks of the disaffected that the militants of the 19th century arose--angry young men who became cultural nationalists in Germany, messianic revolutionaries in Russia, bellicose chauvinists in Italy, and anarchist terrorists internationally. Today, just as then, the wider embrace of mass politics, technology, and the pursuit of wealth and individualism has cast many more billions adrift in a literally demoralized world, uprooted from tradition but still far from modernity--with the same terrible results. Making startling connections and comparisons, Age of Anger is a book of immense urgency and profound argument. It is a history of our present predicament unlike any other"--
Subjects: Anger; Civilization, Modern.; Civilization, Western.; Nationalism; Religion and politics; Social change; Terrorism; World politics; World politics; Youth;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Invisible boy : a memoir of self-discovery / by Mooney, Harrison,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."A narrative that amplifies a voice rarely heard--that of the child at the centre of a transracial adoption--and a searing account of being raised by religious fundamentalists. Harrison Mooney was born to a West African mother and adopted as an infant by a white evangelical family. Growing up as a Black child, Harry's racial identity is mocked and derided, while at the same time he is made to participate in the fervour of his family's revivalist church. Confused and crushed by fundamentalist dogma and consistently abused for his colour, Harry must transition from child to young adult while navigating and surviving zealotry, paranoia and prejudice. After years of internalized anti-Blackness, Harry begins to redefine his terms and reconsider his history. His journey from white cult to Black consciousness culminates in a moving reunion with his biological mother, who waited twenty-five years for the chance to tell her son the truth: she wanted to keep him. This powerful memoir considers the controversial practice of transracial adoption from the perspective of families that are torn apart and children who are stripped of their culture, all in order to fill evangelical communities' demand for babies. Throughout this most timely tale of race, religion and displacement, Harrison Mooney's wry, evocative prose renders his deeply personal tale of identity accessible and light, giving us a Black coming-of-age narrative set in a world with little love for Black children."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Mooney, Harrison; Adoptees; Adoption; Black people; Black people;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Everything I ever needed to know about _____* I learned from Monty Python : *including history, art, poetry, communism, philosophy, the media, birth, death, religion, literature, lation, transvestites, botany, the French, class systems, mythology, fish slapping, and many more! / by Cogan, Brian,1967-; Massey, Jeff.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Throughout their five seasons on British television (and well into the troop's movie sequels and assorted solo projects), Monty Python became a worldwide symbol not only for taking serious subjects and making them silly, but also for treating silly subjects seriously. Monty Python provided a treasure trove of erudite "in" jokes, offering sly allusions to subjects as diverse as T.S. Elliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" (as part of a commercial for a weight loss product) and how to conjugate Latin properly (as explained by a Roman centurion to a Jewish zealot painting anti-Roman graffiti on a wall). It was this combination of the uniquely highbrow but silly humor that inspired countless followers (Saturday Night Live, to name one). This hilarious and helpful guide puts Python's myriad references into context for the legion of fans, scholars, and pop culture aficionados that still strive to "get" Monty Python"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Monty Python (Comedy troupe); Comedians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Milk! : a 10,000-year food fracas / by Kurlansky, Mark,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.According to the Greek creation myth, we are so much spilt milk: a splatter of the goddess Hera's breast milk became our galaxy, the Milky Way. But while mother's milk may be the essence of nourishment, it is the milk of other mammals that humans have cultivated ever since the domestication of animals more than ten thousand years ago, originally as a source of cheese, yogurt, kefir, and all manner of edible innovations that rendered lactose digestible, and then, when genetic mutation made some of us lactose-tolerant, milk itself. Before the industrial revolution, it was common for families to keep dairy cows and produce their own milk. But during the nineteenth century mass production and urbanization made milk safety a leading issue of the day, with milk-borne illnesses a common cause of death. Pasteurization slowly became a legislative matter. And today milk is a test case in the most pressing issues in food politics, from industrial farming and animal rights to GMOs, the locavore movement, and advocates for raw milk, who controversially reject pasteurization. Profoundly intertwined with human civilization, milk has a compelling and a surprisingly global story to tell, and historian Mark Kurlansky is the perfect person to tell it. Tracing the liquid's diverse history from antiquity to the present, he details its curious and crucial role in cultural evolution, religion, nutrition, politics, and economics.
Subjects: Dairy products; Dairy products industry; Milk;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Is there bacon in heaven? : a memoir / by Hassan, Ali(Actor),author.;
"For fans of Russell Peters, Trevor Noah, and Mark Critch comes a hilarious debut memoir about life growing up on the outside and finding one's place in the world, by stand-up comic and popular CBC host, Ali Hassan. Growing up, Ali Hassan was a chameleon. His friends came from many different backgrounds and religions--Trinidadian, Parsi, Goan, Hindu, Christian, Sikh. And as a hockey-playing, crockpot-using young man who also knew the words to at least ten Neil Young songs, he could blend in everywhere. But the world has a funny way of reminding you who you are, and his Muslim Pakistani family and community did, too. In this hilarious and insightful memoir based on his hit stand-up comedy, Hassan shares his life-long journey to becoming a cultural Muslim--learning to walk the line of embracing his heritage while still following his passions. From failing to learn Arabic--or much of anything, really--in Sunday school and visiting family in Pakistan (who mocked him constantly) to discovering the wonders of pepperoni as a teenager and being a celebrity judge at Ribfest, Hassan finds himself in compromising situations that challenge his beliefs and very identity. And along the way, his friends and family are there to either encourage or criticize, something he finds eternally confusing. Now, as a father of four, Hassan must explain his point of view to his children. But he can't just 'give them' an identity as a cultural Muslim. Sharing his story is the next best thing. Entertaining and heartfelt, this debut showcases why Hassan is one of Canada's most popular comedians, as he explores that deep need that exists in us all: to belong."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Hassan, Ali (Actor); Actors; Comedians; Muslims; Pakistani Canadians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Sex in the Middle Ages. by McNabb, Jennifer,actor.; The Great Courses (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Jennifer McNabbOriginally produced by The Great Courses in 2024.Sex. The word makes some people giggle or blush, while others may draw back in discomfort. Whatever the reaction, whether positive or negative or a confusing mix of both, it's rarely neutral. But sexual intercourse is a basic biological fact of life—and none of us would be here without it. So, why do we find it so difficult to talk openly about sex? Where do the many rules and taboos surrounding sex and sexuality come from? How is it that a basic biological act can be so fraught with cultural, social, and moral complications? In truth, much of our reticence in discussing and acknowledging the realities of sex comes, at least in part, from a unique time and place: medieval Europe. In the 12 episodes of SEX IN THE MIDDLE AGES, Professor Jennifer McNabb and a panel of experts in medieval history and literature will take you back to the period between the fall of Rome and the rise of the Renaissance to explore the ideals and realities of sex and sexuality. As you'll learn, the rise of Christianity as not just a religion but a powerful political institution irrevocably influenced both the practical and moral dimensions of sex for centuries. And you may be surprised to see how much medieval views of sex continue to influence us today.From the crowned heads of Europe to the lowliest serf, sex and its consequences affected everyone. After all, for people in the Middle Ages, sex could determine the fate of a kingdom and the state of your immortal soul. With so much on the line, is there any doubt that sex occupied the medieval mind and became a focal point of politics, literature, art, and so much more? This deep-seated preoccupation means that looking at the past through sex and sexuality opens doors into so many other dimensions of medieval life and offers a fresh new perspective on history beyond the big events and famous names we are familiar with.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Documentary films.; Social sciences.; Instructional films.; Gender identity.; Documentary films.; Women's studies.; Sex.; History.;
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